![We can add another Simone to the world of powerhouse musicians. Like Nina before her, Andria Simone commands the stage with her authoritative vocals, sensual-cathartic croons and emotive presence. Armed with her throaty raspy voice and adventurous spirit, this soul-pop singer/songwriter is undeniably en route to being in the of mix of reigning female songstresses like Adele, Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse and hey - she already has the readymade initial “A”. Andria’s debut EP “Nothing Comes Easy” was released this past October, full of catchy melodies, upbeat explicit female anthems and soulful ballads already garnering goosebumps and buzz within the music industry.
Hailing from Toronto, Andria has seen and experienced much of the world over her 24 years, but that’s not to say it’s been an easy journey. After watching just a snippet from her music video for the single ‘Shame’, you’d never believe Andria barely passed high school vocal class, or that she had to work to gain the confidence to pursue her natural craft. We chat with this rising superstar about her musical journey, her debut EP and grab some words of advice.
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Describe the journey that led you to become a singer and songwriter? As a kid, I always wrote my feelings down and sang about them - but I didn’t even make it into elementary school choir (we were 8 years old… every kid made it) and barely passed high school vocals. All these things made me insecure about pursuing music when I was young, which worked out for the better because I still had a lot of confidence and maturity to gain. After high school, I traveled to Lviv, Ukraine where I stayed with uncle for three months. I owe a lot to him as he pushed me into music by signing me up for flute, piano and vocal lessons with a gypsy named Zita, and sent me to Spain and Wales for writing courses. I only had 2 CDs with me at the time, Michael Buble and Amy Winehouse. I learned and mimicked the entire Back to Black album and thought to myself - Wow if I can do that, I can be a singer and you know what - I will. I came back to Toronto feeling like a brand new woman - and just started telling people I was a singer! You’re currently signed with Artist-tree Music Group as their flagship artist. How were you discovered? One night I met this young handsome man outside of a club. I told him I was a singer and he said he was a producer, so I jumped on the opportunity by singing him an Alicia Keys song. We worked together for a year or so and afterwards I kept exploring and working with different people, but they never quite understood me. Around 2011, Demetri James enters the picture as a referral from a good friend. We met at Starbucks to get a vibe for each other and there was an instant musical attraction from both ends. We set a date to meet Demetri’s mentor, Greg Kavanagh, and as soon as I met Greg I knew that was it - these are my guys! We hopped on the Soul Train, never to look back. What are the perks of being involved in the songwriting process for your music?Being involved in itself is the most important part as I find songwriting very therapeutic. I don’t think I could constantly be singing someone else’s feelings.
Obviously, there are amazing songwriters out there but it doesn’t feel authentic coming from me. I’m also biased because I’ve always been a part of my writing, and I want people who enjoy my music to really know me on all levels. However, that’s not to say I would never sing a cover or sing a song written for me, but the more hands-on and involved I can be, the better. Your song “Do What I Want” is a strong song with an obvious theme of feminism in it. Do you consider yourself a feminist?I love being a woman! We hold a lot of power, and sometimes, we don’t even realize it. But — I love men too and we would be pretty frustrated without them. I simply want to make it clear how important females are and we should never devalue ourselves. We females need to stand up for what we believe in and back up our fellow sisters. We don’t need to turn on each other or get catty; we need to stick together and share ideas - this is when we’re at our strongest. As for the song, I’m not a big fan of rules and I never have been, so I’ll never be in a controlling relationship. If any man tries to alter my independence …I’ll show him the door. Fortunately, none have tried yet — maybe they listened to that song!
Which is your personal favorite track from your debt EP “Nothing Comes Easy” and why?‘Nothing Comes Easy’ - the title says it all. If it comes easy - what’s the fun in that? I love learning from trial and error. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but I love constant improvement, and believe there should never be a limit to learning. If perfection is your goal, you’ll just be driving yourself crazy. The influence for this song came from a person who had a tough time accepting failure.
A piece of advice for all the people who want to follow their dream of becoming a musician but have limitations to pursue it as a career? First and foremost, no matter the limitations, make sure you’re pursuing this for yourself. Then, the people who want to bring you down won’t matter.
Also, just be intensely passionate about what you do. You should feel successful just from being able to play an instrument or being able to sing, and if people end up enjoying what you do, all the better. If you have this mindframe, the ‘no’s’ won’t sting as much.
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Visit Andria online here
Like Andria on Facebook
Tweet Andria on Twitter
Watch Andria on You Tube
Follow Andria on Tunezy here](http://25.media.tumblr.com/0897488e58382d5fe81a7bfd8a88b9c6/tumblr_mgjop72ElG1roupd2o1_r1_1280.jpg)
We can add another Simone to the world of powerhouse musicians. Like Nina before her, Andria Simone commands the stage with her authoritative vocals, sensual-cathartic croons and emotive presence. Armed with her throaty raspy voice and adventurous spirit, this soul-pop singer/songwriter is undeniably en route to being in the of mix of reigning female songstresses like Adele, Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse and hey - she already has the readymade initial “A”.
Andria’s debut EP “Nothing Comes Easy” was released this past October, full of catchy melodies, upbeat explicit female anthems and soulful ballads already garnering goosebumps and buzz within the music industry.
Hailing from Toronto, Andria has seen and experienced much of the world over her 24 years, but that’s not to say it’s been an easy journey. After watching just a snippet from her music video for the single ‘Shame’, you’d never believe Andria barely passed high school vocal class, or that she had to work to gain the confidence to pursue her natural craft. We chat with this rising superstar about her musical journey, her debut EP and grab some words of advice.
Source: tunezy.com
Boyce Avenue vs. Linkin Park: The Battle of “Rolling in the Deep”
It’s arguably the song that you couldn’t get off of your radio last year. Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” went through the ringer, too. If your local radio station wasn’t playing “Rolling in the Deep”, they were probably playing “Someone Like You”. If your radio station featured more songs in the style of rap, that’s fine, because Jamie XX did a remix of it that was dance club happy. It might have been one of the most covered songs on YouTube, which is saying a lot about its popularity because it’s not an easy song to pull off singing. In fact, play around YouTube and you’ll find some absolutely amazing covers, and you’ll find some really weird versions.
Yet today’s Cover to Cover face off is much more like a battle of the bands. A lot of accomplished musicians tried their hand at this song, but these were the two best videos that came from anyone established on the music scene.
Contestant Number 1: Boyce Avenue is a band that has all the makings of a fun band. They have a good sound, a lot of covers in their repertoire already, and are just an enjoyable band to listen to.
Contestant Number 2: Linkin Park wouldn’t be the band I’d expect to have an Adele CD. Their last hit CD came in 2007, and even before then they were most famous for working with Jay-Z. But it’s hard to argue that they don’t absolutely kill it with this cover.
So, who walks away with the victory? Each week, we judge on three topics: What Makes the Video Cool, Their Version of the Song, and The X Factor. So…
What Makes the Video Cool: Winner, Linkin Park. I have to admit, normally I’m a sucker for the multiple camera angles on different instruments or singers, but YouTube has done this bit to death. When was the last time you saw good concert footage of a cover song? Normally, it’s someone with a shaky camera yelling all the words. Point to the Park.
Their Version of the Song: Winner, Boyce Avenue. I had to re-watch the videos a few times here to judge this one, but it became clear that, well, the lead singer of Linkin Park didn’t really hit all of the big notes that make the song fun. Boyce Avenue also mixes their song better, and though neither are as far of a departure as I’d like to see from any cover, Boyce can at least hit the notes.
The IT Factor: Winner, Linkin Park. This is decided simply by the huge jump in logistics here. Boyce Avenue has done a lot of covers, and this was just another project for them. Linkin Park, one of the bands that defined middle school for me, takes a huge departure for the norm to do this song. Though it does sound better, Boyce Avenue’s version just becomes one of the many copy and paste covers on YouTube (and though it hit 10 million views, it’s far and away from some covers by lesser known artists). Because it’s a band that’s so far on the hard rock side doing a song that’s so far on the soulful diva side, the fusion takes it. Now, if we can get Adele to do something off of Hybrid Theory…
That’s just one man’s opinion. What do you think: Agree, Disagree? Let us know why in the comments below.
