Step into the dreamy and soulful world of Avamarie, a rising star in the music industry hailing from the vibrant city of Los Angeles. Her debut EP, Grateful, released a few months ago, drawing inspiration from renowned artists such as Jhene Aiko, Sade, Beyoncé, and Snoh Aalegra, and showcases her exceptional talent as a singer-songwriter. It features standout tracks such as “Chills” and the title track “Grateful,” showcasing the singer’s exceptional delivery as an artist, proving that she is one to keep an eye on as she continues to grow and develop her craft.
“Right now the main thing I want to project with my music is the power of gratitude,” she shared with us. “It is the start of happiness and I want to inspire people to spend time in nature and with themselves to really find the beauty in the simple things and to know their worth.”
Avamarie’s debut project tells a deeply personal story of the emotions she experienced during a relationship that fell apart during quarantine. Through reflection and introspection, she found herself appreciating the simple things and being grateful for what she had. The EP is a testament to her growth as an artist and a person, showcasing her dreamy and soulful sound while grounding it in passion and authenticity.
We highly recommend that you listen to Avamarie’s debut EP, Grateful, and get to know this rising star. Continue scrolling to read our exclusive interview with the singer-songwriter and discover more about her journey as an artist.
For those that are new to your music, what’s your background?
Where did your musical journey start and how did you get to where you are today? My musical journey first started with dance when I was a little girl growing up in New York. Dance was my first introduction to music and I learned so much through my body about musicality. My dance studio even had us dancers learn music theory at a very early stage in our careers. I eventually branched out into musical theater training after only focusing on ballet for most of my adolescence, and once I caught the singing itch I really wanted to do it right.
So I started formally training vocally in high school, studying Opera at the Eastman School of Music for four years. I then made my way into vocal jazz training, and was in a few jazz ensembles my first year of college. Once I moved out to LA for my second year of college, I started honing in on my sound training more in the pop/R&B space with MzLyndia at the Thornton School of Music at USC.
During this time I also discovered my love for songwriting and really delved into original music for the first time. Especially once the pandemic hit in 2020, I really started focusing on that which led me to creating my debut project which I just released in November.
What’s the main thing you want to project with your music? Obviously we got a glimpse of your storytelling abilities across Grateful, but how about beyond that?
Right now the main thing I want to project with my music is the power of gratitude. It is the start of happiness and I want to inspire people to spend time in nature and with themselves to really find the beauty in the simple things and to know their worth. Life can get very chaotic and can be distracting you from your goals sometimes, and the relationship you have with yourself and how you love yourself is the streamline for how you live and experience life.
Gratitude is something you can and should always practice to ground yourself in every moment. In addition to this message and my most recent project, I want my music to project self-confidence and ignite a fire in people to go after what they want and what they believe in for themselves. This will be showcased particularly in my next project I have been working on. Stay tuned!
Who are your musical heroes, both the ones you loved as a kid and also who you admire today?
Some of my musical heroes are Aretha Franklin, Prince, Teena Marie, and Donny Hathaway. I love and have always admired Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys – I remember listening to their debut albums on repeat as a kid in my backyard that my mom would play on the CD player we had, and I would just stare at their album covers dreaming about having albums just like them one day. I also really admire Jhené Aiko, H.E.R., Ed Sheeran, SZA, Amy Winehouse, Cleo Sol, and Ari Lennox.
Speaking of the EP, it’s been out for a few months now. How do you feel about all the support you received and what shocked you the most?
I feel so appreciative and grateful for all my listeners and friends supporting and sharing my EP. It was a journey to get to the point of releasing it and now still heavy in the promo process, it is so special I am able to share it with people I care about.
What shocked me the most was the responses and direct messages I got from people I had never met, some being musicians themselves that I look up to, that told me how much they resonated with and loved my EP and they even sent it to their friends, and family members. That means so much to me that someone who doesn’t even know me took the time out to not only listen my work but share it and personally reach out to me. The power of music is so special in that way.
Looking back on the project, do you have a favorite memory or part about creating it?
Every moment of creating this project is such a vivid memory and is so special to me. From the sessions to the shoots, to the performances… I think one of my favorite memories though that always stands out to me was when my song “Chills” came together in the studio for the first time. I was so excited and knew it was the start of something and I was so proud of myself songwriting-wise in particular. It really lit a fire in me to write and dive deeper into that part of the process.
The acoustic video for “Grateful” came out a few weeks ago and we got a peak at what it would be like to see you perform the songs live. What’s so empowering about being able to perform?
I have loved being able to perform my EP live for fans and friends in LA. It is so empowering because I’ve sat with these songs for so long in my head and alone in the car, and of course, with the producers I created them with and then only sending them to a few close friends, so to see a whole crowd of people responding so positively to my work is so meaningful to me. That is really the whole point of why I do what I do and why I love this so much; to share my music with others so they can have their own personal experiences with my music…
Beyond just music, the glam and creative direction that’s gone into your artistry is incredible. Can you talk about channeling creative expression through other mediums such as fashion and beauty?
Thank you so much. Since my background includes many things like dance training, musical theater, and opera – I’ve been in the performing arts all my life and picked up on a lot from set design, to makeup, to fashion along the way. Once I got signed for modeling in LA I was introduced to a lot of stylists, brands, and beauty in all its forms. I have always been on Pinterest and Tumblr since I was younger collecting inspo and making my own mood boards so when it came time to do my single/EP shoots, music videos etc. creative direction was second nature for me.
Visualizing is a huge part of the music process for me also. As soon as I get an idea in the studio recording, I immediately start to visualize a whole scene from the colors and style of what I am wearing to the environment of where I am, to the overall mood. I picture each song in its own world. And then the cohesive world overall for the project in its entirety.
You had an incredible run this past year, releasing your debut EP and several stunning music videos—what’s on your bucket list for 2023?
Thank you so much! I am already working on my next project so that release is definitely on my bucket list for 2023. Also performing in different cities this year is on my bucket list. There are quite a few collaborations on my bucket list as well this year from artists, to songwriters, producers, photographers, and brands. There is a lot in coming up in 2023, so definitely stay tuned!
