Doing The Work {Music 2021}
Artists taking time to write, reflect, and refine
Words by Janine Stankus Photos by Eric Morales
In her 2016 op-ed for The Nation, Toni Morrison writes that, in “times of dread,” artists must go to work. “There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear,” she proclaims. “We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”
For these four Austin-based musicians, the 2020 pandemic stole away their limelights, emptied the rooms they once filled with energy, and left the road ahead shrouded in fog. But it also gave them something they had in very short shrift before: time. In the midst of adversity, these artists are digging deeper to refine their voices, hone their messages, reevaluate their roles, and create music. The results are authentic and inspiring, tunes that reaffirm music’s power to forge heartfelt connections—whether performers and listeners are in the same room or far apart.
2020 forced most of us to scrounge for a silver lining, but silver linings are Mélat’s MO. The self-dubbed “R&B Soul Pop” singer is graced with a demure brand of positivity that manifests in her music. Despite a barrage of canceled plans, including a SXSW showcase and bi-coastal tour, and the rash of racial violence that temporarily “stole her words,” Mélat finds herself hopeful for the future.
“I want to make people feel the things that we’ve forgotten that we feel.”
– Mélat
Continue reading about Mélat here…
The contemporary folk genre is crawling with tropes: “Mountains, California, rivers…” muses Jeremy Quentin, explaining that musicians are no longer turning on the radio. For Jeremy, these are the marks of musical phoniness which he does not abide.
“The thing I think I’m really good at right now is finding good qualities in all music and trying to take that into my own writing.”
– Jeremy Quentin
Continue reading about Jeremy Quentin here…
For a musician, being in a band is like having a built-in safety net. If you’re having an off night, you’ve got others to take up the slack. If a performance flops, the blame gets diffused. For Kelsey Wilson, who’s been with a band her whole career, flying solo took real guts.
“I just really want these words to be heard, because it’s medicine-it’s meant to be medicine.”
– Kelsey Wilson
Continue reading about Sir Woman here…
Contentment will always be a shimmering mirage to a musician married to the road, the life, and their own self-image. Love and heartbreak are twin muses; the touring lifestyle is a gyre. But even after releasing an uncharacteristically hopeful album in 2020—wrested from the wreckage of the love that inspired it—David Ramirez is ready for a bigger shift.
“I’m relearning that my entire identity isn’t wrapped up in those 45 to 90 minutes on stage and that I do possess other interests.”
– David Ramirez
Continue reading about David Ramirez here…
