WHAT IS SONGBIRD SESSIONS?
Songbird Sessions founders, Marina Piche and Danielle Matthews. Photo by Zach Bell
Very few things deserve more respect and praise in the world than when people organize to take matters into their own hands and circumvent monopolized systems to make their own alternate versions that better serve their needs and desires. This model of decentralization is gaining huge traction and momentum by wielding the power of digital tools and forming communities interested in breaking out of the confines of the mainstream circuits. One such movement is called Songbird Sessions and we'll be talking a little bit about it today.
Founded by creative director Marina Piche and musician Danielle Matthews around 2019, the project was born out of necessity, and the idea was to create a stronger community in the music industry for female artists, one that would put their interests first, stating that “Our mission is to help shine a light on emerging and established artists in some of the most interesting settings Los Angeles has to offer..."
The focus of the Sessions is, as the name implies, live shows where artists and audiences alike can engage together through the music. Creative Director Marina Piche puts a strong emphasis on creating unique and interactive visual presentations in their stage dressing that reflects the aesthetics and genres of the performing artists, maximizing the qualities of each venue and locale to make each show special and memorable in its own way. Each of their shows is run in partnership with brands that are actively committed to amplifying female voices.
Songbird Sessions show, artist FLAVIA, photo by Nicole Lemberg
Upon closer inspection of SS, I felt that of the most important aspects of the organization is not just the way that they take direct action to ensure that voices are heard, but also the unspoken fact that by the very nature of their existence, they ensure the safety and dignity of the performers they work with, providing the right kind of environment where creativity and audience engagement can create spaces to grow and refine. How many horror stories of artists being taken advantage of by promoters and venue owners -professionally and otherwise- do we need to hear before people directly involved with the community step in to ensure fair treatment is paramount? It's a genius-in-hindsight moment even from a business standpoint; furthermore, with the kind of personalized dedication to the structure, and presentations that the Songbirds bring to the table, audiences can be certain that they're getting their money's worth out of a gig put together ethically and lovingly by people who really care.
Being organizers of Live events, COVID struck hard against the Songbirds, but here's where the creativity and the use of decentralized digital tools come into play. Far from letting some puny lockdowns shut down their mission, they turned to social media, where they hosted their Artist Spotlight series, giving emerging female voices the ability to record from the comfort of their homes and then sharing their work with the Songbird's audiences. Later on, they would turn to streaming platforms, eventually partnering up with the event producers at the community-driven Kensington Presents, putting together shows that were streamed worldwide, and featured CANNONS, Somme and Jessica Childress.
Of course, ain't no lockdown can keep a good woman down, and the duo set out to prove just that by coming back to organizing the live shows that are at the core of their existence. Their first post-lockdown show is called “Songbird Sessions presents L.A. Exes & Friends” where the all-female supergroup will be presenting their debut EP ‘Get Some’ Today, September 30th in Mt Washington at 4514 N Figueroa St 90065. the "...& Friends" part of the show will feature artists Nico Turner, little luna, and a special DJ set from Gothic Tropic. TICKETS HERE
MEET THE AUTHOR
Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based.
I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.