Artist Spotlight
Sophia B shares an authenticity in her self-produced release, “Old City (Live)”
In her inaugural self-produced release, “Old City (Live),” Sophia B immerses listeners in a unique fusion of vintage jazz aesthetics and modern artistic expression. Captured live in the Berklee Practice Rooms, this track transcends traditional song structure; it offers an immersive auditory experience that encapsulates the essence of classic jazz while highlighting her maturation as an artist.
From the outset, “Old City (Live)” presents itself as an auditory time capsule, expertly crafted through intentional production choices that pay homage to the golden age of jazz while establishing Sophia’s distinctive voice. The live setting enriches the listening experience, lending an intimate dimension filled with visceral emotion and intricate musical interplay.
The conceptual depth of this piece is particularly striking. The title “Old City” embodies a multifaceted emotional landscape. Sophia’s commitment to manifesting the spirit of “Old City” through both instrumental arrangements and melodic structures is palpable. The integration of vintage jazz elements is seamless, and her vocal delivery carries a profound sincerity that resonates directly with the audience.
Sophia B’s evolution from her foundational training at LaGuardia High School to self-producing this track illustrates her significant technical advancements and a sophisticated grasp of her evolving audience demographics. Evoking a sound reminiscent of the resurgence popularized by contemporary artists like Laufey, “Old City (Live)” establishes Sophia as a compelling new voice within this perennial genre.
This debut stands as the art of reinvention. It illustrates that, much like historic cities, classic jazz can be revitalized and reinvigorated through a thoughtful and contemporary lens.
Artist Spotlight
“Subterranean Homesick Blues” finds a new direction through Ghost of Panama
Rearranging a song that carries six decades of cultural weight is a creative challenge, but Ghost of Panama approaches “Subterranean Homesick Blues” with clear purpose. The rock band radically reworks Bob Dylan’s counter-culture hit, reshaping its identity while keeping its rebellious spirit. It’s a tribute to musical heritage and a statement of artistic independence all in one.
This new interpretation is very much shaped by the production, made at Ghost of Panama’s home studio in West London. The setting allows an intimate approach to reinterpreting a familiar song and lets the group engage directly with the material, taking it in a new artistic direction.
“Subterranean Homesick Blues” centers on the tension between conservation and transformation. Ghost of Panama is true to the song’s rebellious spirit without adding to its legacy, and this approach gives the release an adventurous feel, grounded in countercultural energy but driven by a desire to see what the composition can become in a different musical context.
Their version of this 60-year-old classic shows that respecting a song’s history can also mean breaking the rules and finding new ways to express its spirit. Fundamentally, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” presents Ghost of Panama as artists who want to engage with the past without being tied to it. The release’s strongest identity is a familiar heritage reimagined through a singularly forward-looking creative vision.
Artist Spotlight
“NO MORE” by Amanda Holley connects healing, awakening, and survival
“NO MORE“ carries that kind of emotional weight, and some songs feel like they come from lived experience but reach for something bigger. Amanda Holley blends R&B and soul, turning a lifetime of survival into a vision of healing, awakening, and the determination to move beyond what caused the pain.
“NO MORE“ is a healing anthem for people who have gone through bad experiences and reached a place of higher awareness, but it’s also an emotionally charged protest. The duality is introspective and outward-looking at the same time, turning personal survival into a broader declaration that some experiences, conditions, or cycles should end.
Holley had a premonition of the song six months before the world went into global shutdown. In the vocal booth, working out melodies with her collaborators, she pictured people in the streets. Those images were hard to imagine at the time, but subsequent events would make them painfully familiar.
“NO MORE“ is given a particularly contemplative underpinning by the context. The identity of R&B and soul leaves room for emotion. The song’s themes link survival, awakening, resistance, and the need for change. Amanda Holley is an artist using music to process personal endurance and a broader sense of social awakening. It’s got a complicated significance, and its release feels like a glimpse of a moment when personal intuition and public reality collided in an unexpected way.
Photo Credit: Yulia Shusharina
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