( ENSPIRE Feature ) New Artist AvaMarie Speaks on her Background in Music and Passion
ENSPIRE Contributor: Clarisa Crump
Up and coming R&B artist AvaMarie has recently released her Debut EP, “Grateful” on all major music streaming platforms. The L.A.-based singer/songwriter channels her real-life experiences and learned lessons to create a more personal experience for her audience. With the extraordinary vocals on the singles, “Chills’ ‘ and “Grateful”, AvaMarie is an artist that ENSPIRE encourages you to add to your playlist if you are an avid R&B fan. Taking her inspiration from artists such as Jhene Aiko, Sade, Beyoncé, and Snoh Alegra, Avamarie delivers an airy and calming yet soulful debut EP.
No matter the situation that an individual finds themselves in, AvaMarie has a list of songs for almost all mindsets. The single, “Grateful”, displays the joys of letting go of the past and embracing the “now”. She brings to life the feeling of being present in the moment without the regrets or the strings that come along with thinking of the past. Her song, “Chills”, embodies the feeling of a new and secure type of love, whereas “Sweet Love” captures the internal struggle that one may encounter in love. Loss of trust, finding oneself, and falling back into love are just some of the topics that AvaMarie touches on with her music.
We at ENSPIRE caught up with AvaMarie to discuss what music means to her, and how it came to be that way.
Your EP is filled with soulful singles, did you listen to soul a lot while growing up?
I did listen to a lot of soul growing up. My parents definitely introduced me to a wide variety of music growing up which I’m so grateful for. My dad’s favorite artist is Luther Vandross so he would play a lot of him around the house when I was growing up. And of course, Aretha Franklin, as well as Teena Marie, Chaka Chan, Gladys Knight, Al Greene, and the list goes on. I am very much so inspired by these artists and everything my parents introduced me to sonically as a kid. It’s a very impressionable time and I feel my voice and the music I gravitate towards now really reflect this.
What drew you to music?
My voice teacher always tells me I was singing before I even got here. And I truly feel that way, it was such a natural instinct for me to sing as soon as I could. Music was always playing in my house and I would watch movie musicals as a kid a lot and I just loved to pretend I was in those. So I would sing in the shower and make up full productions in my living room. It was so in born in me and I knew as soon as I could speak that is what I wanted to do.
What message would you like your fans to take away from your music?
I want my fans to listen to my music and take away the feeling that being emotional and vulnerable is a strength. And you should always choose the love you have for yourself over anything else. Knowing your worth and stepping into your power is also something I want my fans to take away from listening to my music, which are themes I am exploring even deeper in my next project. Honoring gratitude and choosing to always get back up and love again are two practices I also want my fans to take away. Appreciating life, for all its ups and downs.
You briefly mentioned your journey back to yourself, how did that start?
My journey back to myself, I feel as though will always evolve, and change. But the place I’m at now, I’d say really began in the solitude I experienced during 2020. When I could not finish my senior year of college and had to figure out life in LA alone, it really taught me a lot about what I truly wanted and needed. Spending time outside when there wasn’t anywhere to go really grounded me and shifted my path to what you see today. I had many experiences that guided me deeper and deeper into music.
What do you feel are some of your biggest achievements?
I feel like I rarely reflect on much because I’m always focused on the present or the next thing I am doing there are so many victories to celebrate as a person and as an artist, especially during this time in the world, it’s important to celebrate every win, big or small. But I would say one of my biggest achievements is definitely putting out the completely independent EP that I wrote myself. Another one would definitely be self-producing my EP release party with 10 female entrepreneur booths, having an opening sound bath, and hosting 9 other female artists there. Also of course graduating from college, especially during the pandemic, and everything I did academically during that time from working three jobs, being a writing tutor, leading a social justice trip to Cuba, and being cast in 5 shows back to back, 3 of them which I was a lead in, taking 24 credits a semester, and graduating with honors from LMU while also studying pop voice through USC was all definitely accomplishments I’m proud of.
Do you have any music plans in the works?
I have so many music plans in the works. I am in the middle of the creative process for my next project and what that rollout will be and look like as my artist brand evolves. I am also in the midst of rehearsals for all the shows I’ve been booking this year so far. I am working on a lot of musical content as well that I cannot wait to share soon.
While her music is for all fans of R&B to enjoy, AvaMarie speaks of this EP forming at a very vulnerable time in her life. She explains, “This debut EP tells the story of all the emotions I felt during a particular relationship that fell apart during quarantine.” After taking some time to and for herself, she realized the importance of appreciating the little things in life. She hopes to share this message through her EP. She says, “it is the perfect first layer to share my artistry with the world.”
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