With the release of their debut single, “Forget Me Not,” New York City trio Say She She build a bridge to the past with their musical style, while the tune’s theme cements the band firmly in ideals of the present. Stepping backwards into the glitzy era of disco, soul and Studio 54 ”Forget Me Not” kicks off with a funky riff before cascading into a waterfall of high falsetto vocals. As bass and drums follow, the tune slinks along with an air of confidence, mischief and general bad-assery. Combining strong vocals that ebb between razor sharp and buttery smooth, “Forget Me Not” has an infectious sound and is glittering with subtle touches of inspo from spot on 70s’ influenced synth, rhythmic guitars to a fluttering of bansuri flutes.
Accompanied with a music video, directed by Alyssa Boni, Say She She can be seen dressed all in black and equipped with hoods and masks, traveling through New York City, posting flyers on the subway, in parks and on any wall they can stick them too. As the trio traverses their urban jungle, they stop to dance and explore their surroundings. At the very end, the band revomes their masks and hoods to stare straight into the camera as they croon the last round of the chorus, ”Forget me not.”
Visually and thematically, the song soars as a testament to Say She She’s creative prowess and palpable energy as a band. It’s also a representation of women’s rights and protest movements that have helped pave the way for change. Disrupting male dominated spaces and unabashed in their dismantling, Say She She take their musical talents and use them as a beacon of pride and empowerment for post modern women everywhere.
With the release of their debut single, Say She She have more groovy tunes and feminist expressions on the way with their debut EP set to drop this fall via Karma Chief/Colemine Record.
Say She She — their name a play off Nile Rodgers (C’est chi-chi!: It’s Chic!”) — formed thanks to the friendship between band leaders Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Living above and below each other in an apartment complex, the two discovered each other’s singing talent when they began to notice each other singing at different times of the day.
“I knew the girl below me had the most beautiful voice as I would hear her early in the morning and she would hear me late at night,” Malik notes. “Between the two of us I don’t think we got a wink of sleep. Then again I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they moved to New York City to sleep.”
After singing in other bands, they finally decided to form their own group and enlisted Malik’s former collaborator, Nya Gazelle Brown to join them as the third lead vocalist. On stage, they are backed by talented NYC musicians who help bring their sultry, slinky tunes to a full crescendo.
Also influenced by the anonymous art activist group Guerilla Girls (also based in NYC), Say She She pull together different cultural influences from the past and present to create a wholly unique sound that promotes female empowerment and explores topics that relate to women everywhere.
Words: Patti Sanchez
For more on Say She She, make sure to visit their website and follow them on Instagram.
