Amandala’s third professional studio release, a 7 track EP titled Stronger, is aimed at the concept of coming full circle and stepping into one’s power. The album is a picturesque musical landscape in a style that draws influences from indie pop and indie folk-rock.
Stronger was recorded in both US and South Africa and was released on digital platforms in September 2020. The recording began at Earwig Studio in Seattle, before continuing its journey at Sunset Recording Studios in Stellenbosch. Coming full circle, the songs were mastered by Ed Brooks from Resonant Mastering (Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Courtney Marie Andrews) back home in Seattle.
Amandala’s intention with Stronger was to write songs that make one feel empowered, more connected, songs that encourage and inspire reflection. The songs convey all the attributes of water. Water is fluid, moody and emotional. Water can be powerful, loud or reflective. Water can be hard when it is ice, or it can be weightless when it becomes steam.
Just as water does not have a form, but it takes the shape of its container, so it was Amadala’s intent that her music does not sit in one specific genre, but rather capture a fluid mood which is different from song to song and album to album. Amandala has released 3 videos for songs from the album over the past two months.
Amandala comments on her music videos
“The lifestyle of isolation during COVID have opened doors for artists to reach audiences in a whole new way. There is still a place for fast food music, but audiences are now more open to art and music that brings back a feeling of childlike wonder, empowerment of trusting themselves and using their own inner intuition.”
“Knowing this, the attributes of a music videos as a medium to affect change, is now more far reaching than ever. For my music I wanted video images of various intricate scenes and colours to create a profound experience of art and beauty. The idea was to weave it all together so that sound and images have a unified feel.”
The first two videos “Let’s not leave this life broken” and “Flow” was made by the talented Angel Colmenares, who was born in Cuba and grew up in Mexico City. While growing up, his family lived near an art house movie theatre and he used to sneak out late at night and watched some great foreign films with directors like – Fellini, Bunuel and Kubrick.
Check out the video for “Let’s not leave this life broken” below:
Check out the music video for “Flow” below:
Angel Colmenares comments on the music videos
“I always loved the way they treated a story – multifaceted, layered and beautiful. My realization was that there are many ways to take in a particular scene, different perspectives, and even today, I still see new angles, new perspectives. It was this layered approach that I wanted to experiment with and Amandala gave me the perfect opportunity to try it in both her music videos.”
The third video for the single “Nothing” (Cape Town Version) is a composite of footage that Amandala assembled over the past few years. This single and more tracks from the album can currently be heard on US radio stations, including WGSU-fm in New York, and prominent radio stations in Seattle, Phoenix, Cleveland and Springfield, among other states.
Check out the music video for “Nothing (Cape Town Version) below:
Amandala says that she is lucky to be living in a city where there is a great music buzz
“Seattle is full of wonderful opportunities for musicians. But I am also a proud South African and very keen to share my music with music lovers back ‘home’. Take a listen and say Hi on my Facebook page. It will mean the world to me.”
It’s exciting to see that South African artists that are living abroad and putting new music out. I’m curious to see what Amandala will throw our way in the future.
Watch this space for updates in the Music News category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
