Sedona
The introduction of Sedona’s “Call Me Up” video is romantic yet macabre. The video reveals her eating a fawn’s leg and turning on a sixties television set. Glistening onward the video shifts to a retro grocery store quartet. The song beckons a summer romance. Sedona is not afraid to be pop nor funk. The lyrics of the song are light and aspirational, she wants to “fly with you.” Sedona’s work serves as a remedy of self-love for femmes and allies. With a focus on confrontation and acceptance, she attempts to cultivate a community of, what she calls, “rockers, rollers, and midnight strollers” through the narratives within her music.
I meet her after work. She’s wearing her long brown shaggy hair tucked into a jacquard pink coat. Sedona looks like her music sounds; as though she is nostalgic for a time she may have not actually lived. She is wearing two mismatched loafers. I compliment her shoes and she says she has the other odd pair at home in California. I have the chance to ask her a few questions:
What's the “heart” of Sedona?
The heart and soul of Sedona is made up of lullaby-harmonies and lyrical-ceremonies. My songs deal with conversations I have between myself and my memories. Sedona is a collaboration among friends and lovers. She is the bright side of the moon, the chili salt on the rim.
Do you feel comforted by genre as an artist?
Genres comfort me as a listener, but not as a creator. Because I listen to so many different types of music, I do find myself pulling from a variety of artists. From The Free Design to Carlos Santana, I am inspired by older sounds and influences. As for my own sound, I don't see much of a point in categorizing it just yet. I just create what I hear in my head and my heart and let everyone else do the rest.
How would you describe your aesthetic as a maker?
I am for art that brings listeners back in time. I am for a sound that grooves and moves for all creatures divine. I am for the mustard yellows, lavender purples, and sky blue wrinkles hidden within vintage cocktail dresses that you wish your mom saved for you. Mine did.
Tell me more about your upcoming EP. Do you think you will be taking a similar funk aesthetic avenue as your debut?
Home Before Dawn is a collection of stories, sounds, and feelings that revolve around self love, self loss, and everything in between. My audiovisual EP is an attempt to love myself and heal others in the process. In trying to understand how memories inform our identity, this project blends music, the mind, and how they sonically and emotionally intertwine in every aspect of our lives. Music is the spine and our mind is the body. Without music, there would be nothing to hold us up. Home Before Dawn is a heap of untamed feelings, fever dreams, and happy-haunting memories. I'm aiming for the full release in the Fall, but in the meantime, I've got another single coming out in June. Stay tuned!
images courtesy of SEDONA
interview by ALEX ASSIL
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