There’s an abundance of artists now willing to make their own way in the industry. Those who don’t want to be held back by the rigmarole of being signed to a label. It isn’t necessarily easy: the protections and access aren’t always there, of course, for independent artists.
Yet for some, the artistic freedom (and the opportunity to own your masters) makes the venture all worth it. Amaroun is one such artist — and she has a lot to express. Born in Northamptonshire but now Peckham-based, her music reflects her journey of coming out and of feeling an outsider, as “the black girl, surrounded by white people”. Such alienating experiences are behind the name for her debut album Mars, set for release in June.
Her latest track, ‘Brown Skin Beauty’, a delicate, synth-driven track, typifies the project as a whole. ‘Take it easy on yourself’, Amaroun sings almost in a lullaby fashion, as both a note-to-self and reminder to all (especially others who see themselves as a ‘Brown Skin Beauty’), to love one’s self and overcome self-doubt. It’s also another of the promising end-results of Amaroun now standing tall as an independent artist.
The track’s new video — out today, coinciding with International Women’s Day — signifies a similar message of finding inner strength, as dancer and choreographer Sophia Brown (who’s featured in Top Boy and is soon to star in The Witcher on Netflix) moves between shaky and firm postures. You can check out the video below. And meet Amaroun, in her own words.
How did you get into music?
I started in church. I went every Sunday, so I was singing all the time. But really my journey started in school. I was quite an emo kid, and joined a band and was obsessed; rehearsing twice a week with my mates, booking studio sessions. I thought I was going to be the next big thing, so it really started from like emo punk bands.
What kind of bands are they? Who did you listen to?
Anything from like Trivium, InMe, Atreyu. Loads – even Linkin Park. But I was also into Hip-Hop as well, like Tupac. And I loved David Bowie. So I had quite an eclectic taste.
What was it that drew you toward being emo?
I didn’t even have that much teen angst. I’ve got an obsession with melodies and really catchy choruses. And I love to have an emotional theme in my music. I think [emo music] just ticked all the boxes.
It was also a way of socialising as well. All my friends were into it. Even now, when I’m writing songs, I have to steer away from it becoming an emo song. Maybe an emo album’s coming soon.
Don’t suppress it… You mentioned the eclectic range of influences, though, and the boundaries you’re pushing. How would you describe your music now?
I like to do bodies of work and not box myself into a particular genre. Take ‘Mars’ – it’s about empowerment and exploring my inner self and my queer experience as a woman. What’s most important is the themes that run through the songs rather than the genre. I never want to confine myself to what it sounds like. Right now, I’d probably say alternative R&B because that’s what this album sounds like, but I always want to be moving.
I read you previously describe music offering you a semblance of “redemption”. Could you say a little bit more what you mean by that and what music offered you when you were younger?
Music is 100 per cent a therapy. That might sound cliché, but I was almost letting out my repressed feelings through music. Even before I knew I was queer, I was writing songs and would sing “her”, but then consciously change it back to “him”. I found that every time I felt down, or a bit uncomfortable, I’d write a song and then feel better. I’ll probably use music as an outlet to manage my emotions for the rest of my life.
So let’s move on to your track ‘Brown Skin Beauty’, then – the video for which is out today. What was the inspiration behind that?
Being black and queer, basically. ‘Brown Skin Beauty’ is the uncomfortable part when you’re coming out as queer. As you see in the video, [Sophia Brown] is dancing in a very jerky fashion, but she’s also got some power stances. So it’s the juxtaposition between feeling awkward and feeling you need to push through something.
In what ways does this reflect your own experiences of coming out?
Everything I release with this project is a real moment of mine. And [‘Brown Skin Beauty’] is my experience of coming out, which was a real moment. It was a tough journey, coming out. It still is, but I feel it’s now more in my power.
I’m also from a very religious background, so there was also that friction. It was very evangelical, so very strict. The pastor would say, “you’re going to hell if you’re gay”. So from a young age, hearing that, it’s just not an option. Even at my age now there’s moments where I think I’m going to hell, even though that’s a load of rubbish.
So you had church, family, all these influences, and yet inside you were even writing songs saying “her”. That must have been tough…
It was tough and at the time, because it was so repressed. You tell yourself you don’t have the option; you’re choosing between your family, you’re choosing between yourself, but you’re hiding. But I tell you what, the moment I did come out, I felt free.
What was that like?
I always forget because I feel when you grow up in the closet, there’s a lot of traumas that happen. You forget things, which I do. But when I came out to my parents, I planned it all.
I walked into their bedroom, gave them a cup of tea and said, “I’ve got something to tell you.” Mum asked, “are you pregnant?” I said no. Then she went, “are you gay?”. I said yes, and then the floodgates opened.
And you have ADHD, is that so? What impact, if any, does that have on your music?
Yeah, my brain’s always moving 100 miles an hour. I’m not bouncing off the walls, it’s more about concentration and focus. But I think it’s a superpower because when I get stuck into my music, four or five hours can feel like 15 minutes.
Your track ‘Floating’ is interesting for how tantalisingly short it is. What made you want to release such a track?
I’ve got to be honest, ‘Floating’ was never supposed to be a track. I wrote one of the songs for ‘Mars’, and was mucking around with the piano, and I left the mic on and was just talking gibberish. Then I stopped, went away, came back and listened. That was just how it came out. I just loved how it felt peaceful and made me feel good.
What’s it like being an independent artist? What challenges do you face that perhaps you wouldn’t otherwise?
I wanted more control over my music. That’s why I produced this album, and that’s why I left my last label to become independent – because I want to own my masters. I want more ways for artists to get paid. We should be paid more for what we do. Because, as an independent artist, I build my own team, create the music, and there’s not a lot really that you get back.
I’m not a control freak but it’s really important to own your masters. I’m a musician, but it’s a business as well. And that’s where the money is. If you create it, you should own your own masters. I also think that as an independent artist, if you can do it, you have more creative control, and it’s not diluted.
You can outsource your work with other people. But at the end of the day, you’re your own label. And no one’s really going to mess with you. That’s really important to me.
The conversation around royalties and streaming is growing. Are you hopeful we’ll get to a stage where musicians are paid more fairly in the near future?
100 per cent. I think a lot more musicians are going to start fighting more for it because it’s clearly not fair; I think it’s about 0.004 pence [per stream]. So it needs to change. It’s quite frustrating because you put all that work into it.
When you work other jobs, you see there’s a balance and a way of doing things – then you look at the music industry, and you think there’s something not right here. So I want to fight for that. The only reason why I probably am still putting my music on Spotify is because it’s easy access for me.
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Let’s talk about your debut album, ‘Mars’, which is set to come out in June. First, why that title?
Because, although I felt empowered and it’s a journey, I felt a lot like an alien throughout that journey. Touching on the subjects I just spoke about – being in studios, coming out as queer – they felt a bit alien. Going your own way as an artist, you feel a bit like an alien.
So I just thought of ‘Mars’. And I also like the images it conveys. We linked the imagery to Star Trek too, because I love that imagery.
And how do you feel in the run-up to its release?
I’m so excited. It’s the debut, the first one. I’m just excited because I had to build up the confidence to produce it myself. I’ve been in a lot of studio settings where – and it’s not consciously done, I don’t think – but I’m usually the black girl, surrounded by white people, usually men, and you’re made to feel a bit like you’re just the singer.
I always wanted to get stuck into the production, but I didn’t have the confidence to do it. I’d make a demo and would be happy with it. I could have gone and got it mixed, but I would think, “No, I have to take this piece of work to a proper producer.” Then that would take me loads of time and money.
With ‘Mars’, I just thought, “No, I’m going to do it myself”. I just feel so empowered, and now I want to tell other people they can do it too.
