LA by-way-of-NY artist Shira Elias has got the ‘GOODS’: Her debut EP is bold and exciting.
Listen: ‘GOODS the EP’ – Shira Elias
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1014470062?secret_token=s-VQ7gPsjEE4v” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
There is nothing more exciting than a confident debut. When an artist comes out sonically swinging, you know you’re in for something good. And that’s what Shira Elias has proven with her solo debut, GOODS the EP. It’s even right there in the title.
Atwood Magazine is proud to premiere the former NY-based artist’s bold and exciting debut EP, out May 29, 2020. A veteran performer who recently traded the big city for the sunny skies of LA, Elias brings the assuredness and maturity to her EP of someone who’s spent years on a stage. Mixing the classic sounds of 90s R&B and 80s pop, Elias’ EP is a joyous and fresh spin. Her voice is sweet and raspy, but with a powerful punch behind it. The writing feels familiar yet new, which is a difficult balance to strike. The songs pull from the funk sounds of her band, Turkuaz, as well as exploring new territory. She says she wanted the solo venture to “tell a story of who I have become over the last 10 years, both personally and artistically,” which is exactly what it seems to do. “The concept of the EP was to encapsulate my experiences and “the goods,” so to speak, that I gained and lost during my life spent enveloped in NYC. It acts as a love letter to both the city and my younger self.”
The EP opens with “VULNERABILITY,” a slow-burn R&B number that displays exactly that. Elias sings of being told to tamp down vulnerability, and of a person that breaks through that wall:
They say keep it on the inside
Don’t show your problems to the outside
My thoughts of what I’m worth
Just bury them into the earth, that dirt
A seed that never grows
You broke through the ground
Through all my ups and downs
It’s somewhat of a power play to start the EP this way — it sets the playing field, marking Elias as someone who isn’t afraid to show you her whole self in her music. Because of this openness, when it moves to the upbeat funk song “NAH,” it’s a believable brush-off of people who try to bring you down. “You are the only writer of your own show, don’t let it star someone else’s mess,” she sings. She proves this over and over on the rest of the EP, which is full of sonic diversity and presence. Standouts are “CHERRY PIE” and “TRUTH,” where MEGA’s production complements Elias’ voice and writing beautifully. Shira Elias’ debut is one that proves her gift as a solo artist, and one that is sure to make her a highlight of this year’s releases. Keep an eye out for her followup EP, and for now, stream GOODS the EP exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
— —
Listen: ‘GOODS the EP’ – Shira Elias
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1014470062?secret_token=s-VQ7gPsjEE4v” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
— — — —
Connect to Shira Elias on
Facebook, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © Emil Cohen EP artwork © Nasya Goafreak
:: Stream Shira Elias ::
