Chloe Morizono: And I’m Chloe Morizono. After over one hundred weekends of music, today is the last episode of our show. It’s been such a privilege to talk with all these incredible artists, and get to share their music with you. This community is as diverse as it is close-knit…
Annelise Finney: And the music it produces soothes our worries, gets us moving, and connects us with new people.
“It’s kind of a dream to have a room full of people, you know, vibing in the form of dance.”
“Making music for me is a way to make sense of experiences that can feel nonsensical.”
Chloe Morizono: The Bay Area has long been an incubator for trailblazing artists and genre-defining music.
Annelise Finney: The communities that produced legendary punk, rock, jazz and hip hop are still fostering creativity and innovation in music, from psychedelic cumbia to bedroom bossa nova.
”I grew up listening to smooth jazz gospel and pop from Radio Disney. And you can definitely hear that sound in my album.”
“I play a 12-string fretless guitar that I customize to sound like an oud, and I sing.”
“This person told me the other day, like, ‘I could, I can feel, I can hear the Caribbean sea in your voice.’ “
“We had these kind of like really dirty energetic drum breaks and like this really growly bass that sounds like something out of like a Joy Orbison song, but then we had this vocal that was really earnest and just like really lovely.”
Chloe: Everyone has been so unique in their musical background, artistry, and process.
“I need, I want all my songs to tell a story. I want my songs to take you on a journey.”
“You’re not gonna be writing good music if you’re not paying attention to the world around you.”
“I get this feeling with songwriting sometimes, like it’s not really that I’m creating something from scratch. It’s like there’s a block of marble, and I’m trying to chisel out the thing that I see in it.”
Annelise Finney: We’re proud to call the Bay Area our home–just like the musicians we have featured on this show.
Chloe Morizono: And though it’s definitely not easy to stay afloat as an artist here, this community is brimming with creativity and connectedness.
“It’s the Bay and the spirit of the Bay and the organizations, community, friends, family, people like chosen family and people here are my muse in a lot of ways.”
“The Bay Area music scene is a particularly tight-knit scene. So a lot of people are in each other’s bands, a lot of people cross genres. … I certainly feel fortunate that we all show up at each other’s events and our genres aren’t siloed here.”
“I feel like music here is queer even if you’re not queer. There’s space to be creative here and to be, I’m using the word weird in the best way possible, but like to be like that weird. I own my weirdness, you know? So it’s like, it’s the place to kind of be different and unique in that way.”
“To be able to see, you know, my… incredible music communities still stay focused and present and, you know, be able to support each other in such harsh times that the Bay Area is facing right now. That’s beautiful.”
Annelise Finney: Whether you’re an artist yourself or just a music lover like us, we hope you’ve enjoyed hearing from local musicians every Sunday.
Chloe Morizono: In this segment, you’ve heard the voices of Jada Imani, Sam Jones, Camellia Boutros, James Small, Maria Jose Montijo, Maya Elise, Jaiveer Singh, and the Artist B. Soleil.
Annelise Finney: The music comes from B. Hamilton, Louda y los Bad Hombres, Ouida, and Chrissy.
Chloe Morizono: Our show might be ending, but the Bay Area music scene is thriving, and supporting our local musicians and the venues that showcase their work is essential to keeping that going. We want to thank each and every artist who has taken the time to chat and share their music with us.
Artists featured in episode:
Jada Imani
Sam Jones of Mild Universe
Camellia Boutros
James ‘StickNasty’ Small
María José Montijo
Maya Elise
Jaiveer Singh of Baalti
The Artist B. Soleil
Songs:
“Deja que Baila” – Louda y Los Bad Hombres
“Hey Sunshine” – B. Hamilton
“Belong With You” – Ouida feat. JyellowL
“Things Can’t Go On Like This Forever” – Chrissy feat. Carrie Wilds
