Anieszka
Photo credit: Hassan
I’ve been trying to find new soulful/r&b artists for quite some time now, Anieszka came at the right time. Her new single “Presence” is exactly what I was looking for. I was super excited and happy to listen to this for the first time. This is the type of music I personally listen to on a daily basis, and it just feels amazing to get to feature Anieszka on my blog. Her new single is pure, honest and absolutely stunning. Anieszka’s voice is magical. The melodies are captivating. I couldn’t ask for more. I really can't wait to hear more music from her !!
But for now, please go stream “Presence” . You won’t be disappointed :)
Photo credit: Hassan
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! I’m Anieszka and I’m a singer/songwriter based in Sydney, Australia. I’ve experimented with different sounds and genres throughout the past few years, but ultimately music is a form of expression for me and I just want to create songs that feel good, true and that people that connect with.
What did you grow up listening to?
I was born in Papua New Guinea and my background is Mauritian – so a lot of reggae and sega (traditional Mauritian music), but growing up my older siblings used to play a lot of R&B so that’s where my love for R&B came from. There was a lot of Ashanti, Aaliyah, Biggie, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and so forth.
At what point did you realize you could sing?
Apparently I’ve been singing since the age of 2 (haha) but I realised I could hold a tune and really enjoyed singing at the age of 8, which is when I started to sing lead parts in school performances. I clearly remember singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ in the car and my parents stopping the car, turning around and saying ‘wow you can sing!’.
Growing up, what were your favorite records to sing along to? Who were your favorite vocalists?
Alicia Keys always has and always will be a huge inspiration for me. Til this day I still sing ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ at shows and gigs, it’s the first song I ever properly learnt and sang publicly. Other favourites are ‘Is This Love’ by Bob Marley, ‘Killing me Softly’ by the Fugees and ‘All My Life’ by Kci and Jojo.
When did you decide to pursue music as a career?
I decided I wanted to be a singer at the age of 8 and it never changed. People always told me I’d change my mind and it’s not possible to want the same thing you wanted at 8 years old, but it hasn’t changed till this day. Really feel like music is my purpose.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My mum! She’s still my biggest supporter, I’m very grateful for her. My whole family is amazing, their support and love is a gift.
How would you define Anieszka, the artist?
A calm and genuine presence that has a lot to share and say. Here to help and to heal, and to continuously connect through my art in a deep and authentic way. Always learning, always growing, and open to sharing this journey with anyone who resonates.
"Presence" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Presence is about a momentary shift into a place of stillness and expansiveness. I wrote it as a poem whilst I was watching the sunset one evening, and the words came pouring out within 10 minutes. The lyrics are raw and moving, and bring focus to a timely and important theme for me – being present. I really believe that if we practice more presence in life, we can lessen a lot of the heaviness we carry, and welcome in more moments of feeling truly alive. This song has become a timeless reminder of that.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process? How was it like to work with Chelsea Warner on this single?
Chels and I actually worked on this song through Zoom last year, she asked me what kind of song/vibe I was feeling and I knew I wanted something ‘grounded’ and ‘earthy’. I also mentioned a few artists I’d been listening to a lot more, such as Snoh Aalegra, Erykah Badu and Mac Ayres. She started the production process and I pulled up the poem I had written, once I heard what she was creating I knew the poem had to be the lyrics for this song. From there it all just pieced together so perfectly, Chels loved the words and added elements to complement them. The only words that weren’t in the original poem were ‘right here, right now, lose fear, lose doubt’ which I added in to create a chorus. Creating with Chelsea has been a true blessing, she really gets me as an artist and person so the creating process was beautiful and effortless.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
Its ability to instantly calm my mind and fill me with this blissful stillness when I listen to it. I hope it has that effect on everyone who listens to it.
When did you know "Presence" had to be a single?
Soon after we finished up the demo. I remember listening to it and I had this instinctive feeling that this song needed to be shared and heard, that it could help people the way it was helping me.
What can you tell us about the upcoming music video?
The music video is visually stunning, I worked on it with a talented young female videographer by the name of Jerusha Rose. I already had a vision for the different scenes I wanted and she was able to capture what I had in mind. I wanted to show more earthiness - think serene landscapes, petals and incense!
After working on the song with a female producer, it was so beautiful to work on the video with a female videographer. A lot of feminine energy and power in this release.
What does singing make you feel?
When I sing, it makes me feel like I am completely aligned, like my existence makes perfect sense and like I’m an instrument, that there’s a higher energy flowing through me.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I think it would be more openness and inclusion in the industry, especially for women. I hope that one day the music can speak for itself, and good music can reach the masses because it deserves to. It can be a tough industry, so I hope we can all show each other more support and lift each other up.
How's the music scene in Australia?
It’s diverse and there’s a lot more appreciation for R&B/Soul music which has been a positive shift for many of us artists who create music in that genre. It’s also great to see some incredible Australian artists in the dance and pop genres dominate worldwide.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
I’m quite passionate about health and wellbeing. I’ve really taken to leading a healthy lifestyle, from the food I eat to the type of information I digest throughout the day to meditating, I believe a healthy mind and body can create a lot more happiness in life. Other than that, I am passionate about all things creative – I enjoy sketching, dancing, writing, reading, I even took an acting class recently!
What biggest life lessons have you learnt so far?
You can’t control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you react to it
Everything happens for a reason
The right things will come at the right time
Comparison is poison for the mind
It’s okay to be wrong sometimes, that’s how we learn to be right
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More compassion and empathy. I’m a firm believer in self love, but I also believe in loving and helping others. If we can create that balance, and provide love and care wherever we can, I think we could create more change for the better.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Be kind, without and within.
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