Self-produced British composer and recording artist for 25 years, Imogen Heap has released five solo albums, another as one half of Frou Frou and collaborated with countless and varied artists including Taylor Swift, Nitin Sawhney, Deadmau5, Eric Whitacre, Jeff Beck and Jon Hopkins. Her compositions and songs pop up in blockbuster and indie films as well as countless TV shows, are featured in underground rap and dance music and covered by the likes of Ariana Grande. As composer and arranger for one of the biggest hits in theatrical history, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, Imogen won the Drama Desk Outstanding Music in a Play award. As a sought-after speaker and performer, Heap hosted 2020’s Grammys Premiere Ceremony. Heap’s collaborative and multi-dimensional workflow attracts companies for commissioned works, leading to songs such as Tiny Human, the first song to distribute payments via a Smart Contract, and The Happy Song, a highly successful song for children in their early-years. Heap, recognised as an artist's artist, has won two Grammys and an Ivor Novello award. In recognition of her pioneering work at the intersection of music and tech, Heap has a hat trick of three honorary doctorates for the gestural music-ware 'MI.MU gloves' system and recently for ’The Creative Passport’, an integrated digital ID solution, empowering music makers to be the change toward a fair and flourishing music ecosystem. Between projects a constant for the past year is every Thursday afternoon, Imogen Q&A chats with her fans via The Listening Chair with those who subscribe to Imogenheap.app to collaborate together on Augmented Imogen, Imogen's in dev AI.

Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW is one of the most respected and progressive radio stations in the world, featuring an eclectic mix of independent music, NPR news, talk and arts programming. 
 

Once again singer-songwriter, Destani Wolf offers impeccable vocal prowess as a conduit for spiritual awakening on her forthcoming ‘PEEK AWAY’ EP. Drawing on nuances of Blues explored as part of her musical foundation, this collection of six (6) brand new songs finds the Berkeley raised, LA-based songstress arriving at an evolved take on her signature soul-step. 

Take one listen to her emotionally powerful and melodic vocals, through songs laden with orchestral-strings such as on “Nothing but the Best” or “Peek Away”, there’s no mistaking the SOUL in her DNA. Her organic nu soul sound reflects her upbringing in and around the rich diversity of the Bay Area’s multi-cultural society, where her earliest encounter with music was through the influence of both her parents’ vinyl collection including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Los Panchos, Bob Marley and others. Music brought the voice out of her as a child and continues to propel her creativity as a vocalist, a true natural born talent.

Fast-forward to today, and with two baby boys she’s brought into this world, Destani Wolf has become a strong and multi-layered woman.  Positive in spirit and with the guidance from her mentor, Blues guitarist/composer Johnny Tolbert (Sam Cooke, Etta James, T. Bone Walker, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland) – who also taught her the Blues and helped her record her first demo, her journey continues onward towards a career-path enriched with organic, retro and nu soul. On ‘PEEK AWAY’, soaring soundscapes underlay the interwoven retro-futurism of nu soul and 70s funk on “Why Should I Stay” and “Uprising (Do-it!)”, making her 6-pack solid.

Whether opening for Alice Smith or Laura Mvula at San Francisco’s ‘The Independent’, performing live with the likes of UK’s Alice Russell on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ or gracing the stage with shows in New York (‘Lincoln Center’, ‘Joe’s Pub’), San Francisco Bay (‘Yoshi’s, ‘Bimbos’, ‘Stern Grove Festival’) and Los Angeles (‘LACMA’, ‘Sonos Studio’, ‘UCLA Jazz Reggae Fest’), Destani -- who also writes songs and sings in Spanish, has recordings on two Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz LPs (John Santos ‘S.F. BAY’ and Jose Rizo’s ‘MONGORAMA’). She recently contributed vocals for the songs “Crossroads” and “Live like a Warrior” by Jewish-American, reggae-emcee Matisyahu while working with producer Kool Kojak (Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Ke$ha), and has also lent her voice to other projects with Artists such as Seu Jorge, Zap Mama, Quantic, SoVosó (Bobby McFerrin offshoot), Bay Area favorite, O-maya and The Pharcyde. Her solo debut LP ‘AGAIN and AGAIN’ (‘06) still remains an underground classic of edgy soul.

Destani was and still is ALWAYS ready to sing – anywhere or anytime. Free styling with ease, she’ll move any crowd, or even is known to surprise audiences by throwing in her ‘invisible band’ of trumpeters and drummers via her skillfully crafted, improvisational human a cappella beats! More evident on this EP though, Destani (LIVE) has an ability to touch the audience by her heartfelt delivery of REAL elements for the listener. On ‘PEEK AWAY’, if there were ever such a connecting force for one to pause, or possibly cause tears to outpour, it’d unmistakably be “Your Love for Me” - rich in thankful, appreciative love. 

Vocally blessed, Destani’s discovered her vocal ability as more of a functional role, whether it’s fueling more honesty for family and close peers at events, or for society and her community in order to raise awareness on life’s layers, love matters and those inspirational truths. “I feel blessed that music travels through me, and I feel like it’s something I want to share, and I need to share,” Destani affirms. “My voice is a powerful way to unite people and that’s the thing about music, it heals and it funnels energy. I carry my voice everywhere I go, that’s a gift.” 

There’s an inherent religiosity in the interplay between life + love. When Destani reflects on each song’s meaning (below) you’ll realize that there’s an unending cycle of life + love that’s sometimes beyond our emotional withstanding.  Even if we’re reluctant to accept, life + love does reveal our innermost feelings. That’s why her ‘PEEK AWAY’ EP gives the listener a chance at hope, an outlet to cope and a positive window into beginning to be healed. 


Matt Pond’s very name evokes the natural world in which his songs are so often set, with their evocative lyrics about the sometimes jagged edges of love, the pros and cons of connection, and the agony and ecstasy of memory. He has always mapped the universal emotions of being alive onto the contours of his own stories. 

From the band’s beginnings in Philadelphia in the late ’90s to their current home in the heart of the Hudson Valley, through 13 albums (among them Emblems, Several Arrows Later, The Dark Leaves, The State of Gold, and, most recently, the luminous The Natural Lines), Matt Pond PA has always been a living, breathing organism—one that’s constantly changing. One notable mainstay: Pond’s longtime right-hand man, Chris Hansen. 

“I named the band after myself, but the fact is that this is a complete collaboration,” Pond says. “Everyone I've worked with lives in my head and in these songs.”

Mark Davis 39 is following