Local musician Niecy Blues’ latest single, “Bones Become the Trees,” is a departure from rhythm and blues. The yawning synths and foggy vocals enmesh the airy, ambient track with an ethereal vibe, bringing your mind into a peaceful space.
“There’s this part in the song where I say, ‘Things I heard / were make believe / My bones become the trees,’ and it encapsulates the whole gist of the song, which is essentially about my denouncing of organized religions,” Niecy said. “It’s about being taught one way and coming into my own of what I think about life. The song is a reclamation.”
Brooklyn indie label, Mexican Summer, picked up the new track after it was featured on the Electric Change compilation released by Boston-based collective SLDG Music to benefit transgender-led organizations.
Niecy co-produced “Bones Become The Trees” with local musician Contour, whose lo-fi approach to contemporary fusion shines through on the weightless composition.
“I think most people saw me in a strictly R&B lane — live shows were a little bit different, kind of like a punk and psychedelic rock influence, but my recorded stuff was more R&B,” they said. “And so I was like, I’m just going to throw this ambient thing out and not expect much of it, but it did kick off a lot of connections.”
Recently returned from a west coast tour with alternative artist Puma Blue, Niecy is working on their first full-length record. Their sound has chalked a different outline than what typically comes out of the solo artists in Charleston, carrying influences from ambient punk artist Deerhunter and early Tina Bell grunge.
“I think me starting to produce for myself was the catalyst of moving into the direction that I’ve always wanted to move in,” Niecy said, who produced the majority of their 2020 EP, CRY.
“That’s what’s been the driving force for me is me taking the reins of my own sound and not so much leaning on other producers to create the sound for me.”
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