June McDoom is a singer-songwriter based in New York City. Growing up in South Florida in a Jamaican household, McDoom was raised around reggae music; later, she discovered and nourished her own deep love for folk music and songwriting of the 1960s and 70s. While studying in NYC for a degree in Jazz Performance, her musical palette expanded to include the more intricate influences of jazz and early soul. Realizing that her favorite vintage folk music lacked artists with similar identities as her own, it became increasingly important for McDoom to carve a unique musical space – to push folk music towards a new and different audience by incorporating influences of early soul, reggae, and vintage analog experimentation into a new world. Experimenting with a mixture of vintage analog and modern digital recording, McDoom has learned profound new ways to marry the seemingly contrasting genres and style that have individually shaped her. Her 2022 debut releases – “The City” single, which was followed quickly by an eponymous EP – earned high praise, catching the attention of KEXP, KCRW, Aquarium Drunkard, Rough Trade NY, and other venerable indie music institutions. As a follow-up, in November 2023 McDoom presents the With Strings EP.
She says, “My first EP, June McDoom, was hugely inspired by the minimal sound of the 60s and 70s folk era. I wanted to reimagine a couple of those songs more stripped down as a follow up to that first EP. Judee Sill‘s songwriting and arrangements have impacted me deeply, and so I hoped to honor the music she made by recording a version of her song, ‘Emerald River Dance’ – one of my favorite songs for many years and a song I still sing at most of my shows. The first time I heard ‘Black is the Color’ was Tia Blake‘s version that she recorded in 1971, and then Nina Simone‘s performance inspired me to try and record a rendition of my own. While writing ‘On My Way’ and ‘The City,’ I always imagined versions of those songs stripped down with three-part harmonies, which I was finally able to do here with dear friends, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Kate Davis, who have both been big inspirations to me throughout the years. One of my close friends, Sam Weissberg – who I met while studying in jazz school when I first moved to New York City – worked with me and arranged the harp and strings for each song. I produced the songs and tracked the remaining instruments and vocals with Evan Wright at our new studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn that we share with our friend, Nick Hakim (who also provided backing vocals on ‘On My Way’).”
RIYL: Weyes Blood, Lomelda, Barrie, Beach House, Winter, Warpaint, Judee Sill, Nina Simone
FCC Clean
Label: Temporary Residence Ltd.
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