Creativity demands solitude. Virginia Woolf figured that out decades ago, and wrote a whole essay arguing for women’s independence in A Room of Her Own; Henry James wrote a clever short story about an author who worked in private while his body double confronted the public. But even the hardiest introvert shivers in time with the chill of loneliness, even as the metaphorical forge (the canvas, the typewriter, the laptop, whatever) burns white hot. How does a creative soul cope with the chill?
Sequoyah can’t speak for everyone, but they can raise a fist against the cold. Bless them, and praise “Betta!” With rainmakers and buoyant synths, Sequoyah channels the pure pop fire of so many synthpop greats—the sauciness of Yaz, the levity of Shamir, the gravitas of the Eurythmics—to light their way through darkness. “I wrote this track at a time when I needed to feel uplifted, when I needed to feel comfortable being alone with myself,” Sequoyah wrote on their SoundCloud page. “This song affirms that negative feelings are temporary.”
Indeed! And neither can any listener harbor such sadness when “Betta” rolls in. It’s also a testament to Sequoyah’s utterly eclectic songwriting, which has pulled in everything from acid jazz to downtempo grunge to complement that otherworldly voice. Hopefully, this victory lap around solitude promises more unstoppable jams from this bedroom-based sorcerer in the not-too-distant future.
You can catch Sequoyah on Fri., Mar. 17 at Atlanta Contemporary when they play in support of Pamela_ and her sons. Port Conjunctive, Celines, and Stefan Ringer will also perform. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $8. All ages.
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Facebook: @sequoyahmurray
Instagram: @quoy_boi
SoundCloud: @sequoyahmurray