Having been big fans of the sultry beats and genre-defying heartfelt offerings of London-based songwriter and producer Jay Brown, under her previous guise as Amaroun, we’re now excited to hear that she’s back with a new project. False Idah takes all that we loved about Amaroun, but develops it into something more as Brown immerses herself in the vulnerability of stripped-back songwriting and the inspiration that can come with the freedom to express yourself in a true and honest way.
We can’t wait to hear more from False Idah, and to catch them live at Servant Jazz Quarters tomorrow, 25th September, supporting acclaimed lyrical storyteller Jeremy Tuplin at the launch of his new album. Ahead of what promises to be a beautiful night, we caught up with Jay to find out more about her new project.
Stepping into my new project, False Idah, has been an exercise in carving out a space where I can experiment, take risks, and let go of expectations. For me now, it’s all about creating the freedom to express myself in full and be totally at ease with what comes out of that. Transitioning from my previous project Amaroun to False Idah wasn’t just a name change, it was a full on creative reset born from an era of personal growth that poured into my songwriting and made a new space for itself within me. It wasn’t so much of a conscious choice, but rather a necessity to forge the path and make way for a whole new wave of inspiration and music making.
False Idah (pronounced FALSE IDER) explores corners I haven’t previously uncovered. It creates darker textures, revels in raw emotions and tells new stories with an urgency that feels really fresh and exciting. As well as exploring the new, this project also holds a light on the past; reaching back to my earliest music influences of grunge, emo and folk. In False Idah I’m always balancing a level of rawness and heaviness with a sense of warmth and intimacy that makes it feel both comforting and arresting.
My creative process has always been fast and frequent; starting with just me and my guitar in a state of flow. As False Idah has developed, I feel an ever-deepening connection between what I write and and what each song means to me. I feel like I’ve tapped into a deeper state of consciousness, and it feels so exciting to share that. Sonically, False Idah is hinged on the power of restraint and taking a minimalist approach to create arresting resonant songs that leave room for the listener to imagine in the silence as much as they are held by the music.
I’m currently mixing my first body of work for this project with Adam Scrimshire, and we’ve focused on keeping it uncomplicated, raw, and imperfect. You’ll hear guitar scratches, screeches, even bum notes, because this project isn’t about polish, it’s about instinctual self acceptance. With False Idah I define success in my own terms, connect directly with fans without barriers and try to maintain a state of flow in everything I do. That’s why this release won’t be going up on streaming platforms, it will be live on Bandcamp and my website instead (…the state of streaming is a whole other blog post!).
Even though the world feels chaotic, this project is about having somewhere to land and connecting to a community of fellow music lovers that get that. I’m excited to share the journey with whoever wants to join.
Keep up to date with all things False Idah by joining her mailing list here; listen / download on bandcamp now; and nab tickets to catch her live at Servant Jazz Quarters with Jeremy Tuplin tomorrow 25th September here.
Photo Credit: palice.world
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