Calgary musician & RALEIGH co-founder Clea Anaïs released her sophomore single, "Powerful Women" today, premiering the video via Audiofemme. Born out of a conversation Anaïs had with her sister and eldest niece about assault, "Powerful Women" is a song that reflects on resilience. It "reminds us that strong voices have preceded us, that we can draw upon," notes Anaïs. "Although outcomes aren't always visible or immediately positive, it is still worth showing up for who and what you believe in."
Musically the track began to take shape during a residency at the Banff Center for the Arts, then was recorded with engineer Will MacLellan (Phoebe Bridgers, Blake Mills, Ethan Gruska) at Sound City Studios, in LA, California. It was mixed by Nyles Spencer (The Tragically Hip, Broken Social Scene, July Talk) at The Bathhouse Studio in Ontario.
Anaïs continues, "We are moving through complicated times in our modern world. Which, despite denoting progress through increased transparency, also brings to light injustices suffered by victims. It is both tragic, and optimistic, to witness engaged, empathetic youth, like my niece, confronted with our world's realities. Although these conversations can trigger my experiences, I do feel positive about the marked distance between social discourse that exists today, compared to the stigma which created silence for me while growing up."
Anaïs took a break from music to pursue a career as an airline pilot but COVID-19 had other plans. With the world in a pandemic lockdown, Anaïs' focus returned to her first love... music. And returned last month with the single, "Hazy Days."
A mixed race, multiethnic artist, Clea was raised in Calgary by a Mauritian dancer, and a British painter, Clea's compositions center on two things: her multifaceted artistic sensibility, and an emotional intelligence as sharp as a shard of bright-colored crystal.
Clea creates art that moves in interesting ways, and through this there are moments when she is vulnerable, and those moments move you because they are some special combination of being listenable, evoking thought/memory, and feeling new.
Her session work spans many genres, having worked with Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) on his project Music for Heart and Breath, and recording with bands like Woodpigeon, 100 Mile House, Reuben and the Dark, and Astral Swans.
"Powerful Women" and "Hazy Days" hint at a debut, solo full-length album due later in 2021.
