A Star On The Rise: Daiela’s Headlining Debut
Photo By Faith Matthew
Words: Holt Daniels
November 3, 2024
If you’re tuned into Brown’s music scene, you have to know Daiela: the LA-born singer, drummer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with a growing national stardom. Last month on September 20th, Daiela performed her first ever headlining show at Providence’s AS220. The thriving alternative venue and art hub welcomed a warm crowd of university students and local residents alike for a talented lineup of on-the-rise artists.
A little before nine p.m., the night opened with two musicians hailing from the music scene of Tallahassee, Florida. First to the stage was singer Kahndes (pronounced con-dess), who just recently released a new project on September 27th. She energetically set the scene for the night, performing her playful songs and welcoming a growing crowd with her soothing voice. As we quickly warmed up to Kahndes’ energy, singer Dallas Aleea then took the stage with a huge smile and equal warm-heartedness. A highlight of her set was the song “My Man My Man My Man” where Dallas encouraged the crowd to sing along to the infectiously catchy chorus. The excitement of the crowd was evident as voices chattered adoringly following Dallas and Kahndes’ performances with the rest of the lineup still to come.
After an announcement from the venue staff pointing our attention to the local clothing brands set up for sale in the back, a group of three dudes dressed in white button downs and colorful ties quickly made their way onto the stage. A guitarist, drummer, and bassist. Then out stepped Analise, blooming in a bright red dress and snazzy bob. The band began with a cover of Dijon’s “Big Mike’s” that demanded the crowd’s attention by way of arresting vocals and instrumentation. Transitioning into a setlist of originals, each song seemed to build upon the energy of the last. The vocally-layered ballad “Messy” grounded Analise’s set in an emotional vulnerability that satisfyingly paid off as each song reached a progressively grander climax. Among performances of yet-to-be-released songs like “Muscles” and “Twist My Arm,” Analise’s fervent, expressive voice perfectly complemented guitarist Sebastian’s gravity-defying solos. It was impossible for anyone’s attention to be elsewhere as Analise and the band delivered heart & soul in their passionate performance. I urge you to start following Analise and her music; if you weren’t in the crowd that night, you’ll surely want to see a show of hers soon.
Photo by Natan Ferreira
The night continued when singer-songwriter Inari Jade (who I’m grateful to call a friend) took the stage for her first ever live gig. Around me were some of Inari’s closest friends, who in support had been at the venue with her well before the show started. As she took the mic and the iconic first notes of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” rang through the venue, Inari’s comfortability with the stage was immediate. She invited the crowd to sing along as she breathed her own style and masterful vocal runs into sequent covers like the beloved “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac and a stripped back performance of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “I Find it Hard to Say (Rebel)” on her shiny, well-loved guitar.
Inari then announced she was going to play her first original: an untitled folk song she had lovingly written for her mother. With adoring eyes, she brought the room's attention to her mother who had traveled to Providence to see her daughter’s first show. Sparking one of the most tender moments I’ve witnessed in my lifetime, Inari sang to the crowd: “I look to my right / I see my mom still by my side / I swear I see her mother too / She’s stragglin close behind / And I know that a life lived is a life loved.” And yes, her teary-eyed mother stood by her side, on the right of the stage. Among the many other teary eyed faces of the friends around me, I couldn’t help but feel gratitude for Inari’s capacity to express that almost inexpressible adoration we feel for motherly love; her song was as tender as a mother’s comb through a young head of hair.
Inviting her boyfriend and collaborator Osiris. to the mic, the two performed a sweet, Sunday-like song they wrote together and titled “Green Tea.” While Inari’s voice worked its magic, Osiris. made himself comfortable on stage with some affectionate adlibs, a slight side-to-side movement of the shoulders, and an adoring gaze at Inari and her unmistakable talent. Osiris.’s verse added his smooth raps like a dollop of honey to their shared cup of tea as Inari’s angelic vocal harmonies seeped into the mix. Their energy was effortless and affecting.
If Inari Jade hadn’t mentioned it was her first gig, you would’ve been surprised to find out. Her humble confidence and innate skill to capture a crowd’s attention make her an artist to certainly be watching. As a friend, it was so fulfilling to watch her kill it at something she’s so passionate about; the music she’s spent years practicing and creating in her room, sharing bits and pieces in late-night instagram stories, now being appreciated by a greater audience. Importantly, in between songs, she hinted that published music is certainly to come soon… So look out! she said.
Of course, the night did not end there; it was time for Daiela’s much anticipated headlining set. As she took the stage accompanied by bassist & co-writer JD Gorman and guitarist & producer Julien Deculus, her lively spirit saturated the room. Daiela gave a sincere thank you to the crowd for coming to support the show and the lovely artists that had opened. She then began with the heavenly “Hey My Love”, a personal favorite of her releases in the past year. The song started with a sequence of Daiela’s lush vocal melodies before, about thirty seconds in, a drum-beat kicked in among swinging bass and guitar lines that made the crowd’s movement echo in response.
For the next song, JD brought to the front of the stage the mysterious upright bass I had been curiously eyeing throughout the night as it sat in the back corner. With a smile, Daiela explained how she had written the unreleased track “Blue Moon” before she and her boyfriend had started dating. The song is passionate and aching as she choruses lyrics like “I know the right things can come at the wrong time” or with piercing directness “Why can’t you be mine?” Continuing to make use of the upright bass, the band next soared into Solange’s classic “Cranes in the Sky.” Daiela’s melodies went spiraling up and down gorgeous vocal runs as she sang “Away, away, away, away,” highlighting her own personalized style and unique vocal talent. Taking us back to her beloved first-released single “i’m not her,” Daiela set herself up on the drums before the first Bossa-Nova style plucks of the guitar rang out. In moments like these, Daiela’s unique artistry reflected in her manner of doing something you might not expect: like seamlessly playing the drums and singing at the same time.
Daiela remarked before playing more new material, “So, I’ve got an EP coming sooooon… at the start of next year,” with a response of eager noise from the crowd. “Joke”, a since-released single that dropped September 27th, pairs sparkling instrumentation and tight R&B drums (produced by her older brother Leven Kali) with playful, mocking lyrics about that love interest that is just as the title says: a joke! Another new song titled “Little Girl with a Knife” may be her most hard hitting yet, as high-to-low melodies mix with an expressive instrumental climax unmatched in her previous work. Near the end came an electric performance of her most commercially successful song yet with over half a million streams, the self-produced “HYPER DAI.” The song sees Daiela experimenting with her strong skill set through a shifting, frenzied beat and chopped up vocals; and at one point, Daiela broke out into a high-spirited scat, sonically connecting the styles of her influences like the early Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald to today’s more contemporary sounds.
To merely say I’m grateful to have witnessed the show would fail to express the magic of the night. It's a testament to Daiela’s character the way she brought together an incredible string of artists who perfectly played off each other’s energy, cultivating a vivid shared sense of community. Watching the artistry of fellow Brown students like Inari Jade, Osiris., and Daiela herself along with the performances by Analise, Dallas Aleea, and Kahndes, I felt a stabilizing assurance in the future. I gazed at these performers with absolute confidence that their future will bring the recognition and adoration they and their music deserve. Let this article be documentation of what was only the beginning.
Artists mentioned & their Instagram handles:
Kahndes – @kahndesofficial
Dallas Aleea – @dallasaleea
Analise – @analise.music
Inari Jade – @inarijade_barrett
Osiris. – @osirisyesiah
Daiela – @daiiiiela