Andria Piperni – Who’s Counting?

By starrymag | November 25, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) To keep things simple, I tend to use the umbrella term “alternative R&B” because I think it gives people the general idea—my sound is reminiscent of R&B but a little more left-of-center. I’m influenced by other genres as well like jazz, soul, folk.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Growing up I listened to artists like Amy Winehouse, Regina Spektor, Alicia Keys… They definitely shaped me from an early age. Now I’m inspired by artists like Daniel Caesar and Bruno Major; I love the way they blend styles to create their own sound and they’re such great storytellers.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Above the Clouds.”

A) This song is about that little voice that we sometimes have in our heads, the one that tells us we aren’t good enough. Oftentimes in life we’re actually our own biggest obstacle—we get in our own way when it comes to who we want to be or what we want to do. We tell ourselves all these excuses of why we can’t or shouldn’t because we’re afraid to put ourselves out there and fail. I’m very familiar with this voice! But I’ve learned that letting fear dictate your life is actually much more painful than facing the fear itself and this song is a reminder of that.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I just think that everyone experiences doubt in some way or another. Fear is a very human reaction that is there to protect us from things that might hurt us, like rejection or failure. It’s normal to be scared of risks, of the unknown, of being vulnerable! We’ve all been there.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The lyric video takes the imagery in the song and brings it to life in a literal way. The clouds represent our fears and doubts and the sun represents hope and promise.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I tend to write music before lyrics. The feeling and vibe of the music inspire a story or message and, once I have that general idea of what I want to write about the lyrics start to flow.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I like to be very involved in the production process—from creative direction to minor details— but I leave the actual work up to the producer I’m working with. In this case, that was Chris Vincent.

Q) What are some themes you explore on your upcoming album Who’s Counting?

A) Even though I started writing some of these songs before the pandemic hit, for me, this EP ended up reflecting a big theme from 2020: awakening. Each song has an underlying message of realization or clarity in some way. I think this year has forced us all to shift our focus and, though it hasn’t been easy (to say the least), the important things seem clearer to me than ever.

Q) What are some songs on the album that are especially significant to you and why?

A) They definitely all feel special to me in some way or another. “Above the Clouds” felt like a really personal one for me. The title track “Who’s Counting” is one that I’m really proud of. It’s a bit different than the others and the theme is more intense too. But you’ll have to wait for the EP to know why! [winks]

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from hearing your music?

A) I want people to hear the EP and feel those familiar vibes of an R&B record, but with a fresh take. It’s a mix of feel-good tracks and songs with a deeper message that are a little bit more vulnerable. More than anything, I just hope people connect with it.

Q) With live concerts currently on hold, what do you miss most about being on stage?

A) The energy between myself, my band and the crowd is something you can’t really get virtually! There’s nothing like a room full of people connected by music they love.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Ah, this is hard! There are many people I’d love to collaborate with, but first that comes to mind is Mac Ayres. He’s a really talented artist, musician and songwriter with a really cool sound.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) Lianne La Havas’ self-titled album from earlier this year. She is just so talented in every way!

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Without social media, I wouldn’t be able to connect so easily with all these people from across the world. Especially during a pandemic! As an independent artist, social media gives me a place to reach people who like my music and get to know them. It’s a relationship that goes both ways.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you for listening, thank you for caring, thank you for any and all support you have shown to me and my music! I can’t wait to share my new EP with you. I hope you’ll love it!