A Palestinian you should know: Amira Jazeera

A Palestinian you should know: Amira Jazeera

The following was originally published in Palestine in America’s 2020 Music Edition. Order a print copy or download a digital copy today!

Amira Jazeera joined a Zoom call with Palestine in America’s editor in chief Nader Ihmoud to discuss her single “Citrus”, her journey to Chicago and the EP she’s working on. To listen to the full interview on Palestine in America’s podcast on Spotify, IGTV or YouTube.

Nader Ihmoud: Last time I saw you, dude, was at Palipalooza. How was that for you? How was that experience? I never got to ask it. 

Amira Jazeera: Yeah. So that experience was honestly like, it was a good experience for me to connect with the community. [Be]cause you know, that was like my first time ever really performing in front of the Arab community and it was nice. It was a good experience. There was young and old. There was all age groups. It was cool. It was like mixed energy, you know? 

NI: Now that Corona is here, it doesn't look like there's going to be another live Palipalooza anytime soon.But you had a few shows after [Palipalooza] though. So how was that for you though?

AJ:  So, performing in front of live audiences is like, literally you having like a, I don't know, you're just like in sync with everyone's brains and you're just like vibing and it's so nice. I miss performing so much. Like you just made me miss it.

NI: Some people who have been taking it to Instagram Live

AJ: Yeah. I’ve done that. 

NI: How was that?

AJ: It was cool. But it wasnt that many people. It wasnt the same  as being in front of actual people.

NI: Would you like from the virtual performances that you've seen or if you've done, what would you like people to start doing with these virtual performances?

AJ:  I feel like turning it into something really like interactive in a way where like when you're watching it, like you get to see them how they like rehearse it or like how just like in depth, ways of how these artists are doing their virtual performances. Cause some people are doing them like really crazy, like, and auditoriums are like, they're doing it. And they're like studio or like they're set up at home. Cause like, you know, there's like not everyone has the, the same kind of setting for these live performances. And I just think it would be really cool to see that.

NI:You got your own home studio now, right?

AJ: Yeah. actually. So I just recently invested in a home recording studio for myself because like during this time it really like taught me that being self-sustaining as an artist right now is like, you need that. You really do because studios aren't always open right now. And it's like also a safety thing where you just need to really like watch it and be careful at a time like this. And also having a home studio is cool. Cause whenever I want to create I can.

NI: That's what I was just about to say like at any moment you could...you’re asleep and then you had a dream about something, just roll over and work.

AJ: Exactly. Wake up. Record a song. What? In my bedroom? Amazing.

NI: Can you go into that a little bit of detail of what your recording process is? I know you've shared it sometimes on Instagram where you show us like ‘hey, this is how ive been working on my beats’ and youre a producer not just  a singer and songwriter. What do you like doing the most?

AJ: Honestly like just, I love doing vocal production shit too. Like making a song, but having like all the vocals and then I love producing on top of vocals. Like if I'll record like an acapella of a song or something with no beat, like I'll just have melodies in my head and then I have like an arrangement and then I'll like build a beat on top of it sometimes. Like that's fun. My recording process though, is like, if I'm, if I have a beat, sometimes I'll send it to my friend. Cause I'm still not that good. Like, I mean, I'm good, but I still need like a makeover to my beat sometimes. And I'll like, have my friend do that for me. And then I'll record on top of it. I'll just like throw some melodies down and then start writing. It's a process. I love all of it. Honestly. I can't like, I just like creating, I like turning something into something like seeing the whole, like all the steps and how everything just turns into a song.

NI: As someone who follows you on social media,I appreciate that. And like a fan of your music, like it's cool to see those kinds of things. Like be humbled, like, ‘Hey, I'm just starting to dabble into this part of my craft. Right. Here's the process that I'm going through.’ That's the feel I get from that.

AJ: I'm not like the worst. I'm not like terrible at making beats right now, but I'm also not like the best, like a high level producer, but like I have been doing it for a while and I just like started getting back into it. So it was kinda like, it's kinda like riding a bike. You don't really forget how to ride a bike. 

NI: What are you working on now? Are you working on any kind of different sounds or? 

AJ:  Yeah, actually. So right now I'm actually, I'm working on creating an EP of a compilation of a specific feeling and a sound. I don't want to, like, I feel like I've been giving hints, like a lot of hints already of like what it's going to be. And like, it's going to like match like the aesthetics too, which is dope. I'm getting a lot of influence from like old, early 2000s, Y2K, vibes, themes, things like all of that is just kind of like where my influence is coming from and my music, which is fun. Um, I don't, I don't know why, but just like something about nostalgia, just like in my music is my favorite thing right now. Like it really is, 

NI: Is a citrus going to be on there?

AJ:I honestly don't think citrus is going to be on it. Because it's like a different vibe. 

NI: [Citrus] is the most recent thing that you've dropped, how did that come about? And now how long has it been out now? How do you, how do you feel about it now? 

AJ: So it's been out for like, I think like almost two months now. So Citrus was a song that I recorded a while ago, um, that I produced and wrote and the song like was a totally different vibe before, but then I was like listening back to what I'm like, I need to rerecord those like me and my friend were like, yeah, like we should we record this. So then he was like, come through to my studio, his home studio. And then, um, basically we rerecorded it and had someone fuck with it and mix it. We released it and it was, I did a whole shoot for it. I like, I like planned rollout and I felt really good about it because it was really honest to—the song. I was just like, I've been sitting on this song for a really long time and I want to talk about it. Like, this is something I want to talk about. So then I dropped it. 

NI: I thought it was a hit and the visuals are really cool too. I fucked with it. 

AJ:  Yeah. I honestly like that, as one of my favorite things about putting out music is like the marketing side of it. Like by just creating the vision for people to, feel the, feel, it it's like a movie it's yeah. That's like really fun. I love doing that.

NI: Building the anticipation, all that. You're good. You seem very creative as well. Um, so I mean, going back to the new EP that you're working on, I know that you said you've been given out hints and stuff, but any of you know, anything that's going to be inspired by quarantine or things that are pretty much going on around the country or the world right now, is that, is that, is that going to be influencing the new music?

AJ: It might end up being in there. I haven't gotten too, too personal with that side of it yet, because I don't want to, cause the EP is kinda different. It's like bright, it's a little, it's like happy it's on the happier side, but I was also thinking about how like there's some real shit going on and like, maybe I should elaborate on it, but I don't want it to affect the like project in a way  

NI: Can you talk a bit about you journey to Chicago?

AJ:Yeah. So originally I'm from Columbus, Ohio. That's where I was born and raised, but when I was 18, this was after I graduated high school, I decided to move [to Chicago] and it was a really, it was an impulse decision. It wasn't like something. I was planning on doing when I was in high school, like to just pursue music full time. Like my original plan was for me to like go to college and like have a different career. But I made a bold decision to just follow what I wanted to do. I want to be whoever I wanted to be. And ever since it was, it's been the best decision I've ever made.