We know that Sunday is not a day for rest, especially when there are brunches, FUNDAYS, and for this, the gayest month, PRIDE is to be celebrated! Personally, I marched in the Salt Lake Gay Pride Parade with my family and some wonderful friends from LOVELOUD, and happy to say, it was just great to be back in a loving and happy environment with all that has been going on.
This Pride season, we’ve been bombarded with everyone releasing work for Pride and the submissions to our inboxes have all been enjoyable. I’ve received some really fun stuff from Wrabel and VINCINT, two great musicians we’ve seen crossing paths many times. We even had some remixed nostalgia dancing in our ears.
I personally wanted to highlight seven songs in my Pride music round-up for the week. You could enjoy a different song for each day of the week. The first song on my list is one from dance music diva Gia Woods, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Gia. To start off the list, here’s a snippet of the interview, with the rest of the interview at the end of this post. Enjoy the songs, speakers on high and rainbows at full blast.
7: Gia Woods – Hello
Jeremy Hinks: The cover for the new single “Hello” tells half the story, it’s a fun song. So, you are a queer Persian making fun dance music. I have to say, I had another queer Persian musician, and it was absolute crap, I LOVED when I got the single, it was a breath of fresh air, giving voice to your small demographic.
Gia: That was my first song for the project, I was going through a breakup. I went into the session and said “Ok, I just ended things with my ex.” I was in a really heartbroken place. It’s like when you are in a limbo phase when you break up with someone, but it’s not really over. I was doing that for a long time, and nothing was changing, we weren’t going anywhere. So I had it just break, I couldn’t do this anymore.
6: Caroline Kingsbury – Kissing Someone Else
Just released this past Friday, Caroline Kingsbury gives us something incredibly personal and out of control, a dance tune that has made its mark on other pride dance lists. The whole EP is really good, but don’t just take my word for it. This has some wonderful ’80s relics brought back to remind us why we love to dance.
5: Wrabel – Closure
Wrabel is one very intense performer, there is no question about that. This disco-esque tune really manages to nail it while he goes flawlessly into falsetto and keeping my respect. One of his best lines: “Love’s on the other side of you.” Well, then go find some love everyone.
4: iyla – 2Late
We’ve covered her before, she IS ART (Interview: iyla Talks Her First Tour And Her Inspiring Yet Complex Elegance). Not sure what can be said about a woman who can artistically blend yodeling and hip-hop while riding on camels, but she somehow manages to do it all very well. Her videos are left to interpretation. I personally think this new work of hers is some of the most wonderful visuals I have seen in a long time. No styles or images are forbidden to clash in the artistic vision of iyla. Here’s one of her newest releases.
3: Nieri – In Our Eyes
Nieri is a Milan/LA based musician playing a very “Euro-techno” style dance music.
He’s been doing club music for a while now, and is doing a breakthrough performance at NYC Pride on June 23rd at The Conference. There’s some great music in his catalog you may want to catch up on (maybe over at his Facebook page).
For the “In Our Eyes” video, I wanted to create visuals that felt intimate, and otherworldly at the same time. The concept is “last lovers left on earth“ and the video sees two lovers sharing romantic moments in what looks like a futuristic garden of Eden.“
2: Mama Cass Elliot – Different (Remix)
Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas and The Papas had an incredibly successful solo career giving us inspirational numbers like “You’ve Got To Make Your Own Kind Of Music.” She told all of us to embrace our individuality, with some lovely tunes. She tragically passed many years ago, but we all celebrate her message, I hope daily. This year for pride, a special remix of “Different” mixed with the performance on the kids hallucinogen filled tv show, “H.R. Puffnstuff.” If you look, you will see that a couple of witches in this video are men. This segment has been called one of the most inspiring scenes ever filmed. Enjoy
1: VINCINT – Taste So Good (The Cann Song)
I have covered VINCINT for LOVELOUD and Encircle, both foundations for the LGBTQ youth.
The goofy commercial for a “Weed” drink called “Taste So Good (The Cann Song).” BUT, this drink is not for the young people, SORRY KIDS. For the queer-owned “Cann” company and their “Chill” drink. The video should cover whatever you need to know about this beverage. And of course there are umpteen cameos and appearances from Gus Kenworthy, Kornbread, Willow Pill, Hayley Kiyoko, Kerri Colby, Patricia Arquette, Jorgeous, Sarah Michelle Gellar. We’re not sure which came first, the drink or the song. The songs pretty good without the product so don’t feel you need the drank to dance to this tune.
I had a couple minutes to banter with Gia Woods, the queer Persian dance music diva. Below is the rest of our interview.
Jeremy Hinks: So, the cover for the new single “Hello” tells half the story, it’s a fun song. So, you are a queer Persian making fun dance music. I have to say, I had another queer Persian musician, and it was absolute crap, I LOVED when I got the single, it was a breath of fresh air, giving voice to your small demographic.
GIA: That was my first song for the project, I was going through a breakup. I went into the session and said “Ok, I just ended things with my ex.” I was in a really heartbroken place. It’s like when you are in a limbo phase when you break up with someone, but it’s not really over. I was doing that for a long time, and nothing was changing, we weren’t going anywhere. So I had it just break, I couldn’t do this anymore.
JH: So this is the penultimate “I’m out of this relationship song.”
GIA: Oh yea, I’m fucking done…
JH: When I heard it, it was for me, Lizzo, but more enjoyable. My daughters love her, I like her, but not in long heavy doses. Your work was fun, my daughters liked it. You kept it real, and with all the stuff that comes to me, I LOVED it. GIA WOODS rises to the top.
GIA: Thank you, I’m out here doing it. Thanks.
JH: Your song “Enough of you” is my fave of yours, but I first heard your music, when “Only A Girl” was on someone’s gay-list. I saw your video for that between some Tatu, and the Sugababes. It’s always nice hearing something new like that. Then I was excited when I heard this new stuff of yours. What are your pride plans.
GIA: I am playing New Jersey Pride (happened already), and I am playing Nashville Pride.
JH: NO WAY, I know so many queer artists in Nashville, you gotta find the tribe down there.
GIA: Well, I don’t know anyone down there, hook me up.
JH: Well, my friend Ty Herndon the first openly gay country singer, he lives down there, plenty of other great gay guys too.
GIA: I went down there for Outloud once, and went to a … what is it? A “honky-tonk”? Not sure what that is.
JH: A honky-tonk is a country music venue where the vaudevillian musicians would play at. I’ll try to connect you to some friends down there.
GIA: I am playing there on June 24th (I think). I got a cowboy hat and the boots, I love campy stuff like that.
JH: So were you raised proper Shia Muslim, Persian?
GIA: Actually, my parents taught me Farsi growing up, but I became more Americanized about middle school. I always had Persians around, we had our own “Persian Mafia” in high school – it was great. We are not very religious, but I celebrated the holidays, and ate all the food. Coming out was definitely a journey, but, I came out with my first song. “Only a Girl” was my first song AND video, that is how the world learned I was gay. But my mom she thought it was a phase, doing it as a publicity stunt, to get attention for the music. And I had to explain that a song “Only a Girl” is about how I feel about women.
JH: So what is the fan-base of your demographic? I know you are going down diva street, so probably have a lot of gay men following you.
GIA: It’s actually both, I love my lesbians, but the gay men, I feel like they are more into dance music (Laughing) there are so many types of queer artists.
JH: But your music is being played on the dance floor at gay clubs?
GIA: Oh yeah, most of the men in my life are gay men. They inspire me, and well, I love that they love my music.
JH: Your song “Enough of you” is a great song, but it was less than two minutes long. How does that work. You need at least 30 seconds to get everyone onto the dance floor.
GIA: Yeah, I need more songs, just play more on the playlist.
JH: Well Gia thanks for the few minutes of banter, enjoy Nashville and dancing in the honky-tonk. Thank you and all the best.
