“For me, it’s all about telling stories…”

Alternative pop newcomer Amadi Houston takes on the mononym Amadi as a way to free herself from the constraints of self consciousness and external judgement. As Amadi, she tells her stories and her truths unfiltered and uncensored. As Amadi, her authenticity isn’t dulled or misshapen by the standards society tends to force upon us all. 

In her debut EP titled Dirty Haven, Amadi pulls a lot of inspiration from Lady Gaga’s ability to juxtapose pop music and meaningful lyrical depth. Gaga’s music provides multiple layers of relief-- a spectrum ranging from easy, fun listening to deeper layers of honesty and raw emotion. Amadi aims to provide a similar experience for her listeners; she believes in the concept of relatability acting as a security blanket, and that nobody in this world should ever feel completely alone. Amadi hopes her music provides a cathartic release; the cry you need to get out in order to heal.

Dirty Haven was recorded in its entirety in a closet. Amadi’s flow is impressive, digestible and thoughtfully catchy. She wrote every song on Dirty Haven without consulting external opinions, in order to retain clarity on the messages she wanted to illuminate. She worked for four months, letting every thought run through her pen and onto paper, ultimately scrapping it and starting again until she found her rhythm. Her own authenticity is the backbone of this project. Her process led to more personal growth and understanding than she’s ever experienced, and writing music quickly became an outlet imperative to self exploration and mental relief.

One of Amadi’s role models (creative and otherwise) is Nina Simone. Nina’s writing style hits home--she blends honesty with romanticism and passion seemingly effortlessly to create powerful, vulnerable lyrics that hold your attention long after the record stops spinning. Her ability to fold activism into her art is not only inspiring; it is invaluable to each and every listener. Amadi strives to create thought-provoking, artful music that can be treasured on many different levels.

Amadi looks forward to the future of her music career, with big plans to create music videos that utilize strong storylines and outside-the-box visuals, finally harmonizing all of her creative loves: stage makeup, music and film. You’ll want to watch out for this one. 

Bio by Emily Maloney