Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter néomí delivers her soaring sophomore single 'eyes filled with sky', out March 17th
Following on from the enormous response for her stunning debut single ‘if i wasn’t made for love’, which has since been supported by the likes of The Independent, GIGWISE, Record Of The Day (Song of the Week), Beats Per Minute, LOCK Mag, When The Horn Blows, Indie Folk Central, The Most Radicalist and many more, as well as landing a spot on Spotify’s New Music Friday (NL) playlist and support from all three of the main alternative Dutch radio stations – 3FM, Radio 2, and KINK, néomí, the moniker for Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter Neomi Speelman, has now returned to deliver her soaring sophomore effort ‘eyes filled with sky’.
Much like what we heard on ‘if i wasn’t made for love’, ‘eyes filled with sky’ sees her continue the warm and effervescent energy she is quickly cultivating for herself. With her soft and lilting voice riding a euphoric wave of breezy, acoustic-led production, she is quickly cementing herself as one of the more heartfelt and captivating new artists of the moment.
Speaking about the new release, she said, “‘eyes filled with sky’ felt really emotional to me for a long time. Sometimes you can love someone so deeply that you forget what's best for you. They might end up telling you what they think you want and need, and you might end up believing everything they say. Still the love is so deep, you don't want them to leave and neither can you
leave yourself. I hope the song feels dreamy and takes you to places where only eyes are filled with skies. Creating this song was really therapeutic to me. Now, after some time, when I listen to it, I find comfort in the heaviness and I just float away into my thoughts.”
néomí was also recently invited to perform a session with Dutch radio station KINK!, where she shared a wonderfully wistful cover of Sam Fender's hit single 'Seventeen Going Under'. Watch HERE. She will be supporting Novo Amor at Paradiso, Amsterdam on May 12th. More live dates to be announced soon.
2020 was set to be the breakout year for néomí as she recorded her first singles with British engineer/producer Edd Hartwell (Tom Walker, Birdy, Tom Odell), supported singer-songwriting legend Don McLean and was also invited to the UK to play her first shows abroad. However, the out-break of a pandemic quickly followed by a life-changing event scuppered these plans with néomí using the next 12 months to develop as a songwriter and add to her growing catalogue of songs. Now, with the world slowly returning to normality, néomí finds herself signed to [PIAS] with dozens of songs ready and waiting to be uncaged and take flight.
néomí: “It hurt me I couldn’t connect with people last year through my music, but I know now even more, that when the time comes, we will connect. And I hope people are just as eager as me to experience my music together. Like an artist I admire much once said: “the music has served me, now let the music serve you.”
As a youngster néomí’s first step into music didn’t exactly start on the right foot when she was told she had to attend piano tuitions. It was agreed that she would attend the lessons for 5 years and, after these 5 years, she could decide whether to continue or not. Nevertheless 5 years passed and the unimpressed Neomi quit the piano and vowed never to play music again.
4 years would float by until néomí would find herself at a musical junction. During a browse on a popular Internet video website she stumbled across a live video of Ben Howard performing ‘Old Pine’ with a cellist in tow. Spellbound and inspired, néomí came out of her musical retirement, picked up a guitar and began teaching herself how to play from online tutorials.
As her skill and confidence grew she looked at applying to music schools and, due to an administrative error, was invited to audition in Amsterdam. Despite being too young to apply néomí was accepted on her raw talent and potential. Over the next 4 years she would hone her song writing and sound, her main influences stemming between Bon Iver, Bob Dylan, and Ben Howard. She says of the trio “their lyrics are outstanding and insanely beautiful. I don’t think they make songs, but they make art, poems. That’s something I also really try to do; make little poems instead of songs.”
‘eyes filled with sky’ is out now via [PIAS]. Expect further singles with an EP ‘before’ scheduled for release June 2022.
Follow néomí online:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neomi.music
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/neomismusic
Twitter - https://twitter.com/neomistweet