Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter ńeomí shares the wistful new video for her latest single 'eyes filled with sky'
WATCH HERE
After the phenomenal success behind 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, is back to deliver the official video for her soaring second single ‘eyes filled with sky’.
Continuing the warm and wistful aesthetic that the original song brought to the fold, the new visuals for ‘eyes filled with sky’ makes for a fresh and mesmerising watch. Shot during the peak of summer last year, the simple elegance of her voice permeates the crisp and sun-kissed allure of the video, giving it an embracing and shimmering feel throughout.
Speaking about the new video, she said, "We shot it on a wonderful summer day in 2021 with the three of us (me, Stijn and Anna-rose) walking around in this beautiful park. I think we just tried to catch a vibe rather than an organised scenery. In truth the video happened a little by accident. We knew we were making something for this song but not per say something that would go on to be the ‘final’ video.
“We wanted to give the impression it was a personal video shot between two people during some alone time together. A little like a home movie but we wanted it in nature. During the edit someone said the video felt like it was a personal photo coming to life, which I feel fits the mood perfectly. This song feels so dreamy and unrooted that the video needed that as well."
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 and supporting Celine Cairo on her Dutch tour from May 6th – June 3rd.
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