Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter néomí announces her debut album 'somebody's daughter' set for release May 3rd through [PIAS], new single 'someone new'
PREVIEW “SOMEONE NEW” HERE
DEBUT ALBUM ‘SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER’ OUT
MAY 3RD VIA [PIAS]
HEADLINE SHOW MAY 25TH 2024 @ TOLHUISTUIN, AMSTERDAM TICKETS ON SALE - HERE
SXSW & THE GREAT ESCAPE 2024 PERFORMANCES CONFIRMED
PRAISE FOR NEOMI
"Surinamese-Dutch artist néomií has been consistently impressive since her 2022 emergence, and shows superb artistic progression with a terrific new single. Sublime harmonies, intricate instrumentation and a rousing chorus mean “somebody’s daughter” is an undeniable success." - WONDERLAND MAGAZINE
"Intricate, intimate, texturally spare, lyrically observational and arresting, the six songs are like snapshots that capture your attention and draw you in." - SUNDAY TIMES 'Breaking Act'
"néomí has shared a beautiful, introspective release “skipping stone”. From the raw lyricism to the artist's somber delivery and angelic harmonies, this release is just as captivating as its storyline." - THE LINE OF BEST FIT
"a folksy beauty in the school of For Emma, Forever Ago or even Ben Howard's Every Kingdom. Folk songwriting at its finest complete with spine-tingling 'oohs' and a mellow guitar solo." - GIGWISE
"Singer/songwriter néomí dives into the heartbreak, the healing, and everything else that went into her breathtakingly vulnerable and beautifully raw sophomore EP 'after.'" - ATWOOD MAGAZINE
"Recording under the moniker néomí, Speelman crafts soul-stirring chamber pop and ethereal folk"
- UNDER THE RADAR
"Harnessing her vocal power and injecting her inherent talent for hooking you in with the winding narratives, néomí is an artist who deserves to be noticed and adored." - EARMILK
*****
After dazzling us with her impactful breakthrough EPs ‘before’ and ‘after’ in recent years, which were supported by the likes of BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, néomí, aka Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter Neomi Speelman, has now announced her long-awaited debut album ‘somebody’s daughter’ is set for release on May 3rd via [PIAS], showcased by the tender new single “someone new”.
Featuring the record’s previously shared title-track, “somebody’s daughter” sees néomí expand the stripped-back and acoustic-led aesthetic of her infancy to explore a more varied and multifaceted sound throughout. Regularly adopting a broader and more euphoric direction here, this new LP aims to brighten and illuminate her already powerful and emotive sound to date.
The album is produced by Will Knox, a long-time collaborator with néomí who was also present during the writing and recording of her first two EPs: ‘before’ and ‘after’. The album’s themes follow néomí’s journey through adolescence, young adulthood and newly found womanhood. ‘somebody’s daughter’ presents 11 chapters in néomí’s coming of age story which follows a young woman’s journey through trust, love, and ultimately self-healing through reflection.
Speaking about her new full-length, she said, "The reason why I wrote an album like ‘somebody’s daughter’ is because I often can't find words to express myself in certain situations. Where feelings can be overpowering and take control because I felt them so deeply. It has been my therapy in times of despair and my joy when I truly needed happiness. I tried to be as honest as possible. I'm telling stories about letting go and forgiving a loved one after being convinced they would be in your life forever. It is about grief, grief for yourself, the old you who you are leaving behind. It includes anger, for the times I didn't stand up for yourself when I should have. It was getting to know myself, and to do that is to go through the past and look back on certain situations and times. This record pulled me through so many things.
"I have several musical friends who told me writing an album can be a super intense experience, but I always thought it would be fine! It is fine, in the end, but it has been a journey for sure. And even now, all finished packed up and ready for you to hear, I still feel it is not finished yet. I think the only thing that can complete the circle are people hearing it; listeners who can give the songs and words purpose.
"On ‘somebody’s daughter’ I've been honest about things I wasn't even honest about to my therapist. As such you can imagine I’m scared to death about letting people hear it. But most of all it feels like an emotional relief. I am letting go of these words for good, so I can move on to my next chapter."
Previewed by the new lead offering “someone new”, we see the artist in a renewed and revitalised state throughout. Doubling down on that euphoric energy she has been adopting lately, she looks to open-up more than ever before, resulting in a truly welcoming and intimate listen at every turn.
Adding about “someone new”, she said, “‘someone new’ is basically a love letter to my therapist. How, at first, I hated the fact I was put in a category which I thought I didn’t belong to. Since those first encounters things have changed. I am grateful I’ve learned so much about myself and life in general. Most importantly I’ve learned how to deal with other people and, in the process of everything, become ‘someone new’ who is taking responsibility for their own actions and owning them. It was a relief to understand it’s never only ‘you’ in the story as a story is, almost always, double sided. I’m sure we all experience something like this in our time on this odd planet. It’s a song about not wanting to open up because to work on yourself requires going through pain which is the hardest thing in life. But I understand now working on improving yourself, no matter how painful it can be to remember the past, is the most important job there is.”
néomí’s journey through music has been an unorthodox one. Forced to learn piano as a child, her enthusiasm to play wasn’t immediate. It would take the musings of Ben Howard years later to tempt her out of her music retirement. A young rebel, néomí left for music school in her early teens and was accepted into a school based in Amsterdam (despite being a year younger than allowed). There she performed Beyonce songs on stage, mainly as she thought this is what her teachers wanted. However, after 4 years of being told her voice and songs were not good enough, néomí entered herself back into musical exile. As time went on néomí shook off the words and opinions of her peers and began slowly writing again, sharing a live demo performance online of ‘if i wasn’t made for love’. In sharing this video néomí took her first steps towards the album ‘somebody’s daughter’
néomí released her debut 5 song EP ‘before’ on June 24th 2022 via [PIAS] which has garnered 4 million streams to date. She supported Novo Amor, HAEVN, The Slow Show and Jonathan Jeremiah on their 2022 shows in The Netherlands. After performing at ESNS 2023 she was voted the #5 best act by 3voor12 and she was awarded 3FM Talent by national radio station 3FM. The station would go on to nominate her for ‘Best Newcomer’ at their annual awards ceremony. In March néomí was invited by SYML to open on his European tour, returning to the road the following month when label mate Jonathan Jeremiah asked her to join him on 10 tour dates over Europe. Follow-up EP 'after' was released on April 14th, 2023 with néomí's biggest headline show taking place at a sold-out Paradiso in Amsterdam on May 7th.
Preceding the album release neomi’s already unveiled several songs from the record, including the album title track ‘somebody’s daughter’, a message to remind people who are in conflict not to forget the human behind the disagreement. Like all néomí songs, the lyrics and emotion come from a specific moment in the protagonist’s own journey. “I felt left down that time, by people I saw as family. Times can get rough, and being mad at one another is healthy, but to forget the humanity behind a face can feel a bit cruel. Whatever a person does, don't forget he or she will still be someone's kid.”
Not to mention the singles ‘your girl’ and ‘garden’, the later a heart wrenching ode written to néomí’s grandfather who suffers from Alzheimer’s. The song features string arrangement from Abby Gundersen whom néomí met while on the road in Europe with SYML.
In January this year neomi performed at showcase festival ESNS (Eurosonic), Groningen, being singled out by media in attendance as a highlight. Radio support for the single has come from the UK’s BBC Radio 2, 6Music, NPO Radio 2, 3FM and Radio 1 in Belgium. Fans can expect more single releases in the lead up to the album and supported by a headline Netherlands tour, finishing at Amsterdam’s Tolhuistuin on May 25th (tickets). She will also be performing at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and Brighton’s The Great Escape, UK.
néomí Live Shows:
09.03 – Gransnapolsky Festival, Scheema, NL
13.03 – [PIAS] SXSW showcase @ Valhalla, Austin, USA
14.03 – ‘Dutch Drop Off’ SXSW showcase @ The Driskill, Austin, USA
16.04 – Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL (Novo Amor support)
03.05 – PAARD, Den Haag, NL
04.05 – AB Club, Brussels, BE (Iskander Moon support)
05.05 – Bevrijdingsfestival Brabant, Den Bosch, NL
11.05 – EKKO, Utrecht, NL
16.05 – Dork stage @ The Arch, The Great Escape, Brighton, UK
17.05 – Dutch Impact stage @ Patterns Down, The Great Escape, Brighton, UK
24.05 – Merleyn, Nijmegen, NL
25.05 – Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, NL
‘somebody’s daughter’ Tracklist:
somebody's daughter
your girl
garden
someone new
i forgot to tell you
11nov20011006
160316126422792
so i let you (15th of june - evening)
talk shit
low
i'm not afraid of dying
could’ve been mine
all you do is leave (15th of june - night)
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