Photos and Story by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – One has to love it when there is a nice little twist to how one covers the Los Angeles music scene. Aryeè The Gem singing at the Fonda Theatre on Friday night provided that opportunity. I was given the chance to do a short interview with the artist at the music venue.
Now, I’ve done brief interviews before, be it in-person on email. But what made this an interesting opporunity is that I got to walk through the maze of The Fonda backstage and do the interview in her green room. I’ve never gotten to walk around the backstage of this historic venue so it was definitely a fun experience.
Coming to Los Angeles via Atlanta, Aryeè The Gem captured the imagination of the crowd with smooth vocals that climbed the octaves with ease. I had to ask about her vocal background and she mentioned that she works with Mama Jan who has trained artists such as Usher, Keri Hilson, and TLC. She also noted, “I’ve been singing my entire life in choirs from elementary to a collegiate level. My background is in opera and classical music before I transitioned to R and B, Soul, and alternative R and B.”
Those vocal talents propel her most recent single, “Mornings With You.” The music has a chill vibe that has the most dreamy moments as she sings the chorus, “I can get used to this.” She did a solo set with a backing DJ. One can just imagine how much more grand this song is when performed with backing vocalists and live instrumentalists.
About the inspiration for the song, Aryeè The Gem told US Rocker: “‘Mornings With You’ came after I had a great night with someone. You know how you just wake up next to someone and you know maybe I can spend a couple more mornings with you. I feel the morning time is a very sacred space too so to allow someone into that space is super special. And I wanted to amplify that.”
And as for the musicality of the song she said she wanted, “a new energy that is desirable and that I’ve been praying for and wanting that is truly in alignment with where I’m at.”
Her self-described “R and B rebel” style had her enthusiastically commanding The Fonda Theatre stage. And that isn’t the only stage she plans on conquering.
When asked how it felt to play the Fonda Theatre, she said: “I feel incredible. This is my second time performing in LA. And to perform in this theater just feels very magical and a testament to the impact that I want to make. I pray to expand from here and go to bigger arenas and connect with more people.”
Aryeè’s debut EP is anticipated to be released this summer.
Listen to ‘Mornings With You’ here:
Follow Aryeè The Gem on Instagram