Singer songwriter Shoshana Ami has just released her new fiery single and music video ‘Mad Man’s World‘. Growing up in Brooklyn, the daughter of a concert pianist with 3 older siblings who are musicians, Shoshana was destined to find her calling from being a family fan to a star in her own journey. She was inspired by The Beatles, Hendrix to Miles, Ella, and Coltrane courtesy of her siblings. Shoshana flaunts her storytelling skills effortlessly in this tune as she tells a story as old as time; a scorned woman getting her sweet revenge. Shoshana says, ‘I write on guitar. Though my lyrics are sometimes dark, on this album they’re often combined with beats and vocals that are exuberant, upbeat, and infused with a modern pop sensibility. That contrast embodies my personal experience with life – I seem to be able to find the spark of joy that has thankfully survived in me.’
The song builds starting with the first verse where Shoshana sings about how she masks her pain through fake smiles and she quickly reveals her plans with the lyrics ‘Beneath her dress a gun.’ The second verse continues the lead up by setting the scene with her trembling hands as he takes her arm. Shoshana sings of how she dreams of getting to Boston and how she’ll ‘dance and sing in the square.’ The climactic aspect of the song, hits when she tells us where the gun is now hiding as she speeds off to start her new life. The instrumentals are simplistic yet sophisticated throughout the song, setting the stage for the gripping story being told. Shoshana’s voice is light and sweet and layered with complementary harmonies.
Tapping into her city roots, the music video starts off with an appropriate scene setting clip of the hustling and bustling city roads. Her lyrics pop onto the screen over sweeping shots of the city representative of her words she sings. Women crying, men peering out into the city completely unsuspecting. These visuals add to the storytelling as they help the listener visualize the scene and better understand the emotions and story as they are revealed in the lyrical prowess of her song.
“Mad Man’s World’ was inspired by a story of a woman I know. She was telling me of her plight and the legal system she was entangled in. The judge sounded as crazy as the criminal. Later that night I was writing a new riff on the guitar and The phrase ‘it’s a mad man’s world’ came to me as I played. I have experienced being backed into a corner, feeling powerless particularly because I am a woman – or when I was a girl. I then wrote the whole song the next day – music and lyrics – and recorded it in my bedroom studio in Sag Harbor LI. I played the very rough mix for my producer Tony Conniff who loved it immediately. It’s a pretty simple mix with drums, bass vocals, a few synths and both acoustic guitars for the rhythm and electric guitars for the counter melody. I wanted to keep it open and roomy – and to make sure the vulnerability and strength of this woman comes through. – Shoshana Ami
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