NYC Scene Report – Leah Voysey, Anna Rose, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features some powerful “Poison” from Leah Voysey, a country inspired tune from Anna Rose, Nude Shoes playing “Couple’s Jenga,” and Bobby Long hopping in his “Mazarati.”

* Leah Voysey is a fantastic new voice in the indie music world. Hailing from New Jersey, she’s currently making her way through NYC’s indie scene after spending time playing acoustic shows in London. With her new single, “Poison” she sounds ready for not just the indie spotlight, but for every pop playlist imaginable.

Voysey explained the inspiration for the song in a statement, saying, “‘Poison’ touches on the insecurities that we can all feel, and the mental battles that we face when trying to make the right decision.”

If you’re anything like me, by the time she sings the lyric, “I can’t live without a fix, addicted,” you’ll be addicted to the song, and her voice.

Check out Voysey’s “Poison,” as she is clearly an artist on the rise we’ll be hearing more from throughout the year.


* If you’ve ever been to this site you know Anna Rose is a favorite around here. While known for her blues, and rock, prowess, her latest single, “Nobody Knows I’m Here,” is a country tinged gem that showcases her songwriting skills, and her ability to make her vocals beautifully touching.

In a statement, Rose said of “Nobody Knows I’m Here,” “It’s about choosing to envelop yourself in darkness in order to find the light again. When I sat down with (producer) Paul (Moak) for the first time, I knew something special was happening in the room. He understood not only who I am as an artist, but also what I want to accomplish with my music. I am so proud of what came out from us working together.”

“Nobody Knows I’m Here” is the first song from Rose’s forthcoming project, which the NYC native wrote and recorded in Nashville.

“Throughout a time of deep turmoil and sadness, I found myself in Nashville a lot,” she explains, “writing not just for myself, but for other artists, and for film and television. That city slowly began to really feel like home. Working there, making art there, really helped me heal a lot of the wounds that I had collected along the way in my life.”

Check out one of the results of those healing trips, the hauntingly beautiful “Nobody Knows I’m Here.”


* Who’s up for some “Couple’s Jenga”? New Jersey-based pop-punk / emo band Nude Shoes are, because “Couple’s Jenga” is the name of the band’s latest single, which is off their upcoming album, Suburban Ceremonies, due out March 1st via Know Hope Records

Nude Shoes is the project of Andy Katz – formerly of Weird and Wonderful Words – and he described “Couple’s Jenga” in a statement, saying, “This song is about a couple’s relationship essentially falling apart like a game of Jenga, one piece at a time. They both are actively taking apart the pieces one by one until it falls apart. The verses are someone realizing it’s over and they are in denial about it, and the chorus is the other person telling saying that they’re moving on.”

While “Couple’s Jenga” is about something falling apart, with the song, Nude Shoes are putting something together that’s pretty damned good.


* I hope you’re ready for a smooth ride, because NYC-based British singer-songwriter Bobby Long is inviting you into his “Mazarati” (yes, I know that’s not how the name of the car is spelled).

“Mazarati” is the latest single from Long, and the soulful song is off his upcoming album, SULTANS, which is due out March 1st via Compass Records.

In a statement, Long discussed the album, saying, “The songs on this album are a definite continuation and development. It’s about the whole body of work for me. It’s all part of the greater. I don’t think you can define anyone by one album. When you’re recording, you always have the greater picture in your head. Your imagination runs over the tracks, and they take all sorts of weird forms. The sounds of this record are the closest to what was in my imagination that I’ve come on a record.”

Long will be touring in support of SULTANS from March 1st through April 25th. Check out “Mazarati” for taste of the ride to come.


For more of the best of NYC’s indie music scene, come back next Wednesday, and check out the archives for previous columns.