NYC Scene Report – Amsi, Cool Company, & Dan Dillinger

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the powerful vocals of Amsi, smooth “Stardust” from Cool Company, and introspective hip-hop from Dan Dillinger.

* NYC-based singer-songwriter Amsi (who previously went by the name Kash) has released an acoustic version of her latest single, “Catch Me at the Top,” and if you didn’t know about her before, be prepared to be blown away by the powerhouse vocalist.

“The inspiration behind ‘Catch Me at the Top’ was a conversation I had with my producer, Avanti,” Amsi says of the song, “I have always listened to both western pop music and Bollywood music, but never thought to merge my two loves into one. This song was the opportunity to try my hand in something new and also combine two cultures that I seemingly thought could never mix. I slowly realized these two halves of me need to be showcased in my music, and ‘Catch Me at the Top’ is just the beginning of that journey.”

Click play, and “Catch” Amsi right now.


* Column favorites Cool Company are a soul duo who prove to be unafraid to dig into the soul with their latest single, “Stardust.”

Opening with the line “don’t give a damn ‘bout what your brand is,” “Stardust” immediately challenges listeners to look past the images we like to create for ourselves.

The song continues to drive this point home with lyrics like, “you are who you are / not just who you say you are.”

Discussing the inspiration for the song, Cool Company said, “‘Stardust’ is a record that tries to capture the vibe of knowing you've allowed yourself to be lulled into a loop that’s comfortable for you, but that comes at the expense of others, or other priorities or opportunities.”

The duo added that the song “sets the stage for a flourishing pipeline of new music from Cool Company in the year ahead.”

Here’s to looking forward to a very Cool 2020, starting with “Stardust.”


* Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist Dan Dillinger has something for everyone feeling “Trapped” – most notably, himself.

“Trapped” is the title track off Dillinger’s forthcoming album, and he opened up about the inspiration for the song, saying, “‘Trapped’ might’ve been the first or second song I wrote for the project and is basically about me discovering that I may have bipolar disorder, or coming to the realization that my brain is changing a bit. It’s also the catalyst for the record, which talks a lot about mental health issues, but also just feeling ‘stuck’ and wanting to figure out how to break out of that feeling, and figuring out who I am and what I want in life.”

Raw, and real, “Trapped” is a look inside the mind of Dan Dillinger, who is an emcee you should definitely be on the lookout for in 2020.


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