NYC Scene Report – Carly Pearl, hoxie rae, & Sami Stevens

This week’s NYC Scene Report features three soulful ladies, with Carly Pearl no longer “Future Trippin,” hoxie rae looking to “heal,” and Sami Stevens taking us to “Utica.”

* Everyone’s favorite soulful purveyor of positive vibes, Carly Pearl, recently released a brand new single, and she hopes it will prevent you from trippin’.

The song, titled, “Future Trippin,” is about not getting so caught up in what could happen, what needs to happen, and what we feel we have to do, that we forget to live in the moment.

In an Instagram post, Carly wrote, “This song is meant to serve as a breath of fresh air to your nervous system. I hope it brings you back to earth, literally and figuratively.”

So whatever the future holds, don’t trip, just take off your shoes, put your feet in the grass, and crank up some Carly Pearl.

* Now that we aren’t trippin’ about the future, let’s work on healing a bit of our past with singer-songwriter hoxie rae’s recently released single, “Heal.”

Discussing “Heal” in a statement, hoxie rae said, “This song is about finally letting go of the heaviness I carried that was never mine to begin with. I didn’t realize then, but when you go through relationships with narcissists, it’s really easy to internalize their behavior and blame yourself. I lived in that cycle of confusion and shame for too long. ‘Heal’ is the first reflection of me stepping out of that delusion, and choosing self-acceptance instead. It’s the shift from asking myself, ‘What did I do wrong?’ to realizing the truth – their actions are theirs, and were never my responsibility.”

I feel like this is something that’s relatable to far too many people, but we can all click play, and allow hoxie rae, and her gorgeous, soulful vocals, to help us “Heal.”

* Closing things out this week, Sami Stevens is taking us to “Uticia” … by way of Long Island.

OK, perhaps this requires some explanation.

“Utica” is off Sami’s 2003 album, Morning, and she recently released a live version of the song that was recorded, and filmed, at Hyper Studio in West Hempstead, NY.

The soulful, jazzy tune may have listeners thinking of Norah Jones. Well, guess what – Sami tours with Norah performing background vocals, and keys!

Some of you know my huge affinity for Norah Jones, so it’s no surprise I’m loving this version of “Utica,” and completely diggin’ Sami’s vibe. Click play and hop on her smooth ride to “Utica.”

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