NYC Scene Report – Leah Nawy, Sub*T, & Tomás Doncker

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Leah Nawy lying in the “Quicksand,” Sub*T revealing How My Own Voice Sounds, and Tomás Doncker being inspired by performing with a legend.

* Soulful NYC-based indie pop artist Leah Nawy has a message for her younger self, and it’s to avoid the “Quicksand.”

Explaining the inspiration for “Quicksand” in a statement, she said, “Framed as a conversation between my present self and my younger self, the song reckons with how early mindsets and choices quietly shape where one ends up. The repeated refrain ‘run little girl’ functions as both a warning and a reflection, blurring the line between who I was, and who I’m still becoming.”

The only irony here is that with the gorgeous “Quicksand” Nawy isn’t sinking, she’s clearly on the rise.

* Sub*T will be releasing their debut album, How My Own Voice Sounds on May 1st, and in anticipation of this they’ve released a grunge / alt-rock single they promise won’t “Overcomplicate” things.

“Overcomplicate,” explains the duo of Grace Bennett and Jade Alcantara, is about trying to manage self-doubt.

“We see ‘Overcomplicate’ as the two sides of yourself talking to one another. There’s a second whispered vocal layer in the bridge, which we feel represents the negative voice in someone's head – the cynical one that you need to fight against.”

Fight internal cynicism, and crank up Sub*T.

* Tomás Doncker recent went around the world touring with Fun Lovin’ Criminals, and during a stop in Paris, at a separate show, he joined none other than the legendary Patti Smith on stage to perform “People Have The Power.” The experience inspired him so much, he put pen to paper, and created the unbelievably funky tune “¡2BEAUCOUP!”

“I had just performed with Patti Smith at The L’Olympia Theatre in Paris, where I witnessed first hand the magic of music to create community, and unify voices towards a common goal. ‘People Have The Power’ in full effect,” he says, “She urged the audience to ‘Use Your Voice!’ to never stop speaking out against injustice around the world. Needless to say I was inspired, so I went looking for ‘2 verses and a vibe’ … what came out was “¡2 BEAUCOUP!’”

A funky call to action, “¡2BEAUCOUP!” is a throwback to when music could be equal parts political, and body movin’, and it’s a song that will have you pressing the replay button again and again.

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