Premiere: Meet Anieszka, a blossoming new name in R&B, with her video for Presence

The talent of Australia's R&B space is one that definitely doesn't get talked about enough, considering how brilliant it is. It's an emerging world that's bound to spit out some incredible names over the next few years (something already underway through people like Liyah Knight), and every now and again, we get introduced to another new artist that helps push Australia's take on the sound into new directions; each one adding newfound energies and facets to the classic contemporary R&B textures.

Anieszka is someone included amongst that next generation, and over the last year, we've had the pleasure of watching her grow and further herself multiple times over. The Australian/Mauritian singer channels the same cathartic energy as US heavyweights like Summer Walker and SZA, tunnelling into the healing properties of low-slung R&B and giving them a rich, Australian twist that sets herself apart - something we've seen through tracks amongst the last few years.

Presence, which arrived back in mid-February, is her latest one, and it shows exactly what we're talking about. It's a gentle, Chloe x Halle-esque spin on melodic R&B that sees Anieszka's gentle vocal take centre stage, fluttering amongst a backdrop of melodies that emphasise the therapeutic longing flamed by her lyrics, and how she delivers them. "Presence is a momentary shift into a place without limitations. It brings a lot of calm and stillness, helps shut off the noise and centres you," she says on the single, giving an example of how she taps into that sound to bring calming stories to life.

Today, however, we're premiering the official video for Presence, which once again, carries the same polish and sheen as that of US R&B heavyweights, a.k.a. those that we see little glimpses of Anieszka in every time we listen. Worked on alongside Jerusha Rose, the video clip is a multi-layered exploration of nature and the groundedness captured within, as she explains:

"This video encapsulates the earthy and grounded atmosphere that the song creates. When I showed Jerusha Rose (videographer, that I collaborated with) the moodboard I had created for this video she instantly fell in love with the idea. I had a pretty strong vision for how I wanted the shots to turn out and in the end she captured them perfectly," she says on the video clip.

"There are three distinctive scenes - the greenery, the rose petals and the candles," she continues. "All three scenes depict various moods of the song whilst all sharing the concept of natural elements. There’s no storyline or plot to follow, but rather visual representations of my connection to the song. There’s a lightness to the video, an ease that we really wanted to achieve and ultimately leave the audience feeling happy and inspired, yet still a little contemplative. To me, the greenery represents freedom and expansiveness, the petals represent love and self-love, and the candles/incense represent inner peace and a sense of spirituality - all illustrating what the song Presence means to me."

It's a multi-faceted and remarkable moment for Anieszka who time and time again, proves her place amongst the future of R&B in Australia. In the meantime, however, you can take a dive into the video clip below, and introduce yourself to her before it all comes to fruition - you don't want to be left behind.

Tell us about yourself?

I’m an Australian/Mauritian singer and songwriter. I write music to heal and be healed. I’m passionate about connecting with people and making them feel good.

I’m really thankful for my Mauritian side and the abundance of culture and music it’s brought into my life. I also grew up in Papua New Guinea for the first part of my life and was surrounded by a mix of nationalities and cultures, so I think a lot of who I am today is an amalgamation of those diverse experiences and learnings.

What’s your music like? What does it sound like? What kind of themes does it usually cover

I’ve always broken down genre barriers and mixed different sounds together to create what sounds and feels good to me, but my music leans towards R&B, Electro-soul and a bit of Afro.

I write about self-reflection and growth, as well as love (in many forms). At the moment, I’m exploring deeper concepts like energy and presence, and I’m finding there’s a lot to say. They’re all expressions of what I’m learning and growing through.

What are your production and writing processes usually like?

Producing my own music is a goal of mine that I’m slowly working towards, but in terms of writing I love to be alone watching the sunset, there’s something about that time of day and watching the sunlight slowly disappear that really inspires me and I end up writing a whole poem or song. Otherwise, I get random bursts of inspiration whilst doing really mundane day to day things. I came up with the hook for my song Alchemy whilst unloading the dishwasher. I never know if lyrics or melody will come first, it’s always a surprise.

When I topline in a session there’s more of a process; I usually come up with a melody first, figure out what we want the song to be about then write the lyrics. I think having that little bit of pressure and a time limit makes the whole writing process a little different but just as good.

Can you tell us a bit about this new single, Presence, and its video clip?

Presence is a momentary shift into a place without limitations. It brings a lot of calm and stillness, helps shut off the noise and centres you. I love being in that space and I wanted to encompass that feeling in a song and share it with people. Chelsea Warner (producer) brought some beautiful sonic elements to the track too.

The music video showcases me with various earthy elements - blue skies, mountains, flower petals - then switches up to more mystical elements like incense and candles. I worked on the video with a young female videographer called Jerusha Rose and we wanted to keep the video light but visually stunning. Presence can mean different things to different people so I didn’t want the video to be too definitive.

What do you have planned for 2021?

A lot more music - a couple more singles and then an EP, more gigs/shows, more connecting, more growth, more love.

What do you want people to take away from your work?

I’d love for people to feel inspired, lighter and a sense of healing. If listening to my music can make people feel better than they did before they pressed play - I’m grateful.

Where can we find more of your music?

On all streaming platforms and on social media.

Follow Anieszka: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER