Saleka Announces Debut Album Séance Out May 19
Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Saleka announces her hotly anticipated new album Séance, out on May 19 via Range Music/Virgin Music/Capitol Records.
Pre-save Séance HERE.
For fans who discovered this rising talent from her string of acclaimed singles and videos – many brought to life on tour with Giveon and soundtracking the AppleTV original series “Servant” – Saleka is a classically trained force playful with her fusions of jazz and R&B. Her 13-track debut LP Séance is the cultivation and evolution of the Indian American musician, actress, and songwriter’s talents. Her debut album is also, in a sense, her entire journey so far: Séance includes her first-ever single, “Clarity,” and never-before-heard songs influenced by her disciplined upbringing and her desire to turn everything she’s learned into something new. Séance is the sound of a fully-formed talent unleashed.
Previous Séance singles include the Greek mythology-inspired “Echo”; the seductive “Red Eyes,” where love is the ultimate drug; the title track paying tribute to her ancestral roots and the dance between heritage and identity; the minimal and tender “Graffiti” called “potent” and “powerful” by Vogue; the dark Babylonian romance of “Mr. Incredible” with a music video directed by her sister, Ishana Night Shyamalan; and “Clarity,” which Refinery29 praised as “sounding every bit like the legends that she’s closely studied for years.”
Séance’s new songs deepen Saleka’s growth and confidence as an instrumentalist and songwriter as she plays with several musical styles and inspirations. The album opener, “Disillusion,” sets the scene with one of the album's vital themes: the disconnect within ourselves (the lyrics weave in and out of first and third person). The protest song “How Many” asks how we inherited such a divided world stuck in systemic racism and hatred. “Chimera” and “Fire” share the Greek and Indian mythology inspiration as “Echo” but with more bite that fights against the “blazing world” of misogyny. Altogether, Saleka deftly guides listeners through her flavors of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and sticky pop hooks.
Listen to latest track “Echo” HERE
Watch music videos for “Mr. Incredible” and “Clarity” (1M+ views each) HERE and HERE
Séance writers and composers include Saleka, Ezemdi Akalonu, and Warner Meadows, all of whom met while studying at Brown University and created their inner circle of creativity that continues today. Producers include Saleka, Akalonu, and Meadows, with “Mama Jan” Smith on additional vocal productions. Séance was engineered by Joel Metzler and mixed by Joel Metzler and Shawn Grove.
In honor of the release of her debut album, Saleka will embark on an intimate summer tour later this year. She’ll play a pair of west coast shows starting in June and then travel for several dates along the east coast, ending in a special hometown show at Philadelphia’s The Lounge at World Café Live.
Saleka’s previous showstopping tours include opening for Giveon on a sold-out 22-date tour, two nights at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall and a night at the Metropolitan Opera House, as well as stops at Bonnaroo, ACL and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
You can purchase tickets for Saleka’s 2023 Summer Tour HERE
Tour Dates:
June 14—San Francisco, CA—Café Du Nord
June 15—Los Angeles, CA—Hotel Café
June 18—Toronto, ON—Drake Underground
June 20—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge
June 21—Washington, DC—Songbyrd DC
June 22—Philadelphia, PA—The Lounge at World Café Live
More About Saleka
Saleka is a classically trained, Indian-American musician, who began playing piano at the age of four. As the daughter of M. Night and Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan, Saleka was raised on an eclectic combination of music and dance. Rather than attending a traditional conservatory, Saleka made a transformative decision and enrolled at Brown University to begin her journey as an R&B singer-songwriter to study both Literary Arts and Music. Saleka has performed at iconic venues across the United States, opening for both R&B legends and up-and-coming artists such as Giveon and Summer Walker, etc. In addition to music, Saleka uses her powerful voice to raise awareness for social justice reform, youth education, and women’s rights.
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