Say She She Bio Page

The female-led discodelic soul band Say She She, named as a silent nod to Nile Rodgers (C’est chi-chi!: It's Chic!”), release their sophomore album Silver on the heels of an epic break-out year that grows brighter by the day.

The three strong voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair staple feature, and former backing singer for Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown front the band. The trio was formed in a classic New York tale of friends that met by following the music: the downtown dancefloors, through the Lower East Side floorboards and up to the rooftops of Harlem.

Described by The Guardian as “boundary busting discodelic soul,” their music will capture your heart with their buttery vocals, fat funky basslines, catchy hooks and up-tempo grooves. Perhaps most notable are the group's flawless harmonies that will stop you in your tracks.

Say She She’s debut album, Prism, was released last fall and celebrated by NPR Music, LA Times, 5 stars from The Guardian and rave reviews from countless others, including MOJO, calling the album “a superb psych soul-disco debut.”

Prism hit #1 on KCRW’s Top 30 Albums and Best of 2022 lists and received significant spins from several tastemaker radio stations across the US and UK. The band also had key live performances with KCRW, KEXP, WFUV (including last year’s annual Holiday Cheer event at the Beacon Theater), and WXPN (with a World Cafe Live performance). The band made their national television debut this year with a 3-song performance on CBS Saturday Sessions and a corresponding billboard in Times Square.

Say She She has collaborated with a roaring roster of musicians including members of The Dap-Kings, The Extraordinaires, Peanut Butter Wolf, The Shacks and Chicano Batman. Their current band plays as a seven piece and includes members of Los Angeles cult-funk band Orgone, who they have been touring with extensively. Live concert highlights for a band that just began touring include their Glastonbury Festival debut this year, at Central Park Summerstage’s 2023 opening night and the Hollywood Bowl. Their live show injects funk and pop with a heavy dose of dance and disco beats, and is an outrageous time like no other.

Silver was entirely written and recorded live to tape at Killion Sound studio in North Hollywood earlier this year and produced by Sergio Rios (of Orgone). While these analog recording techniques help root Say She She’s sound in a bedrock of tonal warmth that only tape can achieve, it is also their process of cutting the track in the moment and capturing the magic of communal creativity that has seen their sound described as “a glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation” (MOJO) and “infused with the wonky post-disco spirit of early '80s NYC” (The Guardian).

Silver, the element, is known as the metal of self-confidence and the mirror of the soul. With that, the 16-song double-LP projects not only their growth in writing with confidence, but also reflects a deeper exploration into their punk-chic, femme-forward sensibility. Sonically, it’s reminiscent of the likes of Rotary Connection, Asha Puthli, Liquid Liquid, Grace Jones and Tom Tom Club.

The needle drops on the powerful opening track “Reeling,” which was released in January and immediately made #1 in KCRW’s Top 10 charts. The track was also playlisted at BBC’s 6 Music and the 45 (w/ “Don’t You Dare Stop”) charted in the UK.

“Reeling” sets the mood for a musical journey, which is imbued with political grit, along with “Echo in The Chamber,” a song addressing gun control. It includes the tongue-in-cheek wit of “Entry Level,” which satirizes the condescending underestimation of a boss. The album also takes on a laissez-faire, celebratory attitude in “C’est si Bon,” encouraging listeners to throw their hands up. Throughout the record, elements of operatic funk shine through in tracks like “Bleeding Heart” and “Questions,” adding a touch of dramatic flair.

The record also features their debut single “Forget Me Not,” a gritty funk send-up inspired by NYC’s Guerilla Girls, which made a huge first splash. It was premiered by DJ Novena Carmel on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and described by Jeremy Sole as “the funkiest sh*t I’ve heard in a while!”

Ultimately, Silver oozes with quirk and adventure and embraces the multifaceted nature of what it means to be a modern femme. Say She She fully embrace their role as beauticians, actively reminding people of the inherent beauty in the world. They skillfully employ double entendres and humor to encourage open dialogue and fearlessly address important matters that demand attention. “We will not go back!!”, they exclaim in their billowing protest anthem “NORMA,” written in response to the decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

The record culminates with the title track “Silver” - a song written about finding a long lost sister, losing a brother and remembering a mother lost to cancer. Coming in at nearly 9 minutes long, it is an ethereal piece with winding instrumental piano solos and soothing vocals intended to comfort you as you ride the waves of grief and drift off to sleep. The physical album concludes with a white noise locked-groove, as if to signify the never-ending magic of “Silver”.

Condensed Bio:

The three strong voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair staple feature, and former backing singer for Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown front the band. This harmonizing trio was formed in a classic New York tale of friends that met by following the music: the downtown dancefloors, through the Lower East Side floorboards and up to the rooftops of Harlem.

Bio : Say She She