‘Prism’ & the Synergy of Say She She

Q&AMusic

Nov 4

☆ By JANET HERNANDEZ ☆

THERE’S A SYNERGY WHEN THE MEMBERS OF — Say She She get together. Whether they’re performing on stage, rehearsing, or chatting about their work, the seismic chemistry among group leaders Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik, and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham is palpable. Alone, each member is a reputable artist in the music scene and has a myriad of achievements. On Prism, their newly-released debut album, the group has created a tour de force.

“As three women with many different temperaments and moods, why shouldn't our catalog also lean into all those different genres?” Malik shares. “We don't want to be defined by one particular sound.”

Wide-ranging influences meld together, from the funk-infused bass line on “Apple Of My Eye” to the disco sensibilities of “Pink Roses.” Rich harmonies are at the core of the songs, as each member locks into the groove and soars. On the bridge of “Don’t Wait,” their voices syncopate as each singer delivers the line “I wonder what she’s thinking” with intensity.

The album’s title track features lush synth soundscapes and dreamy vocals. To further encapsulate the psychedelic feel, the accompanying music video mixes a kaleidoscope of imagery: grassy fields, swaying dance motions, and water cascading along mossy rocks. “Prism” was the first song they wrote together on the album, and is Malik’s personal favorite.

“We wrote [“Prism”] in the summer, and it was just this freedom and everything was sweet,” she says. “It felt like the trio was finally together and formed. The song reflects that feeling.”

Malik and Cunningham met through the floorboards of their New York City apartment building, first hearing each other singing and eventually meeting face-to-face. It wasn’t long before they started having writing sessions together, later persuading Brown to join the project. Garnering cosigns from tastemakers at KCRW and BBC, the group soon became a band to watch. Their album release show is set for Nov. 3, followed by tour stops along the West Coast.

“It's so much fun when we step on the stage because everybody is in it to just have the best time, and that's exactly what happens,” Brown explains. “We are so thrilled to be sharing and exchanging that beautiful energy with the audience.”

Cunningham adds, “We sort of feed off of each other's energy. There's this unspoken language that we have with each other. That happened immediately, at least for me.” She goes on to share that connection is also felt during writing sessions. Despite having different backgrounds and life experiences, the group members collaborate to flesh out stories and ideas.

It’s evident just how much the members of Say She She respect and admire one another when they praise Cunningham’s contributions to the band’s visual assets or when Malik describes how the group supported her idea to sing Hindi verses on the album. They’ve created a welcoming atmosphere that is often hard to find within bands.

“It's like a family, being in a band, but you have to be careful with who you open yourself up to sometimes in this city — all of us have been burned in different types of relationships,” Malik describes. “It was really important that we had trust and friendship at the center.”

Malik adds that the group holds the same values: the trio has a connection to activism and sees themselves at the intersection of activism and art. In the past, the group has also been open about working in a predominantly male music space. The early single “Norma” is about the rollback on abortion rights, and “Forget Me Not” was inspired by the feminist group Guerrilla Girls.

“We want to stand for something,” Brown declares. “We want to make people feel something and we want to use the platform that we have.”

The trio has built a space for expression and healing through Say She She. Brown, Malik, and Cunningham hope Prism raises people’s spirits, but for Malik, it already has.

“It was the biggest smile on my face when I realized that no matter how I wanted to express myself, they would always accept me.”

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫