Musician: Andrea Ward: Vocals; PJ Donahue: Percussion
Single/Music Video: ‘Awake at Night;’ Released: November 18, 2022; Mixed and mastered by MasterHead Lab; Filmed by Scott Foster
The world of sleep that encompass people’s dream state isn’t always as tranquil and rejuvenating as they imagine it is while they’re awake. New York City-based singer-instrumentalist, Andrea Ward is exploring the idea that people can’t always achieve a peaceful state of sleep because they know something’s wrong in life in her newly released experimental-alternative pop/permanent wave single, ‘Awake at Night,’ and its accompanying performance video.
The song, which is the third single that was released in promotion of the musician’s upcoming album, ‘Ribbon of Water,’ on January 20, 2023, highlights how people’s deep subconscious is one of the forces in the world that dictates when they can sleep. Ward proclaims throughout the track that it’s important for people to combat those forces that hold them down, and instead fight to reach their greatest potential that they dream about.
‘Awake at Night’ is driven by the singer’s unique and exquisite vocal arrangement, which is braced in a surplus of high notes that are inspired by such fellow musicians as Björk and FKA twigs. Ward’s vocals are backed by the finessed, rapid-fire and hyper-elevated, jazzy percussive tones by her fellow musician, PJ Donahue, which interweave evocative, rhythmic textures of tension.
While the drums are the true standout backing Ward’s voice, she also plays a variety of other instruments on her latest single that perfectly match the pitch, timbre and elongation of some of her soprano vocals, from the guitar and bass. Her misty timbres are exceptionally highlighted by the instruments as she croons about the importance of people maintaining control over their sleeping and waking lives, as she’s often convinced her dreams are occurring in her real life.
The video for ‘Awake at Night’ features the singer as she croons into the microphone and plays various instruments in the studio, including the guitar, as Donahue plays the backing drums. She emotionally connect with the tune by not only belting out her vocals into the microphone, but also setting the ambiance by lighting candles around the studio.
Through the limitless creative energy of her vocals and instrumentals on ‘Awake at Night,’ Ward shares her knowledge and details about her intimate relationship with the subconscious mind. She explores the idea that people can’t always achieve a peaceful state of sleep and sense of serenity while they are awake because they know something off balance in their life.
The musician’s overall unique and exquisite vocal arrangement and thee finessed, hyper-elevated percussive tones from Donahue powerfully highlight the importance of people capturing and maintaining control over their sleeping and waking lives. As a result, the ‘Awake at Night’ single and its accompanying performance music video prove what a maverick, innovative musician Ward has become so far in her career.
For more information on Ward, visit her official website, as well as her Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages.
