Debut Album 'New World' Release
International recording artist Ameera, releases her highly anticipated debut album New World, available across download and streaming services HERE.
The alter-ego of British born, vocalist and composer, Gemma Ameera, is known for her unique music, genuine nature and for residing among dense Rainforests in the Shires of Australia. ‘Ameera’ which means princess in Arabic, was a nickname given to Gemma whilst working as a songwriter in Dubai and after learning Arabic and falling in love with Middle Eastern culture, she kept it.
For the last 10 years, Ameera has been living and working as a songwriter in Australia, earning herself ‘Best Folk Song’ award at the Australian Independent Music Awards 2013. Ameera uses her experience of toplining for artists and composing music for games, TV and short films to create her own sound.
Whilst Ameera was composing ‘New World’ she decided to go back to finish her Bachelor of Music to pursue her dream of having a PhD in music composition.
“Starting University again to challenge myself in theory, music history and cultures; has been the best idea I’ve had. My level of work continued to supersede song after the song, you can never stop learning, no matter how much experience you gain.”
Take a minute to imagine if Hans Zimmer and Enya had a love child who lives somewhere between Middle Earth, and a Galaxy far far away, ‘New World’ would be their soundtrack.
Ameera’s first single ‘Raindance’ from the album, released on February 5th 2021 has already reached over 5,000 views on YouTube and over 7000 across all streaming services.
Growing up across the World inspired Ameera to create unique, uplifting and healing music, that inspires a deeper connection and primal instinct in today’s modern World.
The music Ameera makes can be commercially described as Tribal, World, Electronic, Celtic, Cinematic, New Age and Soundscape and for that reason, Ameera created the genre 'New World' to capture her sound.
The genre ‘New World’ is a natural evolution and progression of World Music. Ameera’s sound explores multiple styles, sounds and textures from around the World with a unique sonic fusion inspired by exotic rhythm and the four elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire. Ameera draws on spiritual belief, ideologies and cultures and expresses them lyrically. Ameera hopes to base her thesis on further investigating the genre ‘New World’.
“‘New World’ is art, composed for our hearts and souls, calling our primal instincts home and transporting us to otherworldly lands where we can believe anything is possible. It’s a time to dream, a time to be, a time to live and a time to find all the answers that reside within. The entire Universe bottled, for us to take in. A ‘New World’ for the great awakening.”
After experiencing so much pain and trauma with the loss of her Mum, Ameera wrote the song ‘Within Me’. The song was a discovery, that all the answers and the power to heal, were found within. It was this moment that Ameera realised she wanted to write an album, to share this journey of healing and finding oneself, by coming back to who we truly are.
Ameera began creating music that encapsulated the Earth, nature, cultures, languages, instruments, emotions and motion. Creating unity through music, became her purpose. She studied rhythms, foreign scales, experimented with sound design and produced the music, based on the emotions it evoked inside her.
The production of the ‘New World’, album artwork and vision took around two years, with every song being a little World of its own. Ameera is a fiercely independent, protecting her vision of ‘New World’ and the music is most important.
‘New World’ was co-produced with Grammy-award winning producer and friend Brandon Friesen (The Kooks, R3HAB, The Hu) and although originally set for release in 2020 ‘New World’ was pushed back after signing a publishing contract with Urband & Lazar/Kobalt. This would have seemed to be unfortunate timing to many artists in the industry, however, Ameera embraced the harsh restrictions of her hometown in Victoria and used the time to focus on finessing each track.
“I live in the rainforests in Northern Victoria and it’s so cold in winter, it snows here. My studio was freezing and since we were in lockdown I decided to move my entire studio into living room. I focused on working between my University degree and the album. It saved me from losing it at times!”
Track Listing
The opening track ‘Home’ is in an ode to her first home, the UK where her family still resides. Ameera has always sang in a Celtic tone and recently discovered her Irish roots when finding her biological Dad. The Celtic connection can be heard in this track which was written about the yearning for coming home.
The first single Raindance started from a sample of an Indonesian instrument named the Gamelan. Ameera visualised the sound to be similar to rain and built the entire track around the idea of a thunderstorm. Ameera sings in Arabic which translates to “rain down Universe” in English.
Ameera composed ‘Bloom’ over two months and continued to push herself to compose the piano in a way she had never done before. The song is about life and death and how we all bloom but what’s interesting is how Ameera paints a song musically rather than describing it. All of the instruments represent the blooming of life.
Pray was written to inspire the power of prayer and features fire crackling to symbolise the primitive act of coming together around a fire. The up-tempo track inspires celebration, connection and surrender with whatever it is you believe, spirit, higher self, guardian Angels, God etc.
In songs ‘Tidal’, Ameera makes up a language, chanting in a primordial summoning way combined with cinematic timpani’s and orchestral percussion, gives you something you’d expect to hear during an exotic action-packed blockbuster movie.
After experiencing so much pain and trauma with the loss of her Mum, Ameera wrote the song ‘Within Me’. The song was a discovery, that all the answers and the power to heal, were found within.
Oceanview was produced entirely around the vision of the ocean. Vast, strong, endless, deep, powerful; all the qualities Ameera believes we hold within us. The lyrics of the song ‘and we heal’ is about allowing that ocean to embody us so we can heal and find our strength.
‘Just Be’ is a song about remembering to be still, meditation became an important part of ‘Ameera’s wellness and the message for this song came to her whilst in this state and the album wouldn’t be a ‘New World’ without the titled track.
The title track of the album ‘New World’ is a message of learning. How do we go on after such tragedy and loss? We must first heal ourselves. ‘New World’ symbolises the light in everyone and learning the path to take to let it shine through.
Similarly to ‘Tidal’, in ‘Æther’ Ameera makes up a language by chanting in a primordial summoning way combined with cinematic timpani’s and orchestral percussion. Something you’d expect to hear during an exotic action-packed blockbuster movie.
You can stream and download ‘New World’ in full HERE