Music / new releases
Bristol alt-folk artist releases ‘anthem for people pleasers’
Genre-embracing alt artist boci‘s latest release is all about breaking free.
An “anthem for people pleasers”, a trait which boci – the stage name of Rebecca Shelley Woodman – says she most definitely identifies with, it is a twisting psychedelic and, ultimately, profoundly uplifting track that laughs in joyful defiance at life’s struggles and paradoxes.
CYFYC is the first single from boci’s upcoming album, scenes from uniXia (pronounced uni-shia, says boci), and the second of the year from the artist who has been called “transcendental” by Songlines and “life-affirming” by BBC 6 Music.
is needed now More than ever
“My initial goal with CYFYC was just to write a silly, light hearted pop song,” she told Bristol24/7. “Looking back, I think this freed me up to let go of any expectations for the song.
“As I started to write it though, it turned into something much more meaningful for me. It’s a song about feeling like you have no centre of gravity due to putting others’ needs before your own.”
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Known for her crystalline vocals, shimmering violin and live looping, and through live shows across the city including Jam Jar, Strange Brew and as part of Harbour Festival, boci has cemented a reputation for captivating performances with an experimental heart and an alt-pop veneer.
“Our own needs and desires are worthy of our attention,” she continues of the inspiration behind CYFYC. “They are valuable guides, pointing us in the direction of a meaningful, authentic life.
“Only by embracing our own enoughness can we truly become free, and thereby love others – and the world – more completely.”
boci has been working with producer Rob Pemberton, of The Staves and Cosmo Sheldrake, to bring her second record to life. It’s a concept album presenting a ‘bold, maximalist musical vision’ of a vast faraway world, using the imagined expansive terrain to explore inner emotional landscapes with themes of loss, longing, healing and hope running throughout.
“The production is raw, organic and punchy,” says boci. “The arrangements are full of my favourite things – strings, harp, melodion and a horrendous amount of backing vocals.
“It’s set in the faraway world of uniXia which exists between colliding atoms in the centre of the sun. Each song represents a ‘scene’ from this world. I’m so unbelievably excited to release this album and to welcome people into the landscapes of uniXia.”
Scenes from uniXia is out on May 31 on boci.bandcamp.com
Catch boci at Bristol Folk Festival on May 3 and on tour from May 25.
Main image: Alice Farrington
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