STAV G

New York City based songstress STAV G releases her self-titled record tomorrow, May 8th, to much critical acclaim and fan anticipation. The artist, who originally hails from Tel Aviv, blends a sultry sound that is very much her own. Tomorrow night she takes over the Bowery Electric for a very special release show performance. We had the chance to catch up with STAV G on the eve of her show and release. Let's dive in!

Event and tickets:
https://www.stavgmusic.com/events/album-launch

You have your release show coming up at the Bowery Electric! What is your favorite part about playing New York?

This city is huge and alive. I love being a part of it through my music.

Congratulations on the upcoming record! What was the inspiration behind it and how did the storyline come to be?

Thank you so much! I had so much inside of me that I wanted to share. After years of searching for my personal sound and musicality, I felt ready to put it all together and record. In the process of choosing the songs, layers were peeled and I was left with what truly defined me. I was able to look at my fears, escapism, quirkiness and my complex relationship with my homeland. All those things gradually formed a storyline that shifts between all that has shaped me throughout the years: personally and globally.


Do you have any plans on touring later this year as well beyond New York?

Because I'm new to this gorgeous continent, I am still figuring out how to do that, but definitely planning to!


What are your influences musically and lyrically?

As a singer, melody is the first thing I will be drawn to. It's everywhere. I hear songs when people speak, yell, honk their car horns. New York is filled with music! I also have Joni Mitchel, Aziza Mustafa, Queen, Leonard Bernstein, My mother's compositions and many more implanted in me. They form as a constant inspiration in the back of my mind. For lyrics I look for inspiration in what's bubbling inside of me. Once I have something sketched out, it also performs as the engine for music, as I follow the rhythm of the spoken word. Then the old and the new dance together until they form something that is all me.


What are your favorite venues to play in New York?

I love Sensei Gallery Bar for it's artistic and welcoming atmosphere that always makes me feel at home. I also love the personal touch of people hosting shows across the city. I find performing through Artery brings a great experience and intimate connection with the audience. On May 8 I will performing at The Bowery Electric for the first time and I'm very excited to add them to my list!


What are your favorite songs to perform live?

Silhouette and Manar's Song are my favorites. Silhouette combines all that defines my live set with vocal loops, samples and beats taken from the album and played through a computer. Every time the song ends, it takes me a while to get back to reality and perform the next one. For me, this feeling is what singing is all about.

Manar's voice is sampled into the live set, so in a way she is always with me. I love rehearsing and performing with Manar's Song because it keeps her close even though she's in another part of the world.

What is the differences when you perform live and when you perform in studio? How does the musical dynamic work?

Live I have adrenaline and energy that spreads widely across the stage. The audience receives and gives back so I feel we have a conversation. My singing is different, more open and louder. In the studio the conversation shifts inwards and I have more time to explore and reflect. Every take brings something else and gets me focused on being accurate in sound and in expression. My singing is more intimate and reflective. It is very demanding and has a different way of sorting itself out then on stage.


Can we expect any new songs or singles from the record soon?

Definitely! A new single is coming out very soon and the entire Album is already available for pre-order on iTunes. - Patch Magazine

April 13, 2018

"Vibrant sounds blend with unique elements and haunting vocals, that will make STAV G a must-listen-to-artist for 2018..." - Paste Magazine

Regular readers will know that I usually like my music noisy, rowdy with lots of energy and guitars turned up as loud as they'll go. Well tonight's featured artist Stav G (songwriter and leader of the indie-rock band Malinka and indie-pop duo Stav & Roni) is as close as you can get to the opposite of my usual fare but I was so captivated by it's stunning beauty I had to share it.

Her latest single Manar's Song is inspired by the daily struggles Palestinian citizens of the West Bank deal with. The song describes the two friends meeting up at a beach in Tel Aviv,an interaction that would not occur in reality unless Manar had a special permit allowing it.

Starting off with an ambient combination of sounds of speech, wind, and a faint bass line it gradually evolves to a gentle piano, guitar, and gorgeous, heart rending vocals. The track features vocals from both Stav and Manar, as they sing about the simplicity of seeing the sea together with the fervour of knowing it’s unlikely odds.

Manar's Song is breathtaking, captivating, beguiling and utterly beautiful. It's poetry for the ears, and definitely the most gorgeous piece of music you'll hear this year. If you don't fall in love with this then you need to book an appointment with your doctor to check you still have a heart and your local priest/vicar/imam etc to check you still have a soul. - The Devil Has the Best Tuna