Composer, songwriter, vocalist, thespian, multimedia artist, and instrumentalist Niecy Blues joined Vanessa Morris on Banksia to talk about record Exit Simulation, her creative practice and journey growing up with music.

Niecy spoke about her work which sits at the intersection of sound, memory, and ritual, exploring grief, self-acceptance, lineage, and emotional vulnerability as sites of inquiry and transformation. An example she shared reflections on connecting to this was the creation of track U Care - written about losing a friend - but also features a recording of a performance from her grandfather's funeral, and the power of sharing this in live spaces.

The pair also discuss Niecy's ever-evolving songwriting process which invlolves improvised vocals, her experience growing up with music, including early introductions to ambience through the church and gospel, and the development of LP, which included collaborations with artists KeiyaA, Qur’an Shaheed and Khari Lucas.

Based in South Carolina and originally raised on the prairie fields of Oklahoma - Niecy is of Cherokee and Nigerian heritage, and with slavery in the US, learning about this has been through extensive forms of research and is only coming into awareness of her deep lineage. 

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