SIRA’s debut EP, The Stars Between My Teeth, released November of last year, is an experimental, sultry fusion of R&B, jazz, alternative rock — and the occasional venture into drill. Emblematic of her collaborative spirit and multimedia approach, the project culminates in a short film, independently funded, produced and directed by her and her friends. Working hand in hand with producer and audio engineer Mike Snell, she details that on songs such as “OUT OF CONTROL*,” these musical deviations strengthened in concept over multiple studio sessions. “I would do these long walks in Central Park, and I just started recording the sound of the environment every time on my walk home. I was able to incorporate that within the final score of the song.”
Playing off these themes, audio engineer Ethan Polk-Trauman added the final touch, contributing a guitar solo that enhanced SIRA’s overall vision. The track was also born of visual themes SIRA anchors to in her short film, noting that part of her process is building a soundscape around an idea or image: “At first, honestly, I felt a little uncomfortable about it ’cause I was kind of rapping on it. [That’s not] normally my bag, but it is how I write. I kept listening to it, and I was like, ‘No, this is special.’ And then we got to add a dope electric guitar solo at the end. It just solidified this world.”
To this point, protecting the artist’s sense of creative agency is a delicate balancing act, Ward admits. “In my business, I’m constantly giving and receiving. It is a consistent transfer of energy, not only from just me but to my clients and my staff. I think that that’s a part of the growth of any business and any business structure — community is everything.” Ward expresses that her approach to artist management is rooted in honest and authentic communication; the ability to meet her clients in the middle and offer rules of conduct, moments of encouragement, or conversely (graceful) redirection is paramount. “It’s my job to facilitate all these different domains. But that’s also the beauty of it, by making sure you’re selecting the right people to be in these positions and trusting them to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and execute the vision of the talent.”
