Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

How to Stay Sane While Sheltering in Place

/ By
How to Stay Sane While Sheltering in Place

by Kelli Richards, Jeeni MD USA

Many of us have been going a little stir crazy after several weeks of sheltering in place. But given it’s likely we’ll be in this situation for quite a while longer, it’s to our benefit to find ways to retain our sanity during these challenging times. Here are a few ideas to share that I’ve found have been working for me.

Stick with a schedule and routine — what worked for you when things were ‘normal’? Keep doing those things now. For me, it includes getting up early, exercising, meditating, good nutrition, getting outdoors every day, sticking with my work routines (work bursts, scheduling calls and Zoom video chats), stretching, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep. I’m getting an extra hour daily now to boost my immune system — and of course the additional rest has all kinds of extra benefits for your mind and body as well.

Reading daily is also an anchor for me, so it’s paramount (at least for me) that I make time for that.

Make time to connect with friends, family, colleagues and loved ones. Make sure you balance your time between work and play/rest. Move your body daily, however that works for you. Take time to make nutritious meals for yourself and keep your house clean and tidy. Watch something funny, educational, or inspiring on TV if it moves you. Minimize your exposure to news — limit your intake to maybe 2x/day. Listen to great music throughout the day. Have fresh flowers around and get your nature intake daily.

Those are some of my tips — I’d love to know what some of yours are that are helping you in these times. Be sure to leave a comment!

Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

10
Dec

Artist Focus: Amba Tremain, The South Coast Soultress

Despite Amba Tremain’s proclivity towards the 'good ol’ days' of soul, motown and rhythm & blues, the Portsmouth singer’s attitude and approach to honoring the classics is refreshing, open and varied. The South coast soulstress -as aptly dubbed in her bio- has firmly re-opened a nostalgic and warm door to the golden-era of soul via spirited covers and fiery original tracks.  As lecturer and Head of Vocals, for Brighton’s WaterBear College, it should be no surprise that Amba’s vocal capabilities rival that of even the original godfathers and mothers of soul. Her pitch perfect voice has lead to her being the star talent on several collaborations, very much out of her typical creative choice.  Earlier this year, British electronic duo, Hollaphonic sampled a work of Amba’s for their summer house banger, ‘Shadows In The Sun’ which found its way on countless playlists. Up-and-coming Deltiimo also felt inspired by Amba’s talent, resulting in the floor-filling ‘Boy If You Want My Love’ back in 2018.  Her sheer vocal talent also got her an invitation on BBC1’s hit Saturday night show, ‘I Can See Your Voice’. Contestants had to guess from a selection of would-be performers who can and can’t sing. Amba was obviously (perhaps not at first to the contestants) the show’s jaw-dropping talent for the evening and sung her heart out for the primetime gameshow.  The pureness and clarity of Amba Tremain’s voice certainly makes her the perfect subject for electronic collaborations, however, she shines brightest on her own compositions. Most recently; ‘Baby You’re Gold’ which came out last Friday, is a laid-back, blissful tune with glossy and glamorous performances all around, (Check out Jeeni’s full review of the track here).  Far from a one-trick pony, Amba has embraced all sorts of traditional genres and styles such as funk, country, pop and rock. Unlike many of her other works, ‘More Than My Mistakes’ is an all-too relatable RnB piano ballad. Stripped back to the basics of vocals, piano and selective strings, this single from last year contains a raw and unfeigned passion that most vocalists could only dream to convey.  Sofar Sounds described Amba’s essence well, ‘Amba’s beautiful melodies and engaging energy make for a truly captivating experience. Amba breathes life and honesty into her soulful performances through her very honest lyrics and vocals’.  If her 2021 singles are anything to go by, Amba Tremain has built up a formidable momentum of releases which hopefully will only continue to grow.  Check out Amba on Jeeni here: https://jeeni.com/?s=amba+tremain  How can Jeeni support artists like Amba Tremain? JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.   • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team.

20
Jan

Ariana May, 'Suffolk Bay' Single Review

At just 16, Ariana May has reached a level of musical maturity that demands respect and attention. On Suffolk Bay, her vision is translated through her expressive piano playing and is then fully realised by her sweet, graceful vocals which glide as delicately as the accompanying strings.  Ariana May has been an integral part part of Jeeni, from contributing unique and wonderful tracks to our pop channel, to being a part of our artist partnership programme with Daisy Chute. It seems as though our support has been well received too, according to some encouraging feedback from Ariana about her time with us, "I've felt so supported by Jeeni, it has been great to feel such a backing from a brilliant company!" Instead of just singing about an emotion-rich memory based in Suffolk Bay, Ariana opts to take you there instead. As well as providing atmospheric imagery, the audio of the waves creates a sort of organic alternative to a textured synth of filtered noise; the panning and treatment of which works perfectly to fill in the spatial gaps of the stripped back arrangement.  Ariana’s vocal melodies are so delicate on this single that they sometimes flitter and almost evaporate before swooping back in and folding into the warmth of the reverbed piano. As light as her voice may sound, she doesn’t let that delicate element detract from any power or intended sentiment that it holds.  The romantic imagery in the lyrics recounts a memory but can also be seen as a narration of the unfolding of the track itself, “When you felt the music go right through your bones”. The ethereal and spacey nature of Ariana’s high-register singing certainly does at times feel as though it cuts right through you. Lyrically, Ariana also references the mythical creature, sirens which mirrors an eerie and fantastical resemblance considering the nautical setting and Ariana’s enchanting vocal performance.  Deceptively simple ‘Suffolk Bay’ actually has a lot to unpack, instrumentally. The theatrical piano takes precedence in the accompaniment and strings are used to tastefully embellish choice moments of the track. A sparing approach to the strings really lends to their effectiveness and impact; they cleverly swell and disappear periodically much like the waves do. Instead of flowing in long, held notes like Ariana’s voice, the piano chugs along in a steady, pulsing rhythm, creating a complimenting relationship between the two styles.  This single came with an equally dramatic and stirring video which you can check out here: https://jeeni.com/suffolk-bay-by-ariana-may-2/  How can Jeeni support artists like Ariana May JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.   • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team.  Check out Ariana's Showcase here: https://jeeni.com/showcase/arianamay/

11
Oct

Jeeni's Pick of the Week - Flamingods

Jeeni's Pick of the Week is International psych explorers Flamingods. A four-piece, multi-instrumental band from Bahrain & London who were founded in 2010. The group explores and experiments with an array of influences from western psychedelia, jazz and indie to a wide-eyed obsession with music from the East. Using a vast selection of instruments from the Middle East and Asia. The band marries this with western instrumentations of synthesisers, guitars and drums. To create a potent sound all of its own that they call ‘Exotic Psychedelia’. As well as touring the UK and Europe numerous times the band have played at many festivals. Including Glastonbury, End of the Road, Green Man, Fusion, Into the Great Wide Open, The Great Escape and SXSW. Bands like Flamingods are the type of exciting artists that Jeeni supports on our platform. By creating showcases, supporting creative talent and promoting them to an audience on jeeni.com Flamingods newest album ‘Levitation’ digs deep into themes and sounds of the early Middle East and South Asia 70s psychedelia, proto-metal and British pop. The Bahrani-bred and London-based band pull out a masterful collage. During the process of writing and recording ‘Levitation’, Flamingods found themselves living in the same continent for the first time in four years. It’s this unified process that lends a feel to the new music and has allowed them to make good on their early potential. ‘Levitation’ is the follow-up to their breakthrough 2016 album ‘Majesty’ and follows their ‘Kewali’ EP release for Moshi Moshi in 2017 and a one-off release with Dan Carey for his Speedy Wunderground singles club. Since the release of ‘Majesty’, Flamingods have been travelling the globe. Spreading their exotic psychedelia to the masses and getting people dancing from Austin to Amsterdam. You can catch Flamingods performing live Saturday, October 16th at the Wild Paths Festival in Norwich. JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience. Firstly we give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. Secondly we empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.Thirdly we promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect. Lastly and most importantly they keep 100% of everything they make. Check out Flamingods showcase here on Jeeni: Flamingods | Showcase | JEENI. Along with other showcases to add to your playlist.