First Listen: Cecily says "Don't Hide From The Sun"

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    (May 7, 2018) We all have those moments when we get in our feelings. You get kind of overwhelmed about the cares of the world. You start to doubt yourself. You feel isolated because you’re alone in an unfamiliar place. And then you step into nature, and you gain an appreciation for things such as being alive and being able to feel the warm sun on your face, or the grass between your toes. That’s what “Don’t Hide From the Sun,” the latest song from vocalist and songwriter Cecily is about.

    (May 7, 2018) We all have those moments when we get in our feelings. You get kind of overwhelmed about the cares of the world. You start to doubt yourself. You feel isolated because you’re alone in an unfamiliar place. And then you step into nature, and you gain an appreciation for things such as being alive and being able to feel the warm sun on your face, or the grass between your toes. That’s what “Don’t Hide From the Sun,” the latest song from vocalist and songwriter Cecily is about.

    "’Don't Hide the Sun’" is based on a poem I wrote while sitting in a park in London. I'd been traveling by myself for 2 weeks, and it was my final day there. I had been feeling very lonely the whole trip, but in that moment I just felt grateful to be where I was, sitting in the sun, all by myself. I truly appreciated my solitude and just felt so thankful to have that time to myself on a unexpectedly sunny London day. Musically the song is a collaboration between myself and Aaron Abernathy, a fellow DC-based soul artist, who is like a brother to me. I was very honored to work with him on this project.”

    The track itself has a laid back mid-tempo feel of the kind of jazzy soul you might have heard from Roy Ayers or Minnie Riperton back in the day, and that’s not a surprise. Cecily said that she’s been deeply influenced by the bands and artists from that era – most notably the Isley Brothers, Gil-Scot Heron and Norman Connors – and she’s also opened for the likes of Gregory Porter. “Don’t Hide From the Sun,” finds this D.C. native putting what she’s learned to work, and gets us excited to hear more from her. Check it out below.

    By Howard Dukes