Senna-Marie

Johannesburg-based artist Senna-Marie's songs teeter between hauntingly honest and tenaciously playful; with intricate guitar melodies, thoughtful lyricism and evocative vocal presence, her music recalls ‘70s folk mixed with an admiration for art-pop and jazz sensibilities. Her alt-folk Debut EP Fence Sitter, was released in collaboration with bandmate and producer, Ryan Schultze on 5 March 2022. The album’s themes are visualised in flailing paper mâché limbs and bumpy hugs by artist and friend Natasha Brown’s quirky music video created for Careless People [track 1]. (Lover’s song [track 2] playlisted by Spotify's editorial team)

Their most recent release: Golden (26 April 2023) captures the lush vocal harmonies and well-crafted grooves of the full band: Ryan Schultze [Piano, Clarinet, Synth], Keegan Latham [Bass], Nicholas Bjorkman [Drums], Pamela King [Backing Vox], Athi Ngcaba [Trombone] and Senna-Marie [Main Vox, Guitar]. The group performs regularly and is currently in-studio preparing their full length album set for release in early 2024. Notable shows include: Nirox Arts Foundation Love Concert, Park Acoustics (Pretoria), The Commons (Cape Town), Smoking Dragon Festival (Drakensberg) and The Half Moon, Putney (London, UK).

Senna-Marie also curates multi-disciplinary shows featuring collaborating artists and friends: Most recently, co-hosting Talk/Here with artist Tubatsi Mpho Moloi: the series of Johannesburg shows explored acts of gathering and regathering. In addition she has shared line ups with South African artists, including: Ibhunga the council, Lindo M, The Charles Gene Suite, Van Pletzen, Mathew Mole and Sekenhand. (Inspirations include the work of Alice Phoebe Lou, Hayley Heynderickx & Brittany Howard.)

“My songs arrive in more than one voice, they are conversations between people ­with often opposing views; people I know and have great affection for but made-up people too and ghosts.”