Chaouche - Safe (2018)

Singer/musician/producer Aisha Chaouche shares to the world her debut album 'Safe', a deeply emotional document of heartbreaking and spine tingling hymns that have helped bring peace to traumatic events experienced earlier in her life. Her delicate piano playing features prominently and is bolstered by balanced production of her own massed vocals, programmed drums, sub-bass, cello, violin and an obsession with reverb and delay.

Aisha spent her childhood growing up in Swansea before moving to Bristol where she studied at BIMM music college. Signing to Late Night Tales’ sister label Night Time Stories on the strength of a Soundcloud demo, Chaouche's debut single 'I'll Lose My Head' was released in May 2017. Her music has been described as “heartbreaking and spine tingling hymns” by Wonderland Magazine, “channelling the hymnal qualities of Cat’s Eyes with the dense vocals of Medúlla-era Björk” by The Line of Best Fit and a “songwriter of real strength and subtlety” by Clash. Bristol Live Magazine has hailed her "the city’s most exciting new act". Support has also come from BBC 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, saying she'd played her "on a loop all week" and Radio 1's Huw Stephens who's called her music “beautiful".

'Safe' chronicles events that occured in Aisha's formative years and the catharsis that occurred through her songwriting.

“The overarching theme of my songs is “healing". Collectively my songs contribute to a greater understanding of particular issues I found overbearing and traumatising as a child and young adult. Each song is dedicated to a memory or experience that has come from a negative source that’s ultimately been turned into a strength."

Adopting her surname as her artist name was not an obvious choice for Aisha; "Chaouche" coming from her father, who she had little contact with. A talk with a close friend helped the decision to reappropriate the name for herself.

“I tried to come up with all sorts of artist names other than my own to try and forget him but none of them meant anything. One of my best friends suggested I use the negative emotions and claim it as my artist name, that way it has more meaning than anything I could ever make up.”

'Safe' was mixed with now live band member Ben Johnson and features updated versions of her singles released to date. Combining vocals, performance on piano and synthesiser with triggered samples and loops; the trio of Aisha, Greg Stoddard and Ben have translated the subtleties of the album to the live stage.