Premiere - Atlanta’s Often Debuts otherworldly New Track “By Summer”

Arts

Apr 5

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Often has had a similarly rough ride with religion. “I grew up in a subset of Christianity that for lack of more eloquent words, truly fucked me up“ she shared. Even after coming out, she had trouble feeling pride at a deep level. “I was adamant on hiding the deeper parts of myself that would offer me true release because I was told so much of my identity was wrong.”

In fact, Often’s identity proved key in their journey towards self-acceptance. “I've always been naturally interested in my ancestry, as I think most Black folks are since we've been systemically disconnected from those who came before” she said. It took moving to North Carolina during the pandemic for Often to feel the full spiritual effect of those ancestors. North Carolina is where her grandmother lived before dying during Thanksgiving of 2019.

Often felt those family ties acutely while living in North Carolina. “This had been their home for generations, as far back as I can uncover, and I couldn't deny their gentle pull” Often said, continuing “There was a lot of self work to do in order to be the person they wanted to support me to become.” Often spent a large portion of 2020 doing that work through spiritual mentorships, even writing a song with her ancestors on her upcoming album called “Don't Wait."

With her ancestors by her side, she’s ready to move forward with new music. “By Summer” arrives on her grandmother’s birthday, along with a music video. Often had this to say about the video:

“I briefly went to film school at a Christian university where God was pretty much expected to be part of your artistic narrative. That's something I haven't quite left behind...I wanted there to be this energy of something ‘else’ you can't quite place.”

That otherworldly energy comes most clearly during the gospel choir sound in the chorus, something that Often said was deliberate. “So much of my life was spent in the church, facing God and "the end," and I wanted that (choir) presence there. God is not what God used to be for me and I'm so thankful for that. I see now that God is actually our collective positive energy. God is our investment in each other's well being.”

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Mo Wilson is a writer and sometimes DJ living in Brooklyn. He also throws indie rock/punk shows with the booking collective Booked By Grandma and loves plastic jewelry. You can find him on Twitter @sadgayfriendx and Instagram at @djgaypanic