Doriana Spurrell is a breath of fresh air. While still in college, she has created an EP that has “old soul” within the notes of every song. A creative writing major at Emerson College in Boston, her songs have a lyrical depth and resonance that belies her years, the kind of insight and gravitas that listeners expect to hear from artists twice her age. Tied together with Spurrell’s soulful and soul-deep vocals, the songs unspool with an Americana warmth and a gorgeous folk singer-songwriter realness and graceful storytelling. Moments of indie-pop/rock leave sparkles of modernity. “Forward” is five songs deep — just enough to turn us into immediate fans, but it leaves us wanting so much more from this up-and-coming talent.
Amplify Music Magazine is pleased to premiere the EP stream here today for fans to take a complete first listen. We also sat down with the North Carolina-based Spurrell recently to talk about the EP, and you can read our Q&A below while you listen.
Your EP is really fantastic. Tell us how you came to gather this collection of songs together.
I wrote all of these songs in high school. The inspiration for the EP project really came from one song in particular, “Never Needed Words,” which I released as my first single. I wrote that song for my grandfather who passed away from Covid in 2020. It really set in motion my wanting to record; I saw how much my family appreciated the song, and I thought it would be really neat if I could get together a small list of songs to go record to share with even more people. So that’s what I did, with the help of my parents. I went through my songbook and picked out some songs that I thought would work together as a collection.
What was the recording process like? Did it go the way you expected? What was your favorite moment or moments in the studio?
This is the first time I’ve ever been in a studio, so I had no idea what to expect. We were recommended to Nightsound Studio by a friend, so we set up a little interview to see if it would be a good fit. I’ve grown up in North Carolina, and I’ve been to Carborro countless times, but I’d never seen the studio because it’s hidden behind a music shop. I remember walking in and being stunned. It was perfect. Not too big, not too scary — it was just perfect. It’s really a great studio. I’m so grateful that we were able to find it and work with them. Meghan Puryear who did the mixing for my songs was so wonderful to work with. We met at a local coffee spot to discuss each song on my EP and what sound I was looking for, and we discussed the lyrics. She wanted to understand each song, which I really appreciated. We hired some really excellent musicians, many of which Meghan recommended. One of them, the bassist, was actually my friend and mentor, Billie Feather. She was my first guitar instructor, and it was so wonderful to have her support on my first-ever big music project.
Do you have a favorite song on the EP? What makes it stand out for you?
Of course my favorite song on the EP is “Never Needed Words,” which is dedicated to my grandfather’s memory. That song really came to me when I was not in a great spot, and it almost had a healing power. To be able to use music and writing as an outlet, to get that grief out and turn it into something beautiful is a really special gift. I really needed that at the time. Another song that I don’t mention a lot, but is also a favorite, is “Until I Die.” It might not have as special a story, but it was also a joy to write. The song originally started as a poem, as do a lot of my songs. It was a poem about creativity, and the price of sharing creativity. One of those venting poems. A lot of it was experimental — the guitar is odd, the lyrics are odd — and I love it. I hope when it comes out, people find something in it that really resonates with them.
Speaking of listeners, what do you hope they get from listening to this EP? What would you like the message or messages to be?
I think a big part of this EP is acknowledging small pleasures in life. Small things that can pass through the cracks. My grandfather inspired a lot of this thinking as I was trying to remember things about him and his interaction with our family. So many small moments showed how much love there was, many simple moments like watching a sunset in our favorite place.
I titled this EP “Forward” because I’ve been having a difficult time myself pushing through hard moments. I think I get caught up easily in the grand scheme of life, like what I should be doing to make my future the best it can be. But in reality, things happen, and time moves on whether you’re ready or not. I’m so thankful for the support I’ve had to get this EP out into the world. I hope listeners feel a connection to this through my songs somehow. There’s a lot to unpack in each of them, and I am always appreciative when someone tells me that they’ve sat with a song, taken a moment to be with it and understand it in their own way. My favorite part of music is that it is individualistic; I want my music to become someone else’s in that way.
How would you describe the music that you make?
I think all of my music has a folksy edge to it all. In part, this is due to where I’ve grown up in North Carolina and the type of music I’ve listened to and learned from. A lot of my friends have told me that they can’t quite put me in a genre, but they can hear a bit of country (folk) in my music. It’s like there will always be a piece of North Carolina in all that I do. I love that.
What’s coming up next for you once the EP comes out this week?
More writing! I’ve already got some pretty cool songs in the works, and the ideas are flowing. This whole release has been a new journey for me. I’ve learned so many things and worked with so many wonderful people. After release, I will be heading up to Boston, away from my home in North Carolina, to keep studying creative writing at Emerson College for my sophomore year. Boston has such a wonderful music scene, and it’s a big place, so I’m looking to hopefully play around there.
