Biography
In The Beginning
Growing is always a journey; a walk, a fall, a leap, a run and, finally, a sitting down to take it all in. The result is an excursion filled with amazing transformation. Since the 2003 release of her first album IS, inohs Siavd shifted into high gear “growing up” mode, producing her 2007 sophomore album, Changes, a lush mix of jazz, soul, and a touch of world music grooves.
“I’m clearer on who I am as a person now,” says Inohs. This clarity is the result of the biggest change she’s experienced to date: marriage to the man she’s loved her entire adult life. “I had to adapt to my husband’s energy and it has changed my whole rhythm of living.”
With the creation of IS, Inohs allowed life’s external influences into her music. At that time, Inohs was coming from a particularly dark period. She used a $50 acoustic guitar and taught herself to play the music that matched her emotions. She then enlisted a slamming band to create the soul alternative sound that became an instant crowd pleaser.
But when personal growth meets musical growth, it creates a deeper, more mature sound. Changes is a proclamation of her current station in life.
Gone are the day job and the acoustic guitar from the life during the creation of IS. She became a full-time musician, creating music electronically with a keyboard, tracking, and assistance from live musicians to add a richer depth to Changes.
“I am at liberty to be more experimental with my music and with my voice… to explore different songs, and styles.”
Inohs brought in a creative team to work on lyrics, background vocals and arrangements. In four months her team -- Naomi Daniel (formerly with Carl Craig’s Planet E Communications) lyrics/background vocals; La Shaun phoenix Moore (poet/singer/songwriter) lyrics/background vocals; LaKesha Bynam (singer/songwriter) lyrics/background vocals; Alicia Spencer (singer/songwriter) lyrics/background vocals; and Damon Warmack bassist/keyboardist/composer) –- composed 12 songs. Live musicians -- Warmack, bass and keyboard; Dan Haddad, flute; Kelvin Sholar, piano; and James Shelton, piano -- give a certain kind of flavor to the sound.
“Each show is an experience — there’s great chemistry on stage and lots of room for experimentation. And we all -- me, my backup gals, the musicians and the audience -- get to know each other in a different way.”
Growth has turned into accomplishment for Inohs as both an artist and a producer. She can be heard backing funky soul artist Amp Fiddler on his latest project, Afro Strut, and on Rap group SelfMeYi’s “Urban Suburban.”
Inohs continues to tap into her love for electronica. For its compilation disc, Third Ear (United Kingdom) picked up “Somewhere Else,” a track on Inohs Sivad’s self-produced partially released Mrs. Norman’s House. And on-going live performances continue to perfect the artist’s show style, which was nurtured early on at Detroit’s once open Camillian Café where her regular shows packed the house.
Over the years, Inohs has attracted top-notch musicians, including music director and guitarist Randal Wilson, bassist Warmack, Joe Hayden Soul Clique bassist, Jazzhead drummer, the late Ricky Hudson, Flint, Mich.-based funk band Funkilium, Lawrence Washington, bassist from the R&B band Hot Sauce and drummer Nate Winn, to name a few.
Along with these players, at one time or another, she’s performed at the Dally in the Alley, Noel Night, Red Ink Gallery (Flint, MI), 1515 Broadway, Chrysler Arts, Beats & Eats, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Friday Night Music Series, Urban Organic Experience, FOX2 News Weekend Edition, and the Zebra Room (Windsor, Ontario). “Each show is an experience — there’s great chemistry on stage and lots of room for experimentation. And we all -- me, my backup gals, the musicians and the audience -- get to know each other in a different way,” she says.
As a further display of her growth, in 2008, Inohs made a brave move to strengthen her commitment as an independent producer/artist by establishing her own record label, Sound Thought Recordings. Changes is the first project to come from the label which currently has five artists (and growing) under its wings.
