AMMARI’s debut single ‘Honey Rivers’ is a deeply personal and honest exploration of an emotional state that many of us will have experienced at some point in our lives. It’s the feeling of having to hold it all together, even when life is all over the place, uncertain and chaotic. Rather than presenting happiness as something that only comes about in perfect circumstances, AMMARI suggests that it’s possible to find happiness in the midst of life’s unfinished business. The song is really about the idea of letting go of the need to control everything and instead making space for pleasure, freedom and hope. The central message is simply this: “Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop holding on so tightly and just let yourself feel alive.” That’s the essence of ‘Honey Rivers’ and it’s a very potent reminder that to let go doesn’t have to mean to give up. It can mean simply allowing yourself to be alive.
Right at the heart of the song is the tension between resistance and release. That’s the core of AMMARI’s songwriting really, the patterns we all fall into, the emotions we can’t quite get our heads around and the connections we’re always searching for as we try to make sense of ourselves. “Honey Rivers” takes that and puts it into a more positive frame, suggesting that freedom can begin with a change in perspective. It doesn’t in any way suggest that you can just have positive thinking and that will solve all your problems. It doesn’t offer any kind of easy solution. It simply recognises the inherent contradictions of being human and asks what would happen if we just stopped waiting for everything to be sorted before we allowed ourselves to be happy. That’s the emotional bedrock of the debut. The title is all sweetness and movement and that’s exactly what the song is about in terms of the invitation it gives to move from a state of tension to one of openness and acceptance. That’s the essence of AMMARI’s songwriting. It’s not about offering easy answers. It’s about the journey towards a more comfortable relationship with the uncertainty of life.
The release is also a significant personal milestone for AMMARI who grew up in Russia, is now based in London and spent approximately 15 years in a band before launching her own original artist project. Her experience as a vocalist is now being combined with her songwriting, the result being a sound that is expressive, live and a mixture of indie pop and soft rock. Early exposure via Hoxton Radio, Amazing Radio and Radio Wigwam has seen “Honey Rivers” reach listeners prior to the release of her forthcoming debut EP. The song is more than just an introduction though as it sets the emotional tone of her work in its exploration of the beauty, the humour and the hope to be found in the inherent contradictions of being human. “You don’t have to have it all figured out to be able to feel joy.” That’s the message of “Honey Rivers” and it’s the very essence of AMMARI’s new direction as a solo artist. It’s a message of permission to let go of the burden we all carry and to simply allow life to happen.
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