VIDEO PREMIERE: DeCarteret infuses neo-soul magic into new track 'LuvSeat'

Clare native Amelia DeCarteret is set to release the visuals for her enigmatic second single under the 'DeCarteret' moniker, 'LuvSeat'.

Combining her influences of neo-soul, jazz, R&B and pop; the hypnotic track pairs DeCarteret’s vocals and musical arrangement with Squid Ethics' anomalous production skills.

Unapologetic yet complex, ‘LuvSeat’ explores the themes of grief, sex and saying something you don't really mean. Following on from DeCarteret’s debut appearance ‘Sunday 21’ - released last October alongside Bricknasty and Hayden J Barlow, - 'LuvSeat' gives listeners a deeper insight into DeCarteret’s genre-blending home.

Embodying fragility and strength, the authentically raw track infuses the influences of artists such as Mac Miller, Erykah Badu, Billie Eilish and Jorja Smith. Initially approached by the successful yet mysterious lo-fi producer Squid Ethics for the track, DeCarteret worked her lyrical magic and brought her unique knowledge of '80s streetwear into the video shoot within her own home. Squid Ethics is known for amassing over two million streams on his track 'Alone', taken from his 2018 album Split Thoughts.

Having moved up from her hometown in Clare to Dublin in August 2019 to pursue a career in music, Amelia formed a tight-knit band right off the bat while attending BIMM Dublin. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic interrupting her studies, DeCarteret's Instagram is brimming with intimate performances showcasing her vocal and guitar artistry. Amelia's home life was shrouded in musicality from an extremely young age, she tells Hot Press in advance of the video premiere.

“My mother was a choir leader and used to carry me around when she was teaching as a baby, so from when I was in her belly I was listening to her music," DeCarteret says, smiling.

"She took inspiration from different nationalities around the world. I probably started learning guitar when I was eight to accompany myself doing covers. I didn’t have a particular style growing up, it was mainly pop and folk along the lines of Ben Howard. When I came to college, I got into my current style, which is a lot of neo-soul and jazz. I take inspiration from Nai Palm, lead singer of Hiatus Kaiyote, and Erykah Badu, plus a lot of lo-fi beats. A mixture of those influences formed who I am now as a performer."

Currently in the process of creating her third single, the follow-up to 'LuvSeat', DeCarteret is ploughing ahead despite having only attended one semester of in-person BIMM classes.

“The initial portion of first year was a lot better than this year, but I’m still pushing through," Amelia says of her college experience.

"I’m definitely missing out on playing the BIMM gigs. You learn a lot from that general experience. I started collaborating with producers to make my songs during lockdown anyway, so I don’t really know any different. I met all of the musicians in my band and the people I work with within those couple of months, which means that I have a solid group of peers supporting me now.”

"Working on 'Sunday 21', my first track, was easier for me because it was a collaboration with an artist who already has streams coming in. For 'LuvSeat', Squid Ethics reach out to say that he wanted to work with me, and I sent him a lot of stems and piano progressions. Nothing really stuck until the one we used as the final cut. This was all during lockdown, I’ve never actually met him in person!”

The meaning behind the track is an amalgamation of multiple themes, with each line brimming with its own potential for interpretation.

“Some people are able to just click their fingers and the lyrics come out naturally, but it takes me a good few days to get any words that I’m actually happy to use. For me, it just means I have to sit on my bed and sing something over and over again. Inspiration-wise, there were a lot of pieces that came together in the song so there isn’t an overall meaning. The main riff is about be telling someone that you have a spark in the relationship and I want to be with you, but the other person keeps coming out with wild, crazy things. Go and ‘rinse your mouth out’; when you clean yourself up, we can talk again.”

"The bridge was written a lot later on than the chorus and verses," Amelia adds. "I lost my dad last year, so that was the impetus. ‘My daddy’s gone, and what’ was me processing that experience, which was a shock."

The DIY aesthetic of 'LuvSeat' as a visual project only adds to DeCarteret's style of underground R&B, curating a sense of authenticity within her craft. Making the most of what she's got certainly went a long way, with Amelia bringing in friends and peers to partake in the clip from home during lockdown.

“The video features my house mate and best friend, but also women that I respect and wanted to work with. The inspiration for the video was that I wanted to do something fun with a low budget. I went to my kitchen and emptied out the furniture to build a weird, otherworldly set. Lots of strange things, teddy bears, blankets, ornaments are included. I put a lot of time into the '80s streetwear fashion that you can see within the video, everything has my touch on it.”

Compared to the likes of Billie Eilish, the impact of the likes of Nai Palm, Erykah Badu and Ariana Grande are also clear when it comes to DeCarteret's artistry. With another single set to drop soon, an EP arriving toward the end of this summer and a host of music videos and UK collaborations; the only way is up for DeCarteret.

Catch her playing Whelan's this September (COVID vaccine roll-out dependant...) before she achieves her goal of ticking off every Dublin venue and Irish festival in the country. Writing her debut album in 2022 is also on her bucket list - watch this space.

Watch the captivating new video for 'LuvSeat' at 8pm tomorrow night (March 25th), premiering exclusively on the Hot Press YouTube channel below: