Spotlight: The Ethereal and Evocative Sound of DejaVilla’s “In The Morning”

 

☆ BY Melissa Miller ☆

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SENSUAL AND SOULFUL — DejaVilla’s single featuring Shanique Marie, “In The Morning,” showcases their Jamacian “riddim-tinged electronica.” “In the Morning” is DejaVilla’s lead single to their forthcoming album Castle With a View. Born and raised in Jamaica, DejaVilla is made up of David Marston, their producer, and Sarah Couch, their vocalist. They are heavily influenced by their upbringing as “Jamaica has a very robust and rich culture, especially when it comes to music.”

“I think there is a certain swagger about Jamaican music that — in my opinion — shows in the music Sarah Couch and I make as DejaVilla,” David shares. Both staying true to their culture, the band makes music that reflects their roots. 

Since the beginning of DejaVilla, David and Sarah have collaborated long-distance, from London to Kingston. While at times they’ve recorded together in person, DejaVilla has thrived from their hybrid mode of collaboration. David creates his signature dance riddims while Sarah adds her Jamaican flare with her rich vocals and lyrical prose. In addition to David and Sarah’s collaboration, “In the Morning” also features Shanique Marie with her stunning vocals and guitar riffs. This lead single sets the tone for Castle With a View with its smooth and sultry sound. 

So what does DejaVilla mean? What is their story? “Sarah is the wordsmith in the group and came up with the name,” David explains. “It’s a funny story…” According to Sarah, DejaVilla is “a play on the word ‘dejavu.’” After Sarah posted a picture of a villa, someone commented on her post that they thought they'd been there before. In response, Sarah replied, “you must be experiencing dejavilla” — and so the name was born. 

While David and Sarah both grew up in Kingston and even attended the same high school, they never connected or created music together during their adolescence. Nonetheless, David and Sarah kindled a musical relationship years later through their mutual friend Kat C.H.R. After reuniting, David and Sarah began working on songs together, fusing as one through DejaVilla. David would return to his hometown to visit Sarah in order to collaborate on music and record their upcoming album in person. “I would say we have a hybrid method of working together — at times in person, and at other times remotely, and I feel like that mixture has worked well for us,” David says. Evidently, the challenges of long-distance collaboration has not stopped DejaVilla from producing their deeply-rooted, ethereal sound. 

In terms of the creative process, David shares his inspiration for “In The Morning”: “The instrumental for ‘In The Morning’ is the ultimate version of a beat I started in my freshman year of college when I first got my hands on a digital audio workstation. At that time, I was listening to a lot of R&B and hip hop artists such as T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and Drake to name a few. I think those influences show in the DNA of my instrumentation for ‘In The Morning.’” For Sarah, her inspiration is gained from personal and general life events. This goes in translation to the lyrics that she writes and the demos that she sends over to David. Fast forward to years later, David sent Sarah the beat and she responded the next day with a voice message. That voice recording would later become the chorus to “In The Morning.” Remarkably, David and Sarah work together so organically as music runs through their blood and pours out without restraint. Even more profound, DejaVilla is a living model of the unifying force of music — they transcend together in harmony. Back in 2019, David stayed with his aunt for a month in Kingston to record with Sarah. His aunt connected David with Shanique Marie, the lead vocalist from the Kingston-based Equinoxx music crew, who added her signature touch to “In The Morning.”

There were many fond memories in making the track, however, there are two in particular that are extra precious to DejaVilla. David reminisces on the joy that making the main section of the beat in his tiny dorm brough him. “I recollect being excited by being able to create music with the computer, and by having an arsenal of sounds at the tip of my fingers,” David says. For Sarah, the highlight of making “In The Morning” was working with Shanique Marie, as Sarah enjoys collaborating with other female artists. It was an immense pleasure and honor for DejaVilla to work with Shanique. “She is extremely fun to be around and has a great sense of humor,” David shares. “I think in Jamaican society there is a lot of pressure to conform to certain norms, and this certainly applies to creative activities. I admire Shanique because she is comfortable with experimentation and she is unafraid to push the creative boundaries in her work.” Shanique certainly adds her own flavor to “In The Morning” and harmonizes so well with DejaVilla. Sarah also adds, “She’s so cute and bubbly and full of energy; always happy but also pushes me to do my best, which I appreciate.” 

DejaVilla hopes that their listeners will gain a sense of peace and liveliness from “In The Morning.” “Sounds a bit cliche, but I hope ‘In The Morning’ can leave listeners feeling exhilarated by living life on a daily basis and by experiencing love,” David elaborates. “The song is calming but also powerfully evocative.” In addition, Sarah expresses, “I can only hope that the music finds who it speaks to.” “In The Morning” is rich with diverse musical elements — a track that can reach all listeners of all genres. 

In comparison with their forthcoming album, Castle With a View, “In the Morning” is a good primer to set the tone for the rest of the album. David shares an insider on this album: “I don’t want to give too much away, but we did a nice tune with another Jamaican artist who has been enjoying a lot of success recently. I can’t wait to share it soon.” And neither can we! Stay tuned with DejaVilla and their “mix of many worlds colliding.”

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