Soulful artist Muse L’Artise has stepped into the music scene with force.
From playing the piano at a very young age to creating her own all-female music powerhouse, the producer, singer, songwriter is here to stay. With inspirations from multi genres and a diverse musical background, Muse L’Artise has transformed her artistry into a creative impact. In 2021, she launched her own record label consisting of an all female roster. Her label, Powher Sound, is a play on words and was solely built around amplifying women in music.
“Our main focus is to develop powerful and progressive projects that increase opportunities and visibility for women in the industry,” she said. “We recently released the album ‘Herstory,’ the first multi-genre album entirely produced and performed by women from all around the world. It’s about celebrating women and sharing stories that people can relate to. That’s why I wanted this group of women to be as diverse as possible. Music is about connecting with one another and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Muse L’Artise is someone who has a mission and is sticking to it. It’s clear in the music that’s being made. Throughout the Herstory project, listeners will hear quality beats picked with precision, matched with female vocalists of all ranges.
“Music is a two-way street,” she says. “We make music not only for us but for others and ultimately we want people to enjoy what they’re hearing, to enjoy the narrative. We want to connect with people. And if there are women and young girls out there who get inspired to embrace themselves and take action, then we all win.”
Muse L’Artise debut her first multi-genre album Herstory entirely produced and performed by women from all around the world with the purpose of connecting everyone with music. Check out Muse L’Artise’s full interview below.
What city are you from/ Where are you based now?
I was born in Paris and now I spend most of my time between Los Angeles and the South of France.
What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?
My artist name is Muse L’Artiste and my real name is Jade Porter-Blake. My other half picked this artist name for me when I was in the process of reflecting about my artistry and reinventing myself.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I always start by having a strong foundation when it comes to my sound. For me, getting these drums and bass right is extremely important, those are the heartbeat of my music. Then melodies are what’s connecting the music to someone’s soul and this is the ultimate goal at the end of the day. I’ve been playing the piano from a very young age so it’s one of these instruments that holds an important place. I also love the sound of the Rhodes piano.
My music naturally takes its roots in Hip-Hop, R&B and Neo-Soul. I’ve also produced World music, Afrobeats and EDM tracks.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
I guess it’s in my DNA. Years ago, there was this music teacher in an attempt to help me get over stage fright, he told me “You are music.” Well now that’s a powerful thing to say. And I was not sure what he meant at the time, but eventually it made sense. Then I started building confidence. I never pictured my life without music and without making it. I grew up in a household where music was always playing either loud or in the background. Always there in one way shape or form to connect with one another, laugh or dance. My mom has always been very expressive and I could see how certain songs were literally hitting her soul. That feeling when there’s a chord change, when the beat breaks in a certain way, or an intro that’s so good that you have to restart the song again. That pride when you’re the one creating these feelings in others…this is where my passion lies. I live for these moments. Life experiences and looking at the world and the society, questioning it, seeking the truth and more justice, all of this inspire me.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
I’d say I have quite a diverse musical background. I’m influenced by different genres. My parents were born in Cameroon, so there was a lot of Cameroonian music in the house especially Makossa. Lots of French classics from the 60’s. My parents used to listen to quite a lot of Country music as well. My dad was an absolute fan of Sade, so all of their songs are literally running through my veins. He also introduced me to the greats, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, Prince and so many others. And being a child in the 90’s, Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul had a massive impact on me with the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest, Arrested Development, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq and the list goes on.
Tell us the name of the project you are currently promoting? What inspired this project?
In 2021, I’ve launched an all-female label called Powher Sound which aims to amplify the role of women in music. Our main focus is to develop powerful and progressive projects that increase opportunities and visibility for women in the industry. We recently released the album ‘Herstory’, the first multi-genre album entirely produced and performed by women from all around the world. It’s about celebrating women and sharing stories that people can relate to. That’s why I wanted this group of women to be as diverse as possible. Music is about connecting with one another and that’s what we’ve been doing.
Date that this project dropped or is set to drop?
Herstory was released on August 27.
What is this project about in your own words?
The vision I had for this album was to bring different stories together and create a narrative out of that. I was looking to create an allegory of a Woman like different pieces that makes up a puzzle. I wanted all of this to make sense, not only to be a juxtaposition of songs randomly put together. This is an album that aims to celebrate women in all areas and encourage them to embrace who they are individually and as a whole as a driving force.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
The focus is on developing Powher Sound and make it as successful as possible. Working with artists, releasing more music, putting projects together that are innovative to create impact are all key objectives. 2023 is going to be a busy year.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from this project?
Music is a two-way street. We make music not only for us but for others and ultimately we want people to enjoy what they’re hearing, to enjoy the narrative. We want to connect with people. And if there are women and young girls out there who get inspired to embrace themselves and take action, then we all win.
