Ina Forsman has today released her new album titled ‘All There Is’ via Jazzhaus Records. Retro sounding club jazz with a modern pop twist, ‘All There Is’ proves to be a fun album. One of those jewels found in a record store. With hints of Motown and vintage soul, Ina proves that the heart of music is alive, well, and beating to the drum of the independent musician.
Ina has two very solid things going for her. Her weathered and powerful voice and her songwriting. She is steeped in musical history, though not enough to be anything but original. Because she made a spectacular album. An album that should be on vinyl (hint, hint).
About ‘All There Is’
Ina Forsman, a Berlin-based singer influenced by Etta James and Christina Aguilera, presented herself as a promising vocalist on her sophomore album Been Meaning To Tell You
(2019) and her eponymous debut album Ina Forsman (2016). Throughout her new album All There Is, she maintains those earlier influences while coming into her own. All There Is is rooted in the romantic aura of the 1960s, a sound that makes no secret of her commitment to old school soul and jazz. Ina Forsman was inspired by the era’s romantic songs that had a cinematic flair, so she chose to stick with a concept she calls “cinematic soul”. Ina’s powerful presence on each track gives All There Is a contemporary perspective on the sixties and seventies.
Speaking on the new album, Ina Forsman writes: “I strive to create melodies that are as organic and soulful as possible. For the first time, I composed all the music for the upcoming album. I had no other choice due to the pandemic. I wrote the lyrics and my vocal melody for my earlier albums, but left it up to the other musicians to write their parts around them. For this album, I had to do everything myself. Besides producing my own demos, I also learned to play the piano and developed some of the arrangements for horns and backup vocals. Writing all the material for this album was a challenge, but along the way, I discovered what kind of music suits me.”
As any skilled storyteller would, Ina Forsman’s songs are always vehicles for her characters. The brand new single, “Love Me”, begins the album’s narrative. “Love Me” is a classic love song that captures the feeling of saying, “I love you” for the first time. Its upbeat rhythm and old-fashioned arrangements will move your feet, but the composition’s blue mood will make your heart race. In the best way possible, the song is an emotional rollercoaster.
About Ina Forsman
With her expressive, honey-burnt voice, Ina Forsman has performed her repertoire of self-written songs on both sides of the Atlantic. Forsman’s musical palette encompasses soul, blues, jazz, and R&B. “This kind of music makes the emotions so vivid that you can almost touch them. It’s something I appreciate in music and other artists, to hear and feel those emotions and the authenticity of it all when it doesn’t sound forced or too planned,” says Ina. Since she released her sophomore album Been Meaning to Tell You, Ina Forsman has made many life-changing decisions. The Finnish artist left her hometown of Helsinki in 2019 to start a new life in Berlin.
Ina Forsman played around 100 shows across Europe the year before the pandemic, including dates on the Blues Caravan tour. Ina then made a bucket list appearance at Finland’s most renowned and popular festival, Pori Jazz, where was joined by headliners Toto and one of her musical idols, Christina Aguilera.
Ina enjoys being in the studio, but she also loves performing live. “This pandemic has made me realize that I am a live performer first and foremost – that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. My dream is to sing somewhere, on stage with the band, with other musicians, even if I don’t release new music. Therefore, I hope to get to that as soon as possible,” said Ina. Forsman has her sights set on a return to the stage during 2022, when she will perform at venues such as Leverkusener Jazztage, following a successful second half of 2021.
Featured image by Saara Taussi.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/inaforsman
https://www.facebook.com/InaForsman
https://www.youtube.com/inaforsman
https://www.tiktok.com/@inaforsman
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YVaWx92qxstwulKJXqN2b?si=Es9L0huXRQSbQ20hlizv8w&nd=1
