Jan 25 2023 73 mins
“I just wanna have my t*tties out, t*tties out!” shouts musician Sudan Archives in her second and title track “NBPQ (Topless)” of the 2022 release Natural Brown Prom Queen. A rebel in her own right, the violinist and producer uses this album to vent about missing home (Cincinnati, OH is her hometown btw), isolation amidst COVID-19, perception and desirability, and complicated relationships. Camouflaging the violin throughout tracks – sometimes as a solemn saxophone, sometimes as a riffing guitar – allows Sudan to experiment with her sound and express her vulnerability in multitudes. This album is where she just wants to let it out and have fun, set the seriousness aside and get on the dance floor! It’s our homemade prom and we can cry if we want to. Singles of the album are “Home Maker,” “Natural Brown Prom Queen,” “Selfish Soul,” and “OMG Britt.” Personal favorites are “Home Maker,” “Chevy S10,” “TDLY (Homegrown Land),” “Freakalizer,” and “#513.”
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And yes of course I bring afro-futurism in here. This time, it’s cultural preservation and cultivation in how Sudan shares and continues the “Black ass history” of the violin.
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Podcast episodes are available at Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and IHeartRadio. All links are in the bio.
Articles to note are: “Natural Brown Prom Queen: Sudan Archives brings her eclcectic virtuosity to San Franscisco” by D’Andre Ball - East Bay Express, https://eastbayexpress.com/natural-brown-prom-queen-sudan-archives-brings-her-eclectic-virtuosity-to-san-francisco/ & “String Theory” by Lou Boyd - Red Bulletin, https://www.redbull.com/int-en/theredbulletin/sudan-archives-interview
Book mentioned: “When We Were Sisters” by Fatimah Asghar