{"id":819,"date":"2020-11-13T13:12:58","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T18:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/?p=819"},"modified":"2020-11-13T13:18:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T18:18:27","slug":"the-titan-underground-vol-2-ariana-harbin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/2020\/11\/13\/the-titan-underground-vol-2-ariana-harbin\/","title":{"rendered":"The Titan Underground Vol. 2: Ariana Harbin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ethan Gotsch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This second edition of The Titan Underground<\/a> features a musician who grew up in Alexandria and graduated from T.C. Williams in 2013. Ariana Harbin, a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has established herself in D.C.\u2019s music scene, is the vocalist and bandleader of jazz-soul ensemble Sweet Something as well as a solo artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with most successful songwriters, Harbin\u2019s love for music began when she was a  child. At age five, she was singing and writing songs about animals and mythical creatures, and by age eight she was taking classical guitar lessons from her neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have many friends growing up,\u201d said Harbin, \u201cso I would just twirl around in the backyard and make up songs.\u201d She got more serious about songwriting in her teenage years, describing herself as a \u201csad little pop-punk girl\u201d who wrote songs about people, whether it be a crush, a family member, or from someone else\u2019s perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about her experiences at T.C. Williams High School, Harbin was not particularly sentimental: \u201cHigh school was terrible. I was going through a dark time as a teenager, so I kind of hated everything.\u201d There were still some highlights to her teenage years, though. Harbin cites photography teacher Taki Sidley and choir teacher Theodore Thorpe III as people who made a difference in her years as a T.C. student. Her time with Thorpe was particularly formative for her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe and I butted heads since I was really stubborn,\u201d Harbin said, \u201cbut I\u2019m really grateful for him. He was a great teacher. He taught me a lot\u2014not just about music, but about life\u2014and [about] being Black, and being proud, and embracing your heritage.\u201d One of Harbin\u2019s most important musical experiences was performing on the television special Christmas in Washington<\/em> as part of the Children\u2019s Choir for three years during high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After high school, Harbin was prepared to quit music entirely, until some people involved in the D.C. music scene discovered her. She was recruited to sing in the blues\/swing band The Gin Rickys, which toured throughout the southern United States and disbanded shortly after. When Harbin came back from touring, she was ready to do a project of her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Harbin performing with The Gin Rickys, a soulful jazz group. Photo courtesy of Panoptic Sounds.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sweet Something was created by Harbin as a retro jazz project, and those old school leanings are perfectly encapsulated on their EP, In the Parlor<\/em>. The standout feature of these songs are Harbin\u2019s confident and soulful vocals, but there is also a lot of musicality beneath the surface. The emotive and lush piano parts add to moody tracks like \u201cTiramisu\u201d and \u201cTell Me Again.\u201d The melodic double bass playing adds some hearty low end into the mix and takes a leading role in songs like the Latin-tinged \u201cDesire\u201d and the bluesy shuffle of \u201cWhiskey and Cigarettes.\u201d The band gets ambitious too, maintaining a tight groove in the unusual time signature found in \u201cKiss Me in the Elevator.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The addition of new drummer Aaron Ivey has helped the group progress into new musical territories, exploring the realm of neo-soul with two new singles: \u201cSo Natural\u201d and \u201cNo Surprises Here.\u201d Normally Sweet Something would be performing gigs, but the pandemic has made this nearly impossible, so Harbin is using this time off to revamp Sweet Something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a new keyboard player and we have a new sax player that just joined us,\u201d Harbin said. While she did not go into great detail about what to expect from Sweet Something in the future, she did say to stay tuned for announcements on the Instagram account @sweetsomethingjazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Sweet Something, Harbin has released several solo singles and an EP this year under the stage name Ari Voxx. According to Harbin, her solo work gives her a place to write and release whatever feels natural to her, whether that be in the style of singer-songwriter music, emotive R&B and soul, or new wave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Harbin features covers and original music on her YouTube channel under her stage name Ari Voxx. Photo courtesy of Harbin. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Harbin describes the process of creating the songs on her solo project as \u201cjust what is authentically coming out of me.\u201d With her solo work, Harbin takes full advantage of her skills as a guitarist and keyboardist, painting vast landscapes of sound. The electric piano is particularly dominant on her solo EP, \u201cCobalt Cadence,\u201d where it is used for both mournful ballads such as \u201cWaiting\u201d and upbeat pop like the song \u201cAlecks and Andy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the standout tracks in Ari Voxx\u2019s discography is the 80s-inspired \u201cBurden,\u201d which is light and danceable, while also carrying emotional weight in its lyrics. A lot of Harbin\u2019s personal style can be found in this track as well, such as Harbin\u2019s bluesy vocal melodies and her love for curveballs; the outro of \u201cBurden\u201d features a double bass played with a bow. This may come from Harbin\u2019s wide array of musical influences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe things that I listen to really have nothing to do with what I create,\u201d Harbin said. \u201cOne would assume for the neo-soul Sweet Something stuff that I would say I\u2019m influenced by Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill, but I\u2019m honestly not influenced by them at all. A big influence singing-wise for me would probably be Chris Cornell from Soundgarden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harbin is constantly working on new projects, whether that be for Sweet Something, her solo work as Ari Voxx, or a collaboration with another local artist. While quarantine has made recording and performing more difficult, Harbin is not deterred from releasing as much music as possible. Her Instagram account is @ari.voxx and her YouTube channel is Ari Voxx, so stay tuned for her next release\u2014it could be out very soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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