Musician, DJ and producer A. Billi. Free has quickly climbed the ranks of the local music scene, regularly playing shows throughout the area. To balance the demand of the independent artist grind, she stays connected to nature. The midwest native moved to New Mexico a few years ago to gain solace and inspiration from our desert surroundings.
“The landscape . . . I love it here. It does get super hot and very intense, but there’s nothing like our sunsets,” she said. “It’s what brought me here—to be close to the land, close to nature.”
She and her family have a property in “the middle of nowhere, planted in nature,” between Las Cruces and Deming, and when she’s not traveling or performing, Free is planted there writing and recording.
She proclaims herself to be first a musician, but her skills are varied and diverse. Her skill set includes vocalist, MC and a producer. Given that she is her own manager, she has expanded her expertise to graphic design and public relations.
Free added being in the role of manager adds another dimension to her experience as a professional musician. For one, the demands are more rigorous, and one has to learn to be a mover and shaker in order to navigate and network through the arduous independent artist landscape. When she came to El Pas, one of her first performances was at the Barbed Wire Open Mic Series with host Richie Marrufo.
“The host introduced me to the El Paso music scene and from there, I reached out to people and started building relationships,” she said. “There’s definitely a difference in the development and management of myself as an artist, as opposed to depending on other group members.”
Her main musical genres are hip-hop and electronica, but as with most aspects of Free’s life, the option to allow other influences to come into play is prominent. “Primarily it’s a blend of hip-hop and electronica,” she revealed. “But you’ll also hear some jazz and funk in there.”
Among her influences are jazz greats Billy Holiday, Duke Ellington ad Thelonious Monk. Her foray into hip-hop was primarily impacted by the highly influential Philadelphia-based band The Roots. “Their album Things Fall Apart really got me,” she said.
Currently Free is immersed in the local music scene. This summer she’s performed at Neon Desert Music Festival, the Lowbrow Palace (with Black Milk and the Nat Turner Band) and at the Last Thursdays Art Walk among other venues here, also in New Mexico and Arizona.
She’s also traveling to Chicago to work on her project BLK MGC with fellow artist Uncle El. She writes the lyrics for the beats he produces.
When asked to describe the mood and theme of her music, Free explained: “Of course nature is at the forefront, and I talk a lot about authenticity . . .I’m not too big on current events, but I position myself as an authentic person inside the world of current events. Although I do acknowledge things are rough sometimes, I try to talk about the best way to get though them and be myself. My music feels good; it’s upbeat.”
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Check out Free’s catalog on Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, or visit her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/abillifree/
photos by: Francisco Tafoya courtesy of A. Billi. Free