I cannot begin to express my loathing for Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Couldn’t tell you why — I hated the teacher who read it with us (who is absolutely a TERF), hated the prose, hated that it maybe hit too close to home. I actually laughed outloud when she broke her leg. I have a feeling that Angela Sclafani was inspired by Plath’s bildungsroman — and maybe felt the same way, considering she flips the book’s disturbing imagery into a sunny pop-inspired foot-tapper that literally shatters Plath’s metaphor. Bright and catch, yes, and also purposeful and determined.
Sclafani is a New York City-based singer-songwriter. She has independently released three original EP’s, History, Your Ghost and Blossom, as well as an EP of reimagined Stevie Nicks hits. Angela’s music combines confessional lyrics with passionate and emotional vocals, often echoing the work of multi-genre singer-songwriters like Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles, and Norah Jones.
A two-time first-place winner of the Great American Song Contest’s Adult Contemporary category, her music has been praised for its “engagingly original lyrical story, inventively appealing imagery and smartly crafted melodic design.” In our interview, Sclafani rhapsodizes over the many musical sources who have inspired her.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Neko Case, Feist, Michelle Branch, Heart, St. Vincent, Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Sharon Van Etten.
Who would you love to collaborate with? Why?
Fleet Foxes. The songwriting is impeccable- the acoustic version of the Shore album (A Very Lonely Solstice) really delighted me. There is an iconic harmonized folky sound that Fleet Foxes is known for but I think his vocals and lyrics are even more impactful when everything else is stripped away.
What’s the first concert you ever attended? What do you remember about it?
Stevie Nicks! I went with my dad- I was 10 years old. I remember how the crowd went wild when the band started to play “Rhiannon.” It was amazing to see such an iconic performer play her best hits.
Recent release you cannot stop listening to?
Caprisongs- FKA Twigs
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. Every inch of that song is perfect from lyrics to vocals to instrumentation. As soon as it comes on it changes the atmosphere of the room. There’s something magnetic about it.