Hilo-based producer David Williamson and alt-soul singer Sonni Shine have collaborated on a soulful, thoughtful new single, “Seeds Will Grow.” The single will be released digitally on all streaming platforms on April 15.
This is the first collaboration between the two, who met through mutual artist-friends on O’ahu and decided to work together on a song. After sending demos back and forth, they settled on an R&B flavored track that Williamson had written on guitar. Shine assembled the lyrics from a poem she wrote and built the song starting from the chorus: “like ripened fruit/falls from a tree/you and me, we fall gracefully/our seeds will grow/grow on after us/love is never forgotten.”
Echoes of jazz and R&B can be heard on “Seeds Will Grow.” It’s a song about the legacy of love and the ripple effect that love between two people can have throughout lifetimes. Williamson and Shine share many of the same influences, which made the collaboration easy and fluid. Asha Azama of Aguamelon is also featured here, rounding out the song with atmospheric piano and synth sounds.
Sonni Shine spent most of her adult life performing in Philadelphia. She was fortunate to open for such prestigious acts as Snarky Puppy, Nai Palm (of Hiatus Kaiyote), Groundation, John Brown’s Body, and the Easy Star All-Stars. She recently relocated to East Hawai’i, where she plays guitar, writes, sings, and performs in her solo project with Drew Daniels and LEHUA, her project with Elele Tiana and Hope Medford.
David Williamson of DWP Sounds has worked with a range of artists, including Peter Rowan, Henry Kapono, Kelly Hyde, Alixa GarcÍa, Blaire Langston, Corinne Quinajon, illnomadic, Ydine, and Cedric Clinton. After spending his early years in Florida, he road-tripped up to Alaska and sailed to Big Island from the mainland for two decades. He now lives and works as an engineer and producer in Hilo, frequently writing and releasing songs featuring a guest singer who adds their lyrics.
“Seeds Will Grow” is a tasteful and dreamy collaboration between Shine and Williamson, two artists and songwriters showing many flavors on display. It’s deep, lovey-dovey, melancholy, and joyful all at once.
Pre-Save the song on Spotify using this link: https://tinyurl.com/seeds415
David Williamson – Instagram | Bandcamp | Website
Sonni Shine – Instagram | Bandcamp | Website
Sonni Shine photo credit: Joshua Pelta-Heller