Marcella Simien - To Bend To The Will Of A Dream That’s Being Fulfilled

A Southern artist through and through, happy to call Memphis her home. And we're happy to call her a Memphian! 

Marcella Simien, a ninth-generation Louisiana Creole, draws from her lineage of healers and artists to create soul-stirring music that reflects her journey of self-discovery, spirituality, and identity. Born into a musical family, Marcella was practically raised onstage, surrounded by legends like Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, David Hidalgo and her father, Terrance Simien, a two-time GRAMMY™ winner. Her deep Louisiana Creole heritage and upbringing in the vibrant world of music have profoundly influenced her artistry.

Over the past three years, Marcella embarked on a holistic transformation, becoming a yoga teacher, eliminating toxins from her life, and deepening her connection with her racial identity, body image, and spiritual self. This journey led to a profound personal awakening, marked by her decision to discontinue pharmaceutical treatment for ADD and embrace a clean, holistic lifestyle.

Marcella’s forthcoming debut solo album, To Bend to the Will of a Dream That’s Being Fulfilled, captures this deeply personal journey. She played every instrument, wrote every lyric, and sang every vocal part herself. “I felt it necessary to have my hand touch every aspect of this collection of music,” she says. “This was a deeply personal, very physical experience to go through, and it was imperative that I used my body as the vehicle to create every tone and texture of this project.”

The album resonates with the sounds of the South, blending traditional instruments like the accordion and frottoir with contemporary production and electronic elements. Influenced by her love for Rāga and Indian music, Marcella also incorporates the harmonium and tanpura, creating a unique soundscape that reflects her journey of spirituality, ancestral healing, and self-acceptance.