$18 Adv + Fees | 21+ Ayoni is a pop-soul powerhouse whose voice can’t be denied. The 25-year-old singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist is deeply reverent of what came before her, and she uses that respect to build toward her own sound and future. Ayoni’s voice, larger than life while still under the artist’s meticulous control, is a central character to all of her songs. ISOLA, her debut album, is further evidence of this. Thematically, Ayoni focuses on the experience of overcoming isolation (“isola” means “island” in Italian). But her expansive, impressive vocals and keenly vulnerable lyrics bring the bigger picture into focus. “I started writing this album when we were in lockdown in 2020,” Ayoni explains. “At the time, I thought it was going to be more of a social commentary on loneliness, isolation, what can really be created in moments of solitude. But as I began to evolve the album, in my life, I went through a really world-shifting breakup. I had to become a different person on the other side of that. ISOLA feels so soulful and like such a space that just honors that time in my life.” A reflective artist by nature, Ayoni delves into her own life experiences as a means of propelling her music forward. In addition to being a native of Barbados, Ayoni has lived in far-flung areas around the world, from the multicultural hub of Singapore to the pop-obsessed Jarkarta, and also impactful music regions in the U.S., including Miami, the Bay Area, and Ayoni’s current home of Los Angeles. Her time in each area has informed how she operates as a musician, a key element from all of these locations seeping into her singular sound. Even more specifically, Ayoni’s intracultural influences are at the root of her compellingly rousing music. “I think the ‘soul’ for me is just this Black tradition of storytelling, whether it’s blues or jazz,” she says. “There’s just a rich, rich history of Black singers marking their times and their lives through song. For me, as much as I want it to be fun and relatable, I think I’m always making sure that in my storytelling and performance as a singer, that ‘soul’ is going to be present every time.” Presented by Sleeping Village. This is an 21+ event