The music scene is buzzing with the release of “Scream Your Name,” the second single from the newly launched record label Sick. This track is a collaboration between Nick Valensi of the Strokes, producer Mr. Hudson, and rising singer-songwriter Aziya.
Song Description
Described by Aziya as a “lovelorn jaunt” driven by pounding rhythms and haunting distorted guitar sounds, “Scream Your Name” serves as an “ode to the push and pull of a relationship you absolutely shouldn’t be in.” In her own words, Aziya has shared, “When Nick, Ben and I went into the studio, I genuinely told them I just wanted to experiment and explore, without feeling like there was some huge professional agenda behind the song.”
Aziya aimed to give the track a sense of ironic fun, even while reflecting on the challenges of an unhealthy relationship. She described it as “the saxophones or the calm before the storm, that just gets louder and louder until you either finally call it quits or go in again for round 10.”
Label Vision
Founded by Carré Callaway (known as Queen Kwong), along with Darian Zahedi and Nick Hinman, the Sick label aims to connect both established and emerging artists from different backgrounds and genres. Their first release, “PULS.zip,” featured collaborations with Lee Kiernan from IDLES and RIS-707, a Tokyo-based artist, and emphasizes collaboration without long-term contracts.
Callaway expressed her vision for Sick, stating, “I want Sick to foster a community and a scene. I want it to help get us back to grass roots, to find agency and support from fellow artists, and realize complaining isn’t helping. As artists, we’ve got to save ourselves and each other.”
She acknowledged the uncertainty of the music industry by saying, “People keep asking me how I know Sick is going to work, and I keep saying, ‘I don’t know. It’s the music industry. Nobody can know anything these days.’ But we’re artists and every good artist has to take risks. We’re shooting our best shot with Sick.”
