Michele Stodart is an award-winning solo artist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in London. Born in Trinidad, she spent her early years surrounded by Caribbean music and culture, until she and her family moved to Queens, New York where she spent a large part of her childhood. Michele is best known as bassist, vocalist and co-songwriter of Mercury-nominated, double-platinum selling band, The Magic Numbers, who have released five critically acclaimed studio albums with top ten singles. Her third solo studio album, Invitation, will be released on Sept. 15. 

The final single from the LP is “Push & Pull.” It’s a play on words – there is always a rhythmical push (ahead of the beat) and pull (slightly behind), when playing music. On an emotional level (inside of one’s body) the push and pull is a feeling of being torn, pulled in many different directions. This part of the album touches on motherhood, the responsibilities and sometimes guilt that comes with and around being a single mum.

There is a cinematic experience that happens with the music arrangements on this song. There are crossover rhythms, creating a heartbeat atmosphere around the conversational lyrics which build in intensity and sudden relief. The soaring melody line of both violin and piano breaks through and sings – creating that yearning musical pull. 

The songs on Invitation come from a place of inviting in the darkness, the hard times, the sadness, anger, loss, love and grief – all of the unknown feelings that get woken up inside you. To practice staying with them, no matter how uncomfortable. To understand that they are trying to tell you something, and that ultimately it’s ok to feel these emotions, even if you can’t make any sense of them.