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Niecy Blues is a composer, songwriter, vocalist, thespian, multimedia artist, and instrumentalist based in South Carolina, originally raised on the prairie fields of Oklahoma. Her work sits at the intersection of sound, memory, and ritual, exploring grief, self-acceptance, lineage, and emotional vulnerability as sites of inquiry and transformation. Drawing from a long lineage of Black women who use sound and writing as tools of documentation and self-determination, Blues approaches music as both ceremony and archive.
She describes her songwriting process as an undertow, a strange pull that carries her beyond the body and into deep attention. That sensibility anchors her debut full-length album, Exit Simulation (Kranky Ltd, 2023), a textural and emotionally attuned work that drifts between simmering ballads, ghosted R&B, downtempo gospel, and looped vocal improvisations, often within a single composition. The album received widespread critical acclaim from Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, PopMatters, Boomkat, and others, and her live performance was highlighted by Crack Magazine as one of the “Six Key Performances” at Rewire Festival (Rotterdam) during her first solo European tour.
Blues has showcased internationally at major festivals and cultural institutions including Rewire (Rotterdam), Berlin Atonal, ÜBERJAZZ FESTIVAL (Hamburg), WOS Festival (Santiago de Compostela), Le Guess Who? (Utrecht), BRDCST (Brussels), We Out Here (Dorset), All Points East (London), and Longplay (New York), and completed a performance residency with Galeria Zé dos Bois (ZDB) in Madeira, Portugal. Her practice extends into education and public discourse through performances, workshops, and talks, including a looping demo and workshop at Berklee College of Music (July 2025), a performance and workshop at Skidmore College (February 2025), and a panel appearance at the Apollo Theater as part of Blacktronika: Worldbuilding as Innovation and Necessity (August 2025).
In 2024, Blues was featured on the Grammy-nominated TRANSA compilation from Red Hot Organization with the single “Is It Over Now?” featuring Joy Guidry, alongside artists including Sade, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, André 3000, Yaeji, and Moses Sumney. She is currently developing material for her sophomore album and composing for film and other interdisciplinary projects, including a forthcoming short film with collaborator Ryan C. Clarke.
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Pitchfork
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewThe Quietus
Exit Simulation — Top 100 Albums of 2023Resident Advisor
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewPopMatters
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewCrack Magazine
Rewire Festival 2024 — Live Review
(Selected as one of “Six Key Performances”)Bandcamp
The Best Ambient Music on Bandcamp, November 2023Ableton
“Spiritual Sci-Fi Ambient from the South” — Artist FeatureIn Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi
5 Selects — Niecy Blues (Kranky)Additional Coverage
Passion of the Weiss
Interview with Niecy BluesPopMatters
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewPost-Trash
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewEverything Is Noise
Exit Simulation — Album ReviewHHV Mag
Exit Simulation — Album Review -
Released via Kranky (2023)
Niecy Blues’ debut full-length album, Exit Simulation explores ambient, experimental, and electronic forms through memory, spatial sound, and emotional architecture.
Independent release (2020)
“Bones Become the Trees” (Single)
Released via Mexican Summer (2021)
“Is It Over Now?” (Single)Released via TRANSA (2024)— Red Hot Organization compilation
Contributed to TRANSA, a landmark compilation supporting trans awareness and advocacy through contemporary music, alongside artists such as Sadé, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Andre 3000, Sam Smith, and Paul McCartney.