Self-proclaimed ‘sonic storyteller,’ Marina Bennett takes her brilliant skill set and teams up with Hawaii-based Drew Henmi's intriguing quintessence for their latest release, “Another Way to Fly.”
The Vancouver-based singer-songwriter brings her heartfelt storytelling, powerful vocals, and vibrant melodies to the table, while Drew Henmi’s unique sound has the power to transform the environment and mood of anyone tuning in. Both exuding a raw authenticity, and the compelling nature of dream-like soundscapes, the duo's dynamic speaks for itself.
Indulging us in the lush and atmospheric realm of “Another Way to Fly,” we become enthralled with the warmth that effortlessly radiates from this vibrant soundscape. The upbeat essence of this record transports you to the presence of simmering sun rays grazing your skin as you feel liberated with the ocean air surrounding your very being.
There’s a mystic exodus that makes itself known the moment this song begins to play through your headphones, as the musical delicacy pulsating through your mind sweeps you up into the song’s natural gravitational pull. Captivated by the shimmering tones that reflect the transcending croons poured onto this musical canvas by Marina Bennett, her wide vocal range has us prepared for the deep warmth brought on by Drew Henmi’s therapeutic tenors.
Together, these two portray larger-than-life energy that surges through the sound waves as you dip into the animated coalition of a virtuoso that is apparent in every way possible. It’s safe to say that the back and forth between harmonies that leap from both Marina Bennett and Drew Henmi, take the cake for the brilliance that is “Another Way to Fly.” Prepare your sound system for what’s going to be your most replayed song as we head into the summer season.
Welcome to back BuzzMusic, Marina Bennett, and Drew Henmi. Congratulations on your remarkable collaboration in “Another Way to Fly.” With such wonderful energy shared, how did this collaboration come to be?
Thank you so much for having us! "Another Way to Fly" was written with my incredibly talented friend/artist/co-writer Drew Henmi who is based out of Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. We met in a songwriting program at the start of 2020 that had artists from all over the globe collaborating and I was so thrilled when we started working together. Drew has such an incredible voice and an ability to write songs that feel really calming, earthy, driving, and lush like the landscapes of Hawaii. I'm so jealous he gets to live there! Haha. I was hoping some of those amazing island vibes would make their way to rainy Vancouver. We wanted to write a song that felt like a dreamy escape from reality since we were going through the anxieties of the pandemic and had built up worries about the future. We missed the adventures of traveling and wanted a track that created a little loving getaway escape. I love that I can throw it on and it puts me in an adventurous, summery, dreamy mood.
Being in two different countries, could you please take us into what the creative and recording process looked like when bringing this vision to life? Drew and I had written another track and when we were discussing the next song we thought we'd create something with a bit of a beat that cruises along and feels like something you'd throw on while going on adventures through the city or cruising along the coast at sunset without a care in the world. Drew is an amazing producer and had some ideas he’d been working on, so he sent me through the basic production track and I wrote some melodies and lyrics we could play around with as a starting point. It's pretty amazing how the pandemic was a catalyst for a lot of musicians to figure out ways of working together remotely, and it's been an amazing shift for me to learn how to track all of my own vocals and produce songs at home. Drew sent me the basic production idea he had set the vibe, and I tracked and sent him back some vocal melodic ideas to play with. We workshopped the song's arrangement, melodies, and lyrics together and finalized them until they felt right. We then chatted about production ideas and Drew finalized the production to help it shine. All sessions took place over zoom...and telepathy, lol. It was a really fun process and I love how the song makes me feel. We were also grateful to have our friend Brian Skeel mix and master the track for us–he’s a total pro and took the song to the next level! Speaking to various artists, we always find that each song is a learning experience. Is there anything that you would change about the release process?
Drew and I both agreed that the biggest thing we'd change about the release process this time is having the ability for each of us to be in the same space and have the experience of singing and writing with one another. It would have also been so fun to get together and celebrate the release! Maybe even record a video of us singing it together. Unfortunately being 2,700 miles apart during a pandemic made that difficult. There will be more songs to come through and we're looking forward to being able to collaborate in person one day. There's something about that kind of energy that really creates a synergy and there's nothing better than getting to sing harmonies with someone in the same space. I guess there's always something to look forward to when that day happens!
In your own words, what does “Another Way to Fly,” mean to the both of you? What are you hoping that your audience takes away from this song?
"Another Way to Fly" represents finding freedom through the simple necessities of love and connection--this might be with a person, a song, a place, a dream, or a fleeting moment in time that we stay connected to and appreciate while it's happening...we ultimately wanted to create a song that feels like you're soaring above the busy worried and hurried thoughts of the mind and inspires us to stay in the now, seeing all the beauty there is around us that elevates our state if we look for it.
What's next for you?
I'm currently working on finalizing songs for my debut album that will be split into two separate EP's that will be released in the spring and fall of 2022. Until then I'll continue to release more singles as I go and write with the amazing artists I've been writing with around the globe for a variety of projects for film, commercials, and television. Drew is also pursuing music full-time as an artist, producer, songwriter, and performer and will be continuing to mesmerize audiences in person and with his singles under his Drew Henmi project. We have another song we've written together as well that we will eventually be releasing at a time TBD.