At a just-released “Sofa Session” with the BBC’s venerable DJ Jo Whiley, New York-based “discodelic” band Say She She broke out a version of Talking Heads’ “Slippery People.” Though they have not recorded it before, it has been a barnstorming part of their live show for some time.
Brit Piya Malik and US colleagues Sabrina Cunningham and Nya Brown were all established session singers when they formed the band in 2018. Their interlacing vocals are in front of a band who are deeply steeped in soul, disco and funk. They know the value of combining your talent with hard work and seizing opportunities when they arise. These opportunities have been coming quickly this year. They have toured constantly in 2024, upgrading venues or returning to cities to play larger venues as their fanbase grows.
Taking on “Slippery People” could be a exercise in hubris, but the whole band’s familiarity with the material, honed on singalongs on multiple continents, keeps the pace and danceability up. Funky riffs and a driving rhythm section take you back to the period when Talking Heads were looking for meaning, with whatever musical and chemical enhancements necessary to make the journey. Malik, Cunningham and Brown have a tight, responsive relationship on the vocals, built up from belief, talent and trust.
