Andra Day

Take one look at Andra Day, with her saucy rockabilly-inspired look (she routinely rocks a bouffant and red-stained lip) and you know you’re in the presence of a unique individual. The San Diego-bred singer and songwriter’s eye-catching personal style complements her brassy, yet alluring voice, as well as her music, which is both groovy and bluesy. “I call it retro-pop-soul,” she says. “It’s a blend of jazz, soul, doo-wop, plus a little bit of rock, and a little bit of hip-hop on the underbelly.”
Day says her influences come not only from the Motown records, her father loved and the rock artists her mom favored, but also the jazz, doo-wop, and blues she was exposed to while attending the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. ”During those years I fell in love with Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Etta James, Lauryn Hill, and Janis Joplin,” she says. “Women with big voices who can really communicate the emotion they’re feeling when they sing. One of my favorite songs by Billie Holiday is ‘You Let Me Down’ because it's so true. You can practically hear her crying on the record.”