Vessna Scheff - NEVERMIND THE MOON (Album)
“NEVERMIND THE MOON” is the debut album from San Francisco Bay Area-raised, Philadelphia-based singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist Vessna Scheff. The LP is a concept record tracking a dreamscape that takes place throughout a night at the roller-skating rink. The album took inspiration from the freedom of movement Scheff found during challenging times while caring for a loved one and was produced by long-term collaborator Lee Clarke.
The songwriting of the album considers the thoughts and feelings that arise in the close orbit of the rink and the love we are seeking from the community that surrounds us. It is sonically linked with the neon-light buzzing of synth sounds; “we would “fly the spaceship” playing Lee’s Moog Grandmother synthesizer to add atmosphere and movement to each track”, Vessna explains. Combined with additional vocoder vocals, “NEVERMIND THE MOON” is a symphony of retro feels and fluttering harmonies that transport you to the thrill and excitement of a night you hope will never end.
Focus/title track “NEVERMIND THE MOON” dazzles with this essence, sitting in a blend of pop and R&B meeting soul and dancehall, created with the intention to make people move. Lyrically, the song begins in the contemplative space of the possibility of hoping for a connection with someone and the daydream of what that looks like. Playing into the title,
Vessna Scheff repeats the idea that there is no need for fancy promises, or the moon and stars, when sometimes all we are looking for is to meet someone who is down to have the adventure, even if just for one night on the rink.
‘NEVERMIND THE MOON’ takes its name from a quote from the Questlove-directed 2021 documentary ‘Summer Of Soul’.
Recalling the events of the incredible Harlem Culture Festival in 1969, a clip from the time shows a newscaster asking festival attendees about the moon landing. “Nevermind the Moon, what we need is investment in Harlem”, one attendee replies. This phrasing struck Vessna Scheff, as she considered the hopes, dreams and aspirations that are so often wrapped up in the idea of the moon. She explains, “to say ‘nevermind the moon’ implies the power and love that is found right here, right infront of us. We don’t ned to go anywhere to find that – it can be found right here”. Through the dips and swells of the journey, alongside additional atmospheric and creative production from Lee Clarke, the result is an iconic debut of mesmerising, era-defying sound.
The LP also features Philadelphia-based band Great Time, who offer their studio sound and toy synths to “JAM”; Emily Sage who provides dreamy vocals to “HYPNOTIZED”; and rapper and producer Ivy Sole whose vulnerability shines through on “SLIDE”, playing with the beat and adding an extra layer to the sounds of the album.
Vessna Scheff is known for her pin drop performances and enrapturing vocal harmonies that leave audiences swooning.
Her debut album ‘Nevermind the Moon’ is a shimmering synth-ony of buttery sounds that evoke the sound of the skate rink, and the irresistible strength of intimate connection and community that she conveys through her lyrics. She delivers an acquired awareness of self-love grown from caregiving, inspiring an appreciation of deep joy and embodiment.
Disrupting divides between visual and performing arts with a Masters from the Rhode Island School of Design, Vessna Scheff is a multi-hyphenate artist who breathes visuals into vocal runs for immersive performances and recordings. Her recent artworks have seen Vessna exploring the relationships between watercolours, texture and sound. Raised on R&B, Hip-Hop, Folk and Classical music in the San Francisco Bay Area, Scheff’s sonic repertoire expanded through collaborations with Lee Clarke to include beats, Jazz, and the Soul swaying sounds of Philadelphia.