>> I STARTED PLAYING CELLO WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.

AT MY MOM'S, NOT REQUEST BUT SHE IS LIKE YOU SHOULD PLAY CELLO.

SO I DID.

A COUPLE YEARS LATER I STARTED WRITING SONGS AND I THINK I REALLY STARTED WRITING MUSIC AS A WAY TO COPE WITH THINGS THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

AT THE TIME MY DAD WAS AN ALCOHOLIC AND IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS.

SO, THE SONG WRITING WAS REALLY A WAY I PROCESSED THAT.

SO, I THINK AS I HAVE CONTINUED WRITING MUSIC IT ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE.

>> XIOMA, MY SINGER-SONGWRITER JOURNEY HAS ALL ABOUT INDIE POP, LYRICALLY FOCUSED AND I WOULD SAY THE LYRICS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN SOME WAY.

I FIND INSPIRATION FROM ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

I HAVE A LITTLE NOTES APP ON MY PHONE SO WHEREVER I HEAR A PHRASE THAT I LIKE I WILL WRITE IT DOWN.

A LOT OF MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM POETRY.

I LOVE ALL OF MARY OLIVER'S WORK AND HOW SHE SEES THINGS.

I THINK --AND THEN WHEN I AM WRITING THE ACTUAL MUSIC I'VE SOURCED A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM BOTH CLASSICAL MUSIC AND POP MUSIC I LOVE CAROLINE SHAW'S WORK WHO SAY VIOLINIST AND COMPOSURE AND JUST SO SMART WITH THE WAY SHE USES STRINGS.

AND THEN LIKE JACK ANTINOFF, A PRODUCER THAT I LOVE AND LOVE HOW HE ARRANGE.

SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES FOR INSPIRATION [MUSIC] >> YOU AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE WILL SOME DAY DIE IS AN INDIE-POP/PERFORMANCE SHOW.

REALLY EXPLORING RELIGION, AUTONOMY AND WHAT KIND OF HAPPENS IN THE AFTERMATH OF LEAVING THAT.

CHOREOGRAPHY, THERE IS STRINGS THERE IS SONGS AND SPOKEN WORD.

[SINGING].

>> A LOT OF WHAT THIS PIECE IS, IN THE LIVE SETTING, IS WHAT WOULD I WANT TO SEE AS AN AUDIENCE.

WHAT WOULD LIKE DRAW IN MY ATTENTION.

AND, ALSO, I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT MOVEMENT ON TOP OF WORDS.

I THINK IT KIND OF SHIFTED THE WAY THAT THE WORDS FEEL TO SING OR HOW THE MUSIC FEELS.

>> I THINK YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN KEEP THIS HAND AND TOUCH THE CHIN.

>> WE DID CHOREOGRAPHY FOR THIS PIECE.

AND IT WAS CHOREOGRAPHED BY MY FRIEND AND COLLABORATOR SAVANNAH DUNN.

I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO MAYBE EXPLAIN HER STYLE IS MODERN DANCE.

EVERYTHING SHE MAKES IS JUST KIND OF BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING TO WATCH.

THERE IS JUST SO MANY LAYERS UNDERNEATH.

I LOVE WHAT SHE HAS DONE THE CHOREOGRAPHY SHE HAS DONE FOR ME IS GESTURAL.

ON THE STAGE I AM BLINDFOLDED FOR MOST OF THE SHOW SO I CAN NOT MOVE AROUND A LOT.

IT IS MOSTLY A LOT OF HANDS AND SHOWING THE WORK.

>> IT GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE.

IN THE SAME WAY LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.

>> SAVANNAH AND I DID COLLABORATE ON IT A LOT.

SHE WORKS A LOT FROM TEXT.

I GAVE SAVANNAH LYRICS FOR TWO OF THE SONGS AND ALSO A BIBLE VERSE SO SHE TOOK THE TEXT FROM THE LYRICS AND THE BIBLE VERSE AND JUST PUT WORDS ON TOP OF THEM.

SO EVERY WORD KIND OF HAS A MOVEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

SO, ALL OF THE MOVEMENTS ARE HER IDEAS AND IF I DID NOT LIKE ONE I WOULD BE LIKE I AM --IT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT.

[SINGING].

>> THE PROJECT ITSELF IS EXPLORING, I THINK, IF THERE IS A QUESTION IT WOULD BE WHY DID THE PEOPLE THAT I LOVE AND WHO LOVED ME CHOOSE TO REMAIN SO STRICT WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS IDEALS AND KIND OF IGNORE THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE AND KIND OF TREAT THEM PRETTY HORRIBLY.

I WAS ASKING WHY.

I THINK THAT IT IS, WHAT I CAME TO OR MY THEORY MY HYPOTHESIS IS THERE IS A LINGERING FEAR OF DEATH THAT THE PEOPLE IN MY PAST HAVE AND THEY NEED THIS KIND OF RELIGION TO GIVE THEM COMFORT ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY DIE.

SO, IT IS VERY LAST SONG WHERE THIS LINE COMES FROM.

THEY SUGAR COAT THE HARD STUFF [SINGING].

>> THIS IS HOW THEY GOT YOU.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE TRUE AND IN THAT WANT IS SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.

IT KIND OF EVOLVES.