Seera, an all-female rock-fusion band in Saudi Arabia, is breaking new ground by introducing a largely untapped psychedelic sound to the Kingdom’s local music scene.
For their first live performance at The Warehouse in Riyadh, the band gave an enthralling performance to a crowd of more than 200 people after a warm-up by DJ Haffs. The band, consisting of guitarist Haya, bassist Meesh, THING on drums, and Nora on lead vocals and keyboard, captivated the audience with their unique sound.
Seera’s influence, however, transcends beyond their music. Meesh revealed to Arab News that women have approached her saying, “You guys inspired me,” and “I’ve been picking up an instrument but I haven’t felt like I could really put myself out there until seeing you guys.” The group believes that by making their live debut, more Saudi women would feel inspired to perform.
Haya added, “It’s still kind of a male-dominated field globally, and here, too… (as) an all-woman band, we really want to support women to be more out there and to take up space.”
The band's journey began when Haya connected with the sisters Meesh and Nora via Instagram and they got together for a musical session. Drummer THING was later introduced to the group at a music event. Their shared interests in jazz, funk, soul, and Turkish psychedelic rock are reflected in the band's sound, which is also influenced by Arabic and English music. In an effort to modernize the music while staying faithful to their heritage and upbringing, some of their lyrics use colloquial Arabic.
As they performed original tracks, including “Woman,” “Junoon Almal,” and “Khaleek Ba’eed,” the band engaged with the crowd, inviting them to clap along and often headbanging to the music. The crowd went wild when Seera concluded their set with the track “Slapping,” calling out for more.
“We were so overwhelmed by the audience and their energy and how they felt the music,” said Nora. “This doesn’t stop here and it’s just fueling our fire for the future.”
