It's the first Sunday of Black History Month, and I'm meeting with singer/songwriter A:M for her photoshoot at Griffith Park.

After circling around the entrance, I find A:M perched on a bench. She's a pop of color in the fading light. Her pixie cut is covered by an ocean-blue scarf. Gold-accented earrings dangle all the way to her shoulders, and patterned cloth drapes across her body.

When her photographer, Paul, arrives, he instructs her to poise on the base of the tree. I watch her lay across the bark like she's one with the oak, commanding nature like she commands our ears with her music. She strides from one location to another, angling herself for the camera.

After she's done, she returns to the bench and gives me her full attention. As I hand her a mic, A:M tells me that she's been planning this photoshoot for a while. Her makeup took four hours to complete, and her clothes were carefully selected. She's nothing if not intentional.

During her two-year break from releasing music, A:M has had a lot of time to think. Now that she's back, she's fully herself, and she's hard at work for her upcoming EP. I'm able to sway her into sharing one of the singles, a non-genre song called "Goddess Lullaby". As her soft voice croons, I feel like she's bottled the light of her spirit and poured sunshine into me.

Amidst mixing and recording her EP, A:M is celebrating her nomination for Best Original Song at the Indie Short Fest. In 2024, she wrote and recorded "Do You Want to Dance" for RJ Hendricks' short film, Chicken Tikka. I wish her the best of luck for the voting season in April, but A:M doesn't seem too worried. With her booming vocal coaching business, her music, and her intractable sense of self, A:M's already winning.