Paulina Pachel’s Musical Digest: Oriel Poole “Warrior”

Big thanks to Paulina Pachel for this awesome piece about my inspiration for “Warrior”.

The universe works in mysterious ways. It allows us to cross paths with certain people, do things we wouldn't have dared to do, and face challenges that in hindsight were stepping stones to get us closer to our destiny.

This quarantine, for example, was unpredictable. No one seen it coming but I believe that it was a push for those of us starved of passion and inspiration to finally go for it.

At this point in time, the universe is sending a powerful message that resides far beyond the scope of the everyday hustle-and-bustle we're merely accustomed to.

The question is...are you listening?

I sat down with Oriel Poole to talk about her single "Warrior" because all the components of this project were cohesive. They blended really well from the lyrical context, its message, color scheme and backstory.

The song we're about to dive into was inspired by "an archetype of a warrior". Oriel says that the writing was inspired by a spur of the moment event, a flight taken to San Francisco on New Year's Eve where she crossed paths with someone who she was ultimately infatuated by.

"Something that was really interesting about this person {I wrote about} they were this archetype of a warrior that I found very intriguing. It’s almost like seeing a reflection in someone and you wanting that for yourself or maybe it sparks something within you.

He had an interesting tattoo down his arms that was black and red. I was intrigued because it looked cool (...) I had asked him what’s the significance and he said one is a symbol of power and one is a symbol of love. You can’t have one without the other. They’re supported by each other.

So the visual for the {music video} was black and red - using that was the underlying symbolism of the song. Ironically, I always wanted to make a black and red music video; I’ve been building on ideas and had a Pinterest board ready. In the end it had to be made that way"

Oriel has a background in design and has always wanted to make a video emphasizing the color red and black. Having studied the psychology of color and color theory, she can attest to the fact that colors can speak louder than words sometimes captivating emotions that words aren't capable of capturing...especially for those of us who are more visual learners.

Let's dive into the first verse and imagine ourselves catching a flight only to land in the arms of a handsome warrior from another land.

Caught a flight to San Francisco

Didn’t know what I was in for

It was New Years Eve, the night was rare

Then I saw your spirit standing there

Warrior from another land

You told me of your trip with the Mayan

Aura of a noble man

I fell to your soul, completely unplanned

This verse sets the scene of that spontaneous trip where first looks were locked and the infatuation kicked in, although hasn't fully settled in yet. The feeling was fueled by the unknown, exciting adventures that were ahead.

And then the chorus unwrapped all of what was already culminating inside.

CHORUS

You know I’m crazy for you

You made my dreams come true

You showed me what I did not know

And now my heart is in two

Which then conjured a set of ideas that appeared in the music video. Oriel flew back to LA and began working on putting together ideas for the song visually. She related that her background in design came in handy because in relation to music, it has a similar way of developing.

"Design comes from the idea of defining a core intention, desire or an outcome. There’s typically a process to get there.

When designing, I’d be designing for another client. A lot of it is the relationship that you’re building to get to the core of what they like, drawing out of them what they’re trying to say. There’s brainstorming, development and drawing.

A lot of the projects I’m working on right now tend to be conceived by me or if I’m collaborating with someone, we’re conceiving something together, but I’m always part of the origin of the idea and then I work with a team that I feel can bring that vision forward."

Indeed, she is a woman wearing many hats from always contributing ideas as a creative director, producer, and remaining as the original proprietor of the concept.

The second verse is aligned with the aftermath of the impression a guy as captivating as Oriel's leaves on us.

VERSE

Oh baby I’m crazy for you

Been dreaming all night, to re-adore you

But you don’t reciprocate, my love

You don’t participate in what we got going on

The energy hot, you know what I mean

Side by side, caught in the seam

Blood pulsating in time

You got into my head, in between

In high tide, to the extreme

Boy running my mind

We find ourselves continuing to feed the infatuation further knowing that it had its moment and it'll fade in time. Yet...we cling to it because there was something spiritually monumental that had left its imprint.

Heavy with hoping we transition over to the bridge where we understand that the heart wants what it wants...this feeling is bigger than us and we're riding the tide of hope.

BRIDGE

And I’m still cravin’

For a taste of you and me

Out here waiting

For a hope

That we may be

Here's to hoping and dreaming that a celestial being as this one will cross paths with us again...this time to stay for the long-term.

Both as a designer and an artist, Oriel has made a vision come to life. She took her time to self develop.

"I’ve had the opportunity to get really honest with who I am, who my brand is, and identifying who I am at the core in order to portray my brand honestly. Rather than doing what’s appropriate for what the market demands.

Now that I've laid that foundation, if a label does come to me, it’s going to feel a lot more aligned because they'll see me for who I really am and that’s something I’m able to continue to build off of and expand on for the long run."

Oriel leaves us with this thought "the quarantine is allowing for different types of mediums to come out" and while you're stuck inside, I encourage you to get creative. Let everything you've been clinging to or bottling up shine through.

Tune in to the music video below.