Many of our favorite artists – the greats, if you will – capture us by turning their personal stories into a communal musical experience. With her second single Mama, I Know, ARIEL follows suit by stripping herself of society’s expectations in a soulful, relatable track. The singer-songwriter hopes her lyrics send listeners whatever sign they may be asking for in the moment.
a universal language
The Los Angeles native’s sophomore single tells a story we’re all too familiar with: searching for the courage to follow your gut, even if it means risking surprising the people in our lives.
In Ariel Finch’s case, her gut brought her back to her love for singing – a passion she found in childhood, and nurtured throughout her life, albeit partially in secret.
do you remember when i was a little girl you were convinced i’d take on the world and now, i believe it too
– ARIEL, Mama, I Know
The 22-year-old pursued the path of the golden first born child™️ – i.e., studying engineering and biology at the illustrious1 Howard University, where she was also a fixture on the 13x MEAC championship-winning volleyball team.
Still, her love of performance never simmered too far from the surface. “I just remember even in front of them [her teammates], I was singing and dancing, and just being more of a character, just because I wasn’t afraid that they would realize what it was that I really wanted to do,” she laughed.
ARIEL’s fun facts
she’s the oldest of four children
she’s a proud Pisces
she’s a dancer dancer
she played volleyball for 15 years
under pressure
Knowing the unpredictability of being an independent artist, ARIEL understood she would have to work hard to show the extent of her commitment.
“I didn’t like to disappoint my parents,” she explained. “I knew my entire life that I wanted to be a singer, and for 13 years, I didn’t tell my family.”
Today, she can laugh about her early Hannah Montana-esque days – writing in secret, imagining choreography, and meeting with producers under the guise of hanging out with her girls2. Overtime, however, ARIEL realized that the effort needed for a double life was doing both her and her loved ones a major disservice.
“So one day, I came in from walking my dog…I just went on my phone, and I just started making beats,” she laughed. “I was like, You know what? This is kind of fire – I’m gonna write to it.”
“To pretend like you don’t love something, when you really love it…that’s hard,” she said. “I didn’t realize that until after I told them. After I told them – I felt so free.”
for us, by us
If you asked ARIEL’s family, her pursuit of a musical career was unexpected – but not a complete surprise. The musicality of her household growing up influences the variety in the subjects, moods and genres in her work. (Her dad is a bassist, and her mom instilled a love of gospel music within their home.)
mama, i know that the stars you used to think were aligned knocked off course please don’t take this as a sign
– ARIEL, Mama, I Know
“I just grew up listening to good music. Even if I couldn’t make music…I was always in awe of good music, good instrumentals. And I want people to feel that too.”
By singing with school choirs from third grade through high school, ARIEL continued to hone her craft and find her voice. However, the transition to being a full-time student athlete at Howard left little time for her original passion.
After three and a half years of balancing books and ball, she dedicated her final semester of college to the Howard Community Choir in 2023 – an experience she described as formative to her artistry and spirituality.
“I truly saw the beauty of singing and music when I was in that choir,” she said. “One of my voice teachers has this thing – you sing to express, not to impress. And it truly felt like that in that choir. You’re not singing byyourself or foryourself…you’re singing for God, for your community.”
“I may not go to church that much, but I do have a relationship with God,” she explained. And it was so beautiful to connect to him through all of these amazing and talented spirits.”
taking a chance
and i can’t take wasting one minute more in the world are all the great things in store to feel it, i must set me free
– ARIEL, Mama, I Know
With two releases under her belt, ARIEL is relieved to finally be sharing her art with the world. Still, her journey to getting here is something she doesn’t take for granted.
“I will always keep going, that’s for sure,” she said. “But if this is all I have, I just feel so grateful that I have this love. That this passion is in me. That I’m in 2024 where I don’t have to wait for someone to give me the chance to do it.”
She celebrates this independence in her debut single, No Rules (No Regulations), an upbeat dance track released in October 2024.
The video, produced and directed by Finch herself, was sort of full circle: the song was written in her junior year at Howard, and the visuals were a collaboration with friends from college, at home, and her parents – who have endearingly become her biggest supporters.
“They’re proud of me, and that’s all I could ask for. You know, even if they, even if they would prefer that I make a big six figure check,” she explained. “They understand what it means to love something. So I’m glad that I had that conversation. And after having that conversation, I made a song that I like.”
The trajectory of ARIEL’s artistry reflects her self assuredness about what she wants to do – and how she wants to do it. Mama, I Know was penned as an open-ended ode to anyone making the decision to proudly be their full selves.
“This is not about coming out…but it’s so beautiful that it could be,” she remarked. “I didn’t intentionally make the song vague, but I’m glad that I did, because I think it’s easier for people to put their own story in.”
look, i promise you that there is no other way for me to live a life so truthfully
– ARIEL, Mama, I Know
As she approaches 2025, ARIEL is excited to continue exploring vulnerable truths in her music.
“I think that there are songs, great songs out there that I connect to, that I don’t even relate to, but I kind of put my own story into it, and I feel like you can do that with Mama, I Know,” she explained.
“I think a good song, a powerful song, can be anything anyone wants it to be.”
TREVONAE.com 
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