Listen: Rijah examines the power of memories on new single

This is an exclusive song premiere, part of WBUR's effort to highlight New England musicians.

During her first year in college, Boston singer-songwriter Rijah took a quick break from her Berklee College of Music dorm to go back to her family’s home in New Jersey. While there, she came upon a box of sea glass she’d collected over the years. The objects made Rijah realize how it’s the simple things — and even the blemishments — that bind memories to a place.

Those thoughts quickly led to “House in Tattoos,” an intricate, driving track being released on Friday, July 26. Last year, another one of Rijah’s songs, “Up,” was named as one of the Mass. Tiny Desk entries that left an impact.

Like “Up,” “House in Tattoos” is a showcase for both Rijah’s signature vocal power and her ability to write songs that have both universal and personal meanings at the same time. And for the second year in a row, Rijah has been acclaimed by the NPR Tiny Desk judges, who named the Tiny Desk version of “House of Tattoos” one of the 45 Top Shelf entries out of the more than 6,600 submissions.

When writing the song, Rijah imagined a house getting tattooed with memories every time the wood was scratched or some wine spilled on the carpet. “I was thinking of leaving the house and moving away,” she says. “And even when you leave somewhere, there are those things that are tied to specific times and memories you associate with different people.”

After quickly writing the lyrics, Rijah created the guitar riff. “Usually I try a lot of different things, but this one just stayed with me,” she says. She came up with the beat when visiting her grandparents in Kolkata.

The lyrics talk about how “even if we choose to leave this all behind/ There’ll always be the strings that tie to/ You.” For the studio version, some actual strings came from violinist Shaan Ramaprasad, who joined the track for the studio version. He also wrote the arrangement and played and overdubbed all of the string parts.

Those evocative string sounds, combined with the way Rijah uses vocal dynamics as the song ebbs and flows, and the easy groove provided by bassist Owen Reinders, give the recording a jazzy, indie-R&B feel. In highlighting “House in Tattoos” during the Tiny Desk contest, judge and KCRW host Novena Carmel said the song “feels very right now, but also timeless.” Of Rijah’s vocal prowess, Carmel added, “She sounds like she was born to sing.”

It’s no accident that the track is the final single before her debut EP, “Motion Pictures,” is released in the fall. “It will also be the last track on the EP,” says Rijah. “The way the entire progression of the song builds up to a powerful ending just makes it feel epic.”

“This EP portrays the last few years of my life: movement and change and the bridge between my childhood and my adulthood, and the songs capture the essence of that theme,” she says. “They’re about growth and introspection. It’s a self-portrait.”

The song comes as Rijah prepares for the biggest gig of her career to date: A slot on the star-studded Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Sept. 28-29.

“It’s crazy seeing my name on that poster along with Noah Kahan and Norah Jones — that’s wild,” she says.

Rijah’s single “House in Tattoos” is out July 26. Her debut EP “Motion Pictures” will be released this fall.

Note: The audio for WBUR's music premieres comes down after the track is released. You could still listen to the track via the streaming service embed above.