Naomi Rey, born Rachel Naomi Appel, is a singer-songwriter and cultural provocateur. Her deepest passion is weaving stories that explore proximities between contrasting dualities, whether in her lyrics, experiential designs, or journalistic endeavors. She believes contrast is our greatest teacher, and that true enlightenment comes from learning to dance with our darkness – not just performing our light.

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If you ask her mother, she'll tell you that five-year-old Naomi knew she was born to sing – which is why every week she drove her to vocal lessons at a run-down little music school in the suburbs of New York. Somewhere along the way, though, Naomi buried that dream and reduced it to a trivial afterthought. It would take years to find her way back to music.

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Naomi's passion for truth – nurtured in a household where honesty was valued above all else - first led her to pursue investigative journalism. She graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor's in Environmental Studies and completed a Master's in International Journalism at City University of London. She then made her mark by writing, directing, and editing the controversial eco-documentary, The Dark Side of Tulum (2019) – a compelling exposé that has garnered over 1.4 million views. She has collaborated with Emmy Award winning producers and her work has been recognized in publications like New York Magazine, Mind Body Green, Films For Action, and The Beam Magazine. Across it all, her instinct has always been to ask the questions many seem to avoid.

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Growing up in a family of change-makers and protectors, Naomi's path has been deeply influenced by her father, Brian Appel, an inventor and scientific advisor for Eden Energy – a groundbreaking waste-to-energy technology that mimics the earth's process to make clean, carbon-neutral oil, gas, and fertilizer. What begins as ordinary trash becomes fuel for a regenerative future – alchemy in its purest form. Her brother, Jonathan Appel, is co-founder and CEO of the company. Naomi honors her family's legacy as Ambassador and Strategic Advocate of Eden Energy.

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During her childhood, the Appel household was filled with worldly artifacts and books about ancient cultures and modern innovations – naturally inspiring Naomi to explore her own spirituality. In 2017, she began her journey with psychedelics and plant medicines, and has since co-founded Temple Matrika, a sanctuary that challenges the patriarchal stronghold often found in deep plant ceremonies, favoring a more fluid and feminine approach to awakening.​

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After years of searching outside of herself, Naomi realized the truth she'd been looking for lived within the power of her own voice. A creative director and experience designer as much as a musician, she pours her heart into a growing body of music and projects like Casa Akasha and Flores Sagradas – a testament to her artistry and authenticity as a creator and disruptor, at a time when the world needs both.