★⋆ Interview . ✦ Iyamah @ Cross The Tracks Festival
★⋆ Interview . ✦ Iyamah @ Cross The Tracks Festival “The name stands for ‘I am’ and it’s to remind people that you are whoever you want to be; we don’t have to be defined by any one thing”, Brighton-hailing musician Iyamah (pronounced eye-yam-ah) tells me during our interview at Cross the Tracks. 03.06.24 Words by Amalia Castle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RS_a_8M1hw “Iyamah is open, as you can choose who you want to be at any point, any time, any day, you’re not tied down to one thing, you are not restricted”. When digging through to her catalogue, this candid illustration of her artist name rings true. Iyamah’s music seems to serve a greater purpose than just a great listen. It’s about community, transformation and self-enlightenment, all qualities I detect in full effect when sitting down for our chat. Having just settled down after an extensive UK tour, Iyamah set the jazz and soul lovers of this year’s Cross the Tracks festival alight. In a beautiful showcase of her instinctual bond with music, the Brighton-born songstress took her tour energy straight to the Caboose stage to put on an electrifying, powerful – at points stripped back – and vocally immaculate performance. Iyamah’s catalogue of celestial, neo soul melodies chronicle her vibrant upbringing in Brighton. She illustrates her colourful environments surrounded by world sounds, dance and the vivacity of the festivals she frequented on weekends, all through her conceptual works. Her vocals dance across jazz-injected production with dustings of reggae, hip hop and latin sounds. “My auntie was a dancer, she would do west african dance. It was very raw and organic with sounds of drumming, lots of rhythm, a heartbeat.” she tells me. Digging as far back to her first releases, Iyamah’s relationship with movement, this heartbeat she describes, is painted in vivid technicolor through her music. This same love of rhythm, bass and movement saw Iyamah forge a love for dance music from a young age. “I’ve always felt like beats are very important to me, so when I started clubbing, (way under age)” she adds laughing “me and my mates just loved drum and bass. It’s a similar feeling when it comes to community, when you’re listening to drum and bass”. This early pull to the genre led the Brighton songstress to start writing to these heavier, fast-paced productions, leading to releases with veteran producers like Pola & Bryson, Holy Goof and My Nu Leng. Though neo soul and jazz stands strong throughout her own releases, Iyamah pulls together an eclectic mix of influences through her collaborations, from Dance Music to Hip Hop and R&B. “Being a mixed race girl growing up in quite a white area I was drawn to a lot of R&B and soul singers, I felt a connection to that as well.” From the moment I sat down with Iyamah, I instantly eased into my seat as we laughed about the impromptu nature of our chat and the potential mishaps she might experience with her gorgeous patterned two piece – which of course stayed put during her performance. Iyamah radiates an inescapable lightness, and instantly the radiant qualities of her music come to life. “I feel like they’ve given me such a great tent”, she exclaims, gearing up to her set a few hours from our chat. “We’ve just come off the back of a tour. So me and the band are in the zone right now”. During her performance we saw Iyamah bounce effortlessly off her accomplished band, with moments of calm for her power-house vocals and even a stripped back ukulele solo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by I Y A M A H (@iyamah_artist) Preceding her recent tour and her set at Cross the Tracks, Iyamah dropped an extended project titled ‘In Two Worlds’, which she co-produced. The production process was a luminary one, she tells me, that challenged her in a way she’s never been challenged before. “It’s all about someone trying to get their dreams,” she begins telling me, “trying to change their reality into what they see in their imagination and all the obstacles that they see along the way”. Iyamah’s storytelling throughout the project is often conceptual, painting pictures of her inner monologue and childlike daydreams. “It’s tapping into my inner child in a way, this little girl who had such a big dream, but with all these things that I felt were blocking me from being able to get there.” As she describes, ‘In Two Worlds’ depicts the journey one undertakes to achieve their dreams and pursuit of fulfillment. There’s a beauty in this journey which Iyamah paints in tracks like ‘ladybird’ and ‘ruler’. Yet there’s the risk of getting lost in this pursuit, she reflects, “what if you’re already living your dream, but you can’t see it, because you’re so focussed on trying to get something, that you can’t see what you already have”. These moments of realisation she mentions are seen unraveling as early as the album opening ‘Chasing Dreams’, and the soulful and minimal ‘8 Of Swords’ where she sings ‘sometimes we lose our insight / blindly alive, out of line’. The process of creating the album took on a similar and lengthy odyssey to the pursuit of ‘dreams’ that Iyamah narrates in ‘In Two Worlds’ – which feels symbolic. Having embarked on a two year process of creating the project, I was keen to ask her about this undertaking. Instantly, she let out a brief laugh, “I think the most incredible thing was releasing it, it was starting to become never-ending. Creativity is very close to insanity, they say it’s a very fine line, and I definitely felt like I was crossing that”. There’s a sense of relief, and then excitement, as her focus shifts on bringing the album to life through performance and “falling back in love” with every track. It’s clear that ‘In Two Worlds’ was an enlightening process, that Iyamah wanted to showcase to the listener, as both
₊˚ New Track ˖° Shivani Day “Blue Car”
₊˚ New Track ˖° Shivani Day “Blue Car” Shivani Day is the Leicester-born, London-based R&B artist refreshing the genre’s dark side, with her own unique spin. Back in and around 2016, the dark R&B sound was being mapped out by the likes of FKA twigs, Tirzah and the emotional vulgarity of BANKS and beyond. 23.05.24 Words by Amalia Castle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PI4Fv7S5A0 While these artists lean more into the left-field, Shivani Day creates a familiar soundscape for alt-rnb fans, while peppering her release with her dark-yet-ethereal essence and South Asian heritage. Following her debut single ‘Rhetoric’ a bold, electronica release telling stories of identity, equality and integrity, Shivani follows up this week with her second single ‘Blue Car’. The track produced by Shivani and 23Sunz (BXKS, Joe James ‘Excuse Me’) takes a deeper dive into Shivani’s UK R&B identity, compared to the more playful and theatrical ‘Rhetoric’. ‘Blue Car’ is robust with a pulsating bassline and Shivani’s spectral backing vocals, as she channels her thoughts on self-worth and closure. In this release “It was important to let the track breathe and allow the production to have its moment too” she says. This rings true as we see Shivani and 23Sunz showcase the emotional qualities of the track through the grandeur of its production and Shivani’s layered vocals taking on the form of an extra instrument. The release is accompanied by a clean-cut, cinematic music video inspired by the Tron Universe and its pulsating ice-blue palette, that’s referenced in the Jay Green-directed video. Shivani Day is showcasing her sound with confidence, and with her journey only just beginning, it seems we’re in the midst of a transformative artist taking a hold of the UK alt-R&B scene as we know it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shivani Day🗡🪷👁 (@shivaniday) You Might Also Like
ʚ ͜ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ୨ New Single Release ୧ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ͜ ɞ RUBII “Night Drive”
ʚ ͜ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ୨ New Single Release ୧ ̩͙ ︵ ̩͙ ͜ ɞ RUBII “Night Drive” As the weather warms up, RUBII’s latest release, Night Drive, is the perfect song to accompany those summer nights. 07.05.24 Words by Isabel Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkBOt6nJtc Birmingham-born creative and singer-songwriter RUBII, explores different hip hop genres in her music, combining influences from past and present in order to create her own captivating style in the UK’s alt RnB scene. Serene vocals, accompanied by jazz and RnB-inspired instrumentation is RUBII’s signature sound. Known for hit single ‘Jealousy’, which has amassed over a million streams on Spotify, her latest single Night Drive is set to become another success for the singer. The songs melodic guitar instantly transports you to summer, while the gentle strumming of the guitar alongside her easy-going vocals makes it emblematic of artist’s musical style. RUBII effortlessly blends genres, and her inspiration from jazz, RnB and hip hop is evident in Night Drive. The song and its feeling transports the audience to exactly where the singer is, on a summer nights drive, while the lyrics themselves indicate that the song is perhaps about much more than that. The lyrics seem to explore issues around self-development, relationships and having to be able to let go of control. Lyrics such as “usually at the wheel but this time I will let you drive,” and “I like control so I tell you go left and right”, highlight issues around letting go, and being able to develop in a relationship letting go of control, restraint, inhibitions etc., – no more holding back just embracing the relationship. The artist is exploring her inner turmoil, and her lyrics show an openness and candour in reflecting on her own development. While “put your pedal down and let’s go”, and “I can’t hit no brake”, indicate a feeling of personal development and growth within the artist, beyond just in a relationship, and perhaps also a reflection of the artists musical development, as she continues to define her place in the UK’s RnB music scene. As the days are getting longer and, hopefully warmer, I will definitely have this on repeat all summer long. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝕽𝖚𝖇𝖎𝖎 (@aka.rubii) You Might Also Like
⋆ ⭒ New Single Release ⊹₊: Mnelia “Heaven”
⋆ ⭒ New Single Release ⊹₊ Mnelia “Heaven” The dazzling new release from Mnelia has an irresistible melody and demonstrates her lyrical dexterity. ‘Heaven’ is the latest in a string of catchy hits from the North-West London artist. 23.04.24 Words by Beth Gulliver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvqTesaoqJY Born Monique Amelia to parents from Guinea Bissau, Mnelia first burst onto the British R&B scene in 2020 and has rightfully earned her position as one to watch. Following the success of her seminal single ‘Say Yeah’, ‘Heaven’ looks set to enjoy the same heights, succeeding her latest EP ‘Closure Tapes.’ Influenced by Frank Ocean, Mary J Blige and Jay-Z, Mnelia finesses this track with anaddictive beat and rich vocals that soar into a higher register in the chorus with ease.‘Heaven’ is two and a half minutes of joy that is immediately attention grabbing. In the first verse, Mnelia sings: “I’m a woman, sometimes I need love, and / Someone to supply it with the snap of my finger,” instantly cementing the track’s intention. She previously told Clash: “‘Heaven’ is the result of me exploring my femininity and being bold in my sensuality. It’s for the girls who know who they are and are confident they will get what they want anytime they ask for it.” Produced by Albin Tengblad and Gustav Landell, the song epitomises Mnelia’s signature style, celebrating sensuality with punchy lyrics. The chorus states: “I love the chase / Solo, I’ve still got it, / But I prefer you on my body / I’ve got the key to my gate / Usually, I’m guarded / But I’m savin’ you a taste of this heaven.” After performing a sold out headline show at London’s Omeara last year, Mnelia confirmed her staying power as an artist, and 2024 is likely to showcase her talents to a greater extent. Overall, ‘Heaven’ is a song worthy of its title and deserves to be on everyone’s playlists. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🌴 (@mneliaa) You Might Also Like
⋆☆˖ New Single Release ⋆☆˖: Ama Louise “Send Your Loving” (remix) ft. Tayce
⋆☆˖ New Single Release ⋆☆˖ Ama Louise “Send Your Loving” (remix) ft. Tayce From the opening beats of Ama Louise’s Send Your Loving remix, featuring French singer Tayc, you know you’re in for an RnB treat. 18.04.24 Words by Sophie Coombs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D50_bGWxYxE Despite only releasing in late March, the track has already amassed almost half a million streams on Spotify. A sultry, sexy composition pairs with Ama’s silky smooth vocals to create a classic RnB tune. Reminiscent of 90s songs in the genre, it’s clear Ama’s inspiration comes from legends of such as Aaliya, Alicia Keys and Destiny’s Child. Fans of these artists, plus the likes of SZA and Summer Walker, will love Ama’s sound. The London-based 20-something welcomed French artist Tayc to feature on a verse for Send Your Loving’s remix, and his collaboration adds an extra layer of steaminess with his sensual vocals and lyrics. You may not have any idea what he’s actually singing, but it doesn’t matter – we all understand the message he’s conveying. Send Your Loving is a laid back, typical RnB tune with a head bopping beat. Its chorus will be stuck in your head for days: “So send your loving to me tonight ‘cause only you can save me from my mind.” A particular stand-out from the single is Ama’s breathy vocals. She sings most of the track in a husky pitch that remains sleek and angelic while evoking its sex appeal. Tayc’s vocals pair beautifully and the two harmonise flawlessly, complementing one another’s sound. A particular stand-out from the single is Ama’s breathy vocals. She sings most of the track in a husky pitch that remains sleek and angelic while evoking its sex appeal. Tayc’s vocals pair beautifully and the two harmonise flawlessly, complementing one another’s sound. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @amalouise1 You Might Also Like
˚ ✶ ⋆｡˚ New Single Release ˚ ✶ ⋆｡˚ Mariella “Go Slow”
˚ ✶ ⋆｡˚ New Single Release ˚ ✶ ⋆｡˚ Mariella “Go Slow” Released on Wednesday 3rd April, ‘Go Slow’ is the next single from Mariella, following sultry RnB ear-worm ‘Clueless’, Mariella switches the mood up with an intimate, reflective moment. 09.04.24 Words by Georgina Walker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ1LNydpeX0 ‘Go Slow’ see’s Mariella’s gentle vocals ponder the effects of rushing through life, from careers to relationships, offering comfort in relatability. Familiar territory for those navigating their 20s, the song invites the listener to consider how much we can miss by speeding through things, whilst acknowledging how uncertainty insituations across all aspects of our lives can lead to this feeling. Showcasing her voice at it’s most delicate, reflective of the vulnerable lyrics, ‘Go Slow’ sees Mariella confidently create a dreamlike track as her storytelling is paired with synths that compliment the meditative feel. ‘Go Slow’ feels like a tonic for overthinking, whether inviting a reflective moment to indulge in Mariella’s standout RnB sound intertwined with dreamlike production, or offering comfort in relatability. It’s not often that artists can successfully exist in different realms, but Mariella’s contemplative tracks have a firm place on my playlists as much her romantic, sultry ones, testament to her unique sound. If you’re reading this and want to catch Mariella live, you’ve sadly just missed her show at Notting Hill Arts Club (supporting Chido Mya), but you can catch Mariella live on May 29th at Jodie Bryant’s Discover Live. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mariella (@mariellaartist) You Might Also Like
⋆*｡ New Single Release ⋆*｡ Elsa “Crown”
⋆*｡ New Single Release ⋆*｡ Elsa “Crown” Elsa’s newest release is the debut single in her upcoming EP ‘How I Love Me’. 09.04.24 Words by Isabel Jackson Described as “South London’s soulful storyteller”, Elsa is quickly establishing herself as a one to watch musician, who’s music draws from RnB, jazz, soul and alternative influences. Her latest single ‘Crown’, is the first of five tracks from her highly anticipated and self-released debut EP ‘How I Love Me’. Crown offers a mellow beat, with jazzy instrumentation and gritty, honest vocals. The single embodies the style of music that defines Elsa as an artist, effortlessly blending genres, and shows the direction of not only her upcoming EP but the type of musician she is shaping to be. Crown draws you in with the smooth RnB beats, decorated by jazzy and soulful trumpet, to raise up her strong vocals. The influences of genres that inspire her are evident, drawing on classic and contemporary artists, and with vocals reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, both raspy and powerful. But beyond the vocals themselves, the lyrics are candid and vulnerable – a theme throughout her music, with her previous single ‘As you please’ opening up about an abusive relationship; “where vulnerability meets resilience” is an apt description. Crown is yet another authentic insight into the artists lived experience, serving as a love letter to herself, a love letter for us to ourselves. “Nobody loves me quite how I love me” and “I won’t let me drown”, in particular are striking lyrics that embody the message of the song. “Love is a losing game”, and it feels as though Elsa is perhaps drawing on previous negative experiences that have left her guarded in terms of love. It also sends a positive message of empowerment too however, speaking to the importance of self-love and growth – “when the time is right, I will put on my crown”. Elsa is quickly gaining recognition in the music industry, having been selected by Cross The Tracks x Global Soul’s ‘Ones To Watch’ and there is no doubt that her upcoming EP will be an insight into not only her musical talent but also her vulnerability and how who she is as a person, defines who she is as an artist. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝔼𝕃𝕊𝔸 (@elsa.wav) You Might Also Like
° :. ★ New EP Release * ● ¸ . Becky Sikasa “The Writings And The Pictures And The Song”
° :. ★ New EP Release * ● ¸ . Becky Sikasa “The Writings And The Pictures And The Song” Becky Sikasa is a work in progress as she showcases her vulnerability in ‘The Writing And The Pictures And The Song’. 04.04.24 Words by Teguan Harris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6iIb3Oust4 Scotland’s rising R&B and neo-soul star Becky Sikasa released her EP ‘The Writings And The Pictures And The Song’. This is her second EP after her 2022 debut ‘Twelve Wooden Boxes’, for which she received a nomination for the Scottish Album of the Year award. ‘Twelve Wooden Boxes’ was praised for Sikasa’s soaring vocal range as she searched for belonging, identity and love. ‘The Writings And The Pictures And The Song’ shows Sikasa’s disillusion with unbelieving ideas about love following her first heartbreak. The new EP features singles ‘Hard To Love,’ Wait Up,’ Work Of Love,’ and ‘Crashing And Falling’. Sikasa wears her heart on her sleeve in ‘The Writings And The Pictures And The Song’, as her angelic vocals interweave in the unworldly production. She opens up to her listeners through her unguarded lyrics, from feeling hard to love to her anxiety about making mistakes. The EP opens with her 2023 single ‘Hard To Love’. Relating to her experience with ADHD, Sikasa states on her social media that a lot of qualities associated with ADHD are often categorised as annoying and disruptive, leaving a tear in her self-esteem. Backed by soft piano chords, Sikasa’s heavenly voice and pure songwriting convey her vulnerability from start to finish as she translates the thoughts in her head into this single. ‘Wait Up’ is the second track of the new EP. This resounding single featuring Sikasa’s soulful vocals reminds her listeners they still have time, as everything will come together at the right moment. ‘Nothing To It’ is the third track in the EP about escaping the cyclical nature of life and making the same choice. Sikasa fears losing herself and voices that making the same choices feels like watching herself from the outside, walking into a trap. With the support from her celestial vocals and the delicate arrangement of the piano chords, Sikasa wonders whether learning is ever linear. ‘Nothing To It’ reveals that Sikasa is still a work in progress, as she constantly enters the same cycle of making the same choices and learning from them. ‘Work of Love’ ties the EP together, as ‘The Writing And The Pictures And The Song’ is a line from the widely praised 2023 single. Sikasa enunciates with her supernal vocals and her pure lyricism that the work of love is not for the weak and is not an easy process. The song stemmed from Sikasa’s first heartbreak, a heartbreak that was not only broken from the love but love in general. Sikasa opens a new path from this feeling towards a new perspective with the backing of heartfelt music arrangements. ‘Of Lightness And Nicotine’ is the penultimate track in the EP of her finding the balance between ‘lightness’ and ‘nicotine’ through her unearthly vocals and intangible production. The EP closes with ‘Crashing and Falling,’ Sikasa’s heart-rending single about her fear of making mistakes and “doing things wrong.” Sikasa embraces love and tenderness to pull her out of her fear, as her seraphic harmonies intertwined with the vivid music arrangements support the beautiful message that love can rescue you from your fears. Through unlearning ideas and embracing love, Sikasa is a work in progress. Siksasa demonstrates her work of progress by moving through her fears instead of living in them and finding new perspectives of love whilst also exhibiting that love itself, from loving others to loving yourself, is also a work in progress. Most known for writing emotive songs about belonging, identity and connection from scenes from life, art and literature, she dived deep within herself and her experiences to compose grounded lyrics harmonised with her empyrean vocals and backed by the dainty composition. She invites her listeners to experience her process and inner thoughts whilst reminding them that they are also a work in progress. Following the release of the EP, Sikasa received a nomination from BBC Introducing for Scottish Act of the Year. She also announced a tour in Scotland, due to begin in Autumn. With this soulful EP, her gift of lyricism and heavenly, warm vocals, Becky Sikasa is the next effulgent star of neo-soul and R&B. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Becky Sikasa (@beckysikasa) You Might Also Like
✩₊˚. ₊New Single Release ⋆☾⋆⁺ : Marta Per “Caught By Surprise”
✩₊˚. ₊New Single Release ⋆☾⋆⁺ : Marta Per “Caught By Surprise” Find yourself again in Marta Per’s latest single: ‘Caught By Surprise’ turns seclusion into strength. 15.03.24 Words by Olivia Bloore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTS5DKlILpw Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marta Per has just released ‘Caught By Surprise’, the electrifying single from her upcoming EP, Favourite Way of Existing. In conversation with the London based artist, Marta talked about the process of writing the track, and how it reflected a “different perspective” in both her music and her life. Marta moved from Lisbon to London at the age of 18; six years on she has since headlined shows around London and reached critical acclaim for her album titled ‘Fragments and Fingerprints’. “My music as an artist was at first more of an attempt to escape” said Marta coyly. ‘Caught By Surprise’ signals a shift in the artist’s musical output: it illustrates her experience of “coming [to London], becoming my own person, becoming my own individual”. The song came into being after intertwining musical fragments collected over two years. The first time Marta sat down to write the track, she was feeling “completely isolated” after moving to London – the final time with a “different perspective and more maturity”. ‘Caught By Surprise’ certainly feels like an anthem of liberation, with an upbeat tempo and lyrics campaigning for self-forgiveness after feeling lost. Listening to Marta’s catalogue, we can hear a sophisticated and eclectic mix of musical genres, from her film composition education to r&b, classical and jazz influences. When asked about her current inspirations, the singer listed Raye and Paramore: “a mixture of rock and jazz, that’s what I’m going for”. ‘Caught By Surprise’ certainly achieves this medley, with catchy soaring melodies underlined by energetic bass and guitar grooves. Marta is a multi-instrumentalist and producer, writing and recording every instrument but the drums from her home studio. Her voice has a rich and mellow tone, with a relaxed jazzy vibrato which smoothly illustrates every honest lyric. Over a wash of spread chord electric guitar textures, the first verse expresses simultaneously feeling disorientated whilst finding strength in hard times. Marta sings that she feels ‘stuck in a foreign land’ yet ‘there’s no place I’d rather be’. The chorus hook ‘thought my head was buried in the sand’ signals coming face to face with who you’ve become. The soaring guitar solo in the bridge compliments Marta’s floating vocalisations, and showcases the virtuosity of her playing over the punchy rock drum beat. The track ends on a final chorus, with filtered panned vocals singing the lyrics as Marta’s voice vocalises and climbs higher in a rejection of ‘feeling bitter’. ‘Caught By Surprise’ is an energetic yet insightfully honest track from Marta Per. We look forward to what her upcoming EP, Favourite Way of Existing will bring. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑 (@martapermusic) You Might Also Like
˚₊✲ ｡ ˚New Single Release ｡✲ : Nesta Stephan’s “Sunshine”
˚₊✲ ｡ ˚New Single Release ｡✲ : Nesta Stephan’s “Sunshine” That feel-good summer feeling wrapped in smooth and soulful vocals: Nesta Stephan’s ‘Sunshine’ brings the vibes. 14.03.24 Words by Melissa Milsom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVz63RLERuM It’s in the bitter cold that many of us start counting the days until we can head back into the routine of sitting in the warm sun after work until late into the evening. Days get longer and things feel bliss. If a song could truly transport you back to an exact moment, that’s where Nesta’s ‘Sunshine’ would take me. The London-based singer uses a spin of modern soul-sounding vocals, similar to the likes of Cleo Soul, and an assortment of jazz cords to create a sonic soundscape. This is what truly encapsulates the summertime feelings and floods her listeners with a sense of serenity and relaxation. The maintained reference to ‘sunshine’ drives the narrative of the song through feelings and emotional development, rather than lyrical progression. Some may find no use for this, but to other listeners, the continued reference allows them to achieve an almost climatic state of calm. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚 (@nesta.stephan) You Might Also Like