New Single: Matilda Rowe “Never Do”
5 April 2025
Having grown up on the outskirts of London, singer song-writer and producer, Faye Meana seemed to have escaped the frenzied capital which lay just a short car ride away from her growing up. With her childhood spent outdoors or keenly listening to her parents eclectic music collections – a concoction of indie, rock and roll, Motown, disco and 80s hits – Faye’s journey into loving, and ultimately making music, was natural and inquisitive. This marriage of her multifarious music taste and the slower pace of life outside the city, seems to have forged her ever-evolving and tender catalouge today.
Faye’s discography is rooted in her passion for production and instrumentation, which emerged from a young age. “I started playing piano when I was five, and was classically trained. I was playing religiously. Piano was my life.” She had always enjoyed writing small pieces and stories, so taking the natural course of any devout musician, she began creating her own melodies. Locked into the software on her Macbook and creating her own sounds, she had finally materialised a unique canvas for her songwriting.
Initially appearing on the scene with a balmy and rich neo-soul sound reminiscent of the legendary Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, Faye was also deeply influenced by the soulful and vocally excellent Motown records she grew up with. Her early releases like ‘4AM’ and ‘Patience’ were teeming with a pervasive warmth and it’s here she began revealing a delicate, yet emotional vulnerability in her songwriting. Now, we see Faye breaking down the walls between the genres that raised her. With those same balmy tones, the singer-songwriter and producer is experimenting with 80s electronica, indie pop and disco; emulating these retro sonics with startling authenticity.
I was set to meet Faye an hour or so before her set, making it the first thing I did as I stepped through the gates of Cross the Tracks. The forecast had promised rain but it seemed the day had other plans for us, as I was welcomed into Brockwell Park with a warm breeze and a beating sun that appears in two minds at this time of year. Spirits were high, and were lifted even higher, as I was welcomed by Faye with a warm hug and her magnetising smile. We stood for a while catching up, watching her drummer play on the Caboose stage. We would later see Faye execute a confident and energising set of her classics, upcoming release and even an MJ cover on this very stage. Faye’s band is important to her, and a vital part of her passion for performance. “I love bouncing off of other people. Especially people that you get on with so well. It’s almost a comfort blanket in a way, playing with people that have your back and your best interests at heart” she tells me.
So how are you feeling about playing at Cross the Tracks!
This is actually my first festival so, I’m so fucking excited! Just to play a festival in the first place, but also for Cross the Tracks to be my first one, it’s just perfect. This has always been one of my favourite festivals to come to. I’m also playing with a new band this year (apart from my bassist who I’ve been playing with for seven years), it’s just come together perfectly and I’m so excited to play with them!
You recently released ‘On & On’ which is a super funky track sporting a retro, electronic feel. What’s the story behind the track and your inspirations for this sound?
I think like a lot of people know me for that neo soul sound, so to come up with something that’s more electronic and a little bit faster and more of a vibe, I definitely felt a little apprehensive but it’s been received really well. I’m always gonna have my stamp on a song, but I definitely think this sound that I’m evolving into is the true me and the sound I feel like most comfortable with. It’s also inspired by stuff that I’ve been listening to for years. Little Dragon was a huge inspiration for me in terms of production, so yeah I think that’s been on my mind a lot when I’ve been making this new electronic sound.
You followed on from this release with your latest single ‘No Hay Que Llorar’. Tell us a bit about this new release.
I wrote No Hay Que Llorar as a reflection on not just my own experiences but also based on those around me, this is often the case in my writing. The whole preface of the song is kind of realising your self worth and inflicting change. ‘No Hay Que Llorar’ blends Spanish and English vocals to reflect a relationship in turmoil and all over a punchy, reggaeton inspired beat.
How has the process been writing in another language?
So I knew Spanish to a good level a couple years ago, but writing and being able to rhyme in other languages is a whole different ball game. The first song that I wrote, that was a fusion of Spanish and English, was hard for me to rhyme and then to make sense. But the first one gave me a push to be like ‘okay! I can do it!’. I’ve got two songs off the EP that have bits of Spanish in them and it feels nice, because though I’m not Spanish and or from a Spanish speaking country, I absolutely love the culture and sounds.
You’ve got a new EP in sight, what can you tell us about this upcoming project?
So I think ‘On and On’ is a good introduction to what the rest of the EP holds. There’s a couple tracks that sound similar to my older stuff, but with infusions of the newer, electronic sound that I’m going for. On the whole, you can expect a touch of the old Faye Meana but a little bit of this new and improved me.
In previous projects you’ve discussed relationships, conflicts, complex romances, all through your lyrics. What is the focus of the stories you’re telling on this new EP?
So as I mentioned a lot of the stories are personal, but they’re also things I’ve heard from friends and their experiences in relationships. It’s a sonic diary in a way. Sometimes I feel like this can be vulnerable, but other times I realise it’s the best and most natural way for me to get my feelings out. I don’t mind having that vulnerability. I think it’s really nice when people come to me and say, ‘oh, this really resonated with me, or I completely understand what you’re going through here’. It’s also nice for to me to look back on those songs and realise I’ve evolved and got better from there.
What’s one thing the world should know about Faye Meana?
Definitely that I have an equal love for performance as I do for writing and producing. But also I think where I really feel at home is in the studio, creating things. It can be easy to glaze over the idea of a female producer, not to say everything’s so hard for us, but I think even people might be a bit shocked to know that I’ve produced everything myself. The songs I’ve released are 100% me, with very little input from other people.
So festival season is upon us, and we’re here at Cross the Tracks. What are some of your festival essentials or hacks for people taking on the 2024 season?
One thing for a festival, everytime is toilet roll. Why do no portaloos have toilet roll! Oh and hand sanitiser, which I actually forgot today. But mainly just being prepared for the weather, the UK is so changeable and we’ve been lucky today, but just come to the festival and enjoy it, if it rains what’s it going to change!