Uwade Shares New Single ‘Harmattan’

Nigerian-born, North Carolina-raised musician Uwade will release her long-awaited debut album Florilegium next month via Thirty Tigers, and shared another preview of the forthcoming album with Harmattan. Uwade grew up steeped in the sounds of hymnal choral music and Nigerian Highlife on her late-father’s car radio.

Uwade

Uwade (Shervin Lainez)

Harmattan in particular emerged from a period where she was immersed in West African music, specifically afrobeats and string instruments that she found bordered on medieval European harpsichords. While tracking the drum solo for the track, she shared with percussionist Jason Burger videos of an Esan dance masquerade called Egbabonelimhin that was performed during her father’s burial for reference; during his first few takes she got the chills. The resulting track is an album standout. We meet a new side of her musical aesthetic here too, more true-blue pop earworm.

On the new single, Uwade shares: “For a long time, this song was a giant puzzle. I couldn’t figure out lyrics, a compelling arrangement, or how to transform it from the earliest stages of the demo to what it is now. Somehow the song’s creative cycle is reflected in the subject matter–lots of questions, few answers, and being forced to find comfort in the chaos. It turned out that every new phase of experimentation unlocked another element of the song that I loved. As Harmattan went from demo to studio to demo to studio, I refined my vision and the song became exactly what I wanted. ‘Will you sway with me when my voice gives out?’ Is one of my favourite lyrics on Florilegium. Writing it helped me to unravel a huge knot of anxiety around being a musician that I’d been dealing with for some time. I don’t think there’s an answer, but I’m ok with that for now.”

Watch its Jason Wishnow-directed video below:

Uwade has been everywhere over the past few years, quietly. Her emotive voice is what opens Fleet Foxes’ GRAMMY®-nominated album, Shore. Since then, she has earned praise her for early singles, collaborated with her local North Carolina community on Psychic Hotline, has opened for the likes of The Strokes, Jamila Woods, Sylvan Esso, Local Natives, and more – all the while studying at Columbia and Oxford. At long last, she will release her debut album Florilegium, out on 25th April via Ehiose Records / Thirty Tigers.

Uwade’s solo output and collaborations have been met with critical acclaim, and now she prepares to release a full-length entirely her own. Florilegiumis a shimmering anthology that finds sweetness and light in sorrow, an amalgamation of disparate influences and recording sessions seamlessly fitting together through her expressive, expansive voice. Her academic studies informed her work with astonishing originality and depth. Currently in school for her PhD, she cites Catullus and Virgil among her influences (along with Julian Casablancas and Nina Simone).

The album’s title is borrowed from the Latin adjective florilegus, which means ‘flower-gathering.’ ‘I offer these songs as flowers of gratitude to those who have seen me through my life. I share them with the world as a reminder to cherish opportunities for renewal,’ she says.

Florilegium came together in three studio sessions broken up over a year and a half. It began in upstate New York in 2022 with Sam Cohen, after she spent a stretch touring heavily in support of Fleet Foxes. Early in 2024, her friend Jon Seale offered her a week at his studio space in New York City, where she further honed her ideas — and then she returned to her home state of North Carolina later that year, finishing the album with Alli Rogers at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s sun-soaked studio in Chapel Hill. Uwade felt decisive, empowered, completely in control of her own creative vision.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

MARCH
25th – London, UK @ Rough Trade West
26th – London, UK @ The Forge

APRIL
24th – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right

MAY
3rd – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10th – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
15th – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge
16th-18th – Big Sur, CA @ Hipnic SOLD OUT

JULY
5th – Quilcene, WA @ Quilcene Lantern

AUGUST
28th-31st – Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival

The Pale White And Lizzie Esau Captivate The Hackney Audience At Oslo

Wyatt Flores @ Roundhouse (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Wyatt Flores Brings Honest Heart And Sharp Style To London’s Roundhouse

On a crisp October night at London’s Roundhouse, Wyatt Flores stepped onto the stage to a roaring crowd, his name echoing around the vaulted room with a force that surprised even him. Supporting 49 Winchester on their UK run, the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter might technically have been the opener, but from the reaction that greeted him, it was clear many had come just as much for Wyatt.

49 Winchester @ Roundhouse (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

From Russell County To Camden Town: 49 Winchester’s Triumphant Roundhouse Performance

Virginia’s 49 Winchester transformed Camden’s Roundhouse into a celebration of straight-from-the-heart Americana. Early in the set, frontman Isaac Gibson acknowledged to the audience that this was the band’s first sold-out night on the tour and the response from the crowd made clear how much the moment meant to everyone in the room.

Echobelly @ Electric Ballroom (Kalpesh Patel)

Echobelly Bring ON To Life At The Electric Ballroom – A Triumphant Celebration Of Britpop’s Enduring Spirit

It’s been three decades since Echobelly released ON, the Britpop-era gem that cemented them as one of the most vital and distinctive voices of the mid-90s. On Thursday night at London’s Electric Ballroom, the band — fronted by the magnetic Sonya Madan and founding guitarist Glenn Johansson — returned to Camden to celebrate that legacy, playing the album in full to a sold-out crowd that sang, swayed, and grinned their way through one of the most joyous nostalgia trips of the year.

Not Naïve – The Kooks Are Always Where They Need To Be At London’s O2 Arena

Brighton Indie Pop darlings The Kooks played quite possibly the biggest and best show of their 20 year career at The O2 Arena on Saturday night. A night of nostalgia, of celebration and of cementing themselves as one of the best British bands formed in the 21st century.

Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory @ O2 Academy Birmingham (Nick Allan)

New Found Glory Never Miss, Only Hit At O2 Academy Birmingham

There’s something about a New Found Glory show that feels like coming home. No matter how many years have passed or how much life has changed, when those opening chords hit, you’re right back where it all started — shouting lyrics with your friends, sweaty, smiling, and completely lost in the moment.

Remember Monday @ Latitude Festival 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Remember Monday Return With New Single ‘More Than Ever’ Ahead Of Headline UK Tour

Country-pop trio Remember Monday continue their breakout year with the release of their new single More Than Ever, co-written with GRAMMY® winner and chart-topping artist Cian Ducrot. The track arrives just as the band kick off their highly anticipated What The Hell Just Happened? UK and Ireland headline tour, which culminates at London’s iconic O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Davina Michelle Launches Empowering New Era With ‘What A Woman’

Dutch pop sensation Davina Michelle has released her brand-new single What A Woman, an empowering anthem that celebrates the strength, intelligence, and individuality of women everywhere. The track arrives alongside a striking new music video, introducing a bold new chapter for one of the Netherlands’ most successful modern pop artists.

Ash Share Video for ‘Ad Astra’ Featuring Graham Coxon

Northern Irish alt-rock stalwarts Ash have shared the video for their latest single Ad Astra, featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon, taken from their brand-new album of the same name — out now on Fierce Panda Records.