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Article: THE EDIT LDN INTERVIEWS (IYAMAH)

THE EDIT LDN INTERVIEWS (IYAMAH)

THE EDIT LDN INTERVIEWS (IYAMAH)

For those that don’t know you, can you give us an intro to who the girl behind the music is?

I’m a free spirit, down to earth kind of hippie kid at heart. Love festivals and live music, the sea and travelling around from place to place. I grew up in Brighton with my ma and moved to London when I was 19.How would you describe your music and ‘vibe’ to The Edit Man London readers?

I find it hard to define what my music is sometimes, because it’s a combination of so many genres. It’s neo-soul, hiphop, reggae… some people would say it’s just R&B but I call it Rootsy Soul, because it’s more raw and ‘rootsy’.

 

Your first EP got support from Radio 1 and Sir Elton John. How did it feel to get the support from such notable people and how did it all come about?

I appreciate all the support, it’s an honour really as I don’t expect much, so anything more is a nice surprise. I’m good at being hard on myself, so when a living legend who definitely knows what they are talking about, reminds you that you’re on the right path, it’s always something to remember. 

 

Talking about influences, who do you consider to be your musical influences and why? 

I have loads for different reasons, I think it’s nice to have a variety, different music/artists for different days/moods. I was always drawn to empowering women, maybe from being raised by a woman, or artists who have a unique tone, particularly husky ones! I’m always drawn to music that is led by the drums or rhythm and tends to be quite percussive. I think it’s something to do with growing up around so much reggae, and living in Brighton where there’s always live music, plus festivals where you’ll find sounds from all around the world.Talking music, you’re about to release your second EP, Truth EP 2, where you’ve already had some critical acclaim for singles ‘Balance’ and ‘Won’t Work’. How does it differ from the first release?

I’ve grown a lot since EP1. I wrote some songs from EP2 around a similar time however I finished it 2 years later… I guess I wasn’t ready to complete it yet, and still had a lot of searching to do in terms of finding my ‘truth’. I wanted to show progression, without saying the journey was over, because I don’t think that ever ends… your identity and ambition will forever continue to adapt and develop as life goes on, and completely living in your truth will always be difficult at these times, but it gets easier the more you understand it’s power. Truth is a life long story. 

You can listen to it here.

 

Flipping it to fashion - what’s your take on the streetwear scene at the moment?

I feel like it’s constantly recycling from 80s, 90s, now the 2000s. I know there’s trends but I’ve never been good at following them. I feel like it’s exciting when you enjoy the challenge of becoming more adventurous with your own style, remembering that it’s not about buying the most expensive things, but constantly going back to things you’ve already worn years ago and cutting the sleeves off, or dying it blue! 

 

A big question – are you team Jordan or team Yeezy?

Team Jordan. I’m obsessed with Jordans. 

 

What do you think of Kanye West running for candidacy in the USA?

I feel like it’s easy to say, but to do is a whole other thing… However it’s all become a bit of a joke now hasn’t it, having someone like Trump up there makes anyone think they could rule America and do it better. I’m just glad he didn’t win this time. Now is really about speaking up and not holding back, there’s a lot to be done.

 

If we gave you £1,000 to spend on our site  what items would you choose and why?

If I could have the ‘NIKE DUNK LOW SP CHAMP UNIVERSITY in ORANGE MARINE’ I would be extremely happy. They. Are. Amazing. Can I have them pretty please?!And if we gave you an unlimited budget to style yourself for the launch of your new EP – what items would you choose?

I’d probably keep it casual and go swag with the BALENCIAGA LOGO LIST LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT (*pictured below) but wear it as a dress with the BALENCIAGA TRIPLE S TRAINERS in GREY/GREEN…. Man that would be so slick.Back to Music - are there any artists out there that you’d love to perform with?

Yes there are a few artists coming up recently who I think are fire. I’ve always wanted to collaborate with Kojey Radical, Obongjayar, Lex Amor.

 

Are you working on any projects at the moment that you’d like to share with our readers?

I’m working on another project which I’m hoping to get some familiar faces on and release early next year. I wanna share all the songs I’ve been holding onto for too long and release them into the world, before I drive myself insane whilst they spin around and around in my very busy brain. 

 

Lastly, what can we expect from you in the future?

More music, more truth, and hopefully more shoes (from Q.9!)

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