‘New Roots’ - Sophomore LP released on ‘Hill and Gully Records’
Dearest gentle listener,
‘New Roots’ is my sophomore album is OUT NOW!
I wrote much of it during the pandemic season, on solo retreats in the English countryside, and in hotel rooms while touring once things had eased. Those quiet moments became a kind of portal for me — a chance to listen more deeply, reflect, and reconnect with who I am and where I come from.
The songs explore themes that feel central to my life: my British-Caribbean identity, the wisdom passed down from the Windrush generation in my family, grief, healing, and the process of finding your centre again amid life’s unexpected shifts.
Thank you to Reuben, my OG cello, who has been on this ride with me for most of my life. My grounding force — sometimes a bassline, sometimes the drumming of a heartbeat, an anchor beneath the music. For me, ‘New Roots’ is about learning that even when emotions feel overwhelming, or life feels uncertain or fractured, it’s still possible to grow new roots.
Many of these songs were written in quiet moments of reflection, so wherever you are as you hear them, I hope they offer a place to pause, reflect, and perhaps feel a little closer to the things that ground us — the stories we carry, the people who came before us, and the possibility of growing new roots of our own.
MASSIVE thanks to all the Earth Angels that helped bring it to life and out in the world.
Chris Morris (drums, percussion), Tania Ilyashova (synths), Camilo Tirado (percussion), James Yarde (percussion) - thank you for your extraordinary and generous musicianship!
Ivan Di Sipio for his gorgeous arrangement on ‘New Roots’.
Marrikmixdit for his wonder ears in mixing and mastering the record.
Jordan Woods for his beautiful photography and Charlie Noon for his stunning design and cover art - thank you for going on the journey with me.
My dreamteam who have been the wind in my sails and anchor in the storm of one of the most transformational years of my life! Faber Music, Bridge The Gap, Agnese Daverio, Gea Russel and Power Up (PRS Foundation).
And special thanks to YOU! You who have come to a show, purchased, downloaded, streamed, commented, liked, DM’d, called (remember that?😅) and messaged me words of encouragement, love and support. I treasure you and special thanks to Andrea Casale, Ben Gritten and Dirk von Wiarda for their generous support and refusing to give me a refund!
Please enjoy the music, share the music and take care of yourself.
Big hugs!
Ay xx