Nigerian-born, North Carolina-raised musician UWADE (Uwade Akhere) will release her debut solo album, ‘Florilegium’, on April 25th via Thirty Tigers.
Raised on hymnal choral music and Nigerian Highlife, the artist later studied Classics at Columbia and Oxford, impacting her strikingly original and profound work. Uwade Calls It A Draw before her new album is released!
Uwade says. ‘Call It A Draw’ started with a drum loop, a chord progression, and a feeling of restlessness. The creation process was pure, playful, and visceral, relying less on structure and more on improvisation. This approach was really freeing and reflects the sense of release that I feel is central to the project as a whole.’
a gentle, feather-light sailcloth song about forgiveness…
“Call It A Draw” (music video below) is a gentle, feather-light sailcloth song about forgiveness; its vocals as smooth as vanilla syrup.
You’ll recognize her emotive voice; it’s the opening of Fleet Foxes’ Grammy-nominated 2020 album, Shore.
The album “Florilegium” was recorded in three studio sessions spanning a year and a half. It began in upstate New York in 2022 with Sam Cohen, after she spent a stretch touring in support of Fleet Foxes. In early 2024, Jon Seale gave her a week at his NYC studio, where she developed her song ideas; Uwade then returned to North Carolina, and afterwards, she completed the album with Alli Rogers at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s Chapel Hill studio.
Confident and decisive, Uwade completely controlled her creative vision on Florilegium.
The album’s title is borrowed from the Latin adjective florilegus, which means ‘flower-gathering.’
Uwade explains: ‘I offer these songs as flowers of gratitude to those who have seen me through life. I share them with the world as a reminder to cherish opportunities for renewal.’
Pre-order the album here: https://orcd.co/florilegium-eu