Demonstrating a storytelling ability long beyond her years, Amahla explores issues of domestic violence, race, class and inner city life on her debut EP ‘Consider This.’

Stream: ‘Consider This’ – Amahla

It’s not easy being young in the U.K at the moment. Uncertainty and anxiety surrounds you at every corner, issues like Brexit, immigration and women’s rights threaten to douse the flames of creativity in the next generation of Londoners. Luckily it is in these moments that the greatest artforms can truly thrive.

Enter Hackney native Amahla. After graduating with a 1st class degree from University College London with a thesis on African American brutality, Amahla channeled her creative passion into the world of music, earning mentorship under songwriter Carla Marie Williams (Beyonce, Britney Spears) after being a finalist in her songwriting competition.

A year later, Amahla was awarded the PRS Lynsey De Paul Prize for outstanding emerging female songwriters and was also the recipient of the second ever MOBO Awards X Help Musicians Grant for her exceptional voice. It’s an impressive set of plaudits at such an early stage of the artist’s career, but upon listening to her music, one can see precisely why.

With an invested passion in community spirit, Amahla has always made great use of her surroundings – colleagues, peers and local venues – to hone her craft.

The young artist has already performed at legendary venues such as The Jazz Cafe, Camden Roundhouse and The Royal Albert Hall and worked alongside rising producers such as Shunaji, where she landed her number one spot on Radio 1Xtra’s “EP Of The Week.”

Fast forward to the end of 2018, which saw Amahla debut her single, “Old Soul” which again found quick support from Radio 1Xtra and the likes of radio BBC 6 Music, Complex and Earmilk and was followed by a sold-out showcase at Camden’s The Roundhouse.

Now, in yet another refreshing gleam of authenticity, Amahla recently released her debut EP Consider This. Released February 20, 2019, the debut is a sophisticated body of work that leans on vintage influences, yet is totally contemporary in its production standard. Rooted in soulful expression, Consider This moves with tender sincerity and the powerful songwriting abilities of someone beyond Amahla’s years.

Consider This - Amahla — Consider This – Amahla

“Consider This is a record of individual stories,” Amahla explains. “A glimpse into all the things that have left an impact on me in the last year. And hopefully one way for us to remember what the hell was going on in 2019.”

Rarely does an artist so effectively capture the voice of a people as well as Amahla does in her latest project.

Compelling and immersive, the release ebbs and flows between the arresting and poignant acapella styles of “Consider This” and “These Times I’ll Wait,” and the neo-soul influences of “Old Soul” and “River.”

Demonstrating a storytelling ability long beyond her years, Amahla explores issues of domestic violence, race, class and inner city life. It’s a culturally important release, with an undeniably talented songwriter at its core.

— —