During 2021, at the height of the global pandemic, I began recording my debut album One Mic One World (OMOW) - a project inspired by the shifting boundaries of togetherness and isolation tied to this unique moment in history, and the ways in which we relate to space and distance. 

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Conceived as both a creative response and a personal reckoning, the album traces a map of my musical past. I reached out to collaborators who had influenced my artistic development across different stages of my life, and who specialised in a multitude of different genres, based across the globe. Rather than seeing the limitations of the pandemic as a barrier, I wanted to redefine these parameters as a means of connection, bridging distances that might otherwise have remained. 

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OMOW is a homage to the artists who feature on the album. Using source recordings captured by each of them on the same travelling microphone, I created a track dedicated to each musician, and added my own contribution with cello, baroque cello, bass guitar, viola da gamba, and electronics.  ​

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Recorded during a time of global uncertainty and vulnerability, the album aims to capture not just musical exchange, but a particular emotional and social moment in history. Taking the time to reflect on each artist’s mindset and musical offering gives us a rare snapshot of that exceptional period. 

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Find out more about each musician and track below:​

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Love in the Fraction

Tao, violin

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When I was about 8 I had my first musical experience outside of school, with Tao (then Pincus) - a circus performer and Samurai master with dreadlocks down to his ankles, who happened to be a virtuoso violinist on the side. The first time we met, we stood in silence standing opposite each other in a courtyard, with a training sword in each of our hands. It took me 40 minutes to realise he was imitating my movements, and then we danced around the courtyard together for the rest of the evening. He taught me to play the blues, and we performed my ‘first concert’ together live with Luke the juggler.  

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Tao now lives in American Samoa and hasn't played the violin for a long while - instead of sending him a mic, I sent him a violin in the post and he recorded it on his phone - can you hear the Samoan rain in the background? 

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What You Wanna Do?

Edo G, vocals & Dj Yoda, production

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Just ​before the pandemic I had the joy of working with DJ Yoda and Edo G for the recording and release of the album 'Home Cooking'. On tour we even had the chance to take Edo G to Bruton horse fair - a bit of a juxtaposition from the Boston streets! Here you will also hear the wonderful James Davison doing his thing on trumpet. 

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Patchwork - Keno Koruno Sure

Debipriya Das, vocals/sitar & Debasish Mukherjee, tabla

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I met Debipriya and Debasish on two separate projects - Katie De La Matter's 'Calcutta' and Amina Khayyam's ‘A Thousand Faces'. With both musicians I was stuck by their warmth and generosity in sharing knowledge about Hindustani music, which was so new to me, and their sound world drew me in. To this day they have never met, and this piece has been patchworked together from musical fragments.

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Jacob Fetch the Children & I Never Told Anybody

Roisin McCarthy Green, vocals

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Roisin has been a sister to me. Our mothers met in prenatal class, Roisin beat me into the world by a month or so, and she has been a major influence on me ever since - whether that be in music, fashion, freedom, or what ice lollies are hot this month.​​​​

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Can Duh Dilish

Holly Harman, violin

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Holly ​symbolises my first introduction to trad music, through her folk group on period instruments. She brought me to sessions far and wide and showed me to ropes in one of the genres now closest to my heart. Summers on tour in the baking heat in south of France with sunflowers and wine cellars are treasured memories. 

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Raag Bihag - Alap and Bandish in Rupak Taal

Debasish Mukherjee, tabla

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Debasish and I met on a theatre project with a classical Indian dancer, and I have never met someone so enthusiastic and eager to share knowledge about their craft. I was inspired to learn more from him and spent lockdown learning bandishes on Zoom with him a whole beat out, thanks to our good old friend, latency. 

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Mad Fox & BT

Rachael Cohen, alto sax & Sam Watts, piano

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I met both Sam and Rachael in Birmingham, although from different eras. Rachael in my first years in the city - coming of age, and Sam at the end of my time there whilst transitioning back to London. Times with both of them, and the whole jazz scene, with endless nights at the Yardbird and the Spotted Dog, will never be forgotten.

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A Hall of Mirrors

Eugene Friesen, cello

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Eugene has been an inspiration to me ever since my big band teacher at school stuffed a Trio Globo mix tape into my hand at band practice. When people say the cello sounds like the human voice, I think of him. A kind, generous man, and a formidable musician. ​I never had the chance to meet Eugene in person, until just before the album release when we had the chance to chinwag over kroketas in London while he was on tour with Paul Simon.

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Cello Weather

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This my secret track, without the gap! Love in the Fraction is made up of cello parts that are just improvised on top of the violin part. This is simply the sound of all the unused improvisations playing at once. I thought it was quite fun, so it stuck - as raw as it comes. ​