In one week, after 12 years since I released my very first EP, I’ll be releasing my fourth album ‘Rituals’.
I started writing ‘Rituals’ whilst living in Berlin in 2015. At that point I had hit a crossroads, and I remember talking on the phone at length with a good friend, questioning whether music would be a part of it.
A few days later, I started to write. It was to be the first song written for the album called ‘Could This Be’ which you’ll get to preview over the following days.
For me what’s pushed me forward is realising the incredible friendships I’ve made along the way, the music community around me that continues to inspire me, and all the people who have listened. If it wasn’t for these people, there would just be songs with nowhere to go.
At this point I would like to give gratitude to all the people who have helped me with this album and along the way as I feel I don’t thank people enough, so here goes.
I would like to thank Andrew Keese for being there for me since Day 1. You’ve not only encouraged me to release music in the first place, but you have also contributed significant talent to every single release since I started.
I’d like to thank my past band members and dear friends Richard Martin and Andrew Cowie, who have contributed a great deal of musical ideas over the last three records and were there in sprit when I was writing the fourth.
I’d like to thank Giles Fielke and Hugo Cran for becoming the backbone of my new band and for learning all the new songs over a short period of time and for adding their own touches to the arrangements.
I’d like to give a big shout out to John Lee at Phaedra Studios who put his heart and soul into producing this record and for pushing the boundaries to what I thought could even be achieved with these songs in the studio.
I’d like to thank Stan Raymonde at Opposite Number for listening to the album and deciding to put it out purely based on the work alone. I never thought I would have my first international release at album number four, and am thrilled at the prospects of touring the album overseas this year.
I’d like to thank Ashley Sambrooks at Higher Plains for having worked with me since album number one and for all his hard work.
I’d also like to thank Don at Kasumuen Records who I gave the record to listen to in December and has decided to put it out knowing release day was around the corner.
And lastly I’d like to thank Adalita Srsen for picking up the phone and for being a constant supporter and dear friend.
So here it comes, and I hope I get to share a part of it with you somehow in some way soon.
In the meantime, thanks for listening.
X
Amaya
