Emerging R&B mainstay Ebubé reveals all: from his early musical memories to the meaning and making of his new debut EP, “Slow Jam Szn”.

Rising through the ranks of British R&B at a startling pace, singer-songwriter Ebubé finds rich melodies remarkably easy to come by. There’s depth to the way the 22-year-old manipulates cadence, striking a soul-tinged chord with every utterance he delivers. 

Music has always lay centric to Ebubé — something he only discovered himself more recently. Classically trained on the violin at a young age and surrounded by R&B and gospel music in his youth, the talent floated away from his musicality in his adolescence. Poised to study engineering at university, a subconscious string plucked him back into the grips of sonic expression.

Now, off of the back of a stint as a founding member of R&B boyband No Guidnce and a breakout as a solo artist that has garnered him a slot on the revered COLORS platform, Ebubé unveils his most cohesive and weighty sonic statement to date. The release of his debut EP, “Slow Jam San” has been much anticipated in London’s sonic circumference, and sees the artist set down a luscious and emotionally resonant marker. Brimming with purposeful, poignant and colourful cuts, the work brings together contemporary characteristics with a forward-thinking edge, with Ebubé’s lyrical musings always sharp and meaningful. 

Stopping by at Wonderland, he talks musical origins, his journey to artistry, and the significance of his new EP.

Listen to “Slow Jam Szn”…

Read the interview… 

Talk us through your earliest musical memories? Who was an influence to your pathway? 

As early as I can remember, my mum used to play gospel albums in the car and sang in church. I learnt to harmonize this way singing along to the likes of Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary and Cecelia Winans.

You were classically trained as a musician from a young age. How does that inform the way you make music now? What positives does it bring to your creative instinct? Do you feel it ever hinders fluidity? 

I don’t think so, the only thing is adapting to the transition from playing classical pieces how they are ‘meant to’ be played, to being a bit more free and full of expression in R&B. Once I was able to overcome this, having the bases in classical training I feel allowed me to explore more in music as it was always coming from a strong base.

How did your upbringing inform your sonic identity? 

I feel like code switching and growing up in a lot of environments where I had a dissimilar background from the majority bleeds itself into my sound. I feel versatile and not really limited to one lane which I see as a blessing.

As someone who lives and breathes music and has done for your whole life, why is this the sonic approach you choose? Was it a natural progression or have you chiselled your sound with intention? 

Half and half I’d say. There is an element of engineering the sound with intention that I worked a lot on last year, but that’s more in the technical side of production. I try my best to let where I feel like I want to go with my sound and influence to just take me there.

Congratulations on your debut EP, “Slow Jam Szn”! How are you feeling about the release? 

Very happy and relieved to be able to give this music to people. It always feels better once it’s released to the world.

What does the choice of name signify?

It feeds into the overall message that we need to be more vulnerable and lean into our feelings more. In a world where everyone displays perfection, it’s about time we take it slow and really bathe in our emotions.

Why did now feel like the right time to wholly introduce yourself and your voice to the world? 

I couldn’t wait any longer! We are always evolving so I feel like I need to introduce this version of me and allow people to see and join the journey from the start.

What was the creative process of the EP?

I figured out what I wanted to say, which required a lot of introspection, and then I worked on what I wanted the sound to say, and what feeling I wanted to feel listening to it. Then I realised that the sound I thought I was chasing, I had it in a lot of the songs I had already made without really thinking about it.

What inspired “Slow Jam Szn”—both sonically and thematically? 

I wanted to evoke the feeling of vulnerability and ‘sunset’. I wanted it to feel warm and soft, whilst keeping a strong tone of voice and intention.

What is the purpose of the work? What do you want listeners to take from it?

I want listeners to take in the music and perhaps be able to say and feel the things that they might not have dared to before. I also want to set the tone for myself for what’s to come.

Outside of the EP, what is on the cards this year and beyond?

Lots more music. I have so much that I have been making, and I am aiming to release another EP this year.