In this conversation with rising South Coast talent Orla Rae, she opens up about the making of her debut EP, the inspirations behind her musical journey, and her thoughts on making space for herself in the fast-moving UK R&B scene.

There’s just something about an entirely acoustic EP that makes you feel even more connected to an artist. The Brixton based artist Santino Le Saint’s newest 5-track project titled ‘new material’ is stripped back with ‘no frills no gimmicks’.

Ever since Raye broke free from the contract with her previous label and went independent, we have seen her flourish. Raye’s single ‘ESCAPISM’ (Sped Up) became a viral TikTok sensation with over 323.5k videos created using the sound, making it impossible to not fall in love with the catchy but raw lyrics.

Hold up… There’s a new R&B girl-group on the scene! 19-and-20-year-olds Renée, Stella and Jorja make a beautiful trio as they harmonise, over a dreamy MNEK production that “fuses early 00s R&B, complete with Irreplaceable-esque guitar figures, and dancehall flavours”.