Amia Brave: The Nation's Sweetheart Speaks On All Things Music, Her New Single And More [Interview]

With a voice and harmonies that can put anyone into a trance, singer, songwriter Amia Brave is the brand new bright light the UK R&B scene has been missing for quite some time now.

Her unique tone paired with her soft melodies has truly put the music industry at a standstill, it’s rare for an artist to curate their own lane entirely and dominate a genre so effortlessly. The music industry is known to churn out artists that are hard to differentiate, in turn this has led to the music landscape becoming heavily saturated with one particular sound. However, Amia is a standout talent who refuses to be limited and navigates in spaces she’s celebrated, with style and grace.

Currently sailing the flag for UK R&B and soul, born and raised in the South-east of London, her unique tone and soothing sound is what’s making her so memorable. Her music is coloured by her heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies. Her debut single ‘Young and Misguided’, was written five years ago in her university dorm room, yet still resonates with listeners today and of course myself. ‘Young and Misguided’ set the tone for Amia’s musical journey, and was only the beginning of the many chapters in her book. She has been steadily consistent ever since, with her follow up single ‘Sweet Love’ and more recently the hit single ‘DÉJÀ VU’.

After the huge success with ‘Peng Black Girls’ with fellow friend Enny, Amia is taking us all back to the reminiscent nostalgic era of music, back to the soft, pleading in the mirror kind of love with her silky vocals to match. What a time. She is on the path to success and continues to show us why she is the new face to watch, time and time again.

"I was getting sick and tired of being shy and hiding away. Every new year I would make goals and plans but it dawned on me that if I don’t change then nothing in my life will."

"I navigate this industry with confidence. I remind myself I’m not limited to any city or place. Nor any genre. I love R&B and I focus on going where I’m celebrated."

New Wave had the opportunity to speak to the talented musician amidst her most recent successes and it’s safe to say, she’s just as kind, lovable and gifted as she looks. Amia Brave is an old soul and has a new outlook and mind-set on her goals and dreams for her vibrant, blossoming career.

New Wave: So you’ve just released your new single Déjà Vu, it’s truly a refreshing and beautifully performed song! I feel like the UK R&B scene has been missing a sound like yourself for a while now. - Did you ever have doubts about coming into the UK music space, as for a while there has been little visibility on UK R&B artists? Especially for women, there is often the notion that the UK doesn’t celebrate R&B on the same scale as other genres. How did you navigate your way into the industry?

Amia Brave: Thank you so much! No not initially but I block out those types of conversations. I navigate this industry with confidence. I remind myself I’m not limited to any city or place. Nor any genre. I love R&B and I focus on going where I’m celebrated. It’s so easy to focus on the lack of visibility rather than working on building a community and supporting the numerous platforms who actually shed light on our scene.

NW: You’re a singer as well as a song writer, a multifaceted Queen…we love to see it. When listening to your music, I feel a real sense of authenticity shine through on each track you release. Are all the songs you write based on real experiences you’ve had? Or do you come up with scenarios then put pen to paper?

AB: Wow thank you for your compliments. I’m a story teller, so some things are personal experiences that trigger off a stream of thoughts and feelings. Other times it’s just something that popped up in my spirit or like an idea I want to explore. I love song writing so I can literally just make up scenarios that help me express what I’m feeling.

NW: We have to talk about ‘Peng Black Girls’…that’s definitely the song of the year without a doubt, it’s been on repeat since the day it dropped! As a young Black woman myself, I really needed to hear a song like that, that uplifted and praised Black women, we’re often overlooked in society. How did that link up between you and Enny happen and how did you come up with the idea for that iconic track?

AB: My sister is a play writer and screenwriter and she had a film school. Enny was one of the students and after the classes we would all just freestyle to YouTube beats. That’s how we met, I remember being so blown away by her flow and skill. She already had the verses, it just needed a hook. It was a super quick session and I’m still shocked at the reception.

NW: You have a very timeless and unique voice; your sound takes me back to the 90’s era of R&B music. Very soulful. You advocate a lot for independent artists, a lane I think majority of musicians are taking nowadays. Do you feel you have more creative freedom as an independent artist, more control? Labels can sometimes box artists in to one category and they lose their essence but it’s a safety net for some. Do you feel like you’ll eventually sign a record deal in the future?

AB: Control yes and you can do things on your own time. I’m not against labels at all, just against exploitation of artists. So if something comes and it’s right for me then I would sign.

NW: Your single ‘Sweet Love’ recently hit a milestone with 101,117 streams – I’m sure that number has gone up as we speak! You said in your Instagram post ‘I left my comfort zone in 2019 and haven’t looked back since’ I love how transparent you are with your supporters. How did you transition out of your comfort zone and why was 2019 the year you felt change needed to happen?

AB: I was getting sick and tired of being shy and hiding away. Every new year I would make goals and plans but it dawned on me that if I don’t change then nothing in my life will. I started saying yes even when I was scared.

NW: One of my all-time favourite songs of yours is ‘Young and Misguided’, your debut single. I had no idea you actually wrote that song five years prior to its release! I love the line ‘I lose pieces of me, so you can be complete’. Like wow that’s a serious line right there LOL. – I’m guessing you had a load of songs in your bag when you wrote that, what made you want to lead with that song as your debut single?

AB: Wow that song! I was sitting on that song for so long, it’s part of a collection of songs I wrote during university. It was more like I just need to put something out, so I had to put it out.

NW: So it’s festival season, my favourite time of year. You’ve recently performed at All Points East Festival and Glastonbury, major achievements right there! How did you prepare for those, you sounded so great live, did you have any nerves about hitting the main stage?

AB: I actually wasn’t scared; I was just hoping they knew the words. With Glastonbury we didn’t have an audience so it was hard to take that moment in. But All points East was so amazing. Just hearing the crowd sing along was crazy, a moment I won’t ever forget.

NW: Let’s talk about the Rated Awards, you killed that performance as well… the costume design and set were both stunning. The whole performance gave me majestic vibes with the gold accents. How did it feel seeing that idea come to life on an awards show of that magnitude and did you have any creative input in the outfits?

AB: I was blown away by Melissa Simon- Hartman. She did all those amazing designs in a week and she made feel so beautiful. Beforehand she sent us like sketches and I just told her the types of styles that make me feel comfy and she just killed it. Shout out to her!

NW: You’re from South-east London, there’s definitely a lot of musical talent in that area, a lot of great artists are from there. Did your area shape you musically in any way or did your influences come from the music you discovered on your own and your household?

AB: I don’t know if the area shaped my music directly, but it most definitely impacted me as a person. South is full of Black culture and I think being surrounded by that really helped with my identity. Which you will see more of in my new music.

NW: You’ve been deemed as ‘A New Face to Watch in the UK R&B Scene’. I definitely agree. Do you think that’s added any pressure on you to release more music or are you just going at your own pace? Also is there an album in the works, or any other collaborations we can expect to see this year?

AB: Yes, sometimes it adds to the pressure I already put on myself to be successful. But I follow my own rhythm and I focus on my own journey. I want to be proud of the music I put out, so I can’t rush it. Yes, I’m working on my EP!