Alamay releases new music

Emerging Bristol talent Alamay reflects on past relationships on candid, soul-soothing r&b single ‘Overnight’ produced by Omar Cassius

Bristol-based emerging stars – vocalist Alamay and Omar Cassius (fka skiimsk) – share the heady, soulful single ‘Overnight’. The follow up to their debut release, Aurora, and their lauded Boiler Room debut, ‘Overnight’ is a heart-rending track, with Alamay reflecting candidly on past relationships. A gorgeous, melancholic slice of R&B produced by Omar Cassius, his minimalist percussion, sparse sparkling guitar and brooding bass provide the perfect backdrop for Alamay’s heart-felt vocals. 

Speaking on ‘Overnight’, Alamay says:

“Overnight is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written. I have little snippets of me mumbling the ideas of the melody to myself in December 2020. I had written the chords one random evening working with Omar Cassius without much intention of it becoming what it did. I was staying with him over parts of the COVID lockdown to be able to work together, so it was one evening of that period. The words came pretty quickly after I had the melody down, and it was simple, but we both really loved it, and it became a very important song to me. Writing the song was space to reflect on past relationships both with other people and myself and find a way to have a release. Omar Cassius then added all the elements of production we have on the track today, pulling it all together. It was a song that came together the fastest any song ever has for me.”

The first single from their forthcoming second self-produced and self-released EP, 2022 sees Alamay and Omar embrace a new era and showcase an evolution in their sound, reflecting on past relationships, lockdown and their collaborative journey. Blending neo-soul, trip-hop and R&B with warm, jazz flecked instrumentals and elements of UK rap, there’s a natural synergy between the two; Alamay’s distinctive, velvet vocals and Omar’s nuanced soundscapes fuse together seemingly effortlessly. The result is a striking, ever-evolving sound that sees the duo stand out from the crowd. Due to play at Glastonbury’s Silver Hayes stage this June, and much-loved Shambala Festival, these coveted bookings are testament to their beautifully crafted sound and live sets and nod to the shape of things to come.

Gaining an education in Soul and Jazz from an early age, Alamay’s style draws on inspiration from these rich, timeless sounds as well as her Ethiopian heritage. One of Bristol’s most promising new talents, Alamay is bringing a refreshing take on modern R&B/Soul. She first entered the scene in 2019 with her collaborative project with Omar Cassius, Aurora, followed by a track entitled ‘Miirror’ featuring KNWGD in 2020, and made serious waves with her impressive live Boiler Room set, performing alongside deconstructed club titans, Giant Swan and Jabu. Already gaining tastemaker support and a dedicated fan-base, Alamay has laid the foundations for many more impressive projects to come.

Bristol-born artist Omar Cassius (fka skiimsk) entered the scene in 2019 with his collaborative debut EP alongside Alamay titled Aurora. As co-founder of the 1999 platform (a Bristol-based creative collective) he can be found working on multiple other projects – often behind the scenes – with other budding creatives in the city’s buzzing, tight-knit community. To date, most of his creative output and contributions have been his carefully honed, intricate productions. However, his forthcoming collaborative EP sees the rising artist making his first foray into contributing vocals and bars on releases, with his sights set on further collaborative and solo projects.