about
Introducing her newly-launched solo project, Rome via D.C.-raised, South London-based artist/vocalist, Naima Adams melds contemporary R&B with finely layered vocal textures, personal storytelling and a soul-capturing tone. Her latest single, ‘Stay’ is a glimpse into the tussle of navigating the realities of an inner city existence, written in collaboration with composer & producer Melo-Zed (Yazmin Lacey, CARI & ‘iwoyi: within the echo’) wrestles with place & roots, as Adams answers calls from the unknown: “how am I supposed to live when all I do is give?”.
Following her debut live festival appearance at this year’s Cross The Tracks in May 2024 playing in a band alongside close friends & collaborators, MADELEINE, Sofia Grant, and Alley Lloyd to name just a few, as well as the release of her first single, ‘Fragile’, Adams is set to sign off this year firmly on route to presenting her debut body of work. An open introspection of loss and hope in the modern age and co-produced by Lorenz Okello Osengor (And Is Phi, Sofia Grant), Adams’ ‘Fragile’ received praise from Bandcamp Radio and Jazz FM, with playlist support including Line Of Best Fit’s ‘New Music Discovery’, Somewhere Soul’s ‘New Music Friday’, Spotify’s ‘Hangover Detox’ (block.fm) and ‘Fresh Finds: Italia’.
An early member and organiser of the original South London collective, Steam Down, as well as backing vocalist for Allysha Joy, Sampa The Great, Celeste, Nadeem Din-Gabisi and collaborator on Sampa’s influential album ‘The Return’ (‘Summer’, 2019), Adams’ self-rooting in London’s new music community began in 2015, having relocated to London from Rome (her home city of the last 12 years) to study at the London College of Music.
Within that time and now, Adams has co-founded SE London community project, Scrapbook Mixtape (Listen; ‘In My Head’, 2021) and has featured on a handful of releases including Italian alternative soul artist/guitarist RBSN’s ‘Babanero’ (2024) and ‘Speak For Yourself’ (Summer Days, 2022), Sofia Grant’s EP ‘Extinction’ (Jazz Re:freshed, 2023) and at a slight pivot, became Naima Adams: The DJ, first taught by Touching Bass founders Errol & Alex Rita in 2021 and regularly playing at their seminal south London parties as well as at Southbank Centre, Jazz Re:fest, Brawnswood (We Out Here) and sharing lineups with the likes of Mr Scruff, Selassie TBC and Leanne Wright. Stretching beyond her artist, Adams became Touching Bass’s label/community manager and a creative producer for Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival in 2021, helping organise the festival’s best year yet in 2024.
From early mentoring by artist/educator, Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne (Hejira, Dave Okumu) to performing alongside Nubya Garcia and Theon Cross in Colombia, a 2am set with The Comet Is Coming on Glastonbury’s Rabbit Hole stage as well as performing on its legendary Park Stage, and appearing on Later With Jools Holland and The Annie Mac Show, Adams’ journey leads her to ‘Stay’ & ‘Fragile’, at a time priming with creative renewal. Adams recently became a Roundhouse Resident Artist for 2023/24, an artist development programme awarded to outstanding emerging artists between the ages of 18-25, and her next offering, produced by London composer, producer/multi-instrumentalist, Marla Kether (Little Simz, Oscar Jerome, Obongjayar) is set for release early next year.