London, UK · neo-soul · jazz

Demae

1 upcoming festival

Touching Bass-affiliated singer making hushed, jazz-inflected soul for very late at night — South London warmth at candle volume.

Demae is a London singer, songwriter and harpist whose work sits between soul, jazz and quieter strains of contemporary R&B. She has been associated with the Touching Bass collective and label, part of a wider South London scene where jazz musicians, producers and vocalists overlap freely.

Her music is generally understated: soft, close-miked vocals over loose live drums, warm bass and keys, with arrangements that leave gaps rather than filling them. Harp appears throughout her recordings, giving the songs a distinctive texture. She has collaborated with a number of musicians from the same circles, and her material tends toward the reflective and slow-moving rather than the dancefloor.

neo-souljazz