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Uwade: the art of blooming through grief, light, and rhythm
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Blending afrobeat, indie and ancient texts, Uwade’s debut album ‘Florilegium’ blooms with grief, gratitude and grace—an intimate sonic garden rooted in honesty and quiet power.
There’s something about Uwade’s voice that doesn’t just reach the ears—it sinks in. It’s the kind of voice that lingers, quietly intense, born of truth and soul. As she speaks about her debut album, ‘Florilegium’, her words carry the humility of someone deeply moved by what she’s created—and by what she’s had to live through to create it.
“Just an indie-folk, rock, afrobeat, R&B, polyphony, and soft-soul inspired gal chasing transcendence with her guitar”, she says, almost like a secret whispered between old friends. It’s a poetic self-portrait that perfectly captures her musical DNA.
‘Florilegium’ is days away from release—a luminous and heartfelt record woven with gratitude, friendships, and intimate emotion. But it is also a work marked by loss, written in the shadow of her father’s passing. “It has been absolutely thrilling. It’s the honour of a lifetime to share my stories with the world”, she shares. “Writing these songs was sometimes difficult, but mostly freeing. Turning bedroom demos into full-fledged studio tracks was electric. It took focus, vulnerability, collaboration, and an almost ecstatic devotion to the creative process.”
“During the early process of grieving, music gave me a language where words failed.”
Uwade
The album’s title—Latin for “collection of flowers”—is no coincidence. ‘Florilegium’ is, quite literally, a garden of experiences. “I hope listeners will find some beauty in asking questions without always needing the answers, and in working through life’s messiness with hope”, she says.
Grief sits gently but unmistakably at the heart of the album. Yet rather than breaking her, it seems to have deepened her artistry. “During the early process of grieving, music gave me a language where words failed”, she says, quoting a poetic Chinese tradition where emotion first becomes speech, then sighs, then song, and finally, rhythm. “I lived that full spectrum through grief. These songs helped me make sense of the new ‘thinness’ of existence, and of death’s unnerving closeness.”
Musically, Uwade is a tapestry of sounds. From Fela Kuti’s afrobeat to the indie rawness of The Strokes, she carries her influences like stardust—visible yet seamlessly blended. “The mix is usually unintentional. Like many artists, I absorb what inspires me, and it just shows up in my work through some kind of psychic osmosis”, she explains. “Even when I try to imitate someone, it filters through my subjectivity and becomes something entirely new.”
Literature is another core element of her work—classical references subtly woven through lyrics. “It’s not so much a need as an inevitability”, she explains. “Song lyrics are a form of literature, and literature speaks to literature. I’ve spent so much time with ancient Greek and Roman texts that sometimes they just… show up in my own stories.”
Given such a personal debut, is she looking to stay in the same lane for the next album? “I want it to be different!” she says enthusiastically. “I love reinventing myself. Maybe I’ll explore more West African sounds, maybe more R&B, maybe more choral stuff. Who knows?”
Alongside her own recordings, Uwade has supported artists like The Strokes, Jamila Woods, Sylvan Esso, and Ben Howard. But if she could pick one artist to collaborate with today? “Mk.gee. I listened to his latest record constantly this past autumn. It’s magical. We’re very different in sound and style, but that could lead to something special.”
Visually, ‘Florilegium’ draws from cottagecore—romantic, pastoral, and dreamlike. But it’s more stage than everyday. “It’s more of an artistic choice than a reflection of my actual fashion”, she admits with a laugh. “I love fashion, but maintaining a consistent aesthetic takes a lot of dedication… maybe too much… lol.”
When it comes to styling for performances and music videos, she seeks emotion, not just elegance. “I like outfits that make me feel like a goddess. Something that balances flow and structure, with elegance—and just a touch of edge.”
