Soulful crooner Sekou is swiftly rising through the ranks of UK alternative music. With visceral emotional depth to his lyricism and a slick serenading quality to his voice, the singer-songwriter stands out for his well-crafted and seamless ability to acutely convey his feelings through his sonics.

He recently released his debut EP, “Out Of Mind”, a confident and class-laden project that feature his breakout hit “Better Man” and standout offering “Forgiving Myself”. He’s now back with “Time Will Tell”, a luscious and atmospheric offering to illustrates the continued refinement and progression of his bountiful sound.

Calling in Beyonce collaborator Theron Thomas for co-writing duties, the song centres on the insecurities that love can ooze, as Sekou ponders if he’s enough and the longevity of a relationship. Accompanied by a Wes Anderson style video, it’s a cohesive and vibrant effort from a soaring talent in the UK space.

We caught up with Sekou to talk music origins, inspirations, the process behind “Time Will Tell”, and what to expect from him next.

Watch the visuals for “Time Will Tell”…

Read the exclusive interview…

Hey Sekou! How has life been treating you recently? What does a day in the life look like for you currently?
Life has been good; I’m writing new music which is exciting! A day in the life really depends on what I’ve got planned; I’ll try and see my friends, create content, or I’ll be in the studio and doing writing sessions, every day is really different.

How did you first fall in love with music? Where did your sound originate from?
The first time I fell in love with music was when I first heard instruments and gospel music at church. But the first time I knew what I wanted to do was when I heard Whitney Houston and one of her songs that I love, “Greatest Love of All”. I became so fascinated by her that I watched her documentaries and listened to her albums. It was the first moment I just knew that this is what I wanted to do. My sound really originated from the greats like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Nina Simone – all the people who made soul music soulful. I also draw inspiration from artists like Ray Blk and Outkast. I love them!

How would you describe your artistry in 3 words?
That’s a good question! I’d describe my artistry as:
– Alternative
– Soulful
– Honest

Who have been a major inspiration to you both musically and personally so far?
Musically, I’d say Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, and personally it’d be my mum and the priest at my church, Larry Jackson.

What is your go to “in your feels” song?
My go to ‘in your feels song’ has to be Madison Ryann Ward – “Mirror”.

Congratulations on your latest track “Time Will Tell”! Talk us through the message behind it.
“Time Will Tell” is about feeling lost, vulnerable, and trying to explain yourself to somebody but they’re not fully able to understand you and get the message. I just wanted to be really honest with myself on this track.

What was the creative process like behind “Time Will Tell”? What do you want your fans to feel when they listen to it?
The creative process on this was interesting as I’d been in and out of sessions that week and wasn’t able to come up with anything – I felt lost and uninspired, but I had this really short melody idea and a title – which was ‘Time Will Tell’, and I just remember just trying something with those two things, and as soon as I did, it just worked.

I want my listeners to feel my honesty on this song, to be able to relate to the music, and feel like they’re not alone in their experiences.

We are also obsessed with “Forgiving Myself”.What is the meaning behind this track to you?
Honestly – I wanted to create a song where I could be a bit sassy, and really express myself in a different way to what I’d done before. When I was trying to find my feet in up-tempo tracks, I was a little frustrated because it didn’t come as easily, but I was in the studio with Sounwave, and we were working to see what we could create, and I had this really sassy, and attitude-filled melody idea because I had a lot to get off my chest, too, so I remember singing it to him and it worked.

Where do you wish to grow your artistry in the next few years?
In the next few years I want to continue to work as hard as possible to get to the points I want to get to in my career and to play as many live shows as possible. I’d love to see myself play in and sell out venues like The O2 Arena in London, and Madison Square Gardens in New York – but my biggest dream would be to one day perform at the Superbowl, but I know there’s lots of steps I need to achieve before I get there.

Who would be a dream artist you would want to collaborate with?
The artist from the past I’d have loved to collaborate with is Michael Jackson – he was such an inspiration, and an artist from the present would have to be Cleo Sol, I love her.

What are you working on next? Anything new you can share with us?
I’m back in the studio working on new music until the end of the year, so keep an eye out!