New Music

New Music

New Music: Freya Ridings

Our curated picks of the hottest new live acts.

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North-London born singer-songwriter Freya Ridings is a prodigious talent with a voice that is both winning and breaking hearts in equal measure right across the country. Her beautiful piano driven interpretations of modern classics from the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Hozier sit perfectly along her own original songs and bring to mind Florence & The Machine’s more introspective moments.

Freya Ridings - Lost Without You (Official Video)

 

Freya was surrounded by music from the very beginning, her parents both musicians, inspiring her to write her first song aged just nine years old. As she told Culture Collide: “My dad plays guitar and writes, and my mom plays piano. When he was away one day working, I snuck into his studio and tried playing one. He later showed me more chords and I fell in love with playing and writing on both instruments. I wrote my first song sat around a campfire at nine years old on a school camping trip. One of my friend’s dad’s brought a guitar and played for us. I made a vow to learn guitar and perform an original song on the rest of the trip, which I’m glad I stuck too!”

Fast forward and tracks began to appear on streaming sites midway through last year with love shown from the likes of Clash and Mahogany as both Blackout and her cover of Maps racked up plays in the millions.

A burgeoning online fanbase has led to sold out shows at the beautiful St Pancreas Old Church and Omeara which both spawned their own respective live albums. The decision to release live albums prior to a studio LP may seem brave but it’s testament to the power of Ridings’ talent as a performer on stage.

Having toured with the likes of Tash Sultana and Lewis Capaldi, Freya played Germany’s premier new music festival, Reeperbahn Festival, in September, nominated for the prestigious Anchor Award previously presented to Jade Bird.


Essential tracks

Ultraviolet is swirling, dramatic and epic, showcasing Freya’s distinctive sound.

Freya Ridings - Ultraviolet (Live At St Pancras Old Church)

 

Freya Ridings has taken on the stunning Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, cementing her own stamp on the cult classic.

Freya Ridings - Maps (Official Video)

 

The haunting Blackout tells the tale of heartbreak, underpinned by Ridings’ mesmerising piano work. Check out this live version filmed at London’s Omeara.

Freya Ridings - Blackout (Live At Omeara)

For any current and future Freya Ridings live dates and tickets, head to Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Find out more about New For 2019 here.

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