Hailing from Burundi and Tanzania, Beckah Amani blends deeply personal lyrics with lush soundscapes in a sonic world that has her pegged as a breakout star from the Australian music scene – a scene that she has called her home since she relocated Down Under. Following a meteoric rise that saw her place in NME 100 in 2023, perform as an opening act for Jorja Smith on her Australian tour and sing alongside Coldplay for two nights in Melbourne with her own original verse of their song We Pray, Amani’s new album, This is How I Remember It. is a soulful, sentimental and, at times, mournful eulogy for a bygone relationship. As she releases the visualiser for High On Loving You (Talk), we sit down with Amani to discuss the artists that inspire her and more:

Who is Beckah Amani?

Beckah Amani is a very curious person and a natural collector of stories. She’s a very deep feeler and multifaceted person who’s been shaped by the many different places she grew up in from East Africa (Tanzania) to country Western Australia (Katanning), to East Coast Australia (Gold Coast) and recently South London (her home base for half a year). She’s in love with music and obsessed with her family’s farm where most of her lyrical ideas are born!

Are there any key musicians that have helped you form your sound?

I grew up listening to everything. From Kendrick Lamar, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houstin to Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, Adele, Oasis, The Beatles to African artists such as Lucky Dube, Rose Muhando, Nomcebo and Fela Kuti. I’d like to believe that I’ve been shaped by all the musical genres that these artists do their music in. In saying that, I think Kendrick Lamar, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Adele and  Fela Kuti have had the greatest impact on my approach to music production and songwriting. Jakwob (Little Simz, Nia Archives) when working on the album late last year, really encouraged me to own the fact that my music is dimensional and that it doesn’t sit in a genre or lyrical theme. He thought my music feels more like a garden. A place where many different plants grow together in a cohesive and colorful ecosystem. I think my music is that; a sonic garden held together by my voice and vulnerable storytelling. Beyond the music that I listened to growing up and the artists who have shaped my sound, there’s a duality and dimension to who I am. My story isn’t one thing and so my music is naturally dynamic too.

If you had any superpower what would it be?

Omnipresence: to be in more than one place at once. Everything, everywhere all at once if you will.

Biggest moment in your career so far?

The biggest moment in my career so far would have to be guest performing with Coldplay in November. Coldplay was the first band I ever saw in concert, their album “Parachutes” was the first vinyl I ever bought, and I used to cover their music all the time busking, when I was starting out. Chris Martin asking me to guest perform with them for two nights in a sold-out stadium, was literally a full circle moment and something straight out of a dream. I would also say releasing my debut album is an equal second to this moment. They are both moments of growth that I’ll remember forever.

Your album has been described ‘to centre a narrative of a relationship that’s falling apart’, how do you want people to respond to this?

The album is a series of reflections and conversations between two people and how they remember certain moments and events in their relationship and life outside of it. I want people to feel seen and feel less alone about the complex emotions and experiences that love and insecurities evokes in us. I titled the album “This is how I remember it.” because memories are incredibly important, powerful and can be unique to us. How I remember a specific event or experience isn’t necessarily how you remember that same event or experience. I hope the album gives people space to dive into their memories and own their perspectives.

Who is your music for?

My music is for anyone who loves vulnerable songwriting and deep story telling. It’s for the feelers. It’s for people who love music in its full spectrum from listening to relatable topics such as love, identity and more reflective topics such as placelessness and activism. My music is for those of us who can go from listening to indie to alternative pop, to pop and soul, R&B and afrobeats; all in the same breath and love it all the same. It is for fans of RAYE, Jorja Smith, Olivia Dean, Tems, Ayra Starr, SZA, Frank Ocean, Nina Simone and Rachel Chinouriri.

What was the inspiration behind your music video for High on Loving You (Talk)?

The process of writing and recording ‘High On Loving You (Talk)’ with Alice Ivy (Thelma Plum, Sycco) and Brooke Toia (Sezairi, Chris Kläfford) was so much fun! I particularly remember being completely blown away by Alice Ivy’s incredible musicianship. ‘High On Loving You (Talk)’ was born from Alice and I’s obsession with Frank Ocean and SZA. We really wanted to create a song that was stylistically a little different for me but wrapped in the warmth and reflectiveness that people have come to expect in my music. One of the most notable production elements of the song is this beautiful but driving bass hook which I was addicted to from the moment Alice played it. ‘High On Loving You (Talk)’ is about slowing down and being present and in the moment with someone that you love. It’s about focusing on all the good things that have kept you loving this person and reassuring them you’d go through all of the storms again and write all of the poems in the world if it meant they could feel just as high on loving you as you are on loving them.

How does your Burundi heritage play into your sound?

My roots have differently influenced how I approach music and the stories that I’m excited to write about. My Burundian heritage in particular has influenced my rhythmic choices in this album on tracks such as “Waiting On You”, “Try For Me”, “Superstar” and “Sober”. In Sober, I actually sampled this old “welcoming lullaby” that you can also hear in the interlude “Kubona” which means “to see you”.  Burundi people are storytellers and are all about community and making sure everyone feels like they belong. These are themes I have carried into my songwriting and aspects that I will continue to weave into my music.

Favourite city to perform and why?

Ummm this is such a tricky question for me because I’m such a settlemental person! If I had to pick one, Adelaide, Australia. My fans over there are literally the sweetest, the kindest and most supportive audiences I’ve got. I’ve never had a city (outside of my own home town) show me so much love and just constantly ask me to go and play a show.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Next year I would love to see myself touring in new territories I’ve never played before. It would be a dream to tour America and head on my first headline tour across Europe & the UK. I would also love to support more international acts not only in Australia but in places like Europe & the UK. Finally, I’ll be releasing the deluxe version of my album and hopefully releasing some collaborations as well.

@beckahamani

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