Nigerian-born, North Carolina-raised musician Uwade (@uwade.music) is thrilled to announce her debut album, “Florilegium,” which will be released on April 25th through Thirty Tigers. The artist, who grew up steeped in the sounds of hymnal choral music and Nigerian Highlife on her dad’s car radio, later studied Classics at Columbia and Oxford University in the UK, informing her work with astonishing originality and depth. The album is preceded by the single “Call It A Draw.”
Uwade – “Call It A Draw” (Official Music Video)
In her own words, Uwade explains, “‘Call It A Draw’ started with a drum loop, a chord progression, and a feeling of restlessness. The creation process was pure, playful, and visceral, relying less on structure and more on improvisation. This approach was really freeing and reflects the sense of release that I feel is central to the project as a whole.”
Indeed, over the past few years, it seems Uwade has been everywhere, quietly. Her emotive voice is what opens Fleet Foxes’ Grammy-nominated album, “Shore.” From there, she’s gone on to tour extensively in support of the band, along with opening for R&B and indie stalwarts like Jamila Woods, Sylvan Esso, The Strokes, and more. Buy tickets from Stubhub.com to see Uwade perform LIVE.
Uwade’s solo output has included a handful of singles, like the buoyant “Do You See the Light Around Me?” and the more somber “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow.” But now, finally, comes a full-length entirely her own, a shimmering anthology that finds sweetness and light in sorrow, an amalgamation of disparate influences and recording sessions seamlessly fitting together through her expressive, expansive voice.
Uwade – “Florilegium” album
“Florilegium” came together in three studio sessions broken up over a year and a half. It began in upstate New York in 2022 with Sam Cohen, after Uwade spent a stretch touring heavily in support of Fleet Foxes. Early in 2024, her friend Jon Seale offered her a week at his studio space in New York City, where she further honed her ideas — and then she returned to her home state of North Carolina later that year, finishing the album with Alli Rogers at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s sun-soaked studio in Chapel Hill. Uwade felt decisive, empowered, and completely in control of her own creative vision.
The album’s title is borrowed from the Latin adjective florilegus, which means “flower-gathering.” Uwade explains, “I offer these songs as flowers of gratitude to those who have seen me through my life. I share them with the world as a reminder to cherish opportunities for renewal.”
“Florilegium” winds through genre, through death, break-ups, friendship, and failure. Here, Uwade wanted to honor as much of herself as she could — her family and Nigerian heritage, her scholarly tendencies, her background in choirs, the literature that moves her, the melodies of artists like Fela Kuti, Yebba, and Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, who inspired her to start writing songs at the inception of her music-making.
Currently in her first year of a PhD program in California after studying Classics at Columbia and Oxford, it’s hard not to draw a throughline that Uwade does craft her songs with a studied, careful hand. Cerebral and curious, each musical moment feels tactile, deliberate, and thoughtful — but also fresh, like something just discovered.
We recommend adding Uwade’s “Call It A Draw” single to your favorite indie alternative playlist. We would love to hear your thoughts! Please comment below and let us know how this song makes you feel. Remember, your feedback helps us bring you more of the music you love to discover. As always, thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment. We’re your go-to source for new music and positive entertainment news. Remember, (P)ositive (E)nergy (A)lways (C)reates (E)levation—P.E.A.C.E.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links. Any compensation will be used to keep this website up and running.