Nataal first discovered Lynda Dawn last autumn when she took part in Extra Soul Perception, a beautifully open-hearted collaboration between musicians from the UK, Kenya and Uganda that resulted in the New Tangents in Kampala, London & Nairobi Vol. 1 EP, live shows and soon come LP. Her contribution, Roses, feels like a sonic slow dance - martini in one hand, lover in the other – under a slow-spinning disco ball.

The soulful singer-songwriter also made waves with her 2019 debut EP, At First Light, and has received props from Gilles Peterson who included her on the Brownswood Bubblers Thirteen compilation. This year Dawn was tipped for greatness by The Guardian and has been working on her sophomore solo project due for 2021. But she still found time, as summer faded, to shoot this personal photo story for Nataal. We caught up with the artist to find out about the magic that goes into her sultry sound.

Please tell us about your early years in north west London.

I had a religious upbringing and my mum encouraged me to join the adult choir of our Pentecostal church, which was an amazing, nourishing experience. I was like a sponge absorbing all of the different techniques, arrangements and melodies around me. I call it my ‘spiritual education’ into music and it introduced me to some of my favourite gospel artists like Fred Hammond, The Clark Sisters, Walter Hawkins and Yolanda Adams.

What was playing on the stereo at home?

My parents had an incredible, expansive record collection. My father would play all sorts of jazz and folk from the 60s and 70s while my mother loved rare groove, boogie and funk mostly of the 80s. My parents are Nigerian so of course there was also plenty of Sunny Adé, Ebenezer Obey and Fela Kuti blasting through the speakers too. My family often called me an old soul because I’ve always been drawn to vintage sounds.

What does At First Light reveal about you?

It was inspired by my favourite records from my childhood. I wanted to create music that was timeless and transporting. I wrote all of the songs and had the help of my brother Jason on keys and my partner Al Dobson Jr. on production. It was a family affair and I wanted to keep it all in-house. Theme For Cha Cha is the most personal track on the EP, which is an ode to my father Charles who has passed away. He was and is still my biggest musical muse. Composing the song with my brother, I decided not to write any lyrics. This might sound strange but I didn’t want to limit the meaning of the melodies with words. I like to think it would have been his favourite song off the record.

What can you tell us about the Nataal shoot?

We did it in the summer just after the first lockdown and it was styled by my old friend Georgia. We went on a road trip a few hours from London to the countryside. The location was scenic and peaceful with wild deer running in the distance. We walked barefoot through streams with our shoes, gowns and camera equipment in hand. The looks were inspired by iconic 70s soul divas but with a slight modern edge. I guess one could describe my music in a similar fashion.

How did you navigate lockdown?

It was challenging yet revealing. I was looking forward to hitting the road with my band for the first time so having everything postponed was a big disappointment and trying to comprehend what was going on in the world made everything that much more difficult. The downtime definitely inspired me to look inwards, reflect and meditate. I spent a lot of time working on new music but also made sure to take a breather every now and then. Practicing regular self-care and looking after one's mental wellbeing is really important right now.

For me, lockdown also highlighted the value in being self-sufficient as an artist. Without studio access I decided to learn more about mixing, mastering and sound engineering so I could record from home. I’ve always found it therapeutic channeling my emotions into art and now more than ever I appreciate having a creative outlet that allows me to continue to explore, experiment.

Lynda Dawn plays The Jazz Café in London as part of Rhythm Section Live on 23 January 2020

Read our story on Extra Soul Perception here.

Styling Georgia Medley at The Only.Agency
Photography Justin Keene
Hair Joy Matashi
Make-up Grace Ellington
Styling assistance Crystalle Cox and Helly Pringle

Visit Lynda Dawn

Published on 13/11/2020