Future Sounds is a new music monthly powered by Consciously Connected Travel and co-curated with artisanal collective Sons of Craft in partnership with Fitzrovia member’s club Mortimer House and Nataal magazine. With ‘soul-full’ music at its core, our aim is to bring good people together to appreciate the joys of unwinding and making new friends, checking the drama at the door.

Guests were welcomed to the first instalment of these intimate Friday evening sessions by a DJ set from Haruna whose afro house selections warmed us up for the main event, Brooklyn native Talia Goddess. The Guyanese-British artist merges her talents as a singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, model, entrepreneur and community leader to galvanise the next generation of creatives. The 20-year-old performed songs from her debut EP ‘Poster Girl’ that, she casually revealed, were written when she was as young as 12. Singles ‘Ragga’ and ‘Everybody Loves A Winner’, which also features on her amazing COLORS performance, stirred the crowd into a groove as head-bops cast a wave of positive vibrations across the floor.

The next day, I meet Talia (real name Tayahna Walcott) back at Mortimer House to reflect on her commanding performance that saw her own the stage with a conviction that belies her age. She is a true tour de force who brings with her an advocacy of discovering your voice by leaning into the uncomfortable parts of yourself. Let’s get into it…

What inspired your stage name?

Talia is my middle name and I’ve always liked it. I used it when I started to make my social media platform as a way to separate from my personal identity. So, it’s kind of like an undercover secret identity with Talia Goddess. Then when I started to gain more popularity I made the decision to embrace that as my public persona.

How do you feel you embody ‘Goddess’?

It allows for a sense of divinity to call into my existence when you speak on me. When you say the name Talia Goddess, you’re automatically prophesising a certain energy, an essence that feels protective, divine and spiritual. I chose the word Goddess to remind me of what it means to be aligned with yourself and operating from the point of authenticity and love and openness.

How do you bring that spirituality into your work?

My music is a really spiritual process. There are some songs that I feel were sent to me by God, like I’m the vessel between God, the higher power and the computer. It’s about being able to understand when things align, trusting the unknown and understanding my purpose here being bigger than anything I can comprehend. But also understanding God and spirituality to be the sum of everything that exists, which creates this oneness and unity allowing me to have this love and acceptance of the ecosystem. So that’s something that I use to operate in my daily life.

Your online bio is pretty powerful. It shared about your intention with wanting to be a champion of change. Why are you choosing to show up in the world in that way?

I've always been a leader and the one to take initiative. For example, when I was nine years old, I made an anti-bullying rap song. My goal was obviously to stop bullying but also to show individuality in the sense of being able to rap, enjoy performing and being myself as opposed to what other kids were doing. So, I think it's a radical effort just by constantly showing up as myself, inspiring other people to show up as themselves, and then we can begin to have more authentic relationships with each other. My sense of leadership and entrepreneurship goes hand in hand. It's just a matter of creating the reality I want to see in terms of how I want to engage with art and how I want other people to engage with my art. And art isn’t just music. It’s thinking about the visuals, graphics, movement, how it makes you feel. I can't help but be inquisitive about delving into all of it.

You write, produce and create the artwork. Why do it all?

There are three main reasons. One is financial, you have to compensate people and I did most of these songs in high school. Then often when I did sent things over to other people, I wasn't satisfied with what they did. I’m meticulous so no one else could really understand my vision. Then the third reason is growing up in a digital era, where you have your MacBook and all these tools at your fingertips gives you the capacity to create. It’s a matter of taking the time to learn and figure it out. Being a tech dork at heart, making music and making beats already, means graphic design kinda goes hand in hand. It allows me to think about finding my own visual identity.

Do you find that because you're so emotionally in tune it can be what is considered a hindrance? And if so, how do you navigate that?

I read the book The Four Agreements and what resonated the most was not to take things personally and realise that a lot of the time people are mirroring either how they feel about themselves or things that they've been told. When I interact with someone, I am aware that the language that they use is a reflection of their experience that I am not accountable for their emotions and actions. Before I was very much a people pleaser. But the Cancerian evolution is being maternal, loving and empathetic while still being able to have that grounding.

The song Everybody Loves a Winner is so potent and driven. How did it come about?

It was a pretty good experiment My hypothesis was one, do I have bars? And then two, can I encapsulate that New York hip hop sounds and energy? At the time I was listening to Fat Joe and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. I just love the grit and the articulate vulgarity of 90s hip hop. Then from there I started with the beat. It was a really fast thing too. I wanted to talk my shit because I'm really mild mannered, calm and collected so people don't know that there is a fire under here. Also, it's a short song because that's all I have to say. Yeah, it made a point. It's also targeted to masculine energy. A lot of my music is very feminine, very soothing, and I was like, I don't have something for the guys, for the masculine. Yeah, so, It's definitely that hardcore energy that I really enjoy.

You recently moved to London. Why did you make the jump, and how has travel innovated your art?

You know travelling feels like living in an alternate universe. So many people living a completely different life, a different metric, it is kind of crazy. It gives more perspective of how big the world is and how small I am, which is liberating. In New York, I come from a family of immigrants so I’m not unfamiliar with the idea of leaving somewhere to have a better life. But I felt quite simply that I needed to spread my wings. The times that I've come to London have been so inspiring, really dope. Most importantly, the music scene. London has a big Caribbean and African population that isn't too prominent in New York or America in general. So, I find it a lot easier to connect and relate to people and see a greater perspective of the diaspora. Although New York is a melting pot, it is like a bubble, especially when there's a lot of people who come with a preconceived notion of what it is. So, traveling is necessary. I am just here, creating music, being a sponge, being a nobody all over again and making lovely beginnings.

How do you define success?

I define success as being fulfilled. I don’t know if this is controversial, but I often refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Like having physiological needs such as shelter, food, security, good health, financial stability, friendship, love, creativity, self-actualisation. That to me is the human experience we are striving towards. I want to get to the point where I can bear the fruit of what life is at its most potent form. I feel pretty successful right now, you know, sometimes it fluctuates. But being able to know when you have enough and not having this endless need of wanting more and more and more. I mean even living here in London, I don’t have much, I have a cool setup in my room, that’s enough.

You're working on a new project, how much can you tell us?

I can tell you that it’s better than the last one. I think my production has grown so much. It’s most evident in the range of music in terms of touching on new genres. I’m looking to give the music time to marinate and figure itself out, as that’s been my process. Most importantly, I want to share my roots and things that I think about. Thematically I’m exploring my identity and owning who I am whether it's sonically, lyrically or visually. And I will be exploring choreography and dance, which goes back to my origin as a child dancer.

And going forward, is there a big picture?

This year is definitely a year of new music and new releases and just having a bigger capacity to have more reach and visibility and production. So, scaling what I've been doing and I am also developing my label Trace Records more. Working with artists, really investing in them. They are so talented and so special and I am so fortunate to have friends that I can collaborate with. Building my tribe, building my business, getting the foundation right.

Do you have any parting words of encouragement for your fans?

Don't be afraid to live your truth.