New York, NY (Top40 Charts) �Lament To Love� is the first track from the forthcoming �Knight In Neukolln� Ep by the multi-talented jazz, folk & soul influenced singer songwriter 'Riah Knight'.
As a child Riah Knight took to the tree tops of her Sussex village to write, often coming down with a song. At the age of eleven she had joined her first band, going on a European tour in her early teens. She made her breakthrough music appearances in 2017 opening for both Jimmy Webb and Portico Quartet while resident artist at the London Roundhouse. Following these early successes, Riah continued to write music while also working with
Just Jack on two of his albums.
While just finding her feet in the UK music world, at the age of twenty Riah relocated her life to Berlin to work on a groundbreaking theatre project exploring the politics of Roma identity in Europe, which led her to work with director Yael Ronen on a series of productions at The
Maxim Gorki Theatre. In between rehearsals and tours in Europe, Riah recorded and released collaborations with several hip hop and jazz artists in Berlin and back in the UK, as well as writing for film, before finding time to work on her solo release �Knight in Neukolln� with the Berlin based Get Together Collective. �Since I came to Berlin the music I�ve been writing has been about putting across a political agenda. For me this stripped back collection of songs is about letting the audience behind the scenes, to see who I am when the stage lights are off.� This first release of Riah�s personal work is a collection of original love songs and an intimate reflection of her time in the city.
Born in 1996 to activist parents and named after her Romani great-grandmother, Riah grew up in the rural countryside but spent much of her early life travelling and attending world music festivals. Sighting a broad range of influences, Riah�s music is characterized by her evocative lyrics and laidback sultry vocals, incorporating jazz harmony and a twist of folk, her soulful voice takes you on a journey across continents and young heartbreak.
�When writing, I really hate to lose a line. They come to me so clearly, with such purpose and carry such strong images with them, that I have to find a way to try to do them service in the song�. Often drawn to recurring motifs rooted in imagery of the natural world and full of strong female archetypes, Riah�s music can be both incredibly personal and playfully political. �I like to use poetry to write from the perspective of the female gaze. I am always writing, conversations make their way into lines all the time��
Knight in Neukolln E.P. - Riah Knight on Soundcloud
�Lament To Love�
Single Release Date:
March 26th
�If You Love Her�
Single Release Date:
April 19th
�Knight In Neukolln�
EP Release Date:
April 26th
Composed during her time living in Berlin's much loved district of Neukolln, Riah Knight, together with Berlin label Get Together, presents a collection of songs written and recorded between late nights, love affairs and work in the political theatre scene. �Knight in Neukolln� captures fragments of her evolving life in the city: moments between the sultry summer storms and the lonely grey winters. In this simple, stripped back EP, Riah lets us behind the scenes, showcasing the tender poetry of her songwriting and the honey dulcet tones of her voice.
