VIMBAI-ROSE
If you’re looking for cool nostalgic R&B vibes, Vimbai-Rose is a perfect addition to your playlist. Born in South East London and raised in Hertfordshire, the 21-year-old singer songwriter holds nothing back as she explores memories and the harsh yet relatable realities of life. Starting her music journey posting covers online and releasing her debut EP ‘Reality Awaits’ back in 2017, the emerging artist takes inspiration from her late father who was a well-known reggae musician.
​
Whilst lockdown may have put a hold on life as we know, Rose made the most of her time in isolation, writing and recording her latest body of work, “A Day In The Life Of Vimbai-Rose”. The five track EP is a testament to her nostalgic style which effortlessly fuses her soulful vocals, enchanting melodies and, relatable lyricism. Vimbai-Rose took the time to chat with Projext Liquid about her aspirations for 2021, details on her EP and how she has been staying busy during the pandemic.
Listen to “A Day In The Life Of Vimbai-Rose” below
How did you get yourself into music?
I grew up around music, my dad was a singer, so I fell into it. I’ve always loved writing poems and songs from a young age. At about 11 years old I would post covers on Facebook and YouTube – they’re all gone now, please don’t try and look for them. Then in 2017, around the age of 18, I dropped my first EP and since then, I’ve been taking music very seriously. This year I’m trying to branch out into more stuff, but music is my main thing.
How are you coping during the pandemic and what is getting you through the lockdown?
Music, Netflix, YouTube. I’m not a series person at all, I don’t have the patience but because of the lockdown, I’ve had to force myself to get into it just to keep me going. At the moment I’ve been watching ‘Bridgerton’, ‘Lupin’ and ‘Behind Her Eyes’, the cinematography is really good!
What was the creative process like?
During lockdown, I bought a whole studio setup. I had been saving for my 21st birthday, trying to turn up and have a good time but was unable to celebrate it because it’s in April. So, I decided to invest in my craft, which was a blessing in disguise as I was recording from home and sending everything over to my producer to mix. I was definitely forced to do it because I couldn’t go into the studio and not make music for however long.
When the world opened up a little bit in August, I started working on the EP. I recorded ‘Communication 101’ which I had written back in May 2020 and only finished it on the train journey to the studio. That was the first song I recorded; I had no intentions of dropping an EP but the second song I recorded was ‘Easier’ a few weeks after. It got me thinking of making a whole project out of it, so the EP was definitely built around those two songs.
Where did you get the inspiration for the songs on the EP?
The process revolved around ‘Communication 101’ and ‘Easier’ and tried to fill in the gaps. The name of the EP is “A Day In The Life Of Vimbai-Rose” so a lot of the context is just about me. It’s the 5 tabs that are open in my brain that I know people can relate to so it’s quite personal to me but also branches out to other people as well.
What would be your favourite song in the EP.
My favourite song at the moment is ‘Easier’. I just love the progression in there, I love the vocal layering in it and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do because I love layering my vocals. I think it’s everyone’s favourite which is why I’ll be releasing visuals for it.
Can you give us and hints on what the visuals will look like?
The song starts with, ‘Where did I think I’d be when I was younger’, the vibe is just me by myself, isolated and reminiscing. When you’re younger, thinking about all the things you want to do but not knowing the steps it actually takes to get there, a bit of naïve thinking life is free but’s actually hard. In terms of production, the ideas we have are really good.
If you could collab with anyone, who would it be?
Everyone knows who my top 5 artists are but if I had to pick two it would definitely be Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. I love them.
What plans do you have for the year ahead?
There’s quite a lot of things I want to achieve, hopefully I can when we come out of lockdown.
I would love to perform with a full band because I love live music and do more collaborations with
some of my favourite artists in the UK which I already have in the works. There’s a lot of talent here. I also want more visuals; I’m trying to step my visual game up and definitely be recognised by some of my favourite artists.