Available on Spotify, Overtones is CLASH’s entry into the world of audio commentary, a series with editorial insight at its core. Hosted by staff writer Shahzaib, Overtones cross-examines artists within music and wider culture through incisive analysis and focus interviews.
For Episode 6 we’re joined by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tay Iwar and London rapper Nix Northwest.
A driving force in the Alté music scene, Tay Iwar’s ascent has been steady but deliberate. Iwar’s interest in music was cultivated by his older brothers and his predilection for offbeat sounds was made tangible when he released a cover of Jai Paul’s ‘‘Zion Wolf’ on SoundCloud. Not even 16, Iwar released the projects ‘Passport’ and ‘Renascentia’ in quick succession, but it was in 2019 where Iwar finessed his signature cool blend of distilled soul, RnB and afro-rhythms on ‘Gemini’. Co-signed by prodigious label Soulection, Iwar has since reconciled his soulful quirks with the afrobeats takeover, working closely with the likes of Wizkid and Juls. Beyond his noteworthy credits for other artists, Iwar is gearing up to unveil his next solo experiment, the project ‘Summer Breeze’. For Overtones, Iwar shares why this forthcoming body of work is a bridge between worlds and diasporas, how he developed his moody after-hours sound and what the future holds for one of Nigeria’s most versatile risers.
Our second guest Nix Northwest, is a modern-day sage; a rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist from London who emerged on the scene in 2019 making nostalgic jazz-laden rap. Later this month, Nix will release ‘Xin’s Disappearance’, a concept album filtering through surreal moments from his childhood and adult life through the voice of Xin, a fictional alter-ego growing up in the shadows of a metropolis. In conversation, Nix shares his come-up studying music at Leeds College of Music, his DIY process which is both spiritually demanding and liberating, and the inspiration behind the labyrinthine storytelling he so intricately weaves through the album’s 15 tracks.
Tune into Episode 6 of Overtones now…
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