Oyinda

Oyinda is a Nigerian-British R&B singer, songwriter, and producer, currently based in New York City. To this date, she has released two EPs: Before the Fall and Restless Minds (which is released on her own label Blood & Honey Records).

She was named best-kept secret by Rolling Stones on their 50 Must-See Acts on Lollapalooza 2014 list. Lollapalooza, in fact, was the first official show she ever booked as an artist. She explained this in an interview with Noisey saying:

Once I graduated, my friends at the time were studying at Berklee and were putting a showcase together. They asked me to be a part of it, so I performed two songs from Before the Fall, before it was out. And then, after that, apparently there was someone there who was booking for Lollapalooza. He was like, ‘Oh, I really like your music and whatnot. I’m booking for the show.’ He wanted me originally to be on the BMI stage, but I’m an ASCAP artist, so I was like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I guess it’s not going to happen. Nice meeting you.’

I went back to New York and then a few days later, I got an email like, ‘I booked you for the festival. You’re playing. You’re opening the day Chance the Rapper’s playing.’

On her future plans, Oyinda comments the following:

I know I’m definitely going to do one last EP. I’m an odd number girl—gotta do that. That’s just always been the plan because I just wanted things to coexist like an album would, but I know that with an album a lot of people would like a consistent story that’s more cohesive … I feel like for your debut, it just makes sense to be like, ‘Here is me and all these aspects of me that tie it all up.’ These EP’s will technically be their own album. And then once I really go off, I go off.