On her debut EP ‘We Speak of Tides’, Aziya deeply explores the way humans relate to one another, diving into the frustrations and exaltations of relationships. “‘We Speak of Tides’ is my journey of trying to understand human interaction,” Aziya says. “Every track on the EP, in its own way, explores the intricacies, and often frustrations, of trying to get my head around relationships – how we can go from drawing in those we care for one minute to pushing them away the next.” The 21 year-old singer, songwriter, and producer gained much attention in early 2020 with her covers on TikTok, notably with her version of “Oblivion” by Grimes. Her take was complete with looped live instruments, angular guitars, and on-point vocals and garnered the attention of Grimes herself, who reposted the cover on her own socials. In addition to Grimes, her talents were also recognized by H.E.R, who invited Aziya to perform on her Instagram live series ‘Girls With Guitars.’ Influenced by the likes of System of A Down, No Doubt as well as Jimi Hendrix and PJ Harvey, Aziya first picked up the guitar at the age of 10, and began writing her own songs as soon as she got a feel for the instrument. Her scalding debut single “Slip!” immediately attracted critical attention, with Aziya being heralded as the next Gen Z rockstar.
Aziya spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about her musical journey, thoughts on using social media as a platform to share her music, her debut EP and more.
