As drab and predictable as much of today’s R&B is, soul music—the good stuff—is getting its due time in the sun, due in part to the popularity of artists like Adele, Cee Lo Green and Raphael Saadiq. These are powerful singers who understand the importance of the almighty groove; artists who know that a pocket is more than just something sewn into your pants to hold your bankroll. But what about what’s bubbling beneath the mainstream?
That’s where Andreya Triana comes in. The self-taught songstress from South East London released her debut full-length, Lost Where I Belong, at the end of last year to rave reviews from all sorts of critics. Though she’s quick to protect her pedigree as a soul singer, her tracks have received the remix treatment from electronic luminaries like Flying Lotus, TOKiMONSTA and Mr. Scruff, and her association with tastemaking label Ninja Tune has endeared her to a wide range of ears. We met up with Andreya to chat about her forthcoming album and perused some of Austin’s local fashion traders (Big ups to the cool kids at Process, champions of the dirty south, for letting us use their backdrop). In the end, I got a story and she got a fancy pair of black boots.
