With bold personal style and a voice that‰’s equal parts velvet and golden spikes, all eyes are on 23-year-old Etta Bond, the London-based chanteuse who released her second EP, Meds, just last August. Originally from Cambridge, Bond grew up around siblings who were involved in music and performance and even had some formal education in a performing arts school. But rather than schooling, it‰’s really her experiences that have shaped her music. She has kept a diary since she was seven years old and started songwriting at age 14. Her first song was about her shaky relationship with her father.

Her words left the privacy of her notebooks a years few later after she contacted Labrinth, a well-known rapper and producer in the UK, through MySpace and soon, she was the first artist signed onto his record label, Odd Child Recordings. Her first EP, Emergency Room, was released last summer, which she worked on with fellow Odd Child artist, Raf Riley.

Bond cites D‰’Angelo and Jill Scott as major influences, though she also listens to a lot of rap, as she admits she likes a little bit of Tyler, the Creator every now and then. Though there hasn‰’t been any concrete news on whether a full album will be released anytime soon, she does regularly upload music onto her SoundCloud. She has performed at a few festivals and shows in the UK. For her latest gig, she‰’ll be sharing a stage with another up-and-coming artist, Amplify Dot.

“Loophole,” a stellar track from the Meds EP, has an 80s soul feel. Bond‰’s smooth voice is perfectly paired with dreamy but steady instrumentals. It‰’s a song of reluctant attraction. But instead of being bitter, Bond‰’s acceptance is alluring and playful.

Other tracks to start off with are “ThirsD” and “Every Dream” both featured on Bond‰’s SoundCloud though absent from either EP. So if your tastes include soul music that‰’s grittier and more flirty, listen to Etta Bond and fall in love all over again.

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