SUB BLUE: Momentum
Sub Blue grew up in the suburbs of Merseyside. As one of the only black children in both his school and his postcode, he was shy and introverted. “I didn’t want to stick out too much, so like most kids I tried to fit in with my peers” he remembers. Therefore, despite being raised on a wide range of black music at home, he began to follow what his classmates were listening to – mainly indie and rock bands. In his teens his appreciation for the music artist Drake – along with a seismic shift in teen culture – brought him around to R&B.
It was around this time that he decided that he wanted to make music himself. His artist name ‘Sub blue’ equates to his own take on what he terms ‘suburban blues’.
Sub Blue was quickly introduced to the industry in the North West of England, receiving honours such as the GIT Award’s People’s Choice and was named the first ever One To Watch by the prestigious LIMF Academy. Sub Blue was just leaving school at the time. He was soon signed to management, and began working with popular producers from around his area, such as XamVolo and Teesoulful from SPXKEN.
Sub Blue released his debut EP, Suburban View, in 2018. It included the singles Teen No More and Take a Picture, exploring universal themes such as the angst of youth, societal and peer pressures, and the ills of social media.
This formative release resonated with many and secured credible media and influencer support from titles as diverse as Complex, Earmilk and The Line of Best Fit; radio support from BBC 1Xtra (playlist), Rinse FM and 6 Music; as well as individual support from Target, MistaJam and Tom Robinson, amongst others. Quickly he amassed over half a million streams and appeared on playlists including Spotify’s UK New Music Playlist Friday UK, Chilled Pop Hits and Spotify & Chill, as well as Apple Music’s Pop Releases and Tidal Rising.
Sub Blue returns with new EP Wilfully Blind. The new body of work explores themes integral to Sub as an artist. ”I think the message I want to get across with my music is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or the ‘things’ you have, we all have our struggles and demons that we are battling as we try to make sense of ourselves, the world and our place in it. On this project I try to touch on the dark side of what happens if we don’t “wake up” in time.”
The EP features a plethora of UK talent, including Grime MC Manga Saint Hilare, an artist known for his complex story-telling, and KC of DIY collective Last Night in Paris.
First single Think We’re Fine, featuring Manga Saint Hilare, examines how we live our lives carefree; spending money, doing whatever it is we want – “without worrying about consequence or seeming not to.”
Having worked with respected US-based producers A.V and Sir Dylan on Suburban View (producing Teen No More and Take A Picture respectively), both return to work on Wilfully Blind, alongside longtime collaborator XamVolo and up & comer Mary Miller.
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