British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist FAITH is bringing her exploration of femininity, identity and self-actualisation to the world of music with her upcoming self-titled EP, FAITH. Drawing on electronic production, hip-hop and Nigerian rhythmic influences, the project traces her evolution as an artist, bringing together the different creative disciplines and cultural experiences that have shaped her sound.
Leading the way is her latest single, ‘THE CODE’, an unapologetic, rhythm-driven track fuelled by feminine rage, instinct and self-assurance. Born out of a moment of personal frustration, the song transforms lived experience into an expression of power, with FAITH allowing the emotions of the moment to guide her writing. Its accompanying music video, filmed during a solo trip to Thailand, extends the track’s themes of empowerment and self-discovery, capturing a journey as transformative as the song itself.
For FAITH, music has always been part of a wider creative language. Classically trained in piano and saxophone, she returned to making music in 2020 during a difficult period of personal change, initially using it to process her experiences rather than with any intention of releasing it. Over time, what began as a personal outlet became an integral part of her multidisciplinary practice, with sound, image and movement informing one another.
Her British-Nigerian heritage is equally central to the music, from the influence of Afrobeats and highlife to the hip-hop, indie and rock sounds she encountered growing up and later moving to the UK. Rather than settling into a single genre or creative discipline, FAITH brings these influences together on her own terms, building a distinct artistic identity that feels both personal and expansive.
In conversation with Noctis, FAITH discusses the emotional origins of ‘THE CODE’, the female artists who have influenced her approach to music, and how directing her own visuals in Thailand became an exercise in independence and creative freedom. She also reflects on the journey behind FAITH, the relationship between her different artistic practices, and what listeners can expect from a project that brings together the many sides of who she is.
If you were to introduce ‘THE CODE’ to our readers, how would you describe it?
‘THE CODE’ is an unapologetic song. You could describe it as an empowering track, but for me it was more about creating something I needed in that moment. There’s a lot of attitude and feminine energy in it, but ultimately it was just me taking what I was feeling and turning it into something that made me feel powerful.
Can you briefly describe the journey that brought you to creating your first EP FAITH?
I started making music in 2020, during a really transformative period of my life, and my ego took a hammering as a result. I was classically trained as a kid: I played piano for ten years, saxophone for about five, sang in choir and did music A-level, but back then music always felt more like a skill than a creative outlet.
I completely stopped when I went to university, and it wasn’t until I was going through this really difficult period that music came back into my life as a form of expression. I really needed it to process what I was going through internally. I never even planned to release anything at first; I was just making music because I needed to make it. Slowly, I realised that this was part of my artistry and my wider creative practice, and something I wanted to share.
In a way, FAITH starts with seven-year-old me sitting at that piano, putting in all those hours, and follows that journey all the way through to me developing my own sound and understanding what I want to say as an artist. It feels like my stamp.
You’re a multidisciplinary artist at heart, how has working with several other art forms influenced your music?
All of the mediums I work with inform each other. I was already working heavily with visuals before I started releasing music, and movement has also been a big part of my life, so I don’t really see any of those things as completely separate practices. My visual work already had quite a distinct style and world, and the music I was making naturally started to fit into that because it’s all coming from the same place. I hate to say “world-building” because everyone says it now, but that is kind of what it is. The music influences the visuals, the visuals influence the music, movement feeds into both – it’s quite a symbiotic relationship.
Tell us about your cultural influences, how has your British-Nigerian heritage shaped the way your sound has developed?
It’s played a huge role in my sound, especially rhythmically. I grew up in Nigeria, so I had really strong Nigerian musical and cultural influences from early on. There was obviously Afrobeats, and the more classic Nigerian music you grow up hearing, like highlife, but hip-hop culture was also a massive influence on me growing up. That West African influence is still really present in the way I make music now, particularly in the drums and rhythms I naturally gravitate towards when I’m producing or making demos. Then when I got older and moved to the UK, especially through my teenage years, I started getting into more indie and rock sounds as well. All of those influences have ended up sitting together, which is probably why genre-blending is so central to what I make. I’ve never really been interested in my music belonging neatly to one place.
‘THE CODE’ is a song built around feelings of feminine rage, that you describe as emotional rather than planned. How did you work with these feelings when writing the lyrics?
It was really intuitive. The first line actually came out as a freestyle when I got on the mic, and that tends to happen with the songs I love most – the ones that come from a really plugged-in, deeper place. I was literally living the situation I was singing about at the time, and I was pissed off, so that energy was already there. “7:40, blowing up my phone / yeah, you were late last night, huh? Where did you go?” just came out naturally, and from there the rest became quite easy to write. The hook came really naturally too. That’s what music is for me: it’s a tool that helps me translate, process and work with whatever I’m experiencing.
Was there a particular catalyst for these emotions, or did it emerge from a more general frustration?
It was about my boyfriend at the time – now ex. So I think that tells you everything you need to know hahaha.
Continuing with the theme of feminine rage, more and more artists are using this as fuel for their music. Do you have any in particular who have inspired your own work?
There are so many artists who have inspired my work, but if we’re talking specifically about female artists, particularly from the UK, I’d say Greentea Peng, IAMDDB, Shy Girl and Alewya. Their music is all very different, but I think they each have these really distinct, feminine identities and are completely in their own lanes. And then obviously M.I.A. is a trailblazing British artist who has been an influence – I actually get that comparison sometimes, which feels like a massive compliment.
BbyMutha and Princess Nokia also really inspired my writing. I love how I felt connected to them and their stories through their music.
What inspired your decision to shoot the music video in Thailand, and how has it influenced the song’s aesthetic?
I was already going to Thailand on a solo trip as a birthday gift to myself. Travelling that far by myself was a milestone I’d wanted to experience for a really long time, and I thought, while I’m there, why wouldn’t I shoot the visuals for ‘THE CODE’?
I didn’t realise beforehand how much it would turn the song into a wider project. I came back with this completely new sense of confidence. So the trip almost became an extension of what the song was already about.
How did filming this as a solo traveller tie into the song’s message? And was it planned that it would all connect so naturally?
It really wasn’t planned, which is probably my favourite thing about it. I’m a filmmaker and visual artist, so obviously if I’m travelling somewhere like Thailand, I’m going to take my camera and want to capture it. But the solo travelling itself ended up being this incredibly empowering experience for me, and empowerment was already at the heart of ‘THE CODE’. So these two things that started separately ended up connecting really naturally.
I’m actually editing a series at the moment that takes people through the journey of making the visuals, because it became much bigger than just going away and shooting a music video.
What were some of the challenges and positives from getting to direct your own music video?
The challenge is that it’s just a lot to think about, especially doing it somewhere like Thailand. I was the person carrying all the kit, finding locations, setting everything up, thinking about the shot and then having to get in front of the camera and perform. Your brain is in about ten places at once.
But the positive is that I have the privilege of being able to do that for myself. I’m not completely reliant on other people to make my visuals happen, and that gives me a lot of freedom to just do shit rather than waiting around for somebody else. Obviously I want to continue working with other creatives, collaborating and eventually have bigger teams around these projects, but there’s something really special about being able to see the project grow from my initial vision to the finished version.
How has working creatively while directing ‘THE CODE’ been different to your previous experience working on commercial campaigns?
They’re almost two opposite ends of the spectrum. Working on a commercial can be this huge production with a big crew and a lot of structure. You’re obviously bringing your creativity to it, but you’re doing that within the confines of a brief, working for a client and ultimately creating something for a commercial purpose.
‘THE CODE’ was completely grassroots. It was literally me and my tripod scootering around Thai islands, finding places and figuring it out as I went. I had a plan and a structure for what I wanted to capture, but within that I worked really intuitively. Commercial productions have to be incredibly organised and structured, whereas with this I could just be floating around Thailand with my tripod and camera and follow whatever felt interesting. It was a completely different way of working.
What can we expect from the rest of the EP? Any spoilers to share ahead of its release?
You can expect a really unique, exciting sound that makes you feel deeply and also makes you want to move. The project is really eclectic, but it still feels very cohesive to me because of how my experiences influenced it. It’s me saying – I have something to contribute to the wider conversation of music in the UK, and this is my interpretation of all the influences that have shaped me.
I’ve got another single coming in the next few weeks, which I’m working on at the moment. I think the further we get into the project, the more people are going to get to know me. The next single is quite intimate in its content, so I’m excited to release that and share a little more of myself.
Lastly, is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
I’m just really excited to put all of this out and start connecting with people through the music. I genuinely feel like I have something to contribute and something of my own to offer, and I’m excited for people to hear the whole project and understand the world around it. I’m just gassed to share it, really. And excited to invite people into my world through the visuals that accompany the sounds.
Follow FAITH on Instagram
Words: Midnight Adams
Editor: Vee Pandey
Photography: Anakin