Zarif
The child of a Scottish father and Iranian Jewish mother, the 23-year-old Londoner has crammed a lot into a short space of time, making her name in an underground London scene. And her unusual background helps explain her singular and eclectic approach.
London's soul singer-songwriter open mic circuit is one of the capital's best-kept secrets. At a series of venues across the city, songwriters get to test out new material in front of their peers. It was on one of these stages that Zarif was spotted by legendary DJ/producer duo ‘The Nextmen’, who immediately asked her to be the featured vocalist on 3 tracks on their recent album, including the single ‘Something Got You’. T
his lead to her performing at countless festivals last summer including Glastonbury, Global Gathering, a guest spot at Fabric Live, and to live radio performances on XFM, BBC London and Radio 1. The track was supported by the likes of Pete Tong, Rob Da Bank and Annie Mac.
Since then, Zarif has recorded with Groove Armada and The Rakes who were bowled over after hearing her vocals on ‘Something Got You’ and got in touch.
As well as performing with The Nextmen, Zarif has been performing with her own live band in venues such as YoYo, Cargo, Hoxton Bar and the Soho Revue Bar. She also played at Lovebox, Get Loaded in the Park and Bestival through the summer.
Her explosive, sassy, feel-good debut single ‘Let Me Back’ will be released in February and is written by Zarif, and co-produced by Tommy D (Kanye West, Corinne Bailey-Rae). It’s edgy pop with a nod back to early Jackson 5 and the rare groove classics.
Zarif’s eclectic debut album will follow early next year and features production from the likes of Fraser T Smith (James Morrison, Kano), Tommy D (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Corinne Bailey-Rae), Blair Makichan (Lilly Allen) and Full Phatt (Rolling Stones, Christina Millian).