Stepping out from behind the "featured artist" label, to become a fully-fledged artist in your own right, seems to be par for the course nowadays. This route into the music biz comes with its own particular set of difficulties, though, namely an expectation of what your solo material will/should sound like, based on past collaborations, and the fact that, if you were a prolific collaborator, trying to step out from other artists' shadows. There are those who manage it; just take a look at 2012 success story Jessie Ware, who traded in her hi-octane dance collabos, for a more elegant, soulful sound, and came out the other side a winner. Hoping to repeat that success is Nia Andrews, the LA-based songstress who has worked alongside Blu and Shafiq Husayn, has provided backing vocals for Common, Lauryn Hill and Janelle Monáe , but is probably best known for her work alongside her now husband Mark de Clive-Lowe on his Renegades project. I'll admit that when I heard Nia was releasing her Colours EP I envisaged forward-thinking, electronic-edged soul music, like what she created alongside MdCL, so I was a little surprised when I heard the acoustic folk-soul of "The Lovers." This more organic, singer-songwriter vibe continues on the dreamy "Notes On A History" and the EP's title track, with only "Made In America" giving a subtle nod to her past work. The EP is now available to purchase for the bargain price of $4 from Nia's Bandcamp page. And that's $4 very well spent if you ask me.
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