Talent’s a gift and singer-songwriter Mahalia is thirteen and already her perfectly dulcet vocals are devastating. True perfection exists without effort.
Writing new material based on the reflection she sees whilst peering into the mirror, young Mahalia has been coining her own original songs ever since she could hold a guitar. Performing and recording soulful and affecting tunes based on her innocent understanding of the world, Mahalia creates refreshing, spine-tingling melodies, designed to uplift and entertain. Currently unsigned, she rarely performs in public and is still very much focused on her schoolwork. i-D online got an exclusive intimate session with the cute, little beauty.
What have you been up to recently? I’ve been back and forth to London a couple of times, working on recordings for my EP and then I was here again for half term week doing sessions, interviews and gigs. It’s exciting to be writing with Josh Kumra as well; he’s such a great person to work with! What inspires you to write? Something has to happen to me first. I feel as though I need a flash of inspiration, it could easily be something small as somebody saying a line that I think is really catchy. But if all else fails and I have the most non-inspirational week, then I have to sit in my bathtub which sits underneath a huge mirror. I always find that when I’m singing, if i can see the expression of my face in the mirror, then I know exactly what I want to say next in my lyrics. Which other young musicians would you like to collaborate with in the future? I would really like to work with Ed Sheeran. It might have something to do with the fact that I listen to his music every day and know all the words to his songs but I genuinely just think that his lyrics are amazing! Tell us about your performance at regular London musi night Milly’s World… I’m not sure exactly, but I remember Milly hearing my music and really liking it. I also think other people mentioned the idea of me performing there and my manager (Matt Ross) had heard about the night as well. I had an amazing experience performing there.
mahaliamusic.com
millys-world.com
Text: Milly McMahon
