Countless artists battle to carve, define or establish their own musical identity. For some, it's a strenuous process of experimenting with various musical styles in an attempt to stumble upon something that "fits".
What is apparent about Jamaican born British artist Adreyn Cash though, is that he is an artist that is not only fully aware of his musical identity, but in full, natural command of it. With its routes dug deep within soul music, Adreyn Cash’s sound consists of the smooth mixture of emotion and perhaps even fear, projecting music that is alternative: dark, but by no means depressing. “I create music that people can listen and relate to, but also music that reaches out to the person within, the one whom we hide from the masses, my music is the voice for the hidden ‘us’.”
Growing up, Jamaican born British artist Adreyn Cash found himself in and around music from an early age. A strong musical heritage consisting of reggae artists RDX, Eric Donaldson and the all-important presence of his mother, meant that although not his birth right, it’s considered that becoming a musician himself was something he was destined to do.
It wasn’t until the age of 16 however that he started taking his music seriously, upon which, he was able to flourish at an array of opportunities. He championed renditions of songs such as John Legend’s “Ordinary People” at weddings, birthdays and secondary school performances that on one performance included the Mayor and Mayoress of his borough amongst the delighted audience. Excitement for him as a musician was growing. The belief was that “Once he gets into the industry, there will be no stopping him”. - Mayor of the London Borough of Bromley.
With the acknowledgment of him as a musician increasing, he began playing bigger events for an expanded fan-base that continued to grow ever stronger. This ultimately culminated into an early highlight of his career: performing at the Indig02 in December 2009.
Almost a decade later, in 2018; after completing a degree in Music. Adreyn burst onto the scene with single ‘Angel’s Lie’ which was premiered by BBC 1Xtra, with further support from Reprezent Radio, Elicit Magazine, and Link Up TV, among others, and has garnered over 100,000 streams on Spotify alone. Proving the Jamaican born British singer, songwriter and producer was a force to be reckoned with.
The 8-track EP was co-produced by Adreyn Cash, alongside some of the finest UK musicians and beatsmiths, including Nutty P, who has previously worked with Ghetts, Shakka, and Professor Green, among others, 169, whose production credits include working with the likes of Drake, Craig David, and Stormzy, and rising producers Jamal Woon (Wiley, Bonkaz, A2), Shaun Barratt, and Farr Music’s Linden Berelowitz, with all songs on the seminal project, written by Adreyn.
From the opening track ‘Angel’s Lie’, which sees Adreyn lamenting a loss of innocence and the end of a relationship, and the deeply personal ‘Breathe’, which was written as Adreyn was battling depression in 2017, to ‘Strange Fruit’, about our forever search for unconditional love, and the slow burning ‘Mama Papa’, to the guitar-driven sensual track ‘Sweetest Taste’, Adreyn Cash’s Illusions EP takes the listener on an expansive lyrical and musical journey, which makes for a greatly compelling listen, from start to finish.
Speaking about the inspiration behind his Illusions EP, Adreyn Cash says, “The EP is inspired by love and desire and driven by a need for love and acceptance. I wanted to write a project about the way I saw the world, my hopes and aspirations. All the things I wanted but felt I didn’t have, all the things that were illusive in my life: success, happiness, joy, love & freedom. This Illusions EP was a way for me to break through any illusions, with the hope of actualising these aspirations”.
In 2020, Adreyn returned with his powerful 80s inspired Alt-R&B track ‘Killshot,’ the first single from his ‘Rich Girl’s Don’t Marry Poor Boys’ album, set for a 2021 release.
‘Killshot’ is a dark, mid-tempo track written and produced by Cash himself, and deals with the act of reclaiming your “love” after heartbreak, he sings: “I’m taking back my love, cause you got the killshot”. “Killshot, for me, comes from a darker place than a song like ‘Angel’s Lie,’ that song was about closure, and forgiveness; there was no blame. Killshot is about revenge, I’m angry that my heart has been broken again, and it’s not my fault it’s hers.”
Hailing from South London, and drawing influences from the greats such as Prince, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Michael Jackson, Adreyn Cash is revered for his pure, smooth and lush vocals, that travel across soul, R&B, pop and alternative music. His signature alternative soul sound, which excellently fuses elements of pop, rock, R&B, gospel and classical music, to create something striking and unique, and yet warmly familiar, has been honed to perfection over the years.