Following his gig in Manchester on Thursday, Hackney-based musician J Appiah discusses his recent tour supporting Michael Kiwanuka, and his thoughts on class, identity and inspiration.
Jesse Appiah, known professionally as J Appiah, produces music that is a blend of R&B, soul and pop-rock, continuing to defy expectations and genres in his pursuit of music that is eclectic and organic.
He’s recently finished a largely sold-out tour with British Mercury Prize winner Kiwanuka (24 February – 13 March), who he has known for over ten years.
He describes this experience as both a learning curve and something he is extremely grateful for.
“You never really know when you’re doing a support tour how many people will be in there,” he explains.
‘It all started with a nylon-string Spanish guitar‘
Appiah grew up in a single-parent family in Hackney at a time when it was one of the most impoverished places to live in the UK.
He describes the way the borough has evolved from its working-class roots to an area that is increasingly gentrified. However, he still believes it retains its eclectic and creative core.
His childhood was filled with music, specifically lots of West African records – the drawing board for his later musical successes.
He begged his uncle to teach him how to play guitar and then went on to learn other instruments, including drums at a free, local music school.
Appiah comments: “If it hadn’t been for that music school where I was able to enrol for free, there was no way I was going to be able to afford a guitar, or my sister a flute. It all started with a nylon-string Spanish guitar.”
On singing Appiah said: “Singing is something you don’t know you can do until other people tell you.”
‘I am drawn to anything eclectic but also organic’
In terms of inspiration, Appiah says that he finds inspiration everywhere and musically he is drawn to “anything eclectic but also organic.”
He cites his musical influences as including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Bill Withers, Blur, Gorillaz, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Donny Hathaway and Al Green. He’s also recently discovered Ghana’s Ata Kak.
Appiah’s approach to songwriting is not formulaic; he writes for himself, and writes about what excites him personally.
“A lot of my favourite songs are not perfect”, he says.
Playing the bandit
The acclaimed song and video for ‘Look Back’, which came out in 2024, has a strong Western vibe and Morricone sound.
Appiah says that the song was produced in Ghana, a place that reminds him of the Wild West in many ways: “Dusty roads, orange skies.”
He explains that as a child he always wanted to pretend to be a bandit or cowboy, riding a horse around. He enjoys playing characters, and this particular one symbolises escapism and daring.
However, as much as he loves the Western sound and imagery he wants to avoid being viewed as a gimmick.
Despite advice he’s received to make the cowboy hat part of his image permanently, he assures “it’s the fastest way to becoming a caricature of yourself.”
‘So much great art comes out of struggle’
Appiah is passionate about people of all backgrounds contributing to art.
As someone from a lower socio-economic background, his advice to other people wanting to get into the arts is to “get on with it” by using the resources they have around them, even if they are limited.
He admits life is constantly challenging but adds: “The arts is what colours in a city. It is important that members of society are not excluded from the arts. So much of that comes from areas like where I grew up, so much great art comes out of struggle.”
He urges that the arts be taken seriously because ultimately it provides a voice to those who need it most.
He encourages those wanting to create to “embrace the energy” and “to try and fail and try and fail”. He openly admits that he still tries and fails all the time.
“Focus on individuals who you feel resonate with your art, or your beliefs”, he advises.
‘People would say “You make R&B, right?’’‘
As a Black British artist of Ghanaian heritage with a soulful R&B voice, people make assumptions about the type of music he produces.
“When it veers on the electronic side of things, or moves more into rock poppy space, it really is breaking away from that convention of what’s expected from someone like me.
“I always felt that restraint of people wanting to put me in a box.
“People would say ‘You make R&B right?’
“It’s nice to make music and not necessarily think about genre. That’s really important to me.”
Appiah likes to experiment with different genres, in the way that all of his favourite artists have.
With that in mind he he looks to the future with a desire to collaborate with even more musicians, and write and produce more.
J Appiah will be releasing new track ‘Lucy’ in the next month or so in addition to part two of his EP That’s The Thing About Time.
Feature image: Sage.Complex
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