We spoke to golden-voiced Rudie Edwards, whose own brand of ‘nostalgic soul’ has seen her move from singing along to Gramps’ records to headlining London’s The Fiddler

We first came across Rudie Edwards in the summer of 2021 – her release of the track Forgetting absolutely captured us.

It was the eve of her debut EP Worst Ways – released through the world-renowned Atlantic Records – which was inspired by her youth and upbringing in Dover.

Forgetting was a song that dwelled on the past, lingering on a painful memory that has not lost its sting. But it was also a song that revealed Rudie’s unbelievable talent – a powerful voice filled with emotion and soul.

Another year on and the title track from her EP has bagged half a million plays on Spotify alone, while growing to almost 30,000 monthly listeners is quite the feat. Ahead of her first headline show at London’s The Fiddler on September 17th, we caught up with Rudie to find out more.

Hey Rudie, from Spotify it says that you have been releasing music since 2020… was that the real beginning or have you always been making tunes?

I’ve always been writing songs since I was very young. They started out as poems and then, when I got into singing, I started turning the poems into songs.

Have you always wanted to be a musician, then, or was it something that just developed?

I can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to sing or perform. I was always putting on shows for my parents and grandparents when I was kid. On Sundays when we used to visit my grandparents, I’d sneak off with my gramps’ records, whack on his headphones and pretend to be on stage singing while everyone else was in the front room catching up.

Amazing! Can you remember the moment you knew you wanted to be a recording artist?

I left Kent when I was 16 to go to The BRIT School in Croydon – that was the moment I knew I was determined to do music as a career. Deciding to move away from family and friends wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I knew If I wanted to pursue music I had to take some risks and move out of my comfort zone. I’m so glad I did!

What is the state of play at the minute – are you signed and working towards albums, touring etc?

At the moment I’m working on a new four-track EP. This one will be more stripped back – I want it to feel really up close and personal. I have a few shows coming up over the next few months, I have another headline show in London at The Fiddler on 17th September. If you’re free, swing by!

What was it like headlining your own show at Paper Dress Vintage (Hackney)?

It was really fun; it was the first real headline show I’d ever done. There’s something so thrilling about hearing complete strangers sing the lyrics to your songs. I love shows, making that connection with people face to face, it’s the best feeling. The songs really come alive when you play them live.

Your music has some soul and a bit of pop to it…. how would you describe it to people?

Soulful Nostalgia.

Is that the music you grew up listening to? And is there a particular track or artist you hold dear from that period?

I remember hearing Tina Turner’s The Best for the first time and thinking, my god I want to sound like that.

What is the career moment that most had your head in a spin?

Probably getting signed to Atlantic Records. I was completely and utterly overwhelmed by it all, living in New York and getting to go to the studio every day to make tunes. I couldn’t believe my luck!

We have seen your Spotify and YouTube streams really gather momentum… how do you feel about streaming platforms?

I think they’re great, they’ve really helped me discover new artists and songs that I wouldn’t have before. They’ve broadened my musical library, for sure!

How do you get from 10,000 views to 500,000 views like on Worst Ways? What’s your one tip?

Being signed to a major label can really help with boosting your reach, but I think with all the social media platforms we have out there, it’s all about the content and connecting on a level with people and being consistent. With things like TikTok around, any great song has the chance to be heard.

See Rudie Edwards at ‘cene x McArthurGlen’s Oulet Summer Sessions in Ashford on August 27th & 28th, 2022.

Instagram: @rudieedwards