Bio :

TERRI WALKER is a soulful sister with musical outputs as everlasting as her charm.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop are thrilled that our first release be the high profile EP Untitled to Entitled produced by Joe Buhdha, and out 17th November 2014. Terri is setting airwaves alight with a six-track EP, and remixes by S.Chu, Corsair, RocLow, Boxwork, and Funk Butcher.

Supported by Mista Jam, Gilles Peterson, Ronnie Herel, Sy Sez, Soul Heaven, Soul Culture,Booker T, Adele Roberts, Mi-Soul Radio, Graeme Park and Leo Greenslade, it’s got the blessing of tastemakers.

 

Classically trained from 15, she always knew singing was her draw, joining community choirs to bring her art alive. When 22 years old, Terri was signed to Mercury Records, and at 23 released her debut album Untitled, picking up fans like Amy Winehouse.

‘Terri is an old soul in a young body. Her voice has the depth of the old skool diva, (Patti Labelle and the Aretha Franklin) but with the freshness of nu-soul stars like Erykah Badu and Floetry.’  Denise Boyd, BBC Review

Terri would ‘go out and sing’ as much as possible, heading to the USA on her own, where performing tracks like Ching Ching and Brand New Day got the attention of Def Jam Recordings. Back and forth between LA, major recording contracts were all prepared when 9/11 changed the landscape forever. Not able to fly in lieu of the terror threat, it was fortunate Def Jam UK set a meeting in London. Had they not, basketball superstar Magic Johnson was ready to take the singer to his own label.

Was this a missed opportunity? Not really: ‘it would have been really different if I was in America, but it wasn’t the right time’. Terri believes she wasn’t given space to develop. Three albums later, and she still doesn’t feel it’s been done her way, but is thrilled to be working on her newest album with producers Joe Buhdha, Sticky Blood and Baby J.

Many jazz, soul and hip hop collectors dub Terri as their ‘favourite UK soul voice’. Even if she did disappear off the radar a little, her presence is felt in the underground, and with the Joe Buhdha Presents EP, Terri is ready for the next step 11 years on.

A dexterous writer, Terri pens tracks for other vocalists too, but only someone she really digs artistically. ‘It has to be someone who knows who they are. There’s a lot of people that just want to sing – they have to have an opinion; give a message’. When she’s not writing she’s chilling, because when the EP and her forthcoming album is out she wants to perform it as much as possible.

Sensual and instinctual, Terri runs from bad energy and embraces good, feeling Untitled to Entitled is the product of clicking perfectly with Buhdha and being inspired. Speaking of time spent with producer Warryn Campbell (Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Mary Mary), she says it’s amazing how people’s warmth can affect you in the writing process. When Terri stopped ‘feeling the energy’ and had to explain herself to the industry, it dampened her. Realigned, she’s once again feeling love.

Terri’s way is not one of celebrity. Often in nightclubs her music comes on and people dancing aren’t aware the singer’s at the bar. People enjoying her music genuinely, not because of hype, but because of the vibe they feel with it, fuels Terri. Music that’s ‘well written, performed and executed’ is what she aims for. Listening to soul legends her mum would blast out impressed on the singer young, but whilst she is soulful, her repertoire defies one genre.

In Buhdha’s studio they finished two songs in one day and decided to do more. Terri admires his mind, and of course, energy. Working with the other album producers further enhanced this, writing Feel It In The Water with Sticky Blood, ‘because everyone I’d kept meeting was so nice, it was like, ‘it must be in the water’.

Terri’s focus is on promoting the EP, releasing the album, and treating fans to a Salaam Remi collaboration. ‘I want to do it all’ she says, anticipating travel with a sound she’s so proud of; back to America and beyond. ‘I love this EP more than life itself. I think [Buhdha] is amazing and people need to know it.’

Describing her album as soul, hip hop, rock and Quincy Jones, the pre-cursor Untitled to Entitled is rippled with positivity, expression and ear-kissing harmonies. Bound to nestle comfortably in many music collections this November 17th, make sure you get your copy soon.