Jalen Ngonda @ Carlswerk Victoria

Flytjendur

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  Jalen N'Gonda

  Born in Maryland, USA, Jalen NGonda chose the city of Liverpool as the place in which he would flourish as a musician. It was at the age of 11 he began getting into music, inspired by his father's collection of jazz, hip-hop, and soul records.

  Since moving to Liverpool Jalen has been playing gigs across the UK and beyond. Two years later Jalen is selling out headline shows in Germany, UK, and Switzerland, is breaking into Spotify's Viral Charts and is supporting touring acts such as Laura Mvula, Martha Reeves and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival.

  His debut EP is due in early summer 2018.

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  Brooke Combe

  "I can walk into those rooms full of established male musicians and not apologise for being there. Fuck that!” At 23 years of age, Scottish newcomer Brooke Combe is ready to call time on the accepted order of things, interrupting indie with an unapologetic attitude and a formidable roster of songs. A collection she has honed through a year of relentless gigging, each track on her forthcoming mixtape has its heart in a long lineage of funk and soul, a retro sound that has earnt her endorsement from the likes of the BBC, Rolling Stone UK, The Skinny and NME. It's a style that could easily come across as mere pastiche, but from the very first note of her rich vocal, there is no doubt that Brooke is carving her own path. “For me, it’s about getting every tune I have done so far out of my head,” explains Combe. “This mixtape is a little bit about the naivety of my adolescent years, but it’s also a bit of a 'who is Brooke Combe', showing people all the different sides to my music. So many people have been coming to the shows now, they've been consistent and loyal. I want them to have what they've been hearing live and to see the development so far.”