We hear from Nyrobi Beckett-Messam, one half of the Notts duo "defying traditional expectations for young black artists"...
ALT BLK ERA, made up of sisters Nyrobi, 18, and Chaya Beckett-Messam, 14, are an alternative singer-songwriter duo from West Bridgford who are already starting to gain mainstream attention.
The young pair – inspired by a vast range of artists – have already performed at venues in the city such as Rough Trade, and are making their name on BBC Radio.
Despite their ages, Nyrobi and Chaya show wisdom and understanding far beyond their years, and already set on tackling hard-hitting issues surrounding abuse with their new single Slowly Die: Lunar.
Their journey started by posting a few covers on YouTube, before Nyrobi wrote their first single, Christmas in the Caribbean, during the 2020 winter lockdown.
“To keep us motivated and focused on our future, our mum challenged us to find out as much as possible about the music industry,” she says. “We released the track the following Christmas, with help from our long-time music teacher (Blessing Magore).”
During what was a dark time for many, lockdown was when the ball really got rolling for ALT BLK ERA.
We have entered the scene with a sound that defies traditional expectations for young black artists
It was then that they joined eNGine Room: a government-funded artist development label that supports local young talent and equips them with the tools to become established artists.
“Since joining eNGine Room we have performed at Rough Trade and our music has been played on the radio,” Nyrobi says. “We have also performed at venues in Nottingham and the East Midlands, and we recently recorded a set for Nusic (a Nottingham-based organisation that supports local musicians) with a live band. It was incredible.”
Bursting with creativity and a strong sense of identity, they refuse to abide by one genre.
“Our alternative music is filled with operatic sounds, harmonies, heavy basslines, dark strings and heavy metal - and the occasional roar or scream!” Nyrobi enthuses. “We have entered the scene with a sound that defies traditional expectations for young black artists.”
Their eclectic music taste has shaped their unique sound and includes the likes of American rapper Rico Nasty and British electronic dance band The Prodigy - a fact they believe may surprise a lot of people.
The pair were recently featured on BBC Introducing for the second time, promoting their new single. Unlike their debut track, which was light and up-tempo, Slowly Die: Lunar embraces a far more serious tone.
We don’t waste time or worry about feelings – we trust and respect each other enough to say what we need to say and move it forward quickly
Nyrobi explains: “It’s about a frightened young girl’s hope that her abuser will become ill enough that he no longer has the strength to abuse her. We wrote it because of the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the UK and around the world.”
The music video for the track was filmed in Sherwood Forest. Apart from being an ode to where they’re from, this too had a deeper meaning. “After learning how the oak trees there grow for centuries and then die slowly, this fit perfectly with the lyrics in the song,” Nyrobi explains. “It’s such an honour for our music to be connected to the beautiful and iconic forest. If our music helps to highlight the issue or offers comfort to a survivor, then we will have succeeded in our goal.”
As sisters, working together could be tricky, but according to Nyrobi it is what works so well. “We are really close, which means we can be brutally honest with each other,” she explains. “We don’t waste time or worry about feelings – we trust and respect each other enough to say what we need to say and move it forward quickly.”
They have a lot more music in the pipeline and they’re hoping to get more gigs and opportunities this year.
“I’m incredibly proud of these two,” says their mum, Anika. “They’ve kept focused and motivated during such uncertain times. I love that they are pushing the boundaries and are unapologetically sharing this through their artistry.”
With a clear direction of where they want to go, the future is definitely looking bright for ALT BLK ERA.
The sisters’ music is available on all major streaming platforms, and the Slowly Die: Lunar music video is out now on YouTube.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
