Under the Radar: Azamiah

Glasgow four-piece Azamiah will be touring their elegant, laid-back sound to all the right places over the next few months, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon

Glasgow-based Azamiah have been a growing force on the city’s burgeoning jazz scene since forming in 2020. Their debut album, IN PHASES, has notched up a respectable one million streams since its release in 2023 on the influential Rebecca Records, and the four-piece have picked up plays on Radio Scotland, BBC Introducing and Jazz FM, as well as performing at Kelburn Garden Party, Glasgow Jazz Festival and Wilderness.

Describing themselves as nu-jazz, Azamiah cite Hiatus Kaiyote, SAULT and James Blake as inspirations, but bring a rich tapestry of experience to their collective, ranging from open mic nights to playing in tech metal and radical prog funk outfits.

The band’s favoured approach to composing involves retreating to the countryside and writing music to accompany the lyrics of vocalist India Blue – a way of working which shines through in their elegant, laid-back sound.

This week Azamiah showcased at the Great Escape festival in Brighton, and on 3 June they release their Two Lands EP on fetching yellow vinyl via Floating World Records. The summer sees them booked for Kelburn Garden Party, Latitude Festival and Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, and they have a UK tour scheduled for October. See www.instagram.com/azamiah_

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide visit www.borntobewide.co.uk

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