Ahead of the release of her anticipated new album It’s About Time, we had a chat with powerful Canadian folk artist Ndidi O
Known professionally as Ndidi O, two-time Juno Award nominee and WCMA Blues Artist of the Year Ndidi Onukwuluis a celebrated performer and artist who’s captivating blend of blues and folk has seen her earn countless accolades and mountains of acclaim across a storied career.
The artist’s upcoming new album It’s About Time is slated to be her most personal and politically engaged to date, exploring a range of themes such as migration, aging, resistance and belonging through her distinctive lens in a way that feels sure to resonate with listeners and offer an and uplifting and affirming journey for them. We can’t wait to hear the new album when it releases next month, and had a chat with Ndidi to find out a little bit more about her journey, her inspirations, and what else she has planned for the near future.
Who TF is Ndidi O?
What a way to start! Ha, well, I am an award-winning roots/blues and folk singer-songwriter. And general badass.
How long have you been making music?
I have been making music for twenty years now, which is wild.
Why do you make music?
I make music because (here is where I get a little woo-woo) sound is energy; frequencies are energy too, and I believe that the right sound, tone, and a word within a rhythm can heal, unite, and open minds. Creation of music and performance are where my gifts lie, so that is why I utilise music-making to express them in the hopes they have a lasting impact. I am part of a group of artists that help people to heal, uplift, and inspire. Too many people make music for all the wrong reasons today, and it is reflected in the quality of what we hear, which affects our psyche. I aim to do the opposite of that.
What are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are from the medium of television and film. I am currently writing a trip-hop opera, so I watch a lot of plays and read a lot of plays and screenplays. With that said, my current influences would be Vince Gilligan, Ashley Nicole Black, Sally Wainwright (screenwriters), and directors Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O’Harris. If you mean musical influences, hmm, I guess you could say I have always gravitated towards artists like Sade, Sinéad O’Connor, André 3000, Björk, Joan Baez, and Mavis Staples.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
My best moment so far? I live very much in the present, day by day, so right now, well, that would be chatting with you all. It is always exciting to speak with people who are just hearing me for the first time. That is always an excellent number one moment in the moment.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
I would say Shirley Bassey had a lovechild with Eartha Kitt. If they had a vocal child, it would be me. My sound is warm, earthy, and deeply rooted in soul with nostalgic overtones.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
I have yet to achieve it, but I will let you know when I do.
We’re excited about your upcoming new album It’s About Time, what more can you tell us about it?
This album is my love letter to the inevitable change all women go through. It is melancholic and warm. It is about accepting who you are now while hopefully honouring who you were. The album was recorded in County Cork at Monique Studios, and I had an amazing band of players with me: Christian Best, Mikey O’Connell, Alan Comerford, and long-time collaborator Steve Dawson. It was the first album recorded and written in my new home country of Ireland, so it is very special to me.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I am currently writing a trip-hop opera, so that is in the works. We are starting casting soon. Then I will be touring in Ontario, Canada, and then Western Canada in support of the new album. I will then be playing some small acoustic sets in Ireland in late summer and autumn, while getting the opera ready for its first run in spring 2027. So I suppose I have a lot on.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
My biggest fans are my best friends Damian and Giselle. They have been my number ones since day one. I am very, very lucky to have them.
