May 22, 2023 |
The last two years have seen George Riley quietly establish herself as one of London’s most intriguing songwriters and vocalists. The 25-year-old, born and raised in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, first began to make waves on the back of featuring on Anz’s 2021 dancefloor delight “You Could Be”, the unofficial feel-good soundtrack to a summer spent necking tinnies in the park and hitting festivals again for the first time following the pandemic.
Since, Riley has proven herself to be somewhat of a genre chameleon, particularly on last year’s Running In Waves, her sophomore mixtape which toured through future-facing R&B, skeletal jungle beats and introspective, sombre echoes of her teenage years spent raving. Created largely in isolation during lockdown, the emotive record set the foundation for Riley’s shape-shifting sound: most recently, she provided guest vocals on SBTRKT’s latest single “L.F.O.” alongside Mercury Prize winner Sampha.
Riley’s got new music on the way, and will be teasing cuts from her forthcoming project on the main stage at Gala festival this weekend. The three-dayer, held in Peckham Rye Park, has quickly shaped up to be South London’s finest independent music festival. Set to play host to the likes of Sherelle, Overmono and Call Super, this year’s iteration is beefed up with finest dance music acts working today – both emerging and established.
Before Riley performs to a sun kissed crowd this Friday, we grab the rising star for a quick, pre-festival natter.
1. Ahead of your performance at Gala, what can we expect?
“I’m hoping it’s going to be a beautiful day and just fun, really. Some old songs, some dance music and just a good time!”
2. Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
“Definitely a warm up. I’m taking that a bit more seriously these days. Honestly, not much else, I’m usually a ‘get on with it and see what happens’ kind of vibe.”
3. What’s one festival set that’s stuck with you?
“At Glasto last year I saw Shy One and OK Williams go b2b at some secret stage at like 10 in the morning. It was a great time.”
4. What will we find in your festival bum bag?
“I am a total liability so I don’t really keep any of the unnecessary things. I am a follower. I need to have somebody else who has an idea of what’s going on throughout the weekend and the day. But what’s in my bag? Maybe some pre-rolls and some drinks tokens, nothing essential.”
5. If you could curate your dream Gala, who would be the 3 headliners?
“Kelis, Kelela, and maybe like a b2b MoMA Ready, Kush Jones, DJ Swisha and Shy One – a four part DJ set to round out the weekend.”
6. What’s on your tour rider?
“I always have olives in my rider, that’s the main thing. Other than that, just water. I’m going for orange wine, too.”
7. What’s makes London special in the summer?
“I think it’s just the mixing of all different kinds of people and cultures; the smells and food. There are always things going on in different pockets. It just feels like it’s buzzing and life is happening, there’s so much going on. That’s kind of the vibe.”
8. Growing up in London, where were some of the places you liked going out?
“I used to travel all over. I was certainly just getting about and when something was happening, I was there. Food, friends and friends’ house parties. That was the biggest thing, just going to house parties, meeting people – that’s pretty much where I heard so much stuff.”
9. If we find ourselves in Shepard’s Bush, where should we be going to eat?
“Ooh, it’s changing a lot around here. I would say Roti Joupa. And Chicken Kitchen! One of my favourites. Jerk wings and dumplings – that’s my order. There’s also Shepherd’s Bush Market which has such good Middle Eastern food.”
10. What does the rest of 2023 hold for you?
“New music.”
Gala festival takes place September 26-28. Order your tickets here.
