London-based singer-songwriter Korby is a force to be reckoned with. A multilayered artist rising as one to watch, he now unveils his debut EP, “I’ll Explain Later,” a 7-track project that cements his name as a genre-defying musician. Korby’s sounds feel personal, vulnerable and incredibly soothing, as he offers a dynamic and organic musical exploration of emotions — from chasing highs right through to life’s turbulent lows.
The EP follows a series of well-received singles, including “Wait For You,” “Feel My Face,” and “Nosebleeds,” all part of “I’ll Explain Later.” To elevate its sonic journey, Korby also released his debut music video for the single “My Garden,” the standout track of the project. In this visual masterpiece, we witness Korby reflecting on the intricate interplay between light and dark, as well as hope and despair, as they manifest in life, love, and relationships — all while beautifully playing the piano in his back garden.
“[I’ll Explain Later], was born from chasing the feeling of how good music pulls on your soul. How it forces you to feel something,” Korby says. “I didn’t exactly set out to write this EP, I was simply processing the labyrinth of life and emotion and ended up telling these stories from the inside out. I guess in the end this is what I needed to say, and it felt really cathartic to do so.”
Here, we caught up with the rising star to discuss his artistic upbringing, the creative process behind the new project, his dream collaborations moving forward, and what fans can expect next from him. Keep scrolling for the full interview below…
Listen to “My Garden”…
Hello Korby! How has the new year been treating you so far?
The year has been good so far, you know? There’s been some adjusting to do, but all good day in day out. I’ve got good people around me, and good music to share, so I’m looking forward to the summer.
Can you talk us through where your love for music first originated?
It’s always been something I gravitated towards. I think my dad had a hand in my love for music early on, he’s a drummer and always had music playing around the house, at church, and in the car. He used to have loads of CD’s in the car and I’d always get really excited to choose the music for each journey. I was actually too young to read any of the names, but I knew what CD’s had my favourite songs on them by what they looked like; there was a lot of Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill – soul, blues and reggae. As far back as I can remember, my dad had my siblings and I playing instruments at church too. I started playing the piano around age six, and by the time my younger brother was old enough to be able to reach the keys, I had started on the guitar. Music has always been something I’ve done that felt natural to me; it was always fun for me.
Who inspires you both musically and personally?
I’d say I’m inspired musically by people who have pushed the boundaries. Miles Davis is a big inspiration of mine, he brought a new level of coolness to jazz. I love his approach to music in general.
What influence has growing up in London had on your artistry?
London is home to people from every continent in the world. So growing up here, I’ve alway felt like I had this well-rounded perspective of what the world really feels like. I think that’s had a hand in my artistic process, in that I always draw from my own experiences with my artistry, but I’m always trying to find a way to translate those experiences for the people listening, whether through lyrics, or rhythm. Also, I think in my area of London people carry themselves with a certain steez. It’s in how we dress, how we speak to people. We’ll be on some, cool, fly and respectful shi*t. Everyone around me is doing well in their own way and they carry themselves accordingly. It’s hard to put it into words, it’s more of an aura, but I think that comes out in how I express myself and in my artistry too.
Talk us through your creative process when songwriting. Where do you look for inspiration?
Inspiration usually comes from my experiences, or the things I’ve seen going on around me. It usually starts with something true that I need to get off my chest. It could be about anything really, for example, a few of the tracks on the EP are simply about me telling the listener about something that happened that day. I guess that fundamentally writing a song is like having a conversation, so I can choose to be as abstract and artsy or direct and dialogical as I feel is necessary.
Your debut EP, “I’ll Explain Later,” is dropping on March 15th! Can you expand on the message and process behind this EP?
I think “I’ll Explain Later” came from me trying to understand what was going on around me in my life. I approached it like I was telling my life’s story from the inside out; as though I was literally trying to understand it alongside the listener. I had been experimenting with the piano and bass guitar a lot during that time, so the sounds are definitely inspired by the instruments I was playing. I had bought this piano from Facebook marketplace, it was completely wonky and out of tune, but I had a lot of fun finding ways to make it work for a few of the tracks. All in all it’s a big musical experimentation.
What was the biggest challenge when creating “I’ll Explain Later”?
Oh, the biggest challenge was finishing the track “To Let Go.” It was one of the first tracks I made with my producer RJ, and the last one we finished.
What do you want listeners to take away from this EP?
I want people to really just feel the music and enjoy it. I would love for people to live their real lives to my songs and make memories around them. That’s my ultimate goal.
Who would be a dream collaboration for you?
Right now it’d be either Yussef Dayes, Jorja Smith or Casisdead.
What else are you working on? Anything else exciting in the pipeline?
Yeah man! I’m going to be performing all of this music at some point soon and that’s the best part for me, so I’m excited for that.