A musical diet of Erykah Badu and D’Angello stood a young Kamal. in perfect stead to become the formidable force in R&B-adjacent pop the singer, songwriter and instrumentalist is today. Since dropping debut single “homebody”, written whilst he was still at school and released amid 2020’s COVID-induced lockdown, he’s since amassed over 225m streams, gained illustrious fans in the likes of Billie Eilish and squeezed in a collaboration with canonical British rapper, Dave.

Following his deftly-crafted March sophomore mixtape so here you are, drowning, featuring latest single “crowded places”, Kamal. gives Man About Town a whistle-stop tour of the soundtrack of his childhood, his artistic progression since his debut, and the time he mosh-pitted with none other than Dua Lipa at a Skepta gig…

Hey, Kamal.! How did you get your creative footing in music? Was it something you always saw yourself pursuing?

I’ve always gravitated towards music. My entry point was classical piano when I was young, and I’ve always been set on pursuing it as a career. I love the expression it allows and how specific the emotions it evokes in you can be.

Is there an album that you associate with your childhood?

There are a few. I remember hearingBaduizm in the car a lot and D’Angelo’s Voodoo was a recurrent one too.

What’s the last song that made you smile?

“Pigs… (In There)” by Robert Wyatt.