Jalen Ngonda shares 'Just As Long As We're Together'
With his current run of sold-out UK dates wrapping up tonight at London's Roundhouse, Jalen Ngonda is today sharing a brand new slice of soul with the track 'Just As Long As We're Together'. The track started to take shape when Jalen was visiting his family home in Wheaton, Maryland before producers Michael Buckley and Vince Chiarito helped pull it all together.
Listen to "Just As Long As We're Together" here
At just 17 years old, Jalen took the huge leap to move from his home-town in Maryland, USA - to cross the Atlantic and begin studies at Liverpool's Institute of Performing Arts, honing his rich, nuanced voice and sublime falsetto. After a chance meeting with Daptone Records co-founder Neal Sugarman following a last minute opening slot for Jools Holland, the pair set the wheels in motion to get Jalen out to New York to begin writing and recording. The result, Jalen's debut album “Come Around and Love Me” was released in September 2023 to rapturous reviews. It's heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics shone with Motown sophistication, leaving listeners in a blissful wash of wonderment and staking its claim as one of the finest soul albums of the decade and a stone-cold future classic.
Despite his young career, Jalen has already amassed a troop of A-List fans in Elton John, Snoop Dog & Jill Scott to name a few. His touring resume reads like that of seasoned veteran - gracing such stages as Newport Folk Festival, Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, New York City’s Summer Stage and Montreux Jazz Festival as well as captivating performances on prestigious platforms such as Piano Rooms Sessions for Radio 2, Graham Norton and Jools Holland.
Praise for Jalen's 2023 debut 'Come Around And Love Me'
Soul Album of The Year, Record Collector
“The work of someone possessed of an almost indecent amount of vocal talent..both Come Around and Love Me and its author feel like a real find.” - The Guardian ★★★★★
"Simultaneously classic and soulful, Ngonda has crafted an exquisitely soulful debut." - MOJO ★★★★
“sets the table for a vibrant new soul singer with the world at his feet” - NME ★★★★
“It’s stunning” - Observer (One To Watch)
“Both utterly timeless and completely fresh” - DIY
"one of the most talented and exciting artists in the contemporary soul scene" - Wonderland
Tour dates
13th March - The Roundhouse, London *SOLD OUT*
22nd June - Nevill Holt Festival, Nevill Holt
4th July - Museum Gardens, York w/Nile Rogers
10th July - Alexandra Palace, London w/ Leon Bridges
13th July - Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul, Birmingham
3rd August - Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire
16th August - We Out Here, Wimborne
16th October - City Hall, Newcastle
17th October - Rock City, Nottingham
19th October, Apollo, Manchester
21st October - Corn Exchange, Cambridge
22nd October, Eventim Apollo, London
23rd October - Bristol Beacon, Bristol
tickets
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