Pritt interview: ‘Being human is a big flex for me anyway’

Frontline’s Blessing Borode speaks to South London R&B singer Pritt following the release of her single, C U Win.

South London singer/songwriter Pritt is making her presence known with her ‘Eastern meets Western’ style of R&B. Rooted in her Tamil heritage, along with the richness of London culture, her melismatic vocals drift over full-bodied production in demonstration of her understanding of Carnatic singing, the classical music of South Asia.

Growing up, extracurricular activities were highly encouraged, so Pritt’s mother introduced her to the complex training of Carnatic music, naturally shaping her agile vocal technique. ‘It was by force at the start and then it became one of those things that was very beneficial for me in the future’.

Aged eight, this was her first encounter with the performing arts world and although it nurtured her confidence in a number of ways, being an artist wasn’t something she had considered yet. A university course in music business and marketing is what would lead Pritt to discovering her interest in songwriting, gradually allowing her to evolve into the introspective lyricist she is today.

At this point in her life, Calvin Harris’ disco-laced Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 project was on heavy rotation. With an eclectic selection of MCs and R&B artists as guest contributors, this collision of worlds influenced Pritt’s development of her own style. ‘Hearing the alternative scene merge into the mainstream was a huge inspiration in trying to find my sound’.

The merging of her Carnatic training along with her Western influences was an unintentional pairing, discovered through playful experiments of ad libbing over a beat.

The South Londoner made her debut in 2017, leaving a breadcrumb trail of releases that would lead to her first EP, Transparency, in 2020. Lyrically, she tells cautionary tales of relationships gone sour for a number of reasons, but through deep introspection, clarity is eventually found.

Arriving at this space is not a straightforward task, considering that, as an artist, your vulnerability is held under the spotlight. For Pritt, it’s more about creating a sense of release for herself in the hope that it supports others who may relate to her set of experiences.

‘I’m someone that genuinely does struggle with telling people how I feel, but there’s power in being vulnerable,’ she explains. ‘When I write songs it makes me feel empowered but if anything more vulnerable than I was before I wrote it’.

Her latest single, C U Win, arrives in perfect timing. She addresses the idealisation of constantly working to attain more, encouraging listeners to be loud about their achievements. For this one she connects with Indian violinist Prince Prana and producer Sunset Drver, who melds warm trap drums with swirling effects to compliment Pritt’s vocals. It’s all about highlighting the good in the people around us as well as taking time to truly appreciate ourselves.

‘Being human is a big flex for me anyway. It’s making sure that those achievements are for you and not for anyone else. You’re getting out of bed everyday and you’re actually brushing your teeth – little things like that – because you are literally hustling to get out of bed’.

‘Hustle culture is seen as this big thing. If you’re not working non-stop, then you’re not working hard enough, or you’re not going to get to where you want to be,’ she adds. ‘I don’t think we take into account that people around you are struggling, but they’re too worried to say out loud because of how they think they’d come across. Things like that made me write this song’.

Wholesome footage of Pritt’s childhood are scattered throughout the visuals, in between hazy shots of her adorned in traditional jewellery and DIY clips of family gatherings.

‘The people around me have both gassed me up and humbled me at the same time and those are the kind of people that I need. Especially when, as an artist, I’m going through things and I don’t know how to express myself, these people are still around, keeping me sane. That’s the whole point of the song as well, to remind yourself and the people around you that you’re proud of them and you’re still rooting for them’.

In the visuals she enhances her streetwear style with the elegance of the Eastern clothing she grew up with. She speaks on how growing up ‘It was kind of embarrassing to embrace your culture. Now that I’ve grown up and accepted that and I’m around people who appropriate it, let me assert dominance and take it back. Wearing jewellery that is very regal works really well with Western clothing’.

As a South Asian woman, Pritt is uninterested in fitting into constructs of identity but is focused on representing people of this descent in mainstream music, through her styling, language and songwriting. ‘I don’t just fit in that bracket or the “BAME” title, I just made my own identity. It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do to highlight and remind people who I am and now it’s one of those things that comes naturally’.

She adds, ‘I’ve realised, with R&B, a lot of samples come from South Asian songs, even drill tracks. So, if people can do it when it comes to sampling, why not do it with my vocals’.

Pritt is also the founder of the events platform A collective: SOUL, which she created during university as a networking space for underrepresented creatives. It’s dedicated to transforming networking from a clique-based, ‘who do you know?’ space to an environment where genuine connections bloom.

The first event took place in Bath, which Pritt explains ‘was a predominantly white area, so creating a space for people who weren’t of that descent was very empowering. It allowed creatives to come out of their shells a little bit and really be themselves’.

She’s brought the events over to London where she wants to continue widening people’s connections to other artists, photographers, videographers and any creative person. As for her own music, Pritt is currently piecing together her third EP, set for release in November, along with what she describes as ‘short film-esque’ visuals.

Words: Blessing Borode