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Two months have passed since summer began, and the world was introduced to "Night Shift", the highly anticipated EP by the esteemed Neo-Soul songstress Lizzie Berchie. Hailing from East London, this British-Ghanaian phenom has yet again graced us with her most intimate and honest work to date, carried by her breathtakingly soulful voice.
Relieved from finishing a series of shows, which included; SXSW London (Soul Surge Stage), Cross The Tracks Festival (Blues Project Stage) as well as a sold-out headline show at the St Pancras Old Church in London, Lizzie has taken time out of her schedule to sit down with us to talk about the making of her new EP, creative process, life changing risks, inspirations & more.
"I'm good. I feel relieved and relaxed, especially now that the show is done. I'm in a perfect, peaceful place," she tells us. We discussed her journey as an artist, culminating in the creation of this sincere piece of work after her last EP, "Am I An Adult Yet?", released in September 2023, and her transition into a new phase of her life, where she chose to pursue music full-time after officially resigning from her 9-to-5 job.
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You are a student of Neo-Soul and R&B. Your songs ooze those sultry, smooth vibes. And to that, which artists or albums do you think of when you make your songs?
"Oh, I have [many] songs that I always tell people, like, if I could write a song, I'd want to write [something like] this - and the one that quickly popped into my head just because I went to the Beyonce [Cowboy Carter] show yesterday is '16 Carriages'. It has to be one of the most beautifully written songs ever. I just think it speaks to that artist's journey and struggle right into adulthood as well…. Reflecting on her career development as an adult and as a mother. I love that song. However, I also have numerous other references. I'd say another one is Jill Scott's 'Who is Jill Scott?' album. For me, that's a neo-soul classic —a groundbreaking album that felt authentically hers. It was playful, it was sexy, it was smooth, it was like virtuosic, it was everything for me. Yeah, that's always the album I'll be thinking of, ' Yeah. '
'Who is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Vol. 1' was Scott's introduction to the world, accompanied by her smooth vocals and powerful storytelling, which beautifully explored the intricacies of womanhood, sexuality, and life in general, thereby solidifying her as one of the most important voices in the neo-soul movement. Lizzie Berchie's discography thus far feels like an embodiment of this blueprint laid out by Ms Scott, with Night Shift being a stunning reaffirmation of that being her most authentic and vulnerable work driven by stunning melodies, this EP is letting the world know who Lizzie is, what she's bringing to the table and that she is here to stay.
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As an aspiring writer myself, I understand that writing songs is an emotionally taxing process. There's a lot of reflection, learning, and unlearning. What is your process? How do you mentally prepare yourself to pour so much of yourself into songs?
"You know what? I don't think I ever mentally prepare myself to pour my thoughts into songs. I probably prefer not to. Do you know what I mean? When you write a song, it's like, oh, now these people know my business. So, I don't think I'll ever be mentally prepared. It's like just part of the process of writing, and you do so in a way that feels therapeutic and cathartic. There's probably a little therapy session between me and the producer beforehand. I think that's normal, especially with Danny [Hilton], whom I've been working with for like the last five years. Whenever we get into the studio, it's always like, 'mate you won't believe the week I've had' or he'll be like, 'oh mate you won't believe what happened'…. Then we probably talk for like 50% of the studio time before we even start making any music, so maybe that's a mental preparation, the little mini therapy session before."
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Night Shift is a beautifully curated project, from the visuals to the storytelling throughout tracks one to seven. At what point of the creation process did you think of what the EP was going to look, feel, and sound like?
"Oh, I think I had the EP title [Night Shift] from very early on. I knew early on that I wanted it to be called this, and the songs just fell into place after that. The EP is an ode to the working artist – that 9[am]-5[pm] to 5[am]-9[pm]. It is a story of tribulations, from dawn to dusk. I tried my best to stay within that theme when I was having sessions. I have songs that I wrote during the time of creating the EP that didn't make it onto the EP, simply because I felt they didn't fit into this world. But yeah, I immediately built the world in my head, even before writing some of those songs. I mean, some of those songs on that EP are like four years old, like Pressure. I wrote that in 2021. So, it's an old concept, but I knew what I wanted this EP to be about, and I knew what kind of colours. I knew I wanted it to be like blue, cool tones, moving away from the normal warm, earthy tones that I use. I wanted to write something that felt like midnight, a little cold, but then moved back into those warm tones towards the end of the song, like 'Happiness'. I felt like 'Happiness' really does emulate the normal kind of sound and colour [people are used to from me]. Yes, I'm not sure if that's it. What's it called? That thing that Pharrell has. Synaesthesia or something like that, you know, in colour and music. Maybe I might have that. Who knows? Who knows?"
I commend her on the prominence of the colour blue in the rollout and how rare it is to see it. It's often considered controversial, but Berchie mentions how she came to like it in the end, saying, "Yeah, it was not a colour palette I'm comfortable with, if I'm being honest. So, even with some of the photos that came back, I was like, 'I hate them all' because I'm so used to just being in warmer colours. But I had to grow to love it because I knew that was the palette that the music needed.
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What lessons did you learn about yourself and your art form when making this EP, especially after you released Am I an Adult Yet?', going into this new stage of your life?
"Oh, I learned that there's no point in stressing, because what's going to happen is going to happen. If it's not going to work out, it's not going to work out. If it's going to work out, it will. So, there's no point in stressing. Yeah, I think that's a huge lesson I learned. I learned to also, I guess, relate it to the last point I made, just to let go. I am very organised. I'm very meticulous about how I want things to be. And I like to do everything myself so that I'm not left disappointed. And this time around, I was like, no, I'm gonna let other people take creative control. I'm gonna let other people, you know, lead this and that. So, even with many of the visuals and some of the conversations beginning, I felt I was trying to dictate a lot of things. And then I thought, 'Do you know what?' I need to let this creative mind do their thing, especially working with Delenn [Vaughan], who is incredible. I said, 'I trust you wholeheartedly - do your thing.' I don't want to give too much direction. You listen to the music and tell me where you think it takes you. And if I like it, we go ahead. And that's basically what we did. So big up to Delenn who did a lot of the creative direction for the last three videos and Faith [Aylward] as well who shot the artwork."
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It's natural to face obstacles in making art, but did you at any point in the process face any challenges that made you feel discouraged, and if so, how did you overcome those?
"I'd say probably about halfway through or releasing maybe the second single… the challenge I kind of felt was, no one cared. That was the challenge I felt after not releasing music for about two years; I felt like now that I've released music, no one cared anymore. Well, that wasn't a reality; it was just a lie from the enemy of the mind. But you know, you start to get impostor syndrome, and you're like, oh, is it even good? Do people even like it? Like, maybe it's not that great. Like, maybe it's just nice. Do you know what I mean? Like, you start to downplay everything. And then, social media, you know, when you're kind of in people's faces a lot on the algorithm, people just start to get a little bit complacent. You end up falling into a horrible trap and cycle of engagement watching, and I was like, 'Oh yeah, I need to stop this immediately and focus back on the music.' That's what I did. I had to get out of that mindset of quickly - 'you know what I don't care what any numbers say or what any stats or whatever anyone's emailing me, I don't care, I don't care what, it's done' - I want the music to be good and for it to be out. So that was an obstacle getting out of my head of the anxiety and impostor syndrome."
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My personal favourite in Night Shift is Happiness because it speaks to achieving and maintaining something that everyone wants in their life: happiness. The song sounds and feels like a celebration of accomplishments, whether material or not. What are some accomplishments you have achieved thus far that you feel most proud of, and or have given you a sense of happiness?
Completing the EP. I think the day I got all the master's back, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, girl, you finally did it.' After two-plus years of writing and recording, which, especially in the music world, as a woman, feels like forever. So that was a proud moment. I remember just like sitting in the living room, playing it out on speakers, and just being like, it's done, it's done, it's done. That was a truly proud moment. [Also] The first award I ever won, which, other people may think, oh, it's such a small award, why are you so happy about it? But I was like, I just genuinely wasn't ever expecting any sort of recognition. So, winning that Rhythm in Britain award for my last EP, my second EP [Am I An Adult Yet?], I was genuinely overwhelmed. I would not have voted for myself in that category. So yeah, that was a real heartwarming time."
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Suppose you were ever given the opportunity to perform on a stage like ColorXStudios, to be specific. Which song from Night Shift would you sing to introduce yourself to the world best?
"Oh God, that's a good one. I'm going through the tracklist, I can barely remember the songs." "Moonlight", her publicist, Sope Soetan, shouts. "And do you know everyone likes 'Moonlight', that song almost didn't make it onto the EP, I was not fond of Moonlight ' up until recently. It has to be either Happiness or Pressure.
The British R&B scene is taking up space right now. And so, who in that scene would you most want to collaborate with?
"You already know she's top of the list [Cleo Sol]. There are so many people. Elmiene. Elmiene is another incredible singer. I'm obsessed with his voice. Wow, why have everyone's names just come out of my head? And, ooh, why can I not think of anything? I mean, everyone! There are many people I am a fan of, from Mahalia to Natanya, who I generally think is heading towards world domination. Sasha Keable, KWN, is doing everything that needs to be done, giving everything that needs to be given. Summer Banton, Loie, I got to write with Loie last weekend. And even though that was the first time we'd written together, and even though we went to university together for three years, how hilarious. Amazing, sweet soul. Who else? That's all I can think of for now. But yeah, the UK R&B scene is doing [it]... Oh, Lola Moxom is another one. Lola Moxom has a beautiful voice. CARI, beautiful voice. I'm sorry, I'm coming back. Dayo Bello is someone I enjoy working with. Anaiis, I love Anaiis. Yeah, so much."
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And finally, what are you looking forward to the most after this release of Night Shift? Are you going back to the studio, or are you giving yourself time to live more life? What's next?
"I'm going back to the studio. I will be living life simultaneously, but I'm heading back to the studio. I do want to release more music this year. And yeah, I just kind of don't want to stop. I want to keep going. I took a two-year break, which I felt I needed. And whenever I next feel the need for a long break, I will take it. But at the moment, I'm like, yeah, I feel mentally good. I feel physically good."
Those who are lucky enough will get to see Lizzie Berchie live at 91 Living Room on July 26th and again at the Jazz on Wick Festival at the Colour Factory in London on September 13th. As we witness Lizzie step so confidently into this new chapter, Night Shift represents a musical milestone and a personal triumph for her. It is her embracing vulnerability, trusting her creative instincts, and surrendering to growth. With her pen sharper than ever and her voice carrying the warmth and weight of lived experience, she's not just making music—she's building a legacy. And if Night Shift is any indication of what's to come, Lizzie Berchie is only just getting started.
Styling Credits:
Cover Look
Dress - Selasi
Look 2
Corset - HOCB
Bottoms - Lizandro
Jewellery - Alexis Bittar
Look 3
Dress - Selasi
Jewellery - Alexis Bittar
Look 4
Full look - Lizandro
Jewellery - Alexis Bittar
