Olivia Dean teases debut album at BandLab NME Awards 2022: “I’m trying to draw on my heritage”

Olivia Dean has told NME that she’s currently finishing up work on her highly anticipated debut album, and that it should be out before the end of this year.

The singer-songwriter, who released her EP ‘Growth’ last year, was speaking on the red carpet at the O2 Academy Brixton in London last night (March 2) ahead of the BandLab NME Awards 2022. Watch the full interview above.

• READ MORE: BandLab NME Awards 2022 – full list of winners

Asked about her future plans, Dean said: “I’m just finishing my debut album at the moment. I’ve been working hard on that, and it should hopefully come at the end of the year.”

Of what to expect from the record when it arrives, and how it’s currently sounding, she said: “Good, I think! It’s kind of pop-soul. I’m trying to draw on a lot of Caribbean influence and draw on my heritage, and explore themes of being between islands, between the UK and the Caribbean. That kind of world.”

Held at the O2 Academy Brixton, the BandLab NME Awards was co-hosted by Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr. The evening kicked off with a performance from Sam Fender and was followed by Griff and Sigrid’s joint performance of their NME Award-winning collaboration ‘Head On Fire’.

CHVRCHES and Robert Smith of The Cure also performed their song ‘How Not To Drown’, while BERWYN and Rina Sawayama also took to the stage. The night was closed with a five-song set by Bring Me The Horizon.

Check back for the latest news, interviews, winners and more from the BandLab NME Awards 2022.