Loraine James

ICA and Bird on the Wire present Loraine James + support from Eden Samara.

Loraine James - not Lorraine James, Loraine Jones, or any other common misspelling - began developing her musical language early in life. Growing up on Enfield's iconic and colourful Alma Estate in North London, she was surrounded by a plethora of parallel cultures, and thanks to her mum's obsession with anything from heavy metal to calypso, James was able to experience music from the driver's seat. She learned to play the piano as a teenager, frequenting emo, pop and math rock shows before teaching herself electronic music production with a MIDI keyboard and a laptop. In her low-key home studio, James channeled her wide range of interests into a personal sound that in time evolved into an identifiable signature.

That signature began to emerge on 2017's "Detail", and James refined it over a run of releases that netted global acclaim, subtly hybridizing R&B, drill, pop and IDM forms. Her breakthrough album "For You & I" (2019), its intimate follow-up "Reflection" (2021), and the personal “Gentle Confrontation” (2023) were released on iconic British label Hyperdub and praised for their vital narratives that accurately portrayed her reality as an independent queer, Black, British artist.

Alongside this output, she explored another path entirely, adopting the moniker Whatever The Weather for her ambient music-inspired Ghostly International debut in 2022, which was explored further in the follow-up ‘Whatever The Weather II’. 2026 sees Loraine release ‘Detached From The Rest Of You’. Succinct and direct, often with not much more than sparse keyboard chords to fill in with subtle colouring, she uses the space around the sounds and vocals to draw in the listener. Constantly shifting, James is an unpredictable force whose experimental approach is struck through with vulnerability, curiosity and hope.

Support from Eden Samara. Eden Samara grew up in the mountains of western Canada writing folk songs, performing in choirs, and discovering underground rave culture, before relocating to London to pursue her love of dance music. Her 2022 debut on Local Action Records established her as a name to watch in contemporary club music, and her upcoming material heads deeper into experimental club pop territory.