Yas Akdag is a singer-songwriter based in London who wrote her new EP, Home, Anywhere, on the other side of the pond while studying in New York City, USA.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Sophie H

Akdag grew up in England with a French mother and Turkish father and was originally a classical pianist and jazz saxophonist. She moved to New York to attend NYU’s prestigious Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music where she wrote Home, Anywhere, an EP that navigates these changes and explores what ‘home’ means to her.

Characterised by metaphor-rich lyrics and intimate delivery, Home, Anywhere is a captivating five-track collection. Opener Without You shows some early contrast, moving from a stripped-back verse to a soaring, pleading chorus. The lyrics speak of heartbreak and trying to move on, expressively delivered by Akdag’s compelling vocals.

White Picket Fence is a thoughtful meditation on the moment in a relationship where dreams conflict. Holy Devil is a soulful highlight at the heart of the EP while Joan proves a particularly intimate number that ends powerfully with a noodling guitar solo. The Way You Love Him brings the record to a close in emphatic style.

Home, Anywhere features production from Bobby Wooten and Caroline Meade, as well as musicians Sarah Goldstone (Lucy Dacus), Sam Everett (Sombr), Sam Cronin (Daffo), emory, and more.

It’s out now and you can give it a listen below.