Singer-songwriter and guitarist Fiona Amaka has become known somewhat within London, due to the way she so easily blends together elements of soul, rock, the blues, folk and Americana. Her unique approach to songwriting can clearly be heard in her new single release, Justified, showing some serious talent on offer. If you’ve not discovered Fiona Amaka’s music yet but this introduction has intrigued you, why not find out more about her below? You can also check out Justified itself at the end of this interview – go and take a listen now!

By Jane Howkins

You’ve just released a fantastic new tune titled Justified. What can you tell us about the track?

I certainly have- = thank you! Justified is a song about love and regret which I think lots of people will relate to.  

Back in 2024, you released another version of the track, titled Justified (Cosmic), as well as a Piano Edit of the song. What made you decide to rework the song and re-release it this year?

Justified was written as a guitar song, and has been played live that way for quite some time, so I guess that’s the way a lot of people have heard it. I recorded the cosmic version as a trip into another genre – an experimental ambient sound which was great to explore. The plan at the time was to release the guitar based version of this song alongside or shortly after the cosmic version. But it didn’t happen. The band got our first few gig dates around that time so there
was a lot of focus on band gigs, then new recordings and we were busy in 2024 and busy in 2025. So I decided to slow things down in the first half of this year to catch up with things that I needed to get done, like music videos and this song.   

It’s the first single you’ve released this year so far. How has the reception been to Justified so far?

Love that fills my world was actually my first single of 2026 – a song that the band plays live as a rock song with plenty of guitar solos. But for the recording, it was reimagined into an orchestral folk/at-folk version. That song has attracted a whole different audience to my social media followers, probably because it is so different to the rest of my catalogue. I had no idea that would happen, but it’s lovely!  With the release of Justified, I’ve had a lot of support for the song and strong feedback, with some saying it’s my best work so far. That means so much to me. People have really tuned into the interplay between the vocals and Andy Zanini’s guitar riffs.

Are there any plans to release any more singles soon?

Absolutely. It’s always tricky choosing which songs to release but my listeners can expect to see a couple more new releases before the end of this year. 

Can we expect a full-length album or EP release in the near future?

Never say never. But I’ve released two albums worth of singles over the past couple of years, so I might just continue along the singles route. It feels like there’s a lot less appetite for albums nowadays. I can’t remember the last album I listened to end to end, which feels a bit wrong but there it is.   

Your music uses quite a few different genres. What/who are your main influences as an artist?

My music blends my rock, folk, soul and blues influences. So you can probably hear the influences of artists like Tracy Chapman, Stevie Nicks, Skunk Anansie, Smashing Pumpkins and Joan Armatrading, alongside classic soul artists like Al Agreen and indie artists like Francis of Delirium. I still see Billie Holiday as one of the greatest influences on my singing style, even if you can’t necessarily hear that in the music. 

The London music scene is literally bursting at the seams, whatever your particular jam is. If you love live music, you’re never going to go far wrong with venues like the Amersham Arms in New Cross, Dingwalls in Camden, the Camden Assembly, the Jazz Cafe, the Strongroom in Shoreditch, or niche and intimate venues like the Moustache Bar in Hackney, the Stags Head, Hoxton or the Star in Shoreditch. But there are so many great music venues I could be here all day talking about the ones I like.        

How did you start out as an artist? Did you always want to be a singer/musician or is it a newer ambition?

My music career started at 17 years old when I started singing in function bands around the London blues circuit, doing residencies, private functions and gigs. So – a very long time ago! Many years later when I picked up the guitar, I put together my own band gigging songs that I’d written around London and doing the odd private function. We had a lot of fun but we split up after a few years.

After that, I had a long break from music while I juggled a busy job, becoming a mother and general life stuff. I came back to music in 2023, working with a group of producers and engineers to put my songs on streaming platforms as a solo artist, then the band came together the following year.

Do you ever perform your music live? What can fans expect from one of your live shows?

Performing live is so important to me- it’s like my oxygen! I do solo acoustic shows and also play with the Fiona Amaka Band, which is more of a rocked-up affair. I post clips of a lot of my solo and band gigs on my socials, so your readers can have a little look! Whether it’s a solo or band show, I’m there to make people feel and to reconnect with themselves while enjoying the music. My next solo show is on 15 August at 21 Soho Square, with a line up of fantastic indie artists.   

Are there any plans to tour in the UK? We’d love to catch you live!

I’m super, super open to touring around the UK, but there are no firm plans at the moment unfortunately. You’ll be the first to know if that changes!

Any last words for the fans?

To my fans and listeners: Thanks so much for your support over the last three years, coming to shows, streaming the music, modelling my t-shirts, letting me know what you like and don’t, giving great advice in your feedback-  and just generally having a great time with me and the band. We’re in this together!  

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