Billboard UK

In recent years, SHERELLE has made herself something of a leader in the U.K.’s electronic and dance scene. Through her DJ sets, original material and radio hosting gigs, the 31-year-old’s passion and curatorial skills have been instrumental in celebrating jungle, footwork and breakbeat, and ensuring the genres’ well-deserved place at the forefront of contemporary dance culture.Early in her role as a curator, SHERELLE championed the BRITs-nominated junglist Nia Archives, as well as avant-garde creator Loraine James on her radio show, and she was co-signed by the influential late designer Virgil Abloh. SHERELLE’s name is synonymous with an original, head-spinning sound, as well as being a passionate and thoughtful voice in a crowded space.
She’s now surprise-releasing With A Vengeance, her debut LP via London-based label Method 808, and over the past few weeks has been touring extensively with her club night SHERELLELAND in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Sheffield. This Friday (Apr. 11) she takes over London’s historic Roundhouse to complete the tour; tickets are capped at £10 ($13), with the goal to improve access and ease costs for music lovers.

Trending on Billboard

This period sounds as frantic as her preferred music mode (160 BPM is the benchmark), but she says a period of stillness and recalibration was what inspired her next phase. “I finally found myself in a place to be able to make [the LP],” she tells Billboard U.K., dialing in from the Media Centre in Salford, where she’s appearing at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. “I was in a good headspace, and had chosen things in life to make sure that I was looking after myself.”

SHERELLE had what many in the electronic space would consider a dream start. In 2019, a viral Boiler Room set quickly elevated her name and kicked off a whirlwind period of touring. She had little time to catch up with the enormity of the change, but saw bookings surge, and in late 2023 took on a presenting slot on BBC 6 Music on Saturday nights. 

On reflection, however, she says she was overworked, and was spread too thin to enjoy the moments and to stay present. She calls that time “a blur” and speaks candidly about the toll it took on her wellbeing. “I basically had to silently deal with depression,” she says, adding that turning 30 triggered complex emotions. “All of a sudden I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to be 30, and my life isn’t where I want it to be’ — or I was assuming it would be so much more different.”

The balance between vulnerability and the role of the DJ – bringing immaculate tunes and vibes – is a unique demand. Performers in the more traditional concert setting are permitted space for complex, knottier emotions seldom translated to a club performance behind the decks. “We have to put on a happy face — because if we don’t, then it will affect the crowd and their enjoyment,” she says.

Being revved up for a slot means that DJs and producers are putting up barriers and neglecting their mental health. “That can be quite dangerous, because then when you are constantly putting on a face when you are you are essentially acting,” she says. “Our scene doesn’t really lend many opportunities to check in on people.”

The period culminated with her laptop being stolen, which included all of her recorded music and demos – her livelihood as a musician, presenter and DJ was compromised. Understandably distressed by the theft, SHERELLE protected herself by avoidance, and kept music listening to a minimum. She changed management teams and sought to enter a new, healthier period of creativity. A desktop computer – a throwback for millennials – helped improve productivity, while a shift to a vegan diet gave her new energy.

Ready to create again, she also retooled her studio practices, and found creative inspiration in soul and funk greats Earth, Wind & Fire and jazz flutist Bobbi Humphrey. Advice came from jungle legend Tim Reaper, who encouraged her to work with efficiency, and not to spend more than 15 minutes on any song section. “Then lo and behold, I was just pissing out tunes left, right, and center — and then actually making stuff that I really liked,” she laughs.

Those tunes are With a Vengeance, a debut LP that continues the journey from her 2021 double A-side 160 Down the A406, and captures specific moments in her recovery period. The LP’s two-song suite “XTC Suspended” and “XTC,” for example, are evocative renderings of the burnout and depression, as well as the recovery period.

The former is emblematic of the moments where she would push through the chaos to put on a happy face, while the latter is brighter, warmer, and indebted to garage and two-step. SHERELLE wants people to feel the “raw energy and emotion” of her productions and songs, but also not feel overwhelmed either.

“I really hope people like it, but I’m not mad if they don’t get it,” she adds. “It’s personal to me and I’m just happy that I’ve got to the point of making something I actually really like. I really love all 10 songs and it’s not manufactured at all. I’m glad to add something authentic basically back into a space that can feel quite manufactured at times.”

SHERELLE’s vulnerability and candour stays true to her commitment to community. Growing up in Walthamstow, east London in a working class background, her experience of some of the dance scene and some of the more corporate, commercial trappings has given her renewed focus and drive to give back. She launched BEAUTIFUL in 2021, a community that supports Black and LGBTQIA+ creators, and over the years has hosted workshops and sessions to help demystify pathways for creators. 

As industry discussions about music education in schools continue, SHERELLE is firmly on the side of fellow Brit artists Ezra Collective and Myles Smith, both of whom called upon the decision-makers and governments to empower young musicians. “It’s such a sad thing. There could be so many talented people who are just not going to get the same investment,” she says. “We need to allow for kids that don’t have the funds and the means to be able to create and create freely with no time constraints.”

SHERELLELAND culminates on Friday (Apr. 11) with the Roundhouse show and with its lower entry point for tickets. As reports say live music in the U.K. is booming, SHERELLE – and her new team and live agent – knew that someone had to buck industry trends. “Unfortunately the DJ scene makes a lot of money for people and they want to protect that at all cost. I would say that they do like music, but they definitely like money more.”

It is, she says, an opportunity to weave together the disparate threads of her career as a performer, curator and activist, but also just a testament to her mindset. “The main groups of people that I’ve worked with on this idea are all people who have come from a background where community is really important,” she says of the new era. “I felt supported, loved and that my ideas were protected; after that it was very easy and simple.”