Call it whatever you like, but Pride by Sherwøød is a sonic epic torn straight from the streets of London, where the beat hammers like a blacksmith shaping raw emotion. Sherwøød—an artist of many faces and even more sounds—unleashes a track that crashes through genres, weaving together electronic bursts, hip-hop urgency, indie-rock melancholy, and R&B’s raw passion.

Pride plays like the soundtrack to a film that hasn’t been made yet—but one we’ve all glimpsed in our most restless dreams. It’s only the opening act for his upcoming EP, created alongside Joseph E-Shine. Sherwøød himself describes Pride as a duel between outward expectations and inner fractures, a scream into the void that echoes back as a whisper of meaning. Today, we sit down with this architect of sound, a builder of bridges between chaos and catharsis, to find out how he makes silence speak before we even realize we’re listening.

photo by Moshe Miron

Hi Sherwøød! It’s such a pleasure to chat with you. You’ve crafted a debut  that’s both profoundly emotional and technically polished. After you laid down  the final track and sat back to soak it all in, what did you learn about yourself  from the story at its heart? 

What really became evident throughout this process was how sometimes it’s best to let the song breathe life into you  and not the other way around. During the recording process of ’Pride’, I learned to appreciate its simplicity and  complexity alike, with its repetitiveness covering for the odd 5/4-time signature, making it a completely unique yet  universal experience. By allowing myself to truly let go of all my preconceptions of my previous work and what my  music “should” sound like, and allowing myself the freedom to experiment, I discovered this strange sound that  worked perfectly in unison with my vision of what the Sherwøød sound epitomized already was. It quickly rose  through the ranks as one of my favourites, and through time and iterations it became clear it would be my first – ever  single. 

Partnering with a heavyweight producer like Joseph E-Shine can be both  exhilarating and humbling. As you shaped “Pride” with him, what insights did  you gain about your own creative instincts and how you like to work? 

Working with Joseph E-Shine was an experience like no other. The man is a gifted musician/producer/mixing  engineer/human being without a doubt. Throughout our work together we learned to trust each other. More than that,  he instilled in me a trust of self that was scarcely there before. This newfound form of self – respect and realisation  that I am a capable producer in my own right allowed me to construct this song in its completion on my own, the very  first song I would ever start and finish without his external oversight and guidance. Once he gave it the thumbs-up, I  knew we had something special. He helped tweak the result with his incredible ear at the mix stage, and since then  the process of creating something together became very seamless. There were a lot of tracks we worked on together,  hand in hand, most of them overseen by Joseph as he mentored me into the artist I am today, but this is one I can  confidently say was 100% guided by me. I brought in my friend and other half of Hakolavud, one of my other projects,  to help with the synths at the very end, and his touch brought a stability and a finality to the track that really enforced  the feelings I wanted to instil in this genre-defying track.  

Taking the stage at Camden Assembly to perform “Pride” live for the first  time—surrounded by London’s energy and your music filling the room—must  have been unforgettable. What did you feel in that moment, standing under the  lights with your work coming to life in front of an audience? 

It really was a nerve-wracking experience until the moment I got up there. I felt so stressed at introducing such an  odd song the first time and open the show with it as well. I decided that if I’m going to celebrate it then I might as well  make it first up and set the tone of the entire show. I wanted people to be shown exactly what I’m capable of and set  the tone for the rest of the show straight away: to create an atmosphere where anything is possible, even a song that  has unique sounds in 5/4 still being a punchy pop song if you let it. Once the band started playing, I fell right into my  comfort zone, closed my eyes and all the stress and anxiety fell away. Since then, that’s always the song I open with.  It helps me get into my zone and has such an explosiveness to it that it helps everyone in the audience feel free of  anything they came in with. Any concerns, baggage or negative connotations are left at the door. 

Audiences often connect most deeply with artists who are willing to lay  themselves bare, offering glimpses of their inner world that might otherwise  remain hidden. But vulnerability can also leave you exposed in ways that aren’t  always comfortable. Where do you draw the line between honesty in your art and  protecting pieces of yourself from the public gaze? 

I really strive to make my music as personal as I can to my own experiences without involving details or scrutinous descriptions. I try to capture the essence of the moment by focusing on the universal aspect of each experience: the  emotions we all collectively share as human beings. I enjoy building on the foundational themes of my songs as the  basis to the track, and relying on these allows me to traverse through the song in a way which, at first glance might come off as impersonal, but once you dig into the lyrics and uncover what’s beneath, you discover there’s a whole lot  more to what might seem like fractured writing. The dichotomy of the two is the basis on which I build most of my  songs. Some are divided 50/50 between honest and elusive, and some are swayed in different directions. This  balance enables me to be completely vulnerable and to say things that are incredibly personal to me whilst allowing  me to hide behind my words through heavily veiled poetic lyricism and an often-pitched vocal line. If someone were to  peel back the layers of my lyrics, I think they would find a lot of personal truth hidden behind discomfort or even  shame. Of course, some songs are more direct than others and the level of veiling is dependent on the subject matter  and how personal it is. 

photo by Moshe Miron

There’s a personal reflection running through “Pride”—a sense of questioning,  of confronting self-doubt. When it came to putting those raw feelings into words,  what was the toughest part about making them resonate with everyone while still  staying true to your own story? 

That’s an excellent question. I think in truth its knowing when to stop. When to stop writing and know when you’ve  said all you needed to say, and knowing how to enforce the message that you came to say. In the case of ‘Pride’, I  tried elongating and complicating it until I realised that all I needed to do is enforce my point of view with the repetition  that is present in the production in the lyrics. If the whole song is a variation of a repeated line, and then the lyrics  conform, the idea of a repetitive cycle of behaviour is a close reach. The leap to that conclusion isn’t far, you just  need to notice it. I don’t believe in laying it all out there on the page but rather feeding small pieces of yourself into  each song. I don’t like to decipher my lyrics for others, but I will say this song leans heavily on the idea of duality, that  the self-doubt present is explored in both an external and introspective way. What doubt I had about my relationships  I shared with a heavy dose of self-doubt that corrupted me inside and out, and this song was my way of addressing  what I was trying so hard to ignore within myself. Once I could face the external fears and doubts, I was having, I was  ready to look inwards and ask myself the same questions. This is another reason I love this song so much as it  resonates with me on so many levels. This song and I both have layers that need to be peeled away, and if you take  the time and care to do so, I promise you’ll be rewarded. 

It’s often said that art belongs to the audience once it’s released, and yet the  artist’s vision is what shapes it in the first place. When you create, do you  imagine how listeners will interpret your work, or do you try to shut out the noise  and focus entirely on your own instincts? 

I always hope someone will take my lyrics and songwriting and tare them apart. I developed this fragmented style of  writing in part because I’m AD/HD and part as a self-defence mechanism. I like to switch topics quickly in my songs  as that’s the way my brain functions, but I also require a protective layer of veiled ambiguity because that’s the way I  feel the safest to talk about my experiences without feeling like I’m baring it all. Being more direct in my songwriting  which is ever evolving, is something I strive towards and hopefully explore in later projects as I gain the confidence  and voice of a veteran artist. At the end of the day, the production is where the emotion of the song really lies for me,  and the lyrics are only a way of putting that emotion out there for people to understand. As you said, I really do try to  shut out the noise and let my instincts guide me, and more often than not a song that appears simple enough to  approach quickly turns into something quite different as I let my instincts guide me, often revealing things I never  expected to come to mind, raising topics, thoughts and ideas that are deeply hidden in my subconscious. At the end  of the day, what the listeners choose to pick up from my songs is theirs alone. I know what I say in my songs, and I  hope everyone. Sees a little of themselves in everything I write, but it’s definitely not something I think about as I’m writing. 

A debut single often announces who you are as an artist. “Pride” has a  textured, introspective feel, but it also leaves room for growth. How much of this  particular vibe do you see as a template for what’s next, and where do you see  yourself experimenting further? 

Another great question. I think that’s something that you’ll have to see for yourself as I release more and more of my music. I can say that it has yet to be absolutely determined, and anything can happen in my songs. I just released  Dopamine, a Hip-Hop track with a rap part that rips the song in half when it comes in. I think that’s a good guideline  as to what to expect from my music in the future. In my upcoming self-titled EP Sherwøød, I think it’s safe to say  there are a few surprises waiting for everyone. Once that’s out, the next project will be a lot more experimental and  filled with different sounding tracks, harkening back to the old sounds of downtempo & electronic masters such as  Catching Flies, Shigeto, Mount Kimbie, Cashmere Cat, James Blake, Nosaj Thing, Sampha, Bon Iver and more.  

When the world quiets down, and you’re not thinking about music or work,  what does your ideal day of rest look like? 

I love to wake up late, have a morning of calm, with a nice coffee and listen to music as I make breakfast. Taking a  mental health walk is ideal, weather permitting. There’s so many great places to eat in London, but my favourite by  far is a little Sushi restaurant called Chisou on Woodstock Street. It’s such an underrated spot, quiet and inexpensive  enough you’d think you be mistaken to think it sone of the best places in London, but the food arrives perfectly every  time without fault, and their authenticity is unmistakable. After that I’d have a quiet afternoon, probably ending the day  watching a bunch of old films at the Prince Charles Cinema, another one of London’s hidden gems. Their movie  selection is top-notch, and they never miss an opportunity for a good marathon. Their suggestion board is always  filled to the brim with excellent films, and I still add my suggestion every time without despair, although I think it a bit  of a reach to expect them to play Cat in the Hat (2003) to an audience of one.  

If you had to pick one song or album to define the most important chapter of  your life so far, what would it be, and why does it resonate with you so deeply? 

Oof, that’s a tough one. If I had to choose one song, I think I’d probably go with 715-creeks by Bon Iver, that song  works for me on so many levels, and 22, a million is still one of my top 3 all-time favourite albums, if not the all-time  favourite. Something about the production and ambiguity of the lyrics really resonates with me on a level that is  almost spiritual, even though I’d hardly ever use that word. It captures the truest, rawest emotions in every track, with  the highlight being this vocals-only masterpiece of melody, of push and pull, creating anticipation with every breath  Justin Vernon takes. It leaves you breathless, wanting more and yet so satisfied by the powerful emotions. To me,  vocal-led songs are what captures the most emotions. A close second might be …Like Clockwork by Queens of the  Stone Age, an album that on every repeat listen creates excitement in me, like a little kid seeing his friend from class  on a weekend. Unexpected, yet oddly familiar, this encompassing all-round great album does not miss. 

We all have that one thing we secretly love—a cheesy pop song, a reality TV  show, or an unexpected hobby. What’s your guilty pleasure, and why does it  make you smile? 

Honestly, anything with Gordon Ramsey in it. I think I’ve seen every episode of Kitchen Nightmares 3 times by now,  and Hotel Hell 4 times. MasterChef is also acceptable but it’s a bit too formulaic for an off-the-cuff experience.  There’s something about seeing that man take apart whole restaurants and put them back together as families that  brings unending entertainment and pure joy to my soul. There’s never a dull moment and some episodes are more  memorable and outrageous than others, but all are 10/10 in my book. That’s my guiltiest pleasure as I’m a big hater  of other reality tv. Another thing I really love is film and tv (best show of all time is Dark on Netflix, you can quote me  on that). More specifically, I really love animation. From a young age I’ve always been fascinated and enchanted at  the never-ending possibilities of animation and the limitless imaginative ways in which a story could be told. There’s  no bound to comedic timing and the styles are almost as endless as are the genres it contains within it. Animation is a  medium of storytelling – from stop motion to classic 2D animation to the newer 3D, there’s never a dull moment when  something is animated. My favourites in no discernible order include Adventure Time, Coraline, Over the Garden  Wall, The Emperor’s New Groove, Akira, The Iron Giant, Wallace and Gromit, Treasure Island, Ghost In the Shell, all  the Disney renaissance films and beyond, everything made by Pixar, anything made by Studio Ghibli, and on and on  they go. My love for them is everlasting and they never cease to make me smile. 

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