As a young boy growing up in Port Harcourt, Braye found solace in the sweet ecstasy of music. “I’ve kinda always sung,” the singer and songwriter says about his relationship with music. “Since I was a kid. Then, when I was about 13, I started writing songs and arranging them into verses and choruses, creating full songs. Since then, I’ve listened to a lot of music and written a lot too.”

While music has remained a constant, his life has always been in a state of flux. At age 15, he moved to Accra to study at Regent University while trying to find himself as a young adult. Importantly, being in Ghana provided much-needed conviction to chase his music dreams. In Accra’s creative community, he also started to hone his skills: making acquaintances with acts like Kwesi Arthur and Kayso and recording demos that didn’t quite see the light of day. 

Following a return to Nigeria in 2018, Braye has spent considerable time sharpening his music while navigating a move from his Port Harcourt base to the chaotic frenzy of  Lagos. It’s a transition that has been taken in stride while reflecting on years of experience that have led him to be one of the most exciting up-and-coming acts in Nigeria. His reflections find expression on his debut project, ‘I Wish I Had More Time,’ a quaint four-song collection of dreamy jazz-influenced songs that examine the tenuous nature of human connections and the scope of ambition. Keeping up with the fluid elegance that he stepped out with on “Bossa Nova” and “Painless Melody,” the songs on ‘I Wish I Had More Time’  are delicate vignettes that take inspiration from jazz, neo-soul, and texturised reggae.

Following the release of  ‘I Wish I Had More Time,’  we had a chat with Braye about his career, changes, and what inspires him. 

You came from Port Harcourt to Lagos. How did you navigate that move, and what convinced you to make the move? 

Since I was like 14, I’ve just always felt that music was the thing I knew how to do best. So I kept on doing it. People convinced me to record my songs, but I didn’t feel any purpose behind it until 2022. I was getting there, slowly finding my purpose with music, until I met Boj, and he convinced me to come. And I did. I moved from PH to Abuja, and in the same year, I moved to Lagos. 

Your music has a heavy jazz influence. Where does that come from? 

I listen to quite a lot of jazz. I have a haphazard collection of jazz songs from different eras and styles. From Nat King Cole to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nina, Lee Morgan, Miles, Herbie Hancock, to Hugh Masakela, Fela. There’s quite a lot to be honest. 

What’s your creative process like? 

Sometimes I get ideas from nowhere, sometimes I get ideas from listening to music. Most times, I just freestyle haphazardly, then I take that freestyle and shape it into a song. 

What’s the inspiration for I Wish I Had More Time?  

The song was made in a 3-minute freestyle I did with Michael Brun, then I went back to the apartment I shared with DUKE where the full production was done. I believe the lyrics came from a place of regret and remorse. It was inspired by the complex nature of human connections, where love, emotional attachment, and desire transcend into a kind of war for survival.

How does it feel to have your debut project out?

It feels great, I’m so grateful. Doing music is a privilege. I’m excited that I am now about to go into the next phase with my ideas. The fact that I hadn’t released this kept those other ideas locked somewhere, but now I’m finally free to begin preparations for more.

Listen to I Wish I Had More Time here.