Mali Sheard is one of the UK's most exciting emerging jazz saxophonists, quickly establishing herself as a distinctive new voice on the contemporary scene. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and an alumna of Tomorrow's Warriors, her music blends lyrical melodies with richly textured soundscapes, drawing inspiration from nature, personal experiences and the process of finding her artistic identity. She leads a close-knit ensemble, while her compositions balance warmth and adventurous creativity, reflecting a musician unafraid to experiment whilst remaining deeply connected to storytelling.
Her debut album, Hayfever, captures that very spirit: an intimate and imaginative collection shaped by themes of growth, change and the natural world, featuring everything from birdsong recorded at sunrise to evocative compositions inspired by relatives. To mark the album's release, I caught up with the saxophonist to discuss discovering her compositional voice, the friendships behind the music, and why this debut feels like the beginning of the exciting journey ahead...
First of all, congratulations on your debut. Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind the music?
Well, about four years ago I moved out of home to study at music college, and I really wanted some music that I could say I'd written myself. I wanted a portfolio, to start experimenting, and begin discovering what my music sounded like. So I just started writing loads of music and lots of different stuff, challenging myself to see what I could come up with. Through that I found a sound that resonated with me, felt personal, and was really fun to play with my band as well. We were gigging the music for a few years before the band started encouraging me to record it, and eventually I agreed.
So it’s me discovering my voice as an artist, but also a journey of growing up a little bit. I reflected a lot on my experiences moving out, and how I'm originally from a place with lots of nature but now find myself immersed in the city. There's quite a heavy nature theme that runs across the album, which is really inspired by that.
Would you say that theme of nature emerged quite naturally when you were writing, or were you intentional about drawing on that?
Particularly on tracks such as ‘When The Sun’, which features birdsong, and ‘Breathe’, with rain sounds, I definitely wanted to incorporate that direct connection to nature. I wanted to add in a secret little weapon of sorts! I thought it could be really cool to go down more of a soundscape route – an immersive vibe where the music's mixing with the world around you. But the songs definitely came first; they existed without that. It was a special moment to add those additions in.
Talking of the birdsong, that’s a lovely personal touch. Once you heard it in the finished piece, how did that feel?
It was amazing. I remember when I first had the idea to incorporate it, I was thinking ‘Where am I going to get this birdsong from?’. It was important to me to have done everything myself – I wanted everything to be something I could say was my own.
So I went to the forest at 4am for sunrise to get the loudest, busiest birdsong I could. Even that on its own just sounded so lovely, but it was stunning in the studio. We had the birds in our ears whilst we were playing. It was just magical.
With the title of the album, where does that come from and how does it link to the musical concept?
Well, I am a classic sufferer of hayfever, as many people are! I remember I was writing the title track, ‘Hayfever’ in wintertime, and I really wanted summer to come. But then I reminded myself that hayfever exists in the warmer weather – it's not all fun and games, or the most comfortable thing ever. The warmer weather is accompanied by these more uncomfortable things at the same time.
So it's the idea that change can feel slightly uncomfortable, but it's leading to a better time. That started as a song, and then I was like, 'Oh God, what do I call the album?', and that just really stood out. It's quite wacky.
"It’s me discovering my voice as an artist, but also a journey of growing up a little bit."
You play both alto and soprano saxophone on the album. Was that always the plan, or did certain compositions naturally lend themselves to one instrument over the other?
When I wrote them all, they actually existed as tunes on alto. For the first few years of college I focused on alto. I wanted to get one thing down really well. But then there was an ensemble project with Dave Holland, of all people, and I had to play this free soprano solo on it. I'd played a bit of soprano, but it definitely wasn't one of my main things. That just awoke something. I got the soprano bug from that moment on.
Then I thought, 'Oh wow, I can actually play this thing. Maybe I need to try and incorporate it into my music...' I think it works really well. It has a bit more of a vocal, vulnerable sound than the alto, especially with the birdlike nature on the track. It mixes really well with that too.
One of the tracks has the intriguing title 'Afternoon Tea With a Demon'. Where does that come from?
It's a track about someone not being who they seem. It’s two very contrasting things: having a civilised tea party with a demon, an unruly, crazy persona. So it's someone hiding behind a façade of something fancy but who's actually quite a dark character. Over the last few years, if something happens, I think, 'Let me write a song'. I'll be at the piano thinking, 'I don't know what to do with these feelings. Let me just play the piano.' It's a good way to process a lot of emotions and feelings.
You've topped and tailed the album with pieces inspired by your grandparents. Was that structure deliberate, and what made you want to include those relationships?
My name, Mali, means flower, and my middle names are the names of my grandmothers. So I thought it'd be nice to make it very flower-themed, a subtle ode to my name as well. The songs lent themselves very nicely to the birdsong and the rain, and they're a little bit shorter, so sandwiching them at the beginning and the end felt natural. It starts with a nice soft entry and a soft ending. I didn't want to shock anyone, it's nice to slowly get into it.
Most of your ensemble are musicians you've met through conservatoire and Tomorrow's Warriors. How influential were those organisations in your development?
Massively. When I first got to Tomorrow's Warriors I was about fifteen, and I met Keira, the flautist, and Kyle Osborne, the pianist, that day. I didn't know what was happening then, I was just having fun. But you make very serious connections that you're going to have for the rest of your life, and you don't realise it because everyone's just loving it and having so much fun.
It's so nice that you get to make music with people who are actually your best friends. Luke and George, we've been at the Academy together in our tiny year of six people, so we've worked together a lot. It's really nice to have that closeness where you've grown together. You feel okay to mess up and that it's okay not to know everything, especially as a new bandleader. Definitely work with your friends. They're more lenient!
You also have a couple of guest musicians on the album. What did they bring to the experience?
I'd never been in the studio in that sort of capacity where I was in charge, so it was amazing to have their advice, even separate to the playing side. They're so experienced with sessions, mixes and all these things I'd never had any experience with. Just hearing their stories was incredible. Of course, playing with them was incredible as well. Rob Luft - his sound just filled the entire room. We were all like, 'What's happening?' And Huw just brought that piano to life, it was so gorgeous. I'm definitely going to remember it forever; I felt very lucky.
It's your debut and your first recording in the bandleader's chair - did you find that a learning experience?
Definitely. I think second time around it will be a lot easier. The more menial tasks have been a lot more exciting because everything is brand new. I'm figuring out what mixing is, what I should be paying attention to, and how many different components there are to making an album. It's not just the session. So it's definitely been a huge learning experience.
Is there anything you'd like listeners to know before they hear the album? Or would you rather they just interpret it for themselves?
I think just see what resonates with them. The cool thing is that everyone who's listened to it so far has a different favourite track. Or they'll listen to it another time and their favourite changes. It's quite eclectic. There's something for everyone in there, hopefully. Something for every day as well, for every mood, which is nice.
Looking ahead, are you already thinking about your next project, or are you just enjoying where you're at right now?
I'm carrying on, I'm planning my next one! But we're definitely getting wackier this time. I'm thinking of incorporating other art forms, such as poets and dance, a bit more of a visual aspect. It's going to be a very eclectic set of pieces. Every track will be totally different. A big scientific experiment, hopefully.
Finally, do you have any live dates coming up that people should know about?
Yes! We have the album launch is at Pizza Express on the 8th of September.
