About Ellen Beth Abdi

Mancunian music-maker Ellen Beth Abdi uses live loops, pokey drums, undulating synths and quietly subversive lyrics to mould her unique sound. ‘Wonky soul-infused pop with a social conscience’.

 

Her self produced, eponymous debut album was independently released in May 2025 to critical acclaim, receiving radio support from BBC Introducing, Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch), Radio 6 (Guy Garvey, Huw Stephens, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles) and NTS (Macca, SNO).

Image

Ellen’s enchanting and distinctive voice has gained her spots at Maida Vale, Radio 4’s Loose Ends, 6 Music Festival, We Out Here, Manchester O2 Apollo and support slots for Olivia Dean, Hollie Cooke, Ishmael Ensemble, Oscar Jerome and Allysha Joy. She was invited to collaborate live with music legend Angélique Kidjo, opening Aviva Studios for Manchester International Festival 2023 and was selected for Jazz North’s Northern Line programme in 2025.

 

Her collaborations span being commissioned by Opera North and working with The Hallé Orchestra and Youth Choir to having recorded and toured with Manchester legends; New Order, 808 State, A Certain Ratio and supporting The Stone Roses at Wembley. Ellen’s vital and unique mentorship means she represents the synergy between Manchester’s past and present, proven by her innate appreciation for the city's rich cultural heritage of which her music is an integral part.

Praise for the Album

Silky smooth street soul rich with shimmering arpeggios and throbbing bass, meticulously crafted passages of minimalist electronics and Abdi's athletic, rhythmic vocals. A brilliantly cohesive, musically inventive debut from an artist we'll be hearing lots more of in the future.

Piccadilly Records

This is a debut that arrives not as a calling card, but as a quietly assured artistic statement. It doesn’t try to do everything—and in doing so, it does quite a lot.

Backseat Mafia