Owelu Dreamhouse reunites Saskwatch vocalist Nkechi Anele and multi-instrumentalist Nic Ryan-Glenie after a five-year hiatus, with Nkechi returning to music to explore her Nigerian heritage through a sonic blend of cinematic soul, psychedelia, and Afrobeat. The album navigates the tender dissonance of being a third-culture kid, with the band’s name inspired by Nkechi’s grandmother’s village, Owaelu, in Nigeria. Lead single “Tourist” captures the complexity of returning home while simultaneously feeling out of place.
Drawing from West African records, Latin influences, and ’90s R&B, the duo worked with co-producer Henry Jenkins and Melbourne’s top session players to create tracks ranging from the Manu Dibango-influenced dance anthem “Stutter” to the contemplative “Niger River,” which uses the river cutting through Nkechi’s ancestral region as a metaphor for letting go. “Owerri Disco” explores female rage and accountability through the lens of history, feminism, and cultural identity, transforming these themes into anthemic, expressive music.
The album is both archival and contemporary, weaving cinematic soul, psychedelia, and Afrobeat into a vibrant reflection on cultural ties, gender, and identity across generations. It will be released on 6 February 2026 via Hopestreet Recordings, available on LP and digital formats.
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