Q: When did you begin your music career, and what inspired you to do so?

Rhian: I started making moves to go professional about 3 years ago. I have always loved music deeply, I was surrounded by a lot of music growing up, my grandfather was a big band leader in the big band jazz scene in Ghana back in the day. He played sax and piano and was a prolific composer, he passed the tradition down: one of my uncles is a record producer and another is a highlife singer. They inspired me as did my music heroes over the years, it has always been a dream to create music that can touch people- the way I have been moved by great artists.

Q: It's beautiful that you share the recording process as you go on the website. Tell us a little bit about the recording process for you. Is there anything you do to help you prep for a session, and how do you just let go and "flow"?

Rhian: The label and I decided that it would be great to let visitors to the site hear the songs as a work-in-progress. It was an unusual step and a risky one because people do sometimes make judgments based on their first impressions. The songs on the website are incomplete and you can't expect everyone to see their potential, however I still felt that it was important to let people to get a feel for what I do and to share this exciting, organic process with fans who hopefully will own the album next year.

The recordings on the website were produced by me last year. The recording process for me is a gradual one, I prefer to spend most of my time working out the arrangements in demo form prior to tracking sessions with musicians and vocal sessions. It can be very daunting doing vocals when you know it's going down on record for posterity! I find that doing all the "thinking work" well before sessions frees my mind up so that all I have to do in the booth is feel and relive the emotions that made me create the songs in the first place. Oh and yes, vocal warm-up exercises and warm tea help too!

Q: Who are some of your favourite recording artists, or artists in general?

Rhian: I grew up listening to a lot of jazz greats like Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis. I also love Stevie Wonder (what singer-songwriter doesn't??!!), Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Fela Kuti and Anita Baker. Their music has touched me and their artistry has influenced me strongly. Some of the more contemporary artists I'm into at the moment include D'Angelo and Jill Scott,as well as Norah Jones and Jazzanova.