When Berklee College of Music students Cinya Khan, Maya Rae and Judah Mayowa first bonded over karaoke in their dormitory, it was the raw confessionalism of artists such as Kacey Musgraves that cemented their friendship. In no time, they were channelling that same sincerity to belt out TikTok covers from their stairwell.
Transcendent, soul-baring harmonies have dominated their sound ever since, with twinkling, fingerpicked guitar and piano chords, and lyrics that explore the fragility of being human. As their song Mudroom puts it: “There are people that I don’t wanna end up like / But we’re all sequels to our parents’ lives.” On their debut album, All for Something, they dish out hard-won wisdom, whispered confidences and occasional gut-wrenching regret. In an Instagram post, Khan admitted nearly ditching the single Wishes but a sudden epiphany that “honesty will always be original” rescued the song from limbo.
Tiny Habits are a tightly knit trio who write democratically, their verses weaving together as seamlessly as their vocals, which evoke porch swings at dusk and childhood video games. Their penchant for quiet, introspective moments has won them praise from the likes of Elton John, who called them “delicious”, the late David Crosby, and Musgraves herself, who earlier this year joined them backstage at a gig to sing her song Too Good to Be True.
All for Something is out now
