Caiti Baker has created a sultry world of hip-hop-laced soul as likely to be inhabited by Jay Z as it is by Fiona Apple or Etta James. Caiti Baker’s sound is something old and familiar, nostalgic but new, future and exciting…genre-bending; vintage dirt with future smooth; gritty but pretty.

Born into a musical household – with a blues-musician father – surrounded by vinyl, CDs and tapes of blues, soul, gospel, jazz, big band and rock & roll, the Australian singer, songwriter, dancer and performer went on to discover hip hop, new jack swing, R&B and neo soul/funk.

After her career as a driving force behind electro-soul/hip hop duo Sietta was cut short by a battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Caiti spent years living in a hazy state between sleep and consciousness as she battled with both health and self-identity.

A USB sample bank of more than 600 of her father’s original guitar licks, harmonica ideas and riffs (recorded on his phone and given to her after a four year estrangement) form the foundation of her debut ‘Zinc’.

“Having this USB of original samples, that don’t need any clearing, was goldmine stuff right there,” Caiti says.

Armed with the USB, and with the support of ARIA nominated producer J. Mangohig (Daniel Johns, Briggs), Caiti emerged from this somnolent period with ‘I Won’t Sleep’, the first new song written to signify her new life: a ‘take back the power’ anthem casting her CFS aside as she emerged as a newly inspired woman with something to say.

Enlisting the additional production skills of the ARIA award winning double bassist and producer Michael Hohnen (Gurrumul, Tom E Lewis) Caiti has created a melding of classic melody, urban-inspired lyrics and timeless vocal timbre.

Be it the old-school blues inspired ‘Believer’, the zip and swagger of ‘Different’, the awakening of ‘I Won’t Sleep’ or ‘Rough Old Town’ – a track as indebted to 30s boogie woogie as to neo-soul – ‘Zinc’ exudes the strength and a confidence of an artist who effortlessly links two eras and a plethora of genres to form a sound that is unique to Caiti Baker.

With the release of ‘Zinc’ and performance at The Aussie BBQ at The Great Escape earlier this year, the UK can now look forward to “One of the 10 most exciting new female voices in Antipodean music today” (Rolling Stone).