As May draws to a close, I think it has been a really interesting month for releases. It closes on May 30 with the new EP from Dri called “R & Dri;” it is out on all platforms now. As a little behind-the-scenes at the magazine, we get a lot of new releases sent to us weekly, and we have always said if they fall under our umbrella and we enjoy them, then we will cover them. Sometimes we discover artists and then reach out to say hello. This is one of those latter occasions. I had briefly come across Dri with an earlier song of hers called “A Little Death,” but then decided to reach out and say hello when this EP was released. I would say that musically, Dri lies on the fringes of the music we cover here, but (as I reminded Benny and Mark), we cover good music!
Thus, what we have here is an introduction to the singer by way of our interview, followed by my review.
For anyone who doesn’t know much about you, for a casual reader passing by, can you tell us something about you and your path into music, please? What would you like people to know about you?
Dri: A little about me, I grew up right outside of Boston, Massachusetts. I was thrown into piano lessons when I was 4 or 5 years old but, according to my parents, have been singing ever since I could talk. Though I’m the only musician in my family, I was exposed to many genres and decades of music growing up. My father was born in the 40s, my mother in the 60s, my brother in the 80s, and I was born in the 90s. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I played the clarinet, bass clarinet, guitar, and ukulele despite not having fully kept up with them all.
I noted Dri has an MBA in accounting and management (clever girl), so is she still combining music with study and work?
Dri: I got my bachelor’s in Business Administration with concentrations in both, Accounting and Management from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. I then received my MBA with a focus in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. Full-time, I do work in an office as an accountant. My nights and weekends are full of music and modeling. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t exhausted, but it’s so incredibly worth it.
The first single you released was ‘Unappealing’ in 2024 and the most recent was “Lose My Breath” (is that correct?) – do you write your tracks yourself or do you work with outside songwriters? Do you do covers of other artists live as well? (I say that having come across a cover of a Nina Simone song that I heard her deliver).
Dri: As of right now, yes, correct! I do write the majority of my tracks myself. If I get stuck, I do have a couple other artists that I’ll bounce ideas off of or co-write with. That being said, I have no issue working with writers if something, for lack of a better term, just clicks! For example, “A Little Death,” was originally a poem shown to me by a friend. They asked me if I could do anything with it. One thing led to another (instrumental, melodic lines, phrasings) and here we are! Live, I do covers of other artists as well! I actually do local cover competitions a couple of times a year. I couldn’t give you any specific names of artists I especially like to cover because of how unique my voice is, but I’ve covered artists such as Rihanna, Michael Bublé, Bishop Briggs, and P!nk. I’m almost always having to change the key, though.
Your songs often have a stripped-back instrumental, almost minimalistic and are quite bitter lyrically: “I don’t believe in fairy tales…” Do you draw on personal experience and emotion with your songs?
Dri: This question always makes me laugh. Obviously, I’m a storyteller. The stories may pull from some personal experience or stories I’ve been told/heard. I’ll never confirm which tracks, if any, are completely personal, haha. Sometimes, I’ll even use the name of a beat I buy as the inspiration. My process is a little backwards in comparison to a lot of other artists I know. First, I figure out what I want from an instrumental perspective. If a melody doesn’t come straight into my brain, I know that it’s not the track for me. When and if a melody does come to me, THEN I worry about a concept and words.
Let’s focus on my favourite of your songs, “Lose My Breath” – ( you musically remind me a bit of Michelle Gayle btw) – can you tell me about that one? How has it been received and is it a favorite of yours too?
Dri: Honestly, “Lose My Breath,” is an attention grabber and crowd favorite. I was very inspired by the stylings of Toni Braxton. Vocally, I’m actually a female tenor, even lower than an alto, which is one of my strengths and what makes my sound different/distinct. I really enjoyed digging into that portion of my voice in the booth, but love the reactions of people that don’t know my voice when I do it live. Lyrically, it was definitely out of my comfort zone (you should have seen my face in between takes when I was recording), but now I just have a lot of fun with it!
With being a musician often comes the need to present an identifiable image for the public. Country stars often have their hats and boots, rockers in leather, etc. Your music is a bit more genre-fluid. Do you consider image alongside the music or is it just what comes naturally?
Dri: From a genre standpoint, I like to think that I sit somewhere between R&B and neo-soul on late 90s/early 00s-type instrumentals, but I do switch into some more modern flows. I do consider image very important. If you ever see me on stage without a corset/bodysuit and a big set of eyelashes on, know that I was not prepared to perform in that particular instance. Odds are I have a bold red lip on as well!
Two singles out this year and you are clearly working hard to get an audience that is loyal to you and returning. There is a lot of noise out there and it’s hard to get noticed (although we spotted you!) – what are your ongoing plans for 2025 to keep building that audience?
Dri: This year, I’ve been working tirelessly to finish my EP, “R&DRI,” which should be coming out May 30, if all goes well with the distributor. Additionally, I already have an idea for my next single (which might… be a slight r&b/country crossover). Additionally, I’m picking up performances whenever I can. I try to perform at least once a month, regardless of how far I’ve got to travel. I remain active on my instagram (@uhdridri) by providing clips of performances and studio sessions in addition to new images from my photoshoots. I really just try to give people snapshots into my life and happenings while trying to build a genuine connection.
If someone reading this has never heard any of your music at all, which song of yours should they head off and listen to first, and why?
Dri: Oooooh that’s a tough one. Personally, I think that my song “Commitment,” off of my new EP, is some of my best work. It’s vulnerable while showcasing my vocal range and flow switches. The last hook’s ad-libs are VERY intentional, almost like a cry. The people I had in the studio that day quite literally looked at me when I finished with their mouths open while my eyes were clearly glazed over. Verbatim, I was told, “I didn’t know you could sing like THAT.” I hope that people can feel what was felt that day when they hear it.
So there we have all that news! And now for my EP review:
The EP has five songs and lasts 18 minutes.
“Secrets” opens with a soulful number; it is dreamy and has a slight interactive moment that I suspect will slot well into the live performance. The vocal performance shows the close emotive connection Dri always gets into her music, a reason I started listening to her.
“Knock” is instantly lighter, with gentle harmonies and a personal touch in the lyrics. I liked this one a lot, as it just took me into the moment. It has this conversational style delivery and is probably her most commercial, radio-friendly song to date. The use of the layered vocals was good and the song connects.
“Commitment” was the one Dri singled out in the interview. It has a deeper beat and turns the instrumental off altogether for a moment at the end, leaving the voice alone.
“Unappealing” is an urban number; it was the one I probably connected with least on the EP, but it was (I think) the single and it certainly connects back well to the earlier (pre-EP) material she was releasing last year.
“Friendly” cruises nicely through the melody and presents a heavy beat and funky vocal. The production is crisp and clear, as throughout the EP and it closes the EP down very much on the path Dri sets for herself.
Standout track: “Knock.”
So, what are we left with? R & Dri is a confident, genre-blurring snapshot of an artist willing to experiment while still staying emotionally grounded. It’s intimate without being insular, polished without losing its pulse. Dri may be hovering at the edges of our usual coverage, but trust me—edges are where the most interesting things happen. If this EP is any sign of what’s to come, Dri won’t be on the fringes for long. Keep an ear out. She’s coming in loud and clear.
And we hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials, and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy me a coffee!
You can stream the EP and more from Dri here
By Anna-Louise Burgess
