Watch Nubya Garcia and Jordan Rakei create ‘Monsters’ for Abbey Road’s Lock-In series

Nubya Garcia and Jordan Rakei have debuted their new collab ‘Monsters’, as well as sharing a new film which details how it came together as part of Abbey Road’s Lock-In series. You can watch it first on Rolling Stone UK below.

The two musical polymaths are the latest to team up for the Abbey Road series, which sees musicians coming together at the legendary studios to create something brand new and unexpected over the course of a day.

In the film, jazz stars Garcia and Rakei are seen discussing initial ideas in Abbey Road’s studio three, as well as voicing their thoughts on the collab.

“I was nervous about working with her [Garcia] because I hadn’t done much jazz in five years,” says Rakei, who is also Abbey Road’s first ever artist in residence. “It’s nice to be thrown back into the gauntlet.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone UK, Rakei said: “I first met Nubya Garcia on a train down to Boardmasters Festival in 2016. We really connected straight away. She was an up-and-coming jazz musician, and I’d just moved to London and was finding my feet as an artist. It felt like we were both at the beginning of something.

“Over the years, I’ve watched her career grow from afar. We’d bump into each other at festivals around the UK and Europe and always joke, ‘Come on, we need to make something together’. It became one of those things we kept saying we’d do.

“During my artist in residence residency at Abbey Road Studios, we finally made it happen. We had Studio Three for a day with an incredible group of musicians and absolutely no plan. We went in completely open minded and just let our worlds collide. There were spiritual elements, jazz textures, and a real sense of freedom in the room. For me, it even felt like a bit of a throwback to some of my earlier sounds, which was really fun.

“She’s so open creatively. She was up for singing, experimenting melodically, and just exploring wherever the session wanted to go. She’s an incredible talent, and I’m so happy we finally made it work after all these years.”

Garcia added: “We had such a great time in the studio, recording at Abbey Road is always a special experience. There’s just something about the history and energy of that place that brings a different something. This track came together in such an organic way; nothing felt forced. Over a few takes we kept developing it, and every idea just seemed to flow naturally.

“Collaborating with Jordan was a real highlight too — we were on the same wavelength creatively from the start, and that made the whole process even more exciting. We’ve been bumping into each other for years, saying we should make something. I’ve been a fan of his music from his first album – so I’m so glad that we created something together.”

“Our Abbey Road Lock-in sessions focus on creative exploration, collaboration and a spirit of openness – with the challenge being to write something new in a day. This is typical of many of Jordan’s sessions during his time as our first Artist In Residence,” added Mark Robertson, Abbey Road’s Head of Marketing & Creative.

“What struck us most was the ease in which Nubya and Jordan worked together and how quickly the song came to life. ‘Monsters’ is the first taste from an exceptional set of new songs that perfectly capture Jordan’s craft and vision, demonstrating his increasing sense of artistic adventure.”