NYC, that was one hell of a housewarming!

Sitting in the office now, it's quiet. Hard to believe that just a few days ago, this exact space was loud, packed, and bumping until 3 AM.

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Last week, from July 7th to 10th, during TONES of NYC, our studio became a chameleon. Each day, we transformed it into whatever it needed to be: a listening room, a food-packing event, an album release party, a housewarming, before opening our doors to guests.

​Tuesday, the studio became a lobby. Street Dreams showcased local photographers, Storage brought a curated vintage pop-up, and Ballantine's held down the bar, while Half Moon soundtracked the day. 

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By evening, the same room became a stage and a confessional for A Night with Infinity Song, part of Emergent, our artist development program with Levi's. In a sit-down interview with Julie Adenuga, the band opened up about the pressure of being artists and what it took to trade the industry's version of success for their own."

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Momo Boyd, the youngest of the siblings, released the tension with her tears. She shared that being an artist was never something she wanted to become, but it was already who she was. When she fell quiet, the room paused with her. After the set, the group stayed outside with fans long after, no one in a hurry for the night to end.

Sarah Lola, whose own A COLORS SHOW had come out that Thursday, was in the room, and what Momo described was something she'd carried too. After the show, the two were introduced: two artists at different points on the same path, recognizing themselves in each other.

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That closeness carried into Wednesday, when One Love Community Fridge brought EAT.PACK.GIVE to the space. People shared a meal and packed food boxes for families across NYC, care turning into action right in front of us. The night stayed high-energy with WHATMORE's live performance, a few rounds of video games, and a dunk-off that officially christened our basketball court.

By Thursday, the studio had changed once again. What was a community space the day before became our housewarming party, kicked off by a performance by Lekan, presented with Sony, announced less than 24 hours earlier. Even with such last-minute notice, the turnout was amazing, which says a lot about how much his audience shows up for him.

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The audience had some familiar faces too, with COLORS alumni Lolo Zouaï, Liim, H.E.R, WHATMORE, Chanpan, Emelie Trahan, Dillon Cooper, Rodney Chrome, and rum.gold all stopping in to celebrate with us. 

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On Friday, the studio team split in two: one group headed to Herbert Von King Park for SummerStage, the other stayed behind to transform HQ once again, this time for Kelela's album release party.

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A crowd of 4,000 people filled Herbert Von King Park; some danced near the barricades, while others lay out on picnic blankets, feet in the grass. Mereba, Mack Keane, and Arima Ederra each brought their own personal touch to the day. Mack Keane won over the audience, performing "Shadows" and "Sophia" with the calm confidence that has become his trademark.

Back at the studio, the team was setting up to celebrate the release of Kelela's new album, New Avatar. With glowing reviews already circulating online and fans calling it some of her best work yet, we couldn't help but feel honored to host the occasion.

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In the studio, with lights dimmed and toned so blue it felt like we were underwater, Kelela sat on stage next to a vinyl of her new project. She played through the entire album, giving live commentary, singing, and dancing along. From calm to chaotic, Kelela's presence had the room’s full attention.

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And to properly celebrate the album’s release, the team transformed the studio one last time into a Berlin-style club for an afterparty where DJ Bambii electrified the floor until 3 AM.

By the end of the week, the studio finally felt lived in. Nobody performed and left. Artists kept turning up on nights they weren't booked, excited to watch each other's shows like everyone else. People stayed for the conversations, the afterparties, and the quiet moments in between. Somewhere along the way, the studio started to feel like home, a place people keep finding their way back to. 

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And that’s a wrap on TONES of NYC. We hope to catch you in September at our next stop in London!