Ni Maxine steps into her moment with Mother’s Arms

Liverpool’s Ni Maxine isn’t just one to watch. she’s already moving with intent. Recently crowned Breakthrough Act of the Year at the 2025 Jazz FM Awards and tipped by NME as a “neo-jazz star”, her rise feels less like hype and more like something earned, built on honesty, patience, and a clear sense of self.

Her debut EP Mother’s Arms marks a defining chapter. Rooted in jazz, soul and highlife, it’s a deeply personal body of work that navigates identity, generational trauma, healing, and what it really means to find home. Written during one of the most difficult periods of her life, the project moves from introspection to release — not neatly, but truthfully.

There’s a reason her music is connecting across generations. It doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: raw, reflective, and quietly powerful.

We caught up with Ni Maxine to talk about the making of Mother’s Arms, creative vulnerability, and redefining what home really means.

1. Mother’s Arms explores identity, healing, and generational trauma—what was the most challenging part of turning such personal experiences into music?

The most challenging thing was having to open up to whoever I was working with to explain what I wanted to say with this music. We tried to record this body of work twice before we started working with my producer, TEE, who has completely shaken things up, for the best, I think. I hate to feel like a burden, which I sometimes do when I'm telling these (quite intense, at times) stories about my life, but what i've found is that the right people will listen, won't judge and will help you to turn your pain into something that has beauty and can help someone else navigate what you went through, which makes it all feel worth it.

2. You’ve described the EP as a journey from darkness into light—was there a specific moment where that shift became clear to you creatively or emotionally?

There have definitely been creative and emotional shifts throughout this process, which has happened over a number of years, but the EP itself also (kind of) follows this arc.

It opens with 'Time' where we acknowledge the universal struggle with time and the necessity of prioritising healing, the complexities of familial (particularly mother-child) relationships, the impact of generational trauma and addiction, and learning how to say 'NO' before we recognise that true freedom is found within. The EP ends with the mantra, "Freedom within me, I'm free."'

I wanted anyone listening who can relate to what I'm talking about to feel some kind of relief or resolution and carry hope with them. I'm not sure if that answers the question exactly, but these are my thoughts.

3. Your sound blends jazz, soul, and highlife with deeply conscious lyricism—how do you approach balancing musical experimentation with storytelling?

I'm not really (certainly not knowingly) technical as a musician, but I have a really particular taste when it comes to music. I have to feel it in my body and relate to it, and my goal is to make music that I would enjoy listening to. In terms of the music itself, a lot of the experimentation is down to who I am collaborating with and what they contribute to the music-making process. There is a lot of back-and-forth and listening that has to happen in order for us to find the sweet spot where the story i'm telling, or wanting to tell, is complimented by the 'sonic bed' as TEE once called it. Feel is really important to us - We don't mind if the chords are repetitive or 'simple' if they feel good and put across the emotion that we're trying to express.

4. Winning ‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’ and gaining major recognition—how has that momentum influenced your confidence and direction as a solo artist?

I feel really fortunate to have received this kind of recognition so early in my career. I had never even dreamed of becoming an artist, so it is has been really validating and encouraging to win or be nominated for awards for it, and definitely helps me deal with the constant imposter syndrome.

In terms of artistic direction, I think we felt a lot of pressure to make my debut EP campaign impactful, after having won the award, so it has really pushed us creatively. We chose not to rush the release so that we had time to really get into each of the tracks, and who knows if it worked but it was really important for us, as a small team, not to burn out (she says, musing on these thoughts at 3:30AM). I still feel like we're in the early days though - I know I have a lot more work to do!

5. The EP touches on the idea that identity lives in people, not places—how has your understanding of “home” evolved through making this project?

This has been a major shift! I moved to Liverpool in 2019, seeking 'home' and place to feel like I belong, because I have never really felt like I belonged anywhere.

The title track 'Mother's Arms' started as a song called 'Please Breeze (Carry Me)' which was a plea to the wind to carry me to the 'Motherland' (Nigeria). My mum's family has Caribbean roots, but being in Liverpool has made the history of the transatlantic slave trade all the more real, and has raised so many questions about our identity beyond our family name.

Since living in here, coincidentally across the park from where my mum grew up, and at least 45 years on, I have learned more about her upbringing and context, which has helped me understand her better and be more patient with her. The physical distance between us (she is based in Bristol) means that my longing for 'home' has shifted to a longing for quality time with mum, time to talk, to understand each other, to heal and grow together.

While the space I exist in feels like home, knowing that my great grandad, my grandad and my aunties and uncles were here, and that my mum played in the park as a child and walked these streets on the way to school, church and to see friends is what truly makes it feel like 'home'. It's the stories we share around the table when we get together for fish and chips (a cute extended family tradition) that make this house a home. There's nothing I love more than those post-meal conversations which spill over into the winding down hours.

Making this EP has been a really cathartic experience for me. I think the music and the conversations it has inspired have helped my mum process some things too, so I'm really proud of it, and I hope it can do the same for you and your mum.