The Adults

2011 saw the first collaborative project from <a href="spotify:artist:3HmMT81W29LjSKNjl1Iy1s" data-name="Shihad">Shihad</a>&#39;s Jon Toogood under the moniker <a href="spotify:album:3ocly6tNY1mKKgGCP8OiSH" data-name="The Adults">The Adults</a>. After another hugely successful album <a href="spotify:album:6nFYJiknhlJhn9dzqoZntZ" data-name="FVEY">FVEY</a> with Shihad in 2014, Jon began to search for ideas for the second chapter in The Adults journey, gathering inspiration from his wedding in Khartoum, Sudan and the traditional music Aghani-Al-Banat performed at the ceremony. Aghani-Al-Banat literally translates to ‘girls music’ and is one of the only aspects of Sudanese music that deals exclusively with women, their lives and their issues. Completing a recording session in Khartoum with a group of female musicians to capture this style of music and its performance Jon bought these recordings home to begin writing western pop arrangements around them, inviting co-producer Devin Abrams (<a href="spotify:artist:0Yty2T0fXIPw6hAzEGV9mK" data-name="Pacific Heights">Pacific Heights</a>/<a href="spotify:artist:4whp3jSWWaITn36r9D4ZLf" data-name="Shapeshifter">Shapeshifter</a>) to shape the sound and beats of HAJA. Together they explored collaborations with a cast of fresh and captivating New Zealand female pop, hip-hop and soul vocalists including <a href="spotify:artist:3dnNuI5EU8TEdiAT73kj27" data-name="JessB">JessB</a> (Bloodlines), <a href="spotify:artist:1WCaYWO3WfBdA8Dl1OqfZz" data-name="Estère">Estère</a> (Bloodlines), <a href="spotify:artist:0wxqHrY3M43hkutOC6qDHW" data-name="Miloux">Miloux</a> (Because Of You), and <a href="spotify:artist:69GGBxA162lTqCwzJG5jLp" data-name="The Chainsmokers">The Chainsmokers</a> co-writer <a href="spotify:artist:5K0BVchFxmuKBw7DojGSQO" data-name="Chelsea Jade">Chelsea Jade</a> (Boomtown). These rounded out with key contributions from award winning established soul singer <a href="spotify:artist:4CeW2xghttvllIwy4AqNSg" data-name="Aaradhna">Aaradhna</a> (That Gold) and male MC’s <a href="spotify:artist:5woPu1EbjrUxdisOcQL7uo" data-name="Raiza Biza">Raiza Biza</a> (Boomtown/That Gold) and the #1 selling <a href="spotify:artist:32GMj177nVLZPp3lqVrCXp" data-name="Kings">Kings</a> (Take it on the Chin) have perfectly embellished the eight stunning tracks that embody HAJA, the long awaited second <a href="spotify:artist:0nzYADTfJqnGNNQjEE92F5" data-name="The Adults">The Adults</a> collaboration project.