Rio Sterling’s music is his introduction – a soulful and accomplished artist with a reputation for his atmospheric live performances and aptitude for bringing good sounds to good places.
With the promise of new music this October, Rio talks with UD Music about a handful of his favourite Croydon haunts, putting on his best show in the midst of his worst month, and the opportunities UD and Flames Collective have created, allowing his sterling talent to shine silver bright…
Hailing from the self-professed “capital of South London” (also known as Croydon), Rio spent his childhood switching the dial to Radio Jackie and Smooth FM for sweet soul sounds. “A lot of what I was listening to is what I wanted to write,” he shares, paying homage to the likes of Marvin Gaye and Al Green, whose music soundtracked his upbringing. You can hear those foundations throughout his 2025 debut EP, Dream In Colour, a project Rio now sees as the opening chapter of something much bigger. “I love it as an introduction piece for myself as an artist… it’s the start, showing what’s to come.”
There are a few words that often recur in my conversations with UD Incubator artists and Flames Collective alumni, and “possibility” is one of them. Creating opportunities for young artists to experience spaces and stages that might otherwise have felt out of reach is something UD does particularly well. “It gives you so much hope and ambition for the future,” says Rio, who through Flames Collective has already found himself performing at arenas, awards ceremonies and on high-profile television shows alongside some big, big names. “It makes these things very possible.”
You describe your sound as sitting somewhere between pop, soul and alternative R&B, with everyone from Marvin Gaye and Al Green to Frank Ocean and Bruno Mars in the mix. What did you grow up listening to, and when did you start figuring out what your version of soul music sounded like?
I grew up listening to a lot of Motown and soul music and reggae – my dad’s family are from Jamaica so a lot of that influence was there, and a lot of what I was listening to is what I wanted to write. The stuff that I have coming out is more a blend of alternative sounds, like Frank Ocean-esque stuff, even mixed with some Steve Lacy. My inspirations have expanded to different genres, to different artists and different parts of the world. I feel like it’s going to be moving not a million miles away, but certainly to a more mature sound.
You’re from South London and have spoken about your Jamaican roots feeding into your music too. Where do you hear those two parts of your identity coming through most clearly in what you make?
A lot in the instrumentation, there are certain rhythms and bass lines that I really love to use. Even at the start of Angel Dust, the bassline in the beginning feels like a bass sound from a reggae song. I really enjoyed writing that part. Down is another example of those Caribbean roots. However, I think a lot of the lyrics I have been writing recently have been more in tune with the lifestyle of living in South London, and the experience of my own life. Less than just in a romantic sense, but more talking about escapism and the things that are happening in our lives in London and around the UK.
Do you identify very much as a South Londonder in that case?
100%. Every time I say I’m from Croydon, people want to say Croydon’s not South London (laughs). Croydon is the capital of South London! I always identify with that. My dad grew up here, I grew up here, all my friends are from here. It’s got its own unique culture, we’re the loudest part of London.
Do you have any South London or Croydon landmarks that are particularly important to you?
Oh that’s a great question. Rose Hill KFC in Sutton. Sometimes I used to go there with my boys after school, we used to just smell the chicken because we didn’t have any money (laughs). You’ve obviously got Selhurst Park, that’s where I worked for a while. Shout out to Crystal Palace Stadium. Whitgift Centre. Insane memories. Same with Tenpin Bowling. Shout out to Valley Park, and shout out to CR4 Manor Road – that’s where my grandma lives (laughs).
Your 2025 EP Dream in Colour feels like a real introduction to your world as an artist. What did you want that project to tell people about Rio Sterling that the individual singles maybe couldn’t?
I feel like Dream in Colour as a project has signs of experimentation of where I should go. I want it to say how I can be more versatile with sound, but I love it as an introduction piece for myself as an artist. I feel like what is there is just Rio at 17 and 18 years old, writing what he thinks he wants to become, and I’ve slowly expanded to what I’m going to be creating next, and the project I’m going to be having out soon and just building the start of that world. I feel it shows a really good story of what’s to come, rather than the finished final product. I think the songs in there are great, and I wouldn’t change those for the world, but it’s the start, showing what’s to come.
You’ve described your live shows as joyous and high-energy, and there’s a real sense that the live experience feeds back into the records themselves. Have you always loved performing?
Live shows are my favourite part of being an artist to be fair. I used to do pub gigs everywhere, I used to do like five maybe even six a week, just random places. I was like I need to get better at this and not get nervous before going on stage. I need to be able to develop my presence as a performer by really honing in on that craft first. From then, that’s always been my favourite part of it, that feeling of being alive on a stage and making everyone in the room feel the energy.
Have you got a gig or performance in mind which really embodied that feeling?
We did the Lower Third twice earlier this year. We did one in February – the start of the month was just terrible – my birthday was bad, I’d just broken up with my ex-girlfriend at the time… It was just a long, horrible first part of the month. The rehearsals were stressful, everything was just mad, and then the show came, and it was just amazing. It was amazing. It was just so good. We sold out on the day of, it just felt so good. That was the best show. And we recorded it, so I was able to listen back to it. I was even thinking maybe I would release a live version…
What would be your dream stage or venue?
That’s a great question because the obvious answer is Wembley, right? But I’m gonna go with playing Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Playing KOKO in London, that’s a crazy good venue. Playing in Madison Square Garden. New Orleans, and one more… Japan.
Through UD and Flames Collective, you’ve gone from developing your own artistry to performing on huge stages and alongside artists like Skye Newman, James Vickery, RAYE and Ed Sheeran amongst others. Tell me more.
Singing with Myles Smith at the MOBO Awards was my favourite. That was crazy. The Graham Norton Show was incredible as well. And then performing with RAYE every time blows you away. She’s an incredible performer. UD and Flames just feel like such a great family. I just really love the environment there, I love Andy (Gilbert), he’s amazing. He’s a great teacher and mentor too, and everyone is so supportive. That place has been amazing, I’m so grateful I’m able to use the space. Shout out to Pam as well.
What have those experiences taught you that you’ve been able to bring back into your own shows and music?
100% professionalism. You think we’re in a uni space or just students trying to do something, but now this is my life, I’m an artist, this is all our careers and we’ve got to take it seriously and have professionalism out there. We can banter and have fun, but at the same time, we have to be focused and disciplined. It also taught me about how those levels work in terms of how people show up, what people are like backstage, and just seeing that firsthand is like, okay, I can see how this can work. I’ve realised that celebrities and big artists are human beings as well. I feel like there’s this weird complex and aura around them where they feel untouchable, but they’re really just human.
It gives you so much hope and ambition for the future. I’m gonna be here one day and be in this position. It makes these things very possible in your head. I’ve performed at Wembley with RAYE. It’s not an impossible statement to say. It’s mind blowing.
Can you tell me about the Incubator programme?
It was really good. It was great to learn more about how the money and business side of things work. I wasn’t clueless, but it was really helpful to properly understand that side of being an artist.
You also host Sterling Sounds Shows, bringing other artists from the UK pop-soul community together. Why is it important to create a community rather than just simply focusing on building Rio Sterling as an artist?
It’s important as hell. In football, there are only like 1,500 spots in the top leagues in Europe, whereas in music, there’s no limit on the number of people. We can all come up together. It’s not a competitive thing, we can bring each other up to create that scene. I think building that community is so important, connecting all the different things together. We’re all helping each other rise instead of just being like, I’m here, you do your thing over there.
@riosterling_ Wtf are they doing ???????? #soulmusic #newmusic #oldsoul ♬ original sound – RIO STERLING
You were picked by UD and Maria Hanlon as one of the artists to know in 2026 – what does the rest of this year look like for you? What can we look forward to?
This year is very exciting. I did two shows in February and April and then I stopped and just focused on the writing. Over the last four or five months since, my goal has just been getting my pen game up, working with different people, and I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to create. I’ve written more songs than I probably have ever in my life – I must have written a good 40 or 50 songs. The next stage is getting them outside. We’re doing a show with a release on October 1st at the Lexington in Angel. We’re working on the visuals. Things are coming together, we’ve got a lot going on right now!
Book a ticket to Rio’s show via Dice.
Follow Rio’s journey on Instagram HERE.
Words: Elsa Monteith
Photography: Vincent Dolman for UD
