One of the UK's most soulful, youthful and captivating new voices is heading down under. Nectar Woode, who has quickly emerged as one of Britain's most exciting rising artists, is set to play her first-ever Australian shows in Sydney and Melbourne this August. Over the past year, she's opened for Olivia Dean, sold out London's iconic KOKO on her headline UK tour, and collaborated with Elton John on her latest single, Wine Into Water.

With her highly anticipated mixtape Naturally arriving on June 26, we caught up with the London-based singer-songwriter to talk about the project, working with Elton John, and what she's most excited about as she prepares for her Australian debut:

We're so excited to meet you. You have an incredible voice and you're so talented. It's your first time coming to Australia on tour but have you ever been here in any other capacity?

It's my first time. I can't wait. I've heard amazing things.

How has your live show evolved with the introduction of your new music?

I can finally take my band with me on the road, which is amazing. Although I'll be doing the Australia shows solo. It's been so nice to imagine and reimagine all the songs with the band in a live setting. It's been really fun, and I think we've added some more cool sounds to the live set, so it's cool.

You have a mixtape arriving soon. Why did you decide on a mixtape and not an album?

I wanted it to be a mixtape because it's a collection of songs for the summer, and it's coming out in June. I feel like, living in London, we only get a two-month window of summer anyway because the weather is so crazy and up and down. I wanted to give it to everyone because it's kind of my observation of my surroundings, basically, and how things have made me feel calmer living in the city. Just going for a walk every day, noticing mad high-rises, but then also people going to work and all this stuff - it makes me feel calm just observing people and being like, "Okay, we're all in the same boat. We're all doing this." I wanted to make a collection of songs to fit that vibe.

They definitely do fit that vibe. You have Elton John featured on your mixtape, which is just so incredible. Tell us about that experience.

I can't believe it either, to be honest. When it came out, I was still like, "Is it real?" Tapping on his name. So it came about because I wrote this song about a year ago. It's one of the deepest songs I've ever written, but it also took only an hour to write with me and Jez [Ashurst]. It just flowed out because we were talking about childhood and how it's sad to know that you won't ever be a child again, and mourning that process. So we wrote it, but then I put it away for six months and didn't think about it because it made me sad when I listened to it. Then I was building this mixtape, and I was like, "Oh, this song would be perfect to be on it. Why don't I ask someone who's championed me for a while?" It's been like four years now. He's always played me on his radio show. He's always shown so much love. I thought I'd email him and ask if he wanted to do the piano, and then he replied saying, "Yeah." Then we went to the studio and did it. It was such a simple process. But also, I didn't realise he was going to reply. I don't know. I just asked him, but I didn't know if he was actually going to do it.

I love that. If you don't ask, you don't get. So with these songs, where were you writing them? I know with your previous EP you explored your Ghanaian heritage, but in terms of this one, was the environment important to you for these songs?

Definitely. I wrote it over about a year, and it's really just been me being in London, going to sessions, doing my day-to-day thing. So the setting is very much a London vibe.

Is there a song that you're particularly proud of on here?

I can't wait for "Message to London" to be out because that's definitely one I'm really proud of. It's like a romantic song, but about London - personifying London as a person and being like, "Why do you keep building high-rises and all this crazy stuff?" But then also, there's so much community here and so much love. I like that one.

What's something that's important to you right now, aside from music, that you want to use your platform for?

Ooh. So I'm working with Youth Music, the charity that's based here in London, and I'm passionate about getting youth clubs back into the UK because there's a crazy - I don't know the percentage off by heart - but something crazy like 80% of youth clubs have disappeared in the last 10 years. I think people from disadvantaged backgrounds should still get the opportunity to make music and be creative. I'm working with them, and I'm doing a fundraising thing for them. So yeah, very excited and very passionate about that.

It sounds like you grew up in such a creative home with such creative parents. How do you think that has influenced your creative process and your drive to make music?

I was encouraged from a very early age just to be creative in any way, and my form of being creative was making sound, singing, and doing performances and stuff like that, which was fun. My mum was in fashion, and my dad loved music. He was obsessed with jazz music and played saxophone. So there was definitely a lot of creativity and a lot of loudness in my house. I was like, "Let me contribute to that." That was really fun because there was no judgement. You're just a kid having fun. I think the lack of pressure really helped, which was good.

So has fashion been a big part of your world because of your mum? While you've been building your sonic world, in terms of the visuals, how do you navigate your style?

That's a great question. I'm definitely influenced by my mum, but I feel like she's more out there and a bit more experimental. She loves to try different things. Whereas me, I really like my staples. I love denim and I love a really good jacket that I can put on with an outfit. But I also love clashing patterns. I love wearing a headscarf and having different patterns going on. I've definitely been influenced by my mum to try different things, but I'm just obsessed with denim. I think that's my go-to.

Which designer would you want to dress you for a tour?

Oh my gosh. That's a great question. I love Vivienne Westwood so much. I'm gonna say that.

Great answer. I like that you're coming to Australia without your band because I remember hearing in one of your interviews with Elton on his radio show that you were talking about going out on the road solo and how that's such a vulnerable experience. So I'm glad that we get to experience the show in that way.

I love doing solo shows as well. Especially when it's my first time in a city or a country because I get to chat a bit more. There's a personal element to getting to know an audience, and I can't wait.

Nectar's tour will commence at Sydney’s The Vanguard on Thursday 20 August before heading to Melbourne’s The Toff on Friday 21 August. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 16th June at 10am AEST. For complete tour and ticket information, visit secretsounds.com

Listen to Nectar Woode HERE.

@nectarwoode