Freya Ridings

Freya Ridings, a pianist, singer, and songwriter based in London, possesses an especially rich and soulful vocal timbre. In 2017 she achieved a U.K. Top Ten placement with “Lost Without You,” a track later featured on her self-titled studio debut that climbed to number three upon its 2019 release. Following a four-year absence from the British charts, she resurfaced in 2023 via the disco-inflected single “Weekends,” drawn from her second album, Blood Orange.

Born in London as Freya Olivia Rose Ridings, she is the daughter of actor Richard Ridings and first picked up guitar by observing his playing. By early 2017 she was supporting Gavin James on U.K. dates and issued her debut song, “Blackout,” that May—the same month she performed her first headlining concert. Focused on introspective ballads, the performance also marked her initial recording release when Good Soldier Records issued Live at St. Pancras Old Church that September, featuring an acoustic rendition of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs track “Maps.” Before year’s end she entered the U.K. Top Ten once more as “Lost Without You” peaked at number nine.

During 2018 Ridings delivered the gradual-building single “Ultraviolet,” joined MJ Cole for the atmospheric “Waking Up,” and unveiled a further live set, Live at the Omeara. Early the following year she released her first studio EP, You Mean the World to Me, marking her initial output under a U.S. licensing arrangement with Capitol. Her breakthrough single “Lost Without You” appeared on the July 2019 studio album Freya Ridings, which reached number three in the U.K. and registered on additional European charts while yielding the Top 20 follow-up “Castles.”

In early 2023 she returned to the U.K. singles chart with “Weekends,” her first new original material in four years, ahead of the May arrival of sophomore LP Blood Orange on Good Soldier. The record incorporated songwriting contributions from Kamille (Dua Lipa, Sia), Phil Plested (the Chainsmokers, OneRepublic), Will Bloomfield (Sea Girls, the Vaccines), and Scott Harris (Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes).