Puma Blue

London singer/songwriter Jacob Allen records under the stage name Puma Blue, a project defined by its languid and deeply atmospheric textures that fuse indie rock, alternative R&B, downtempo grooves, and the echo of ’90s trip-hop. Several early EPs first stirred online interest, yet it was the 2021 release of his debut full-length, In Praise of Shadows, that drew broader notice. Two years later came the follow-up, Holy Waters, an album whose songs are at once clearer and more focused while retaining the same close-knit atmosphere.

Allen was born in 1995 and passed his teenage years between Hurst Green in Sussex and Redhill near Croydon, where drumming first captured his attention. During those years he also became self-taught on guitar and began writing original material, guided by the work of Radiohead and Jeff Buckley as well as the understated elegance of Sade and J Dilla. After relocating to South East London, he immersed himself in the area’s thriving hip-hop and electronic circles. In 2014 he started releasing music online as Puma Blue; the EPs Swum Baby in 2017 and Blood Loss in 2018 helped solidify a growing audience. Those recordings led to intimate live performances and guest appearances alongside Lava La Rue, Biig Piig, Lucy Lu, and additional collaborators. The hazy full-length In Praise of Shadows arrived in 2021, followed by a collection of remixes the next year. Holy Waters surfaced in 2023, deepening the personal tone of earlier work through richer, more brooding compositions.