Formed in the 2010s, Nérija is a collective of London-based musicians that met through a Tomorrow's Warriors Development program that was created to address the imbalance in the number of women achieving success in the music industry. The group was formed by Nubya Garcia (tenor saxophone), Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet), Cassie Kinoshi (alto saxophone), Rosie Turton (trombone), Shirley Tetteh (guitar), Lizy Exell (drums), and Rio Kai (bass). The group initially played clubs in the London area but moved beyond their local area and toured parts of Europe including Norway and Germany. They released their self-titled EP in 2016 and caught the attention of critics and labels. Signing with Domino Records, Nérija released the singles “Where It Ends and Begins” and “Riverfest”. They released their debut album, Blume, in 2019. The album was a unique blend of styles that was called ‘vibrant’, ‘infections’, and ‘engaging’ by the press.
