Rachel Chinouriri - Rough Trade East

There is something about Rough Trade East that always strips things back to what matters. No spectacle. No distance. Just artist and audience sharing space.

Seeing Rachel Chinouriri there felt like catching someone in a moment of becoming. The night included a live performance, a Q and A, and an album signing, but none of it felt rushed or overproduced. Everything unfolded gently.

She complimented my star hair clips, which immediately made me smile. It sounds small, but moments like that set the tone. Observant. Present. Human.

Rachel’s music has always felt diaristic to me, but hearing it live sharpened that feeling. Her songs sound like pages pulled from different stages of growing up Black British. The awkward years. The yearning. The quiet resilience. Not framed as trauma. Just lived experience.

What struck me most was how comfortable she seemed in herself. She did not perform like someone trying to convince the room of her talent. She performed like someone who trusts the songs to do the work.

There was a calm confidence in the way she spoke, answered questions, and moved through the set. It felt like watching someone who understands exactly where she is in her journey, and is not rushing the next step.

I left feeling grounded. Seen, even. Which is a rare thing to feel after a gig.