Following the release of her debut album recently we caught up with Ebi Oginni, a Nigerian-born Irish doctor and an emerging independent singer/songwriter currently based in Derby, England. Her first and second singles made it on to the top 5 Contemporary Gospel tracks on the UK Christian Charts and her goal as an artist is to bring persevering faith and contagious joy through music and spoken word. Here’s her interview below:

Tell us a little bit about your new album and how it came about?

My debut album is titled “Hope”. The idea of this album came about during the pandemic when we all needed something to hold on to. So I thought it fitting that the theme of my first album should embody an idea that is universal and powerful enough to transcend different situations and demographics, something which everyone can relate to. Most of the songs were written or finished during the pandemic. These songs came out of situations that I went through professionally and personally. The lessons I learned have stayed with me and helped me navigate different situations and my hope is that they do the same for you. My vision as a songwriter is to write songs that bring contagious joy and persevering faith, to keep you moving forward towards your dreams and aspirations, regardless of what you may face along the way.

Tell us about your new single and what was the inspiration behind it?

The song ‘Someday Soon’ was inspired by seeing someone dear to me go through a difficult season. I began writing it, aiming to inspire him to keep going and to not give up. Then I started to think of how relatable this topic is. I’ve struggled with feelings of inadequacy myself as a doctor, wife and mother. I’m sure you have struggled with this too, in one capacity or another. 

The truth is that life is all about learning new skills, and failing is part of the process of learning. I heard this analogy recently. This speaker was trying to get people to not be afraid of failure. He said if you look at a heart, as it pumps it rises and falls, rises and falls. The only time it’s steady and not falling is when the heart is not beating. 

So I’d like to invite you to go listen to the song and as you do, my hope is that you’ll be reminded that failure is part of growing. I hope you find inspiration in the words of the song to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Most of all I hope it helps you look forward with expectation to the success that will inevitably come as long as you keep going.

What would you say are some of the main messages in the album?

The song called ‘Hope’ conveys the message that through all the seasons of life, the ups and downs , the good and bad, God remains our hope, our life line and our anchor.  It talks about the trap of comparison and how to avoid it. It also talks about perseverance, trusting God and encourages you to keep dreaming and believing.

If you could work with any artist, who would it be and why? 

CalledOut Music. I love the relationship he’s cultivated with his listeners. It’s like I see him down in the trenches doing the work and talking the talk. I feel like there’s a lot I can learn from him

What has been one of your proudest moments in your journey so far?

Planning my album release concert, supporting fellow artists while doing it and performing my songs in an authentic powerful way while conveying the messages behind the songs in an aligned way.

Can you tell us anything about future plans for music/events? 

I have a single out on Friday October 28th with Sarah Teibo called ‘Hear me Roar’. Download/Stream it here https://show.co/HGaoXaS

This song was inspired out of a season when it felt like I was putting out small fires one after the other. It occurred to me that these could all be distractions to take my attention away from the things that really mattered- what God had called me to do, as a wife, mum, doctor and artist. I started writing this song to strengthen my resolve, to not be distracted and to stay focused. I approached Sarah Teibo to co-write the song with me and she loved the idea of what I had in mind and we finished writing the song together.

The song is a call to action to me and you, a reminder to adopt a vigilant outlook, knowing that we have an enemy who doesn’t want us to fulfil our destiny and will do anything to stop us. It’s also a reminder that all of creation is waiting for us to step into our calling. There are some things only you can do, some people only you can touch, because you are unique, with a calling that only you can fulfil.