Hey SKAI! Congratulations on 10 Miles! It’s such a feel-good summer record, but there’s also a real emotional depth to it. We wanted to dig a little deeper into the story behind the collaboration, the creative process, and everything that’s been happening in your worlds lately.
Let’s start at the beginning. How did this collaboration first come about? Was 10 Miles something you’d planned for a while, or did it happen quite naturally?
I had been working on 10 Miles for a while, and I always felt there was something missing – that final piece that would make the record feel complete. So I kept digging and looking for a producer who could really understand what I was trying to do rather than just add another layer to it.
My A&R suggested Arabic Piano, and honestly, it was a very natural match. He understood the emotional direction of the track but brought something completely different to it. Looking back, I think that contrast is exactly what the record needed.
The track explores patience, desire and longing, but it’s wrapped up in something that feels uplifting and euphoric. What story were you trying to tell with this record?
For me, it’s about the emotions we carry inside and learning to accept the process that comes with getting what you actually feel and want.
The story is about falling for someone who isn’t easily accessible – but isn’t impossible either. Sometimes something can feel very far away, even when it’s actually within reach. And I think there’s something beautiful in having to be patient with that.
I wanted the track to hold that tension: longing and frustration, but also hope. You can dance to it, but there’s a little ache underneath.
Why the title 10 Miles? Is there a personal meaning behind it, or did it become a metaphor as the song developed?
It’s really about being close to someone but somehow still feeling so far away from them.
And the actual “10 miles” came quite naturally because part of the songwriting team was based in the UK – Blazey and Sigala & Manovski; so it became this simple way of expressing that feeling of distance. It sounded like a physical distance, but also an emotional one.
You both have very distinctive sounds. Was there anything you challenged each other to try creatively that you might not have done on your own?
I definitely challenged Arabic Piano to go into a more commercial space than he might normally explore. But he completely understood the vision, and I think that’s what makes the result work.
At the same time, I didn’t want to lose his identity in the process. You can still hear that Arabic Piano influence in the emotion, the melodies and the atmosphere of the record. It feels like both worlds are there rather than one taking over the other.
SKAI, you’re also really vocal about LGBTQ+ visibility within electronic music. How important is it for you to use your platform beyond just releasing records?
It’s really important to me. There are still so many people who are in the closet because they’re scared they won’t be accepted by their families, friends or the people around them. And when you’re hiding such a big part of yourself, it can affect everything, your confidence, your personal growth, even how freely you create.
I came out myself in 2018, and honestly, my life changed when I stopped feeling like I had to hide who I was.
So if me being open about my sexuality makes even one person feel a little less alone or gives them the feeling that there is a life on the other side of that fear, then it’s worth talking about.
I don’t want my sexuality to be the only thing people know about me; I’m an artist first. But I also don’t want to pretend that it isn’t part of who I am. Both things can exist at the same time.
Afro-house has grown massively over the last few years. As artists helping shape that movement, what excites you most about where it’s heading next?
I feel like Afro-house has been riding a huge wave for a while now, but what excites me is that it’s starting to evolve beyond what people originally expected from the genre.
I’m hearing more experimentation, more unexpected combinations and more artists pushing the sound into something new. And that’s what I love about music, it’s never supposed to stay in one place.
I think we’re also working towards that with our own music. I don’t want to make something that sounds like it belongs to one specific year or trend. I want to take the influences we love and turn them into something that feels like us.
You’ve both worked with incredible artists already. Is there someone whose music still makes you think, “I’d love to get in the studio with them one day”?
Oh, definitely HUGEL. I feel like we could connect really naturally through music and probably through girls too, haha.
But as a pop girl, I’d also love to work with singer-songwriters. Justin Bieber would definitely be high on my list. Giveon, Dermot Kennedy and Tate McRae would also be amazing.
I love artists who can make you feel something with a really simple melody or a few words. That’s something I’m always chasing in my own music too.
Outside of music, where are you finding inspiration at the moment? Is it travel, books, films, people…?
Nature, definitely. I love being in the forest or by the ocean. I travel a lot, but sometimes the biggest inspiration comes from doing absolutely nothing.
I actually get most of my ideas when I’m alone, in peace and quiet, away from the noise. I think when you’re constantly surrounded by music, people, screens and stimulation, it can become difficult to hear your own thoughts.
Sometimes you need to disappear a little to understand what you want to say next.
Looking back, what’s one lesson you’ve learned over the last year that’s changed the way you approach your career?
I’ve learned not to rush the process.
The right song, the right collaboration, the right opportunity, even the right gig has its own timing. You can work hard and push things forward, but you can’t force everything to happen exactly when you want it to.
I used to think I always had to be doing more, faster. Now I’m learning that sometimes patience is part of the work too.
Finally, what does the rest of 2026 have in store for you?
2026 has already been a really exciting year for me. I’ve had a few important releases and some amazing support opportunities alongside artists like Black Coffee, MoBlack and Alex Wann, which I’m really grateful for.
Coming up, I’d love to support Keinemusik in Copenhagen, as well as CamelPhat, and there are a couple more releases I’m really excited about before the year is over..
SKAI and Arabic Piano “10 Miles” is out now on One Seven Music
Grab it here
Follow:
Instagram
SoundCloud