UAE-based soul and funk band Abri & The Everlasting will release its debut album, The Healing, on 23 September 2026, marking a new chapter for the four-piece and the country’s independent music scene.
The band features Hamdan Al Abri on vocals, Ratish Chadha on drums, Steven Bedford on bass and Jerome Deligero on guitar. Their sound draws from soul, funk, R&B, acid jazz and reggae.
The album grew out of informal music sessions that began in a living room, with the musicians building tracks collectively and allowing ideas to develop through extended improvisation. The material was later taken to The Temple, a Dubai rehearsal and community space, where the songs were developed and recorded.
The Healing explores the experience of finding movement and connection after periods of isolation. While the lockdown period provides part of the album’s context, the record also looks at creativity, human connection and collective expression as ways of moving forward.
The band’s first single, “Ocean”, is already available, while tracks including “Four Walls”, “Sister” and “Nothing Left to Prove” explore themes of freedom, intimacy, individuality and reconnecting with others.
“I really hope that this album gives that same sense of freedom, love and hope that it gave us when we were creating it,” Al Abri said.
The album is produced by Steven Bedford, mixed by Benjamin Vukelić and mastered by Assaad Lakkis at Bull Funk Studios. The artwork was created by Romanet Silva Torres of Conjunto Studio.
The release follows a series of events around the album, including a Bandcamp Friday pre-order on 4 September, a First Listen session on 8 September and an online listening party on 10 September. A public concert is scheduled for 17 October.
Abri & The Everlasting describe themselves as a band shaped by four different musical backgrounds, with their music built around close listening, improvisation and a shared groove. The Healing represents the group’s first full-length release and comes as the UAE’s independent music community continues to develop.
The album will be released through UAE-based independent label Ishtar Global, which works across music, artist development, distribution and international creative partnerships.
