Artist of the Week: John Riziki, Seattle-based singer-songwriter from Ghana

John Riziki is a singer-songwriter from Accra, Ghana, living in Seattle. The 27-year-old immigrated to the United States with his family at just 5 years old. Growing up in different cultures gave him a unique perspective to share, first writing songs as a teenager to better navigate and reflect on his experiences. Riziki is now releasing his music into the world — sharing the stories and moments that shaped him, hoping others can relate to them in their own way.

Seattle Refined: How long have you been writing/performing?
Riziki: I've been playing guitar since I was 15, and I'm now 27. I've been writing for maybe 10 years, and I've been performing the last six. I stopped during COVID, but have gotten into performing at open mics, restaurants, weddings and more since then.

Tell us about the artistic process and the different stages that work into it.
My creative process is always changing. Sometimes a melody comes first or words, there's really no concrete way. I might play some chords that inspire a song or hear some words that do the same.

Where does your inspiration come from? What artists have influenced you?
Real-life things: things I feel, things I see, things I wonder, real-life experiences. My biggest inspiration in my generation is Ed Sheeran. I am always inspired by his songwriting and work ethic, as well as by how he started playing multiple gigs a night (open mics, paid gigs, anywhere he could) and now plays in stadiums worldwide.

What kind of genre is your music? What kinds of things do you write about?
I'd describe myself as a singer-songwriter making acoustic-driven songs with pop, indie and folk influences. My art comes from a place of necessity. I have to do music. It's how I express myself, how I make sense of things, how I cope. It's honest, vulnerable pieces of me. It is me.

Do you have one song that means more to you or is extremely special to you?
A favorite song of mine is called "Catch Me If I Fall." I wrote it in less than 30 minutes, and it was definitely the quickest song I've ever written. I wasn't in love at the time I wrote it, but I'd like to think it came from an honest place. I love singing it every time, and it's a song I get compliments on often.

What experiences in your life have shaped your music?
My upbringing and experiences growing up in different places have influenced and definitely shaped my music.

If we want to hear more of your work, where should we go to find it? What about upcoming shows?
My Instagram or my linktree. I always promote and share my upcoming shows, songs and more there. If you want to hear my songs, you can find my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music or anywhere else you can find music.

What is next for you? Anything you're working on right now that you're really excited about?
I have some songs I've written over the last year that I'd like to record and release. Now that it's summer, I'm playing out almost every week and weekend. I'm looking forward to that — sharing my music and being out there playing for people.

Lastly, how do you take your coffee? We ask everyone!
This year, I've been loving a white chocolate peppermint Mocha. That's the coffee order I get the most.

About 'Artist of the Week': This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you're wondering just what constitutes art, that's the beauty of it; it's up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.