Athieno crafts layered urban soundscapes, offering an honest counterpoint to the conventional love song. Her soulful voice delivers vulnerable, profound testimonies—honest accounts of shared human struggles, personal insights, and the relentless journey to find resolve. By weaving narrative depth and spiritual intimacy, she hopes to invite listeners into a deeper understanding of love, faith and personal growth.

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Athieno is a versatile singer-songwriter, producer and engineer who developed her distinctive African-infused urban sound by fusing her musical influences in R&B, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Gospel, and African influences. This stylistic blend was honed during her time at Berklee College of Music.

Early in her career, performing as annieSoul, Athieno built a reputation for sophisticated storytelling, becoming the first Kenyan to perform at the African Festival of Boston. Her immersion in diverse global cultures catalysed a profound personal shift, granting her a “renewed sense of purpose in my mission as an African artist.” This realisation led her to officially reclaim her middle name: Athieno, which she chose as a more accurate representation of her evolving musical journey. She continued to produce and release her deeply personal album IaM, a culturally rich work created in collaboration with a stellar collection of genre-bending musicians that she met while studying at Berklee. IaM is “at its core honest, cosmopolitan and inventive.”