Bolden.

BOLDEN. is a fast-rising jazz house duo blending the soul of jazz with the rhythm of electronic music. Emerging from the UK’s vibrant underground scene, Reuben Barrett and Catherine Rannus, both gifted multi-instrumentalists with contrasting but complementary musical journeys, are forging a new path for modern jazz and electronic fusion.

Reuben, a self-taught artist of guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, brings a raw, intuitive approach to rhythm and harmony. Catherine, a classically trained pianist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist on flute and saxophone, brings a strong sense of melody, harmony, and feel to BOLDEN.’s evolving sound. As one of the few women in the modern jazz house space, especially on the instrumental side, Catherine brings a vital and often underrepresented perspective to the genre. Her presence on stage and in the studio not only redefines expectations but also opens space for a more inclusive vision of what jazz music can be.

While Reuben first started BOLDEN. in November 2023, Reuben and Catherine first connected in August 2024 through a shared musical vision. What began as a one-off collaboration quickly evolved into a dynamic artistic partnership.

The name BOLDEN. is a tribute to Charles “Buddy” Bolden, the early jazz cornetist whose improvisational spirit laid the foundation for an entire genre. “It felt right to name the project after someone who helped birth jazz,” they shared. “We’re not trying to recreate what jazz was, we’re continuing its story.” That story now includes their own contributions: a fast-growing catalogue of tracks that channel the expressiveness of jazz, the pulse of house music, and the freedom of live performance.

Live, BOLDEN. is magnetic. Their live set features Reuben and Catherine jumping between saxophone, flute, drums, bass, guitar, keys and vocals, improvising harmonies and pushing arrangements in the moment. Each show feels one-of-a-kind, designed to evolve in real time.

In a short period of time, BOLDEN. has rapidly gained momentum, amassing millions of streams and earning over a million monthly listeners on Spotify, landing placements on major editorial playlists including New Music Friday UK, Jazz UK, Jazz House and more. They have also become curators in the space, building their own playlist, Jazz House Lounge, into a thriving community of over 50,000 listeners, making it one of the largest fan-driven playlists created by a jazz artist today. While selling out their debut shows in York and at London’s OMEARA, BOLDEN. is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about new acts in live music.

Their upcoming EP, ‘Would appear to be jazz.’, pushes their vision further, both musically and conceptually. Named after a line from Catherine’s university dissertation on gender inequality in the music industry, the project challenges narrow definitions of jazz while spotlighting the genre’s often-overlooked barriers. Across its tracks, BOLDEN. blends live jazz performance with house, all while questioning who gets to define what jazz is and who gets to participate in it. It’s bold, groove-driven, and purposefully provocative.