Puma Blue

Biography

Jacob Allen, known professionally as Puma Blue, is a London-based singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist born around 1996. His parents were music teachers who supported his early passion for music, starting drum lessons at age 7, which he pursued daily until he became distracted by guitar and songwriting at 13. Initially aspiring to be a drummer, Allen shifted to self-teaching guitar chords and producing while attending music college at 16, influenced by a wide range of artists from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine to hip-hop, classical composers like Rachmaninov, and indie acts like Elliott Smith.[1][2][6]

Allen began his career sharing bedroom recordings on SoundCloud in 2014, with the demo 'Only Trying 2 Tell U' marking a breakthrough that built a cult following through London live shows and online buzz. Emerging from the South London music scene, his style blends R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and lo-fi aesthetics with emotive falsetto vocals likened to Jeff Buckley and Chet Baker, over gritty, nocturnal grooves inspired by J Dilla. Key releases include debut EP ‘Swum Baby’ (2017), ‘Blood Loss’ (2018), album ‘In Praise Of Shadows’ (2021), and ‘Holy Waters’ (2023), the latter a band-driven exploration of death recorded in immersive studio jams.[1][2][4][5]

Transitioning from solo laptop production to collaborative band performances, Puma Blue has cultivated a reputation for intimate, improvisational live shows with close friends. His work evokes voicemail-ballads and hypno-pop, earning acclaim for sensual grooves and haunting ambience, with ‘Holy Waters’ hailed as a triumph. Now viewing Puma Blue as a band, Allen continues evolving toward abstract, boundless music reminiscent of his childhood wonder.[2][3][5]

Fun Facts

• Originally wanted to be a professional drummer from age 7 but got 'distracted' by guitar and songwriting at 13, leading to his production obsession.[6]
• Chose the Puma Blue moniker around age 20 to escape singer-songwriter gigs alongside Ed Sheeran types, drawing from Delta Blues legends like Leadbelly.[4]
• Recorded an hour-long sold-out intimate concert on a USB stick handed by the sound engineer, later releasing it as 'A Late Night Special' without overthinking.[2][6]
• Moved from London to Atlanta in 2020 due to his partner's expired student visa during the pandemic, where he worked on 'In Praise Of Shadows'.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Parents (music teachers) - Supported early musical training (Drum lessons from age 7) [Childhood]
• Leadbelly, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters - Delta Blues inspirations for moniker and reframing music (Influenced artist alias choice) [Around age 20]
• J Dilla - Stylistic influence on grooves (Live performances and production) [Ongoing]

Key Collaborators

• Lucy Lu - Frequent peer collaborator from South London scene (Various projects) [2010s]
• Biig Piig - Frequent peer collaborator from South London scene (Various projects) [2010s]
• Lava La Rue - Frequent peer collaborator from South London scene (Various projects) [2010s]
• Live band members (close friends) - Band for live shows and recordings, co-wrote songs from jams (Holy Waters (2023) including 'Too Much, Too Much', 'Gates (Wait For Me)', 'Epitaph') [2018-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #gothic, #jazz-pop, #pop