Jordan Stephens shares his thoughts on his stay at Soul & Surf, exploring the creative benefits of travel and the importance of balance in his daily routine.
Jordan Stephens | 6th July 2026
Stepping away from the relentless noise of the music and media industries, Jordan joined us for a residency to work on his next book. In this candid interview with Jordan Stephens, we catch up with him on his unfiltered thoughts on modern living, his ongoing evolution as a writer, and the profound ways the ocean has helped center his headspace.
POV: from right outside your room.
Where are you based these days, and what does life look like for you at the moment?
I’m based in south east London with my partner and two rescue dogs. Life at the moment mainly consists of me finding time and ways to travel because I have lost a lot of respect and admiration for the country that’s raised me. I think living in London is a scam and it’s hard to rationalise being based there when all I need to do is write.
A lot of people know you from Rizzle Kicks, but your work has evolved a lot, how would you describe what you do now?
I love words more than anything. I love writing. I know that I’m good at it. I know that I’ve got a lot to improve on. I love telling stories. I life dissecting existence. I’m an experiencer and reporter of the wild and the wonderful.
What brought you to Sri Lanka and Soul & Surf?
Desire.
You’ve been doing yoga, surfing, and writing while you’re here, has that mix shifted anything creatively for you?
The space has been beautiful for writing. Yoga with Rosie has been a game changer. In all honesty I’ve been more taken aback by the amount of women I’ve met who are genuinely in love with the ocean than anything. Romantically in love with the waves.
How does being in the ocean affect your headspace?
Calms me. Centres me.
There’s a lot of noise in the world you came from, music, media, attention, how important is stepping away from that?
The most important. Indescribably important.
The morning crew.
Do you find travel helps unlock creativity, or does it distract from it?
Unlocks. Grows. Evolves. Heightens. Creates dream states. Reflects. Bursts. Sometimes it’s hard to not want to do everything and yes maybe I would have got more writing done with my head down somewhere miserable but it’s quality over quantity for me.
Soul & Surf is built around Now / Soul / Risk / Balance, which one hits hardest for you right now?
Balance.
Have you had a moment here where you thought, yeah, I needed this?
Every morning.
And finally, what does Soul mean to you?
Connection.
Romantically in love with the waves.
Following his visit, Jordan published a candid essay on his Substack titled Surf & Sex, exploring the intricacies of surf culture, total presence, and his relationship with the ocean. He reflects warmly on his residency with us at Soul & Surf, specifically highlighting the wisdom of our very own Rosie Parton and praising Rash as a top-tier surf teacher who quickly got him onto bigger waves.
