Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I’ve known how much I’ve wanted to do music my whole life. Singing since I was really little, choirs, orchestras and plays, and being surrounded by worship in a church all helped raise me. I grew up in Bristol, and as I got older I was introduced to hip-hop, and the incredible dub/reggae culture. I loved it and these both shaped my music taste.
Going to university I studied classical singing which developed my technique, but whenever I wrote songs they were RnB or pop.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “ABS”?
A: I want to get the the deeper meaning of who I am as an artist, and who my fans are. What is it about those people dancing in the front that makes them connect with my music? What differentiates me from the rest? And once I’ve got to this point, I will use it to work out where my fans, like-minded people and artists hang out. I’m going to find ways to get people to notice what I’m doing. I know that will take time as that’s just how the industry goes, but I’m willing to put the work in.
‘abs’ is for everyone, but most importantly, it’s for those people that need to feel empowered. For those who need to have faith in themselves. For those who want to just have a boogie. ‘abs’ is about reaching your full potential, and becoming your true authentic self.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I’d probably say my two inspirations right now are Beyoncé and Little Simz. Beyoncé puts on a SHOW and her talent cannot be denied. Every single movement is thought out and has a meaning behind it which I really value in performance. With Little Simz, it’s kind of the opposite. She’s so laid back on stage, wears baggy clothes and is just so cool in her calmness. I love her success arc as well, coming from the council flats to where she is now. They’re both massively inspiring to me
I find inspiration mostly in myself. Where I am, what I’m doing and most importantly about how I’m feeling. Music is that way to say things I maybe never thought I could, such as about my mental health, relationships and my family. I like to think that I am my biggest inspiration
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the EP, “abs.”?
A: This EP means the world to me. Over COVID I had a massive knock to my confidence and my mental health, so the fact I am releasing anything again is such an achievement for me, and I am so proud of myself! Each song represents a different part of myself, and it has been a joy to bring them to life with my partner Zak Michaud (bassist and mastering engineer) and my good friend Ruaridh Summers (artist name Rori, producer). I hope other people love it as much as I do!
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Ambitious
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “abs”?
A: My main challenge was that I wanted ‘Blossom’ to have an artist feature on the second verse and their sound engineer’s computer broke and we couldn’t get the file. I had to write a second verse super last minute and only managed to get it done the day before I was announcing the EP! It worked out great though, and I am still hoping to release a ‘Blossom remix’ at some point in the future.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: My message will always be that you are strong and powerful to do anything you want to. Anything you set your mind to can be achieved, as long as you have faith in yourself and your abilities! My music is for those who want to be empowered and let go for a little bit, and be authentically themselves.
I really want to keep growing as a performer and play on bigger and bigger stages. My aim for this year is to play some festivals, and then when I move to London, I would love to grow my network and keep selling out bigger venues as I keep moving up.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Oh 100% Beyonce. I would give anything to make that happen. If we did a dance break together on stage it would be the best moment of my life!
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: My advice would be to have FAITH. The music industry is possibly one of the hardest to navigate, and one of the hardest to break into. You have to put the work in, but most importantly keep going if you have knockbacks. Have faith in yourself, and keep going.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Not to sound like a broken record, but have faith! Have faith in yourself, in your abilities, in the amount of work you put in, and most importantly, that everything will happen when it is supposed to happen.
