Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I grew up in a small town in south wales with my mum and younger brother. So initially growing up I was heavily into musical theatre, at university when I studied performing arts was when I started to really be invested in music, I had no idea what I was doing but wrote my first EP ‘Time Has Passed’ which I released in 2016 alongside my studies.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: oh gosh there is so many Lauren Aquilina, Maisie Peters, Mimi Webb, Rachel Grae, Lauren Spencer Smith and Blueyes. There’s so many I honestly could go on.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: As a teenager it was definitely the likes of Adele, it wasn’t till the last say 5 years that music honestly has a bigger meaning to me and I really believe that’s because of living life.
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Better’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Absolutely, Better was written around 2 years ago, it was during lockdown, everyone was home and zoom cowrites were the way forward. The last few years I was quite ill, I had so many symptoms was back and forth to the Gp & A&E but I kept getting sent home being told nothing was wrong, I didn’t need to be there. It was like that for 2 years at least, one doctor even told me I was just depressed, but my symptoms were very physical I knew something was wrong, but no professionals believed me. As you can probably imagine I felt very alone/isolated the only people who believed me was my family and friends. Better was written when I had hit rock bottom, nothing in my life made sense anymore, I remember in the writing session with Joe Dolman crying buckets, I have never done that in a writing session before but the product I produced out of it is beautiful and I’m so proud.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Lets just say you can expect so much new music over the next year, the next release is already scheduled. I’m so ready for the music coming not sure you are.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: since starting in music, and experiencing life trauma my songs/lyrics have definitely matured and become more honest and vulnerable. I think particularly those who have mental health issues and chronic illness can relate and therefore I’m hoping my experiences through my art speak with those individuals.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: yes mainly, I absolutely love what I do, I love connecting with new individuals through my music and my experiences in life. Then if they connect that’s amazing, but in the same breathe I really hope that others find comfort in my music and our community continues to grow.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: For me I usually will start with a story for the song, points I want to get across in the song, the main message and write some ideas down. I rely a lot on cowrites because of my disability and not being able to physically play any instruments, but its more than that I absolutely love collaborating I strangely prefer it to writing alone.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: that’s easy, for 2 years leading up to last February, I had a whole host of health symptoms that were so scary. I was back and forth to a&e and gps who kept telling me nothings wrong with you, you don’t need to be coming in. unfortunately my symptoms were very severe and gaslighted into believing that it was my imagination.
Fast forward February last year, I went out on my mothers hen do which I had been planning for 8 months. That night I was very unwell, different than before but I could not put my finger on it. Little did I know what I was about to endure, on the Monday we demanded my GP get me admitted to find out what was wrong with me. After hours of tests, still feeling like I was in the wrong I was told I had an oesophageal tear so all my severe symptoms were caused from it, it had likely been there for years, I needed to be put on nil by mouth immediately, I don’t think I had ever had as many drips as then.
Whilst being on drips for weeks, and having a PICC line, things were looking up, until they took a bigger turn for the worst. I became suddenly very ill even worse critically unwell, after a few tests it was confirmed I had contracted sepsis from my PICC line. The only things I remember is being told we have to take you up to ICU, there’s a big chance you wont make it out of this, you may end up on a ventilator if you do we expect you not to make it off. Either your body will fight or it won’t.
After that I felt like I was in another universe, I couldn’t see or hear because I ultimately was planning for the worst. However I fought very hard, and am so glad I am here to tell my story, I have a new lease for life.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: There’s one main standout moment for me, that would have to be having one of my old songs ‘time has passed’ being featured on American tv show ‘Dance Moms’ with American tv personality Abby Lee Miller, because its feature the song has surpassed 14,000 streams and it climbing by the day. Its still a very surreal thing for such a small artist.
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