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: Hello, thanks for having me here! I am originally from West Sussex and moved to London around 13 years ago. I have always found myself singing and writing songs. I started learning the guitar when I was 9 as a vehicle to accompany myself and it’s just never really stopped. Sharing them with people and all the “career” bits around music have really just been the natural outcome of always writing and generally making a racket.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: I really love Alvvays and their most recent album Blue Rev was a triumph. I think everything Holly Humberstone does is brilliant, oh and Julia Jacklin’s latest album, Pre Pleasure has been on repeat quite a lot.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: Hmm… I think from a songwriting perspective, I started learning the guitar by using my Dad’s old chord books and his favourites were Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, and The Eagles – so i think a lot about the singer/ songwriter-y nature of my songwriting comes from that. But I also loved a real mix of pop stuff growing up – from The Spice Girls, Eternal and Alisha’s Attic to Fleetwood Mac, Coldplay and Travis.
Q: What inspired you to write ‘TV’ and what message or theme does the song convey?
A: I wanted to write a song that was a sort of love song but not about another person. I feel like TV is such a constant companion in my life – a way to relax, escape, switch off, change my mood. And watching “too much” TV is something a I feel a bit guilty about so this song was my way of owning my love for it and why.
Q: Can you describe the creative process behind the song and how it came together?
A: I started with the idea and then really quickly got a first draft of the lyrics down in one morning. I then started to make a rough demo with the drum loop sound and added some synth chords which I then sang over until I was happy with the melody. I then added some harmonies and a few other parts before taking it to my Producer to re-record certain bits, add more guitars and effects, some real drum sounds and generally turn it into the track you hear now.
Q: Can you talk about the production and recording process of the song, and any interesting or unique aspects you incorporated?
A: For this track we took the demo into the studio at Buffalo in Limehouse which has a really laid back, 70s warm atmosphere and was perfect for experimenting with the sound. I wanted to bring more analogue instruments into the mix and have a softer, more old school, and jangley pop vibe – having been more electronic-centric for my last few tracks. To get this, we used an old spring reverb from the 70s and a tape echo to get the far away dreamy sound, brought in some real drum sounds and added lots more guitars.
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: Oh yes, especially in the sense that I could definitely be putting more work into it (haha) but I would still like to keep some of the music making process as a joy rather than tuning it all into work
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: I like to try lots of different tactics to try and keep it fresh. Sometimes i’ll start with lyrics or I will try and work out a whole song on the guitar first before taking it to my computer and creating a demo – but my absolute favourite is to stay in one evening alone and build a song from scratch, starting with a beat, then add some chords I like the sound of and then sing over it and see what comes out. I try and get a whole song finished (to some standard) in that one sitting and then come back to it later to refine if I think it’s good enough.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Crikey…well, Geri leaving the Spice Girls was pretty hard
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: I can’t think of one thing in particular but it always makes me feel pretty proud when someone I’m not expecting has listened to my music and it’s had an impact on them. Making music can feel so personal and vulnerable so it’s really special when that mad weird little thing you made makes sense to someone else.
