Hiya Lucy thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
Thank you so much, happy to be here chatting with you.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
I started to get myself more involved with music after enrolling in a music course at the Confetti Institute Of Creative Technologies when I was 18. At that time, I had finished my A Levels and was unsure what to do afterward but my friend Mia told me about the institution, and I didn’t look back from there. I wrote ‘Feet’ during the lockdown and then after my song was played on BBC Introducing, so many people call in to say how emotional they was after the song and I knew from that point onwards it would only be the start of something special.
Introduce us to you and your musical history?
I’m 23 years old and currently finishing off my degree, unsuprisingly, in music.
Music has always been my form of escapism. It’s always been a distraction from the sadness that I’ve experienced in my life and living with Cystic Fibrosis too. There’s never been a time where music has not had an impact on what I do. I always used to watched music inspired shows, such as Hannah Montana, and 8-year-old me thought how amazing it would be to leave the same impact that Miley does on people. It really started off as a hobby with playing clarinet for a while and then proceeding onto piano. I remember writing my first ever song when I was 13 and it was in memory of losing someone to a car crash. I sang it in front of my school and it was the first time where I felt I could leave a long lasting impact on people.
After releasing ‘Feet’ was really where I took my music seriously, before that I’d be writing diaries full of music and recordings demos that only my friends and family would hear. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been also featured on Fresh On The Net blog by Tom Robinson, Amazing radio and other local stations near me. The other day, I found out I have 5000 streams on Spotify and that’s pretty cool knowing that I’ve achieved that all by myself.
Name me your 3 favourite Albums?
As it Was by Harry Styles is always on repeat in my car, one of my favourite albums of 2022. I strongly resonate with ‘Matilda’ too, I play that song when I’m having an off day. Life In Cartoon Motion by Mika is a sentimental album for me. When I was young, my mum and dad would always play that album when we went up to Sheffield to hospital so there’s always some nostalgia when I play that album every now and again. Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa is also another favourite, I love how upbeat the production is and how it takes inspiration from genres, such as Disco, which is all about inclusivity.
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
It has to be ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, I still have a video lying around somewhere of me singing that song on Christmas Day back in 2008. I got a guitar that Christmas and a microphone and I remember singing my heart out to that song. From there, I always loved involving myself with music in some way or another.
The music industry is the hardest industry in the world to progress in, How do you feel you are doing?
Even though that I’ve been releasing songs since 2020, I feel that this is only just the beginning for me of my music journey and telling my story. Lockdown really limited how much I can do and I didn’t feel as confident in myself as an artist. It did feel a time where I lost and I think other creatives felt the same at that time too, especially with not being able to perform at venues and not being able to meet with producer in person to collaborate on songs. This past year has made me realise how important it is to make the most of everyday, take every opportunity you can and on days where you feel like giving up, don’t. You never know what is going to happen. And now, I am in the best place with my music and it’s amazing how much support I have already had for my music so far.
I’m seeing a lot of debate about women not feeling safe at music gigs, any thoughts on what we need to do to help?
I always love my gigs to be inclusive to everyone from different backgrounds, especially women. It’s a shame that women, like myself, still do not feel safe at gigs in 2023. I think there is an importance for venues to increase their safeguarding measures and being able to identify women who look like they’re in an uncomfortable position or may be at risk of being harassed. Us humans should also look out for each other, if you can see someone has drunk too much or looks uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to ask if they need any help or if that’s not possible start chatting to them and inviting the woman to a different area on the floor plan (e.g a bar/toilets) to avoid any harm to either of you.
As you develop as an artist and develop using socials what ways do you get new ears on your music? Any tips?
TikTok has been my go-to recently for new people listening to my music, but I also love to go to networking events also. Performing is important for me too, I love people coming out of the venues as fans of mine.
Tell us Two truths and a lie about you?
I’ve met Lewis Capaldi. RAYE said my last name was really cool and authentic. Rob Milton (producer for Easy Life and Holly Humberstone) loved my debut single ‘Feet’.
Those who know me will know what I’m lying about haha.
Whats your thought on spotify’s monopoly on the music industry?
Spotify has been beneficial for me for people discovering my music but it’s not something I can rely on solely as an independent artist, as there’s many other avenues for artist’s to get their music heard. I think any musician like myself would agree with that opinion.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories?
Ooo to be fair I was almost convinced Rina Sawayama was this year’s Eurovision entry but I also didn’t want to believe it in case it wasn’t. On a very random note, I think Phineas (from TV show Phineas and Ferb) is the son of Doofenshmirtz and Lindana. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it haha!
Did you buy anything you don’t need in the pandemic?
Quite a few things, I brought this hula hoop that was supposed to tone your stomach and it’s done nothing for me.
What was the worst experience on stage?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad experience on stage, but I remember I did this small festival near my hometown some summer’s ago and there was this drunk guy shouting this whole time throughout my performance and it really put me off for the rest of the set. I’ve got better on how to deal with those sorts of situations, and I’ve become more confident since then.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about?
I think people would be surprised that I have am disabled. Cystic Fibrosis is a hidden disability in my eyes but I know it’ll become more visible the older that I get. I think they’d even be more surprised if I said CF people can’t meet with in less than 2 metres of each other, so technically we was practising the 2 meter rule before it became a thing.
What makes you stand out as a band/artist?
I would say apart from my hair, probably I think my bubbly personality and my enthusiasm for change stands out to a lot of people. I want my music to be inclusive so that people have a space to feel comfortably vulnerable. In addition, I want to be a role model for many, especially for people who have a disability that’s hidden. Disabilities aren’t spoken enough about in 2023, and I want to break the stigma of having a disability by sharing my story through music.
I hear you have new music, what can you tell us about it.
My new single One Summer’s Day is being released on Friday 28th April. It’s very scary but exciting that I’m releasing this tune after so long. It’s about being in a relationship that has no imminent red flags and what any person in their late teens/early twenties dream of. From personal experiences of being in relationships, I know not every one is going to be perfect but I feel that you have to come across adversities to make you realise how much you love each other, and also not let anyone else get in the way of the special thing that you both share.
Talk me through the thought process of One Summer’s Day
I wrote this song back in early 2022 when I was living in my university flat on my own. For a while, I had felt nostalgic about the summer of 2021 when I met my partner and the journey we had been on so far as a couple. We had met in July that year and ended up going to Leeds Festival in August as a couple. It’s crazy falling in love with someone so special and I always love to look back on good memories. It’s important to highlight that relationships will always experience adversity, and not everything is going to be perfect but love always wins every time. If you love someone, you’d do what’s best for the both of you.
What was the recording process like?
I had left the song for quite a while but I knew I wanted to release it eventually. I met Nathan Flynn before end of last year and I showed him the demo and we developed it together over the Christmas break. We didn’t start recording the vocals properly until last January due to both of our schedules, especially when uni life takes over. Working with Nathan was amazing. We recorded all the vocals with a Neumann M149 microphone in 2 recording sessions and they were very productive as we kept coming up with harmonies and little ideas for the production along the way.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I wouldn’t say I learnt anything new from what I knew before, but I think looking back on older songs really helps with structuring, so does repeating the title of the song so many times so people don’t forget it. I like that about one summer’s day because it gets catchy very quickly.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I’m a perfectionist, there’s never a time where I am criticising my own music. There’s not any criticism I’d give myself for this as it really captures the chill summer vibe that I was going for with this song and it captures the amazing relationship I’m currently in with someone I love very much.
PRESAVE HERE