Kwabs
Interview
Congratulations on the BBC Sound of 2015 nomination! That must have been nice news to wake up to.
Yeah, definitely – it was mental! The world does that to you sometimes; it surprises you.
You’re in really good company on the longlist, too.
Yeah, I’ve always been a real fan of George The Poet and I love Years & Years. I’m a big fan of Shura too; I played just before her at Iceland Airwaves. So, yeah, there are a bunch of artists on there that I admire and respect; it’s a really great list.
Does winning matter to you? Are you a competitive person?
Am I competitive? It’s always nice to be ambitious... More than anything, I’m just happy to be on the list in the first place, because [it shows] you have been noticed.
The BBC have been very supportive of you from the start, because you first found fame on BBC2’s ‘Goldie’s band, By Royal Appointment’. How did you become involved, and what did you take away from the experience?
They were looking for people who had a story and also talent, and I just so happened to fit that bill. So there was some fun to be had with it, and it was a good experience, but it feels like a lifetime ago now. I don’t think that it evolved me as an artist, but I definitely met a lot of really fun, really talented people there; people who were really focussed and loved their art. And I think that’s always admirable.
Performing before the Royal Family must have been pretty daunting, though?
It’s definitely a weird place to be, because of all that heritage. But you approach it like you do any other performance: you have to step up to the plate and do what you’re meant to do.
So can we go back to the beginning, please: who introduced you to music initially?
I wouldn’t say anyone introduced me to it – it’s just something I found and there was no question about it: I just had to sing. I used to make up songs to reflect the situations that were going on at home. It could have been something really stupid like what I was going to have for dinner that day; a song about sausages and chips, probably. But I then found people along the way who could broaden my horizons and give me opportunities, and I gradually added to my bank of musical knowledge and experience.
Who were the artists that inspired you to write music yourself?
I’m really into singers. Growing up I loved jazz and soul: the likes of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. They are all people who could really sing a song; they just knew how to make you feel it. It was always my aim to make people connect with my voice.
And presumably that background then prompted you to apply to the Royal Academy of Music and Jazz. What was the atmosphere like there?
There is so much prestige to it and it has such a rich history but, surprisingly, it’s not that intense. Once you get there you realise that everyone is there just to learn, and it’s a really amazing environment to be in for four years. You’re walking around the building, listening to some of the most talented young musicians in the country – if not the world – play. Quite a few of them have gone on to play in the bands of amazing artists like Paloma Faith and Kate Tempest.
How has your time there influenced your creative approach?
There was this focus on making music together, and just playing a lot. I think I gained some musical maturity from being at the Academy. As a songwriter, I had to go into a different gear, almost into a different world. It was almost like I was starting over, because I couldn’t take all that much from what I had learnt academically as a student: I had to open myself up to just doing things in a different way. But that was cool; it was the start of an exciting and new journey.
Speaking of collaborations, we first discovered you through ‘Last Stand’, the song you wrote with SOHN. How did that come about?
We met in the summer of 2013 in a session that our teams hooked up for us. We had never met before working together, so that first day which was kind-of crazy! But he got me and I got him, and I think together it felt like we clicked: the energy that was created by our contrasting musical voices really came together.
Are you planning to work on further material together?
We already have, and what’s exciting is that there’s more stuff to be heard. There will be another track on the album from our collaboration.
Is your debut album complete?
It’s very nearly finished and we are looking to release it early 2015. I know that I’ve got a bunch of songs that I feel really happy and confident about, so it’s just about waiting to see how people receive it, I suppose.
Is ‘Walk’ a good signpost for the sound of the album?
‘Walk’ is one side of, what I think is going to be, a multi-layered and varied collection of songs. I think what I’ve done so far is paint half a picture that I think the album will then complete. What’s going to be really interesting is when people see the full spectrum of stylistic traits and the different sides of what I do, and I think my voice draws it all together. And while I’ve been drawing on the music that I grew up loving, really, I’m just trying to be me. I’ve got a lot to say and I’m trying to reach people; to touch people. That’s the mission.
Lyrically, are there any themes emerging?
I think the album continues in the same vein as the rest of the material I’ve put out so far, in that it automatically stems from the same person you see inside those songs. There’s the same sense of conflict and emotional thoughtfulness that there was in my early tracks, and I think that’s really important for people to hear.
You’ve had something of a breakthrough year. What were your hopes for 2014, back in January?
My hopes were just to have fun with it: to perform as much as I could, and to just carry on making music whilst still enjoying the experience. And I think I’ve done that. Life is so unpredictable in so many ways that you just can’t say how things are going to turn out, and if you spend too much time worrying about what the future holds, then you don’t necessarily enjoy the moment. So I’m just trying to enjoy it for what it is at the moment, and then the rest will come. It has been an amazing year, and I feel so proud to be able to say that people know who I am, and I look to building on that next year.
What has been your highlight of 2014? Has it been the fact they’ve adopted ‘Walk’ as the soundtrack to Match of The Day 2’s highlights package?!
(Laughs) No... Well, I don’t know! That’s one thing, but I think appearing on Jools Holland was such an amazing thing for me. That was such a big deal because it was my first time presenting – for want of a better word – myself to the public in a big way.
Will you be making any resolutions for 2015?
I never make New Year’s resolutions; I think they’re a bunch of rubbish. (Laughs) Just be the person you want to be now and then you don’t have to worry about trying revolutionise at the end of the year.
Fair point. Finally, can you tell us what your favourite album of 2014 has been?
My favourite album of 2014? That’s really hard. Ed Sheeran’s album obviously has amazing songs and amazing songwriting. And I really enjoyed SOHN’s album this year as well. Through all our collaborations, I can sometimes forget that he really is an amazing singer and songwriter in his own right. So it was really special to listen to that, and to hear his story through his body of work.
December 2014