Alex Mills
Alex Mills is one of the most in demand singers working with the likes of Wretch 32 and Tinchy Stryder but now she has released a debut EP of her own.
No Artificial Colours sees the singer song-writer show off her own musical style in this great collection of tracks.
We caught up with her to chat about the EP, working with high profile artists and producers and what lies ahead.
- No Artificial Colours is your new EP so for anyone who hasn't heard the record yet what can we expect from it?
In terms of musical direction it has got an eighties groove, Africany feel to it so it is all very happy and vibrant. I like to call it pop with integrity (laughs).
It has got lots of different sounds in there and I suppose that it is an amalgamation of all the different music that I have listened to throughout my life and trying to shove it all into one pop to make sure that it is representative of myself.
- There is a real pop and fun sound to your music and I was reading that you are influenced by the likes of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads so what is about the sound of their sound that you particularly like?
It has got such a quirky edge; it runs that fine line between pop music that is accessible but that is quirky and interesting and is not as formulaic as the pop that we are use to and exposed to. #
To be fair it is just music that I like, I enjoy and that I gravitate to and when I listen to it I think ‘this is the kind of music that I want to make’ - if it makes me feel like that then hopefully I can make other people feel like that.
- Forever Young is the first track to be taken fro the EP and that was produced by Alex Patten so how did that collaboration come about?
Me and Alex Patten have been worked together for a long time, it is about five years, and we have written songs together during that time - they are mostly acoustic but then he started developing as a producer and producing more and more beats.
So it was quite a collaborative effort as I did co-produce on a lot of the reocrd because I was really sure of what I wanted and what I was trying to get out of it.
In terms of Forever Young he knew what kind of style I wanted, he has been on the journey with me and so he knew exactly what to come with. So it started a long time ago and we have just developed and run with each other since then really.
- You have mentioned that you have had a hand in producing much of the EP so how was that experience? And how important was it for you to have your hand in making that side of the record?
Well I wouldn’t say produced I would say co-produced - actually executive produced is probably the correct term.
When you go into a session with producers you have to be specific in what you want and I had tracks like This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads and Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere and You Can Call Me Out by Paul Simon and you go in with an idea and a template of what you want to try and achieve.
It if was veering to much to the cliché poppy side you would have to reign it back and give it more of an edge and be true to what I was trying to achieve musically .
- And how have you found the response to the record EP so far?
Lovely, really really nice. People have really responded well to it and have perceived it in the way that I wanted them to perceive it in terms of that it is the quirkier side of pop as opposed to straight down the middle. But also, in terms of lyrically, not just doing your clichéd type thing.
I have had a lot of love from it and people have picked up on it and a lot of my peers have given me shout outs to say that they are really enjoying it. So it has been great.
- You have been one of the most in demand vocalists in the last couple of years as you have worked with the likes of Tinchy Stryder and Wretch 32 but what is it like to get a solo EP out and make a statement of your own?
It has been a long time coming but in a way I wanted to take my time and do it right. It’s scary I suppose but there is also a part of it where you are dying to say ‘hello world this is mea dn I am not just a feature artist’.
So it is exciting in that respect as you get to show your actually personality and your material musically as well as lyrically without just having a chorus to sing on as you have a whole song to express yourself. It is cathartic I would say because it has been something that I have wanted to do for a long time.
- Bearing what you have just said in mind what does this collection of tracks say about you as an artist?
I would like to think that they were quite self explanatory and I wouldn’t like to put words in other people’s mouths.
I quite like the idea of songs being open to interpretation and people being able to interpret them as they want.
But in a general summary I would say that the overall message of the EP is don’t take life too seriously or yourself too seriously really (laughs).
- As I said you have worked with the likes of Tinchy Styder so what did you take from those experiences? And how have they helped as you have developed your own sound and identity?
In terms of musical sounds I wouldn’t say I took much from them. I suppose in terms of Wretch and lyrical content he is an amazing artist and he is such a wordsmith.
What I would say that I took from both of them was definitely keeping your head on and persevering and hard work pays off.
But also not to do things by halves and using your initiative and getting out there and really pushing. So I would say I took more on that side of things than on the creativity side of things really.
- I have mentioned Alex Patten already but he along with Andy Chatterly have served as producers on this record so what were you looking for in your producer?
You go into sessions and producers have got a certain style that they use so I was definitely looking for someone who was open to trying different things.
But also someone who doesn’t mind if you say ‘actually I don’t like this’ and are not so far up their own arse that they can’t take constructive criticism - it is not criticism it is about doing the greater good for the track; there is no ego involved it is for the greater good of the track.
Andy Chatterly is an amazing producer and he is quite high up the pecking order and he was so amazing to work with as he was so free.
He was really into us working together and it was very much a partnership and I really liked that working environment. We have done some other tracks with him but those are for the second EP - so watch this space (laughs).
- So have you started working on the second EP already?
Yes I have. My little brain is ticking away (laughs) and that is already in production.
- Are we going to see you follow a similar sound or are we going to see you do something completely new?
I would say a bit of both actually. I think it would be a bit odd to just jump completely to something randomly different but it is definitely a progression as I don’t want to stay on the same level.
I want to progress musically and I feel that I am doing that every day and that will come out in the next EP.
- We have already talked about you working with other people so are there any other collaborations in the pipeline?
We shall see, we shall see. I am always in the studio either writing for other people or working on my own projects and stuff.
If something comes along that takes my fancy then definitely but I am not in the mind of doing something for the sake of doing it.
Obviously I have worked with quite a few cool people but I wouldn’t ask them to do something just for the sake of it as I think that it is better to have something that is more organic and serves its purpose and serves the track rather than utilising whatever contacts you have.
- So how did you get into music in the first place?
My first ever release was a actually a drum and bass release, if you can believe that? Back In the day when you had your CD’s or your tapes or whatever you would carry around so where I went I always use to have a CD with me with me singing and if I ever got the chance I would bully my way on to the sound system and play it.
I managed to do that once when I was visiting my sister in London and Danny Weed and Target happened to be there from Roll Deep and I ended up going down to the studio with them the next day.
Then Wiley asked me to come down again and properly do some stuff and that is basically how it happened.
- Finally what is next for you heading into 2013 - are there any live shows in the pipeline?
My last live show for No Artificial Colours is at Ronnie Scott’s on the 20th December, that is going to be a big show so I am looking forward to that. We have quite a lot of stuff lined up and festivals next year as well.
So it is just continuing to promote the EP but also finishing working on this second EP and getting out there really.