Clara Bond
Clara Bond's already been featured by the NME and been invited to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival even before her first EP's hit the store shelves.
Only 19, the starlet has been hard at work after singing the theme song to film 'The Mask Of Sanity' and is now on the cusp of releasing her gorgeous debut EP The Chase on November 5th.
We talk to the Oxford based singer about her time in Cannes, getting her cover of Newton Faulkner featured on NME and how Pocahontas started it all.
So what does this EP say about you as an artist?
Well, it's a pop record so it's got those sort of undertones but the way I work is very lyrically base. So the lyrics were what was very important to me. I studied English and poetry at school, so I felt it should really say something. Just because it's pop doesn't mean it just has to be catchy, it can quite in depth too.
The EP's really varied too musically, is that something you kept in mind when making it?
I didn't really think about it if I'm honest. It's kind of a biography of my emotions, so it's worked out that way. It's quite lucky in that but it's basically a different mood for every song. So you've got one that's totally loved up and there's one that's more 'This isn't going so well'. It's worked out quite well I think.
(Clara then asks which of the songs was our favourite, to which we respond Back To You due to its contrast between the sweet music and the more low-key vocal )
I wanted it to be that way. Being in a long distance relationship myself, you always got to songs to feel better about the situation. When you're happy, you listen to the music and when you're sad you listen to the lyrics. I was listening to loads of songs about long distance relationships and all I can think of is how awful it all is, none of them are talking about the positive side of it.
None of them are saying 'We're doing this now for a better future', that kind of thing, they just talk about how sad it is. I mean, I do that too, but also the better side of it really. I kind of wrote the track for me think other than anything else. There's a line that says 'Until money finds a way to grow on trees, I always be wishing you're here with me'. If it's true love, they'll still be there at the end.
You spent a while earlier in your career being a demo singer, what was that like?
No, no one will have seen the stuff I worked on for a while. At the time it was really good. What would happen is I'd work with a producer who would have songwriters that would write songs they would like him to work on. He'd need a female vocal, they'd get me in, also with the idea that I would choose the songs for my album.
But singing other peoples songs made me realise how important it is to write your own. I was initially going to go straight in when I was about 16 and record and album but I decided to take time off and hone my skills as a writer.
I'm really glad I did that because now I feel more honest when I'm singing and performing. A producer that I work with at the moment called Des Minto says to me 'Unless you're thinking about the person you're singing it too as you're performing it, the song doesn't make any sense'. It's like a story, it's pure emotion when you're writing or singing it so that's the best advice I've been given so far.
What was it like when your cover of Dream Catch Me was picked up by the NME?
That was so cool, I can't even word it any other way. I didn't really realise, because, I won't lie and say I haven't got Google alerts on myself, but they didn't pick it up. It was only until one of my friends Googled me that I saw it. I thought it must be a mistake because I was so unknown I didn't think that sort of thing would happen.
It was just a YouTube cover, but it really proves how powerful it is, you never know who's watching you. It was amazing, and I'm really honoured to have had that happen.
You still do covers on your YouTube channel, is that to keep all your fans happy?
Yeah, that's just because while I'm working in the studio a lot of stuff's kept under wraps. I still haven't announced the release date yet. So you've got to be quite, but that just seems to the fans like you're not doing anything. It's just to keep them entertained and let them know you're still alive.
They are great fun as well because I love working with Ollie, the session musician. He's only 16, so it's very much youth based and just about having fun with music as well because performing is the best part of it all really apart from writing it.
What was it like doing the theme song for the film 'The Mask Of Sanity'?
It was really weird because I was asked to write the song based on the film, at the time though, I hadn't seen it, so I was a rough breakdown of it. But it's weird enough being a songwriter just writing about your own stuff being asked to write about something you haven't experienced. You just have to draw upon odd experiences that may be linked but it was difficult because I hadn't directly experienced that kind of felling before.
What was best difference between Cannes and Oxford?
Where do we begin? Well, naturally, the weather's probably the best difference between the two, but that's just England really isn't it? It's the best place I've ever been. I've been on nice holidays, but the Cannes Film Festival's the Cannes Film Festival! I had only really dreamt of going there. While we were out there we saw Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Lana Del Rey, which was amazing for me because I'm really into her music at the moment.
I was just thinking "I want to come back here next year, having done a bit more". Just being on that side of things was really incredible and I wish it had lasted longer to be honest. I don't think anyone wanted to go home!
So, is it true that wit was the movie Pocahontas that started your singing?
Oh yeah, unfortunately for my parents. I wouldn't stop singing. My eldest brother's ten years older than me and I remember him coming home after being out with some friends and saying 'I could hear you down the street'. To be honest, I still sing Pocahontas around the house, I'll never stop.
And you only had one singing lesson didn't you before you were given a showcase?
Yeah, that was very much being thrown in at the deep end. It really happened quickly, my parents were just fed up of me singing around the house and not doing anything with it. At the time, honestly, I didn't think I could do anything with it.
You never expect the possibility of being able to do something you wanted to do as a kid. I just never thought I'd never be able too, but my parents always said 'You never know unless you try', which I'm really grateful for. So they took me to vocal coach and that's the start of the story I guess.
So, how many bad Bond jokes to you get thrown at you?
Oh good God, please don't do another one! I get asked that a lot. Whether I'm a Bond villain or am I a Bond girl? It's all right though, but my brother's middle name is James so he's got it worse than me.
So what's next for you then?
Well, I've just been previewing the video that we shot at the Mayfair Hotel, so that was awesome. That came out the end of September, the EP comes out the fifth of November, and we'll just be promoting that like mad, and I'll be gigging, which I'll be posting on my Facebook. This is the biggest thing I've done so far. I'll work really hard at promoting this because I have to know I did that.
Clara Bond's EP The Chase is out November 5th