Josephine
Josephine is set to burst onto the music scene with her new single What A Day ahead of the release of her debut album Portrait.
I caught up with the singer/songwriter to talk about the new single and the album and what lies ahead for her.
- You are about to release your new single What A Day so what can fans expect from the new track?
Bright, summery, upbeat track that is reflective as well.
- This track and indeed the debut album mix a whole host of sounds with soul, indie and a bit of folk all mixed in there so how would you describe your sound for those who are coming to your music for the very first time?
It’s all of those things really. It’s hopefully accessible for lots of different kinds of people and packed with good rhythms and good beats and good lyrics, I hope (laughs).
- So how did you get to this style of music?
It is just years of experimenting really I means I have been playing guitar since I was twelve or thirteen. And it was really any style that I could pick up as I am a big folk fan and a big pop fan as well. So it is just mixing elements really and hopefully they all come together quite well.
- How have you found the response of the track so far?
Really good, really good. I haven’t heard anything negative so far; it has either been ‘I love it’ or ‘it’s not really my thing but it’s a good debut’.
I always get nice feedback about lyrics and vocals so its all been very good and very positive.
- And the debut album Portrait is just around the corner so how does this track introduce us to the rest of the record?
I think it is in the middle somewhere because there are things that are very upbeat and very rhythm lead and rhythm focused like Papa Shaker and Original Love, they are really big on rhythm.
Then there are other tracks like House of Mirrors that are really more reflective.
So I think that it is good releasing What A Day first because it is in the middle of the two extremes on the album.
- You have slightly touched on my next question really this album is very reflective and so I was wondering how comfortable you are wearing your heart on your sleeve for want of a better word?
To be honest I think people wouldn’t expect, well hopefully, any less because if you are trying to put yourself out there as a vocalist and as an interpreter of feelings and thoughts then you have to do it otherwise you are not really putting anything out there for people.
They expect with a decent vocal that you would be doing something reflective. But also that is what I like and what I listen to; I listen to things that have got a lot of emotion in them.
- Producers such as Leo Abrahams and Jimmy Hogarth have worked on the record with you so how did those collaborations come about?
I am terrible because I am literally in my own little music world with my friends and the folk musicians that I love and so I really rely on people giving me ideas.
Leo is managed by the same manager as me and she was like ‘why don’t you get together with Leo and see what you can come up with?’ And I was like ‘oh yeah fine.’
And I met him and he was the most amazing guy and the most amazing producer and I just felt ’oh great’. So it is always people who are giving me ideas really.
I worked with Ed Harcourt as well and he knew Jimmy fairly well. So it is just through people offering suggestions that have just turned out really well.
- How did you find working with both of them and what did they bring to this record?
Well everyone who I worked with brought something a little bit different.
Leo is so relaxed and so chilled and he really brought out something really reflective on the record especially on tracks like Portrait. He just brought all of the reflective elements in the arrangement.
Jimmy really has a bouncy character and it just shows with Original Love as together we have made something that was quite upbeat and positive even though the lyrics are quite desperate in a way but the music is quite joyous. So yeah they have all brought something really different.
- You have mentioned Ed Harcourt already and he is one of the great musicians on this album so how did you find recording with them?
Just brilliant. It is just so great to work with so many different people because you get to learn so much.
The way that Ed puts song together is really professional, obviously he has been doing it for so long; it is so on form every time you meet him and it really gives you an insight into how far you have to go yourself as a musician when you work with people like that.
- Also how much of a collaborative process was it with those musicians - did they bring their ideas to the table?
Yeah, I hope so. After I have done lyrics and the basic chords I really look to people to give me suggestions about where things can go because I think you really have to put other people’s hands who know how to do that job better - production wise and structure wise.
I think there are lots of ideas that have come from other people and I really appreciate that aspect of making music.
- What does Portrait say about you as an artist?
I hope it says that I have had a very productive few years and I hope it says that I am a strong writer because that is what I have focus on in my music. And I hope it really establishes me as a competent vocalist and musician.
- I was reading some quotes from you saying that you always knew that you would be musical so where did your love of music start?
It must be with my family as that is all we did at home really, we weren’t really a TV family; I would watch Neighbours and Home and Away and that was it.
From there on my mum would be asleep on the couch or something and me and my brother and sister would be listening to the radio and taping stuff off the radio and I would be playing my guitar.
So we really just loved listening to music and that is definitely where it has come from in the end.
- You are from Manchester which has a rich music history so how much has where you are from been an influence?
I think having such a good musical heritage in the city that you are living in can’t hurt and it has definitely contributed somehow.
When I went to school there were always people playing guitars and wanting to be Oasis or The Smiths, there was always that background when I was growing up in school. So I t has definitely have some impact on me.
- Which artists have been a major influence for you and which artists are you listening to at the moment?
I am trying to keep my music varied for me at the moment and I am very much a find out what is going on YouTube and Soundcloud sort of person; I am just listening to song after song from new artists at the moment.
It is something that I never use to do and I would just stick to classic stuff.
When I started making music there were all kinds of folk heroes your Bob Dylan’s and your Joni Mitchell’s and then later on I got into Stevie Wonder - real songwriters. I love my Simon and Garfunkel.
These days I am listening to fresh new things. So yeah a real variety and I like to keep it that way.
- And are we going to be seeing you play some live shows this summer and the rest of the year?
This summer I have lots of things mainly small and medium gigs and London things - I have just supported Beverly Knight as well.
And then when the album comes out hopefully a bit of a tour to get the album underway.
- As you say you have been supporting Beverly Knight so how has that been going?
That was a bit of a one off but it was amazing and one of the best events that I have been involved in in ages.
She is wonderful and she puts on an amazing show so I had a great time, yeah.
- Finally what's coming up for you for the rest of 2012?
Just more shows and hopefully getting my name around more. But I am looking forward to the release of the album really - I can’t wait to see it physically in my hand.
Click here to download the single
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw