Miss Tipper
Miss Tipper has already enjoyed big-screen success, and now she is turning to music, which is her first passion.
Make That Change is her latest single, and she has an EP on the horizon. We caught up with her to chat about the new tracks and working with producer Sean Mbaya.
- You have just released your new single Make That Change so what can fans expect from this new track?
It is something that is a bit fresh. I have been working with Sean Mbaya; he is from the band Kid British, and he injects these elements nineties rave music, and I bring the pop lines and there are elements of rock in there.
So it is a bit of a fresh take on a type of alternative pop music, I guess. The message is quite nice in it as well, as it just encourages people who aspire to do something or have a dream to make the change to make it happen.
- As I said the single has just been released so how have you found the response to it so far?
It has been excellent. I have had a lot of support from friends and family. With the video going up, so far, everyone seems to absolutely love it.
So it has been a really good response. It is a small release, and I am doing it all independently, so it is nice to get that level of support and feedback from people.
- You are doing this independently, so how have you found the whole independent path?
It has been quite hard, but I felt that it was something that I had to do to plant my flag in the floor and let people know that I am here. I am hoping that a label will pick it up eventually.
It is quite expensive, but you have got to invest in the things that you believe in; I really believe in my project, and I think once it gets picked up it will do well.
- One plus side to being independent is that you have total control on the type of music that you want to make. So how have you found the freedom?
That has been brilliant. That is part of the reason why I decided to make this EP independently. I travelled up toe Manchester six or seven times during the year to get it recorded. I didn’t want to get told by a record company what kind of music to make as I write all of my own music.
I also didn’t want to do stuff that is out there at the moment; that is something that does happen with labels as they try to reproduce what is at number one.
Sean and I both had free reign and when we came up with an idea, such as reversing the vocals, there was no one going ‘I am not sure if that is going to get on the radio’ - we could just be as creative as we wanted.
That has really brought some great music about, and I hope people will find when they buy the EP.
- Make The Change is the lead single off your new EP so how does this track lead us into the rest of the rest of the record?
Make The Change is probably the poppiest on the ear out of the five songs; they do get a little more alternative. I have always written pop top lines anyway, so they are not crazy.
It is a good idea of the kind of hybrid that we have created with the songs; so it is poppy but there are elements of rock and drum and bass and nineties brake.
Make The Change is a good introduction to that sound, but without going too far away from people are used to. I think it is a nice way to break people into the record.
- That was my next question as I was wondering if the EP would follow a similar sound to this new single or are we going to see you mix it up?
It is similar. It is something that is fresh; I wouldn’t say there is any other female artist who is taking musical risks in that way, and trying to create something that does sound different and not just something that is in the charts.
In that sense, it is definitely different, but it does still have the elements of pop, and so it is not too alternative or hardcore. I think it is something that people will enjoy, hopefully.
- You have mentioned Sean Mbaya already, and he is serving as producer on the EP so how did that collaboration come about?
I got introduced to Sean through my director Greg Walsh, who shot Make That Change and also shot Superstar, which was my first crack at making a music video.
Greg is from Manchester and Sean is based in Manchester, and he was like ‘I think for your next project you would really work well together’.
So we met and we hit if off straight away, and I realised that he wanted to be involved in what I wanted to create. What he has brought into the project has been priceless. So it was through Greg Walsh (laughs).
- How did you find working with him? And are you quite hands on when it comes to that side of making a record?
I am quite opinionated (laughs); I know what I want, I guess. However, I am also very open to allowing someone else to have their creative input and their touch on the project as well.
I think that because there were no rules, although I knew what I wanted it wasn’t set in stone, and he really helped me shape the sound of this record and shape the sound of who I am as an artist; it was more mainstream in the past, but we have just gone a bit more alternative.
He has been paramount in helping me create this sound; it is a blend of live instruments with pop music and electronic stuff. It has just allowed us to create something that is really lovely. He has been so important in that.
- Now that you have an EP are we going to be seeing you playing some more live shows?
Yes, I am actually playing at a charity gig on Saturday 31st August. The more interest that gets generating with the single, I will get some more shows; I am just lining those up at the moment. Next Saturday will be my first show.
- Last time we spoke you were promoting Fast Girls, but you have since finished work on Montana, and Vampire Academy so can you tell me about those projects?
Montana is out either at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. I had a very small part in that, a girl called Mohawk girl; it was just a day shoot for that. It is quite a gritty, underground movie that is based in the East End.
It follows a young boy who learns how to fight from his Russian mentors. So it is quite a gritty film, but I think it is going to a really good British action film.
Vampire Academy is a quite a big Hollywood production and is an adaptation of a book series by Richelle Mead. I can’t really say too much about that one, but the first trailer is out online.
Mark Waters has directed it, and he is just brilliant. I think it is going to be awesome. I think it is going to be something fresh on the vampire/teen genre.
- Fast Girls was hugely well received when it was released last year, so you must have been thrilled with the way that it went down?
It was such an achievement because it was a low-budget project. When I first saw it, I thought that it was such a beautiful film because it is inspiring and motivating.
So for it to get received the way that it did and the fun that us girls had making it was just brilliant. I still love it and I still think that it is a brilliant film; I hope more people get it on DVD.
- How do you find juggling both an acting and singing career? And which one came first?
Singing has always come first. I was in a girl band when I was fourteen, but when all that went to pot, I fell into dancing. Acting has been the last addition to my bow. But I love acting as I am still quite fresh to it.
However, music has always been my passion and been the thing that I wanted to do - hence why I have self released to get myself out there.
They are different disciplines, and I do get different things from them; I love that I get to do both. I hope, in the future, that I get so busy that I am juggling them J-Lo style. Hopefully, if the plan works it should all come together.
- Finally, what is next for you as we go through the rest of this year both on the music and the acting front?
Acting wise I am not sure yet, I am in the process of casting for stuff. I am hoping that the music gets out there a bit more and hopefully a record company or a publisher will pick me up.
I am just seeing how it goes, so I don’t have massive plans for the end of the year right now. I am just rolling with the EP and seeing what happens.
Miss Tipper - Make That Change is out now.