Tallia Storm is yet to release her debut album but she has already got a superstar fan… Sir Elton John.
The music icon is so taken with the youngster than he has invited her to sing at his Falkirk show later this summer.
I caught up with Tallia to talk about landing the spot at the Elton John gig as well as what lies ahead for the young singer.
- It’s been announced this week that you will be a special guest at Elton John’s Falkirk show this summer so how excited are you about that?
Oh I am just over the moon. It is such an honour because this guy is such a legend; it feels like I have won the lottery or something. It’s amazing it’s a dream come true.
- So how did this come about - I was reading that you gave a CD to David Furnish?
We were in Hawaii over Christmas time and my grandfather was taken ill and so we had to stay a few extra days. My dad bumped into Elton John in the lift one day and we were hoping to see him around the hotel again, but we didn’t. The next morning we saw David Furnish have breakfast so I just thought ‘this is it, when are you ever going to see him again?’
So I ran up to the room, wrote a quick note on hotel paper and slipped my CD into an envelope with my number and ran back down and gave the envelope to David Furnish. And I just said ‘can you pass this on?’
And he was really lovely and humble and was just like, ‘yes of course’. The next day when we were going through security at the airport we got a phone call and it was Elton John, and he was just like ‘hello this is Elton John’. But we were going through airport security and it was noisy and the guys working at the airport were like ‘turn the phone off’.
But we eventually spoke to him and he was saying that he had listened to my song and let his band listen to my songs and he loved them; he went on to pin point all the bits that he liked about them. He loved all the production of the songs and he said I had a real signature- it was just amazing to hear all these things from him.
- You described Elton as one of you r musical heroes so what was it like when he called you?
I didn’t actually believe that it was him because it was too good to be true. I was just in shock. It was just incredible.
- And have you given some thought to what kind of performance you will give - have you started rehearsals?
I am not going to do some big hullabaloo it’s just going to be me, the mic and my voice; it’s about the singing rather than the two hundred dancers on the stage
- Away from the show is there an album on the horizon and if so what can we expect from it?
Yes there is and we are about three quarter of the way through that at the moment. It’s R&B to a soulful pop in a way but it is mainly R&B. But it is exciting.
- So how exciting has it been recording your debut album? What does the album say about you as an artist?
Well it’s all about my teenage years and everything. But we have just taken our time with it, my dad writes the songs and he also produces, so we are just taking our time as there’s no rush.
We have all the time in the world so I am just enjoying it every step of the way, it’s been great fun.
- You have touched on my next question really your Dad is writing the songs as well as having a producing hand in the record so how is it having a personal & professional relationship with him?
It’s much more relaxed because he is my Dad and it’s much more comfortable - you don’t feel bad if he says anything because he is your Dad. So it’s good fun.
- Your music is a mix of R&B, pop and jazz so how would you describe the sound of your music? And what sets you apart from the other solo artists around at the moment?
There isn’t really any young, UK based R&B type singers at the moment; there’s Rihanna but she is pop I wouldn’t class her at R& B really. So it’s a new R&B/jazzy sound.
- You are still at school so how are you finding balancing that with a music career?
It’s just like anything else really, some of the girls in my school are training to be swimmers so they get up every morning at 6am to go to the pool and then they are in there again after school, they are training six times a week.
This is my hobby and this is my think, a lot of people have sports and this is my swimming. So I just see it like that and enjoy it.
- And what do you friends think of all the success that is coming your way?
They are really supportive, of course all of the boys and their Glasgow humour, but it has been fun.
- So how did you get into the industry and is a singer what you have always want to be?
Well it was kind of by chance really through my dad because he was doing animated movie and he needed someone to sing one of the song and he was just like ‘can you come in and do it’ - we recorded it pretty rough.
He has a contract with Universal so he sends it away and a panel at Universal will then pick the singer they want to sing it. But Universal was like ‘who is this?’
So we went in again and recorded it properly this time and that is where the popy side came in, just for that one song.
- You are just at the start of your career but what would you like to achieve over the next few years?
To get one of my songs played on the radio really.
- So what music and artists are you enjoying at the moment?
I like Jennifer Hudson & Jill Scott and then people like Chris Brown - I like a wide variety.
- Finally what’s next for you?
I think I am just going to keep on with recording so we can get the album finished. I also have rehearsals for Falkirk and I have a few more things coming up so we are just working towards those.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Tallia Storm