HAPPY BIRTHDAY US - ESP LTD IS 4!

Today is a somewhat bittersweet day, as we reach another birthday of the namesake company that has become my surrogate child!

When EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. was born four years ago, there was an instant connection between an idea and the possibilities to make a dream into reality. The initial adjustments were rocky, as I tried to find a place in my rigidly set life for this new, self-made responsibility, and there have been many sleepless nights, particularly in the earlier stages as I tried to establish a balance between my professional, and personal life for this new entity. What no-one tells you when you create a new company, is how greatly it becomes a part of your genetic make up. You are always thinking about it, always worrying about making the right choices, and always concerned about how to keep it healthy, so that business and name grow well. Take it from this virtual Mum - it never stops!

Where is my cake and candles then?!

No doubt you will have noticed the quiet over this year and that has been as a result of long-term health issues, that have forced me to step away from ESP Ltd. temporarily and focus on recovery, but rest assured, I am never too far, I will continue to post as and when I am able (have I ever got some doozies for you - watch this space), and lookout for bigger and better features coming your way soon!

I do hope you've enjoyed the ride with me - I know it's my personal favourite of all time.

Until the next...

ES ;)

Fancy a Special ESP TREE-T?

Tis officially Christmas, and many of you may think you came up short in your last-minute, frantic search, for the perfect gift ...Do not despair, you haven't lost the battle yet! In fact, you might just be doing yourself - or someone else - a favour! The ESP shop is stocked, and ready for you to browse around!

You're not out of time, the day can still be saved with the help of an ESP Gift Certificate - TREE-T ANYONE you like, to a dedicated home online!

From today until midnight on New Year's Eve, purchase ONE website, or blogsite build (prices range from £40-295), and receive complete custom (uniform) branding for the entire site (worth up to £95), absolutely FREE!*

But that's not all!

Get a FREE ESP Social Media Management package!

For some extra, added stuffing for those stockings, receive ONE 'Action' pack from the #ESPshowcase range for Social Media Management, with any order exceeding £50 - absolutely FREE!

In keeping with the 'giving' theme of this time of the year, these final two offers don't expire today - you can take advantage of them for the remaining days of 2013!

Whatever your predilection, enjoy a wonderfully festive time this week, and don't forget to Stay Tuned to your favourite Blogging Marketer - there are a few more gifts coming your way before Big Ben signals the end of this annum...

Happy Holidays to One and All!

ES ;)

Terms & Conditions:

• Uniform branding design offered with Web, or Blogsite builds entitle customers to ONE FREE design created by EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. Any deviation from the standard design will incur an additional charge of £35.00 per page.
• Throughout 1st-31st December 2013, any order placed will incur ONE ESPshowcase 'Action' Pack, free of charge. A minimum spend of £15 is required, in order to receive this gift.
• ALL offer quotes must be used at the point of sale to qualify.
• Offers valid for purchases made in single transactions ONLY.
• Offers are not available for cash exchange.
• Certificates must be claimed within 12 months of purchase date after which time, all codes and certificates will become void.

A SPECIAL #WEBWEDNESDAY ESP is 3 - But YOU Get The Presents!

Raise a glass and join a toast if you will, as the inhabitants of ESP HQ pause for a 'Celebratory Moment'...

3 years ago today, Yours Truly closed her eyes and leapt - metaphorically speaking, when what started out as a suggestion that I originally laughed off, took it's first fledgling step - EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. was born!

Originally about the business of marketing fashionable and musically-inclined friends, managing their events, and organising their administration for smoother, more functional day-to-day operations, there was no way of predicting the ups, downs, twists and turns this company's road would take. As with any endeavour one undertakes, managing the ESP brand has never been easy, but it has never been predictable either! True to form, this latest landmark happily coincided with another of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that Chance graciously dropped in my lap. Earlier today, I spoke with not one, but two hugely talented individuals, one a beautiful songbird, starting a relatively new journey in the next chapter of an amazing career so far, and the other? Well he's someone who you might just recognise, from the Silver Screen, the Billboard charts, and even the New York Times Bestseller List...

Sworn to secrecy until this Monday, you'll just have to come back to find out who was kind enough to share over an hour and a half of their time with me, as well as get your hands on an exclusive gift, straight from them!

Fear not though - you know that I would never leave you empty-handed! From now until 23:59 this Sunday, you Dear Readers, can claim 3-4-2 on all services up to £49.99 and, a whopping great 30% OFF of all ESP Ltd. services totalling £50 and above! Whether Graphic Designs, Event Photography, Marketing and Promotional Services, or Event, Product, or Music Reviews - claim massive savings for yourself, or gift them to a friend - the choice is YOURS!

Come join in the celebrations! All this week at EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. Of course, if you feel like gifting ESP, then connecting on Social Media is always welcome and appreciated!

Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter / YouTube

See you in CyberSpace!

ES ;)

*Quote #HBESP342 to claim 3 services for the price of 2 up to, and totalling, £49.99 or, #HBESP30 to claim 30% OFF of all orders totalling over £50.00. Visit the ESP website to place your order, or for further enquiries.

'The ES in the P' Blog is 2 Today - What a CRAZY Ride!

The second birthday of this here 'lil domain' in the grand blogosphere of things, snuck up on me good and proper. I realised the milestone in conversation at the first birthday party for jewellery boutique +JeDeCo OXO last night - a lovely affair, full of friendly, welcoming designers that I was glad to meet, after reviewing most of their collections during Jewellery Week this past Summer.

It's been a bumpy, addictively interesting ride; the ESP blog has not only created connections, avenues and opportunities that would otherwise, never have presented themselves, and today is no exception!

My very first London Fashion Week in February gave me the chance to interview a childhood icon of mine. Caryn Franklin MBE was gracious enough to give me some 1-2-1 advice on how to approach my first outing, guidance which I have carried over into many other instances since then...

The incomparable Caryn Franklin MBE

As the first day of my second foray begins, I'm also extremely honoured to add the advice of another longtime idol that I met at the start of this month. The wonderful Hilary Alexander was kind enough to advise me on how to get the most out of a catwalk show during a reception I attended at International Jewellery London:

"Don't try to watch the shoes, clothes and bags at the same time - they're all flashing by; I think when you're at a fashion show, it's good to focus on one thing. Decide and say 'Right, I'm going to focus on...the shoes'. 

I think you need to look at colour, shape, inspiration...You just have to watch, write down what you see; is it red? Are more people using green? Is it more gold, or more silver? What do the inspirations look like? Are they 1920s? 1930s? Do they look Victorian? And over time, as you go around the stands, you'll notice that you're writing the same keywords over and again.

Use your eyes, and memory, and notes...and don't rely on a mobile phone!  A pen and a piece of paper...is going to be more valuable to you in the long run, when you want to actually examine what you've seen."

Yours Truly with the GREAT Hilary Alexander, Fashion Forecaster, Trendsetter, ICON!

Well now, if that wasn't an inspirational moment to start off the next season, and the next year with, then I don't know what is!

I just want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who has ever read, or contributed their time to this humble space of mine over the last two years - like stitching to a hemline, it would not be what it is, without you!

I'm off to my first show of the SS14 season now - Fashion Scout's 'Ones To Watch' at Freemasons Hall, notepad and pen at the ready...

Have a great day all - and stay with me for another 365, you ain't seen nothin yet!

Much Love,

ES ;)

#ESPNEWS: Are you following all things ESP on Bloglovin?

Did you know that you can now follow all things ESP on Bloglovin?

The latest addition to the ESP Social Media Catalogue, that means in addition to G+, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Soundclound, Twitter, The ESP Website and YouTube - you can now keep up to date with all the latest blog posts straight away, or even save them for a later date!

So what are you waiting for?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

ES ;)

2 UNlimited...

No folks, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not bringing you an update on Pete Waterman's supremely hot House music duo from the 80's...

If you Follow ESP Ltd. on Twitter, or have Liked our Facebook Page, then you will likely have caught a nostalgic stroll down memory lane earlier this week, as I recapped a few choice moments in celebration of our 2nd Birthday...

Clearly this called for one thing and one thing only, to round off this week...a mini #ESPspotlight on EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd.!

Starting right there - you would be surprised how many people don't realise that 'ESP' is a play on words - one of the main tools I work with - that ties the company name with the type of marketing that we specialise in. Someone recently asked for an explanation of my Twitter handle 'ESintheP' - it all makes sense if you just look at the name! And as for that Extra Sensory Perception? Well simply put, it's my goal to bring an insight to products that go beyond the obvious.

Drassick DIGITAL has 2 captivating eyes for the Ladies...

When North London Hip Hop MC Drassick DIGITAL needed a rebrand, I felt he needed a visual that matched his love of gadgets and technology. So with her Jelli graphic design hat on, I asked our Charli-Anne to come up with a genetic 'key' that was literally 'radio active'... See what we did there?! Fingerprints are all well and great, but this Ladies favourite had a gift for eye-catching attention without ever needing to speak, so I wanted to make sure we incorporated that, but also something where Music + DNA was implied. With a face built for recognition, what better fit than a literal Digital Signature...

Bright-eyed Drassick's rebrand centred around a retinal scan logo

Press kits have a tendency to be pretty bog standard in my humble opinion! I receive as many as I create and when I look them over, I quickly lose interest if there isn't something different to catch my eye. To me, typical headshots say little more than 'Casting Director's Mugshot Equivalent'. That's something I ensure I combat with those that I produce.

So when it came to Lekhem's first major photoshoot, I wanted to showcase his visual potential, his versatility and also to give an insight into the personalities of such a complex and intriguing Artist / Musician, making 'Identity' the ideal starting point for the themes I had in mind. There is always so much confusion surrounding the American / Jamaican heritage of West London's own 'Alien Resident', that I decided to take a selection of the monikers that others had bestowed on him and create some visuals to match...

'Home' is where the Heart is;
with Lekhem, that's in Music.

'Concepts Photoshoot: Alien Resident'

The mass of colour confusion in our graffiti location tied really well with the homage we were paying to Lekhem's American roots. Red, White and Blue with a twist; no matter what he does, duality is a constant theme. The Man and the Artist, the American and the Brit...it was always a quirk to me that visually, the foreign 'Alien' and the British 'Resident', are matched in the very same hues.

Equally, there's no doubt that like Drassick, our Lek has his own share of female fans...I soon learned that those 'Ladies Love Lek', making it a no-brainer to use one of those aforementioned nicknames as another theme...

Wisconsin AND West London's
very own Secret Agent...

'Concepts Photoshoot: Lexington'

Though other connotations are implied, something about 'Lexington' said 'Modern Day Bond' to me, from the first moment I heard it - and that was before I discovered what a (worryingly) huge fan of MI6's secret weapon he really is!

Where earlier looks on the day called for a lot of hyperactive colour; this concept called for calm. All about the 'attitude'; simple, non-distracting, statement pieces were all the wardrobe we needed to make these shots work.

'Concepts: Part One' was an all-day shoot with the superbly-talented Jay Donn of BlackWatch Photography and definitely one of my favourite projects of the past two years. View more shots from the day via Lekhem's Facebook Page.

When asked for his personal favourite since he joined the #ESPfamily though, he chose differently:

"My favourite project so far with ESP, has got to be #TheRaiseEP. That's the very first project that we worked on together from the ground up, after joining forces a few months after the release of 'Str8 Out Da Oven'.

The reasons why it's my favourite so far, is the amount of work that we had to do, in order to make sure everything would be en pointe. Travelling to different studios all over London, photoshoots, radio interviews, shows and performances, the lot... We created a lot of unforgettable memories with that project!

MORE TO COME!"

(Lekhem)

Download #TheRaiseEP,
along with Lekhem's back catalogue to date,
from 'The Food' at LekLane...

And as for us Girls? Well we just wanna have FUN, right?

I have done so many projects with Charli-Anne as both Deer Oh Deer Ltd's and Jelli's Marketing Manager, that it's near impossible to pick a favourite!

Jelli's Chinese New Year Offer, 2011

...We've done promotional advertisements

The 'Golden World' Necklace from our HarleQueens collection
2012 was paired with a Vintage JackFruit dress for
Sam's Fashion Shop Catwalk Show this Summer...

Our collaborative features have led to events with other brands...

We've done press 'kicks' - otherwise known as press kits you get a 'kick' out of...

deerohdeer 'Heritage Collection' Press Pack 2011

Publish at Calameo or read more publications.

'Red Carpet' AW10
Vintage Rose Clutch

'Pink Passion' AW10
Vintage Rose Clutch

But I suppose if I really have to pick one thing, it's going to have to be the limited edition, Vintage Rose Clutch bags - my very first project with the label. My first press release under my own name, it featured in Niji Magazine to begin with and is arguably when I was bitten by the writing bug!

And when it comes to just me? Well it's very hard to separate myself from any of the projects that I've worked on but, I've had a blast developing this blog! I could name a few individual pieces but, more than anything it is the feedback that I receive from your lovely selves, that has been my highlight. It's your comments, viewing figures and the three award nominations that 'The ES in the P' blog received this Summer, that have made the long, late nights like these worthwhile.

PLEASE #StayTuned to the goings on here, because there's only bigger and better to come! In this for the long haul, I entitled this round up '2 UNlimited' for a reason...

Until the next one!
ES ;o)

#ESPspotlight Interview with...JAYA!

...JAYA

I have been intrigued with this Lady since we were first introduced for a Deer Oh Deer Ltd. collaboration last Autumn. Sure, she's jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with impeccable, one of a kind style and y'know, sings a bit here and there; but more than that, it was her approachability and downright wackadoodle nature, that made her endearing.

Since that time, I've had more than a few fun encounters with her and I can honestly tell you that I have never once been bored! Like Deer Oh Deer's beloved Founder Charli-Anne and I, her nature is instinctively creative in the most stylish of ways, but bottom line you never see her without a smile and that infamous Positive Mental Attitude that you automatically assume is chemically-induced, when described in Self-Help books.

Brit-Asian crossover Artist Jaya is a triple-threat of an entirely different kind. She sings, she writes and she lends her name to Charitable works that would have a far more difficult time spreading their message without a multi-talented Force of Nature, fighting their corner.

Pull up a comfy cushion for chat full of Eastern Promise...

Welcome Miss! It's long overdue but I finally have you in my weekly hotseat! Let's get straight to the good stuff...

1. From the very first time I met you, before even - I've been taken with the way you use Social Media to showcase your personality and interact with your audience. What inspired you to harness it as your biggest promotional tool?

I want to inspire people and the only way that I can do that, is if I really showcase who I am and how I am. My biggest thing has always been that people have pre-conceptions. A lot of the time, because of how I look, before they've even spoken to me, people assume that I'm not approachable. They had a lot of ideas in their head of what they think I'm like...I wanted to try to break that as much as I can and just really show that I'm a girl from London, living her dream; I'm trying to represent being Indian, I'm trying to represent being UK...It's not easy, but if I was going to showcase my personality, it would have to be done in my own way. Through Music, I'll always have interviews and be doing bits and bobs but I thought it's Me and I want to do something that I've set up, where I get to showcase the parts of my personality that I think people are really going to get and respond to. I didn't want to do it in a typical way and the thing with YouTube - all Social Media, is that people like me really have an opportunity to be themselves and do things their own way. I think that when a record label doing it, it's not organic. It's almost too set-up; they're trying to show you in the way that they want you to be seen, instead of how you really are.

2. So you ran around town and got up to all these antics for things like your London Diaries, but what's the most unusual thing that's happened as a result of your Social Media interaction?

Y'know what it is? I do things on YouTube and I forget! Then someone reminds me and I think "Oh my God, yeah I really did do that..." It gets kind of embarrassing, but yeah...I did all that stuff! I don't know if it's unusual...but when I was doing the 'London Diaries' - which was basically me going out and having someone film me, having my Guitarist with me and the plan was literally just to meet up and I sing in random places - nothing more! I didn't know where I was going to sing, I didn't know what was going to happen! I did think that there might be some people that are not going to enjoy this and some people that might be a bit standoffish, but I didn't expect it to be so bad! There were some places that I performed that day which weren't actually put up; but of the ones that I did, you can see - on the Justin Bieber cover, people were just ignoring me, ignoring the fact I was outwardly singing, loudly! People were just acting like they didn't see me and I found that really strange and really weird, but also really funny at the same time. You see a girl on the bus singing...you expect some sort of reaction. Any type of reaction! Whether you're swearing at me to stop singing, or applauding me...it was literally that everyone pretended that I just wasn't doing it and I think everyone felt a bit awkward! I don't know what the case was, but that was definitely the funniest and most awkward situation that I have ever been in!

I think it also made me realise how people really are when things are in their face. The bus thing was awkward because there were so many people; but the reason the building site tops that in a way, is because I was in a place where I knew I wasn't supposed to be! The bus, I could get away with, because what's really going to happen?! No-one's really going to kick me off for singing...well I was hoping that would be the case anyway! But the building one I was feeling brave... I'm one of those people that the older I get, the more I like to live in the moment, because life is too short! When the guy walked in; I don't know if the camera caught the true expression on his face, at first he was just like "What..." and then he just started trying to blend in like we're not there and just carried on working! 

I did a few on trains and people actually found me on twitter just from doing that. They were just like "Were you the girl singing on the train?!" It's just so strange how Social Media works in that sense. You can see something and if you search enough, you can find that person and for me that's so amazing. It's the coolest thing ever. I loved doing that and I'm definitely going to be doing more of those in the future. 

3. You and I can't not talk Fashion. I happen to know that you love to differ from the norm in your choices! What do you hope to do with your love of fashion that you haven't yet and what do you think that your style says about you?

Of course we have to, you know me and my fashion! I would hope that with my Music, my fashion grows, I hope it evolves. My Music is always a reflection of what I'm doing and the things I'm around, the kind of things that I'm interested in at that moment and so the fashion always interlinks with that. Obviously, fingers crossed, that my Music progresses and as it goes further and further, I've always wanted to be more than 'just' a Singer. I would hope in the future that I would have my own shoe line, that's something I've always been really passionate about that I really want to do...

...In terms of what I think my fashion says about me...I think if you know me and you see the way that I dress, it kind of all makes sense! A lot of people say that I'm quite crazy, I'm a bit weird, I have a crazy sense of humour (she really does - E); I'm very loud, and a lot of that is how I dress! I've always got bright lipsticks on or I'll have a splash of colour on my shoes. As a person, I like to not always do what I should be doing; I prefer to be outside the box. I don't really like to follow trends. If I'm into something that I want to wear, I'm not going to suddenly start following what everyone is doing. My personality and my fashion are exactly the same in that sense. I've always been a big lover of Urban Music and Culture because I live in such an Urban area, I still have a lot of those tendencies in me, so when I'm looking at footwear, I always go for the trainers, or the Dr Martens, or the Converses. Sometimes, when I'm feeling like I want to be a bit more girly, I'll reach for the heels but generally, I like to feel a bit tomboy-ish but still be a bit Pop. I like to mix it up. I go through phases. If it was like, 2 years ago I was in that girly mode, I was in that phase, whereas now; as my Music and personality grow and change, I literally am a reflection of the kind of things that I'm into at the moment. I injured my ankle about a year and a half ago and so that forced me to start 'experimenting with flats'...after that, I don't know why I ever wore heels! Now when I do, I just ask "WHY do I do this to myself, is it really necessary?!" I still do love my heels and my ankle boots. I've also got my wedges which for me is like, the 'In-Between Shoe', the best of both. But, I would say that my style is very tomboy-ish; Vintage meets Pop - that would kind of sum me up.

4. You cover a lot of diverse Artists in your video covers. For those looking to write / produce for you, what guidance should they take from your selection?

When you look at my Music, even the stuff that I've done for myself, a lot of the stuff that I perform is not on YouTube in that sense. If you've ever come to a gig or seen my song selection, the covers that I do, you'll see it's quite obvious that I love Urban Music. It's not until I started getting older that I started opening up in terms of what I was listening to. I started listening to Pop, I started listening to Rock until those kinds of sounds influenced me as well. So when you listen to Music that I've written and recorded, that's what you're going to get a taste of. You're going to get Urban Music, but it's also going to have a bit of Pop, it's going to have that British Dubstep sound. My sound is always evolving, it's always changing because what I like and the things that I'm experiencing are always changing. So looking at my YouTube stuff, just expect an evolution of whatever you're watching at that time.

5. How did you become an Ambassador for the British Asian Trust and what do your duties and responsibilities entail?

British Asian Trust Website

They approached me, basically the same way that you did for Deer Oh Deer and said "Look, we like what you're doing and would like to have you onboard to represent what we stand for..."

I'm very picky when it comes to aligning myself with Charities and any sort of brand because I feel that it has to make sense. There are millions of Charities that are all doing a great job, but if I'm going to endorse you, it has to make sense; it has to be something that I'm really passionate about and I'm actively going to want to do things to support. It's impossible for me to do that with all of them, but I felt that if I was going to align myself with someone, it would be with someone like the Asian Trust because the work that they do is so amazing and it's something that I can really get behind, support and put my all into. I've had the privilege of aligning myself with other great brands and that's just been one of them. I'm proud to be able to represent them. Even if it's in a small way, I feel like I'm making a difference. 

They don't really ask for much. My relationship with them is still in the early stages so we're still working on what would be the best way for me to continue what it is that I can do. But as it stands, I just keep a tab on what they're doing, if there's any issues of importance I talk about it on Twitter...just keep spreading the word, really. With most Charities, what they prefer is not so much giving money, but more about saying "This is our message, can you help us spread it so that everybody knows about it". That's how the support begins and that's how people can continue on with it, because they understand the message. So that's my job, to be a Spokesperson for Charities like this and get their message out there the best way I can.



6. I know that you also do some other awareness-orientated projects. What other types of projects would you like to get involved in?

I would definitely like to get my hands around some beauty brands. I'm such a fan of make up and I think it's such a work of art through the things that they choose. It's such a subconscious thing; you might go into a shop and pick up a lipstick - you might not think you're doing anything, but you might pick a pink, but the shade that you choose, the finish...there's so much to think about when you're doing these things. 

I'm lucky enough to have started a relationship with MAC, which has always been my favourite make up brand, but I'm very eager to align myself with high street brands as well. 

There's a few out there that are inexpensive, but really good quality so I would love to maybe have the best of both worlds by supporting a really good high-end brand, but also something that my fans can afford as well, that I can encourage. 

My plan was always to have my own make up line at one point because I don't think there's one that really caters for Asian women, skin colours and skin tones. So I think it would be really cool to align myself with certain brands just to get that knowledge as to how it's actually possible and to support companies like Sleek; brands that really support and encourage Women of Colour.

JAYA in custom Deer Oh Deer Ltd. accessories
 for her ILUVLIVE performance, November 2011

I still haven't really aligned myself with a Clothing brand, which is something else that I think would be really cool, but all these things...it has to be organic. As much as we're in a business and it's so hard to keep things that way because you're always thinking "I want this, how can I get there?" 

I think if you spend enough time with things like clothes and people from the brands, then a relationship will just form. The person will understand you and you'll understand their clothes. I think that will be something that I take my time with a bit more; but Make Up, Clothes...those are the things that I really want to get my name attached to in the future.

7. Having toured with N-Dubz and Peter Andre; what is the most valuable lesson that 'tour life' taught you?

I think being on tour and just performing anywhere...Tours are the best because you know for like a month, you're going to be performing consistently. You know you're covering the whole of England, whereas standardly, you might perform here one night, then it's a month before you're performing somewhere else...But for me, touring has just taught me to live in the moment. When you tour, sometimes it's the first time that you've ever gone to these Cities and the first time some of these audiences are ever hearing your Music so you have to give it 100%. That feeling when someone first hears your song or sees you perform and they welcome you and really embrace you - you can't put money on that feeling. I remember going to some Cities and places and thinking, I've never even been here in my life, but I've come on stage and the audience are making me feel like I live in their town and that town is celebrating me. Because I went through a lot of struggles after touring and also a lot of things that I was going through musically, I always tell myself, if I'm ever going to tour again, to always live in those moments; because those are the ones that keep me going. Those are the memories and experiences that keep me pushing and working hard, because I always want to be back in that moment, back on that stage and back in these Cities, performing for those people. 


8. What has been the hardest part of your journey so far and what one stage of the process would you make easier for crossover Artists following in your footsteps?

I'm one of those people that, if I'm going through things the first time that you will hear about it will be in my Music. Up until that stage, I don't really like to talk about it. So there's definitely been a lot of things that I've been going through over the last couple of years, since leaving my record label and trying to find my own feet musically and as a person. When you've been doing something for so long that hasn't really been done - there's never been an Indian female to really make it in the mainstream - you get so many voices in your head, telling you it 'can't be done'. The biggest thing that I've had to deal with is a lot of negativity, rejection and really putting my all into something that ended up not working out. I think it's just a testimony to how much I really love what I do, that I keep going and I'm still here; because there's been a lot of moments where I've just been thinking "Is it really Worth It?" But I quickly find out that it is, because I don't know anything but Music - I don't know what else I would ever do. Rejection is something that even if I make it big, will always be there because I think this barrier - being an Asian Artist, an Indian female trying to do Pop or mainstream - is always going to get bigger. The more successful I get, the more people are going to try to put it in front of my face. 

It's so important just to know yourself. When you truly know yourself, nobody can tell you anything! People can say to me, "Oh you're not going to make it, you're not good", but I know myself and my talent, I know what I can do; so bad stuff - it goes in one ear and out the other. I think that a lot of the time, when you're trying to do something different, regardless of your background it's going to be difficult because everyone's going to have this box and if you don't fit in it, then they're not really going to understand what to do with you. But it's just about knowing yourself and understanding that 'This is Who I Am and This is What I Want To Do'; to really explain that as clearly as you can through your Music and any medium that you use to speak to your fans. I think the clearer that message is the more people will support you, because at the end of the day, being a Musician is for your Supporters and your Fans. It's not for the record label, it's not for anybody else. It's for people that really support you and buy your records...I have people that follow me on Twitter; they were supporting me from three years ago and they still talk to me today. It makes me think, 'this is really crazy'; these people have been following me for three years non-stop - that's who you do it for. So just Know Yourself, Be Confident and just Never Give Up. That will always separate the people that are really successful from the the people that just give up. They don't know themselves so get influenced by people trying to change them into what they think they should be. 


9. When I was looking through your Press Kit, I happened to come across an Amazon screenshot and who do I see but Lil Miss Jaya, Number 4 on a top six chart full of some of the biggest female names on the planet; topped by Jennifer Lopez, peppered with Nicole Sherzinger, Adele, GaGa and capped by Jessie J...Would you mind explaining yourself there, please?!

I'm still trying to explain it to myself! The amount of times I have had to pinch myself...As soon as I left my record label, I released a song Independently, but I was really scared because I had just come from a situation where I wouldn't say that I had a lot of money, but I had a big machine pushing everything that I was doing, then suddenly there I was, trying to do it by myself, without that support and without that big name behind me and I didn't know what was going to happen...But we released it and it peaked at Number 3 on Amazon's Best Seller list!

I didn't even realise that anyone even knew that happened! I remember I was in a studio session and my Manager messaged me saying "Go and check your email..." I was just like; "I'm writing, I'm in my mode, man, what the hell?! I don't want to go on email!" But he said "No, Jaya - You're GOING to want to see this!" So then my Producer started pulling up the screen and you know when you're thinking that someone's blatantly Photoshopped it? I kept refreshing the page because I thought someone was trying to play tricks on me! I kept googling it, just doing everything that I could think of to make sure that it was real...I just couldn't understand how my song had charted in between all of those amazing, big Artists?! It just goes to show that someone out there really does like my Music! 

10. So what are you working on at the moment and what can we expect from you in the future?

At the moment, I'm working on my new Music. For me, it's the foundation to everything that I do, so right now I'm making sure that it's done and everything is where it should be. I'm not really performing, I'm not really doing any of the things that people think I would be, seven years into this Music thing! But as I said, I left my record label and just doing things for myself, it's taken me awhile to figure things out creatively. I went through a period where I couldn't write and I couldn't be places because I just didn't want to force it. I've never forced my writing, I've never forced that side of me because I think it's just not fair on my fans to do something that's false or fake. But I'm back now and in such a good space with really amazing people supporting what I'm doing; so I'm ready to get back in the studio and start writing. As soon as that's done, you guys will see me back on stage and at the events and everything. So Music is what's taking up all of my energy at the moment; writing and recording... 

In the meantime, I'm doing a whole #JayaTuesdays series, which is literally going to be covers of songs that are relevant, but also some songs from the past that have influenced me, or that I've grown up listening to. There will be one every two weeks, so that's something that people will hopefully look forward to...

A massive Thank You to the lovely Jaya for braving this week's hotseat! As you have now seen for yourself, she is truly a wonderful young lady that I'm looking forward to working with again soon - WATCH THIS SPACE!

To interact with Jaya directly and enjoy her works, why don't you Get Connected?

Twitter / Facebook

YouTube

Instagram: JAYAWORLD / JayaWorld (Website)

Many Artists are more comfortable with record labels and spokespersons being the driving force behind their public interaction, even in this era of Social Media overload. Are you for or against using it as your own promotional vehicle? 

As always, leave your feedback in the comment box below!

Now, I'm off to enjoy the Sunshine - see you soon!
ES ;o)