#FindOutFriday with Charli-Anne Shirley!

Charli-Anne Shirley

For me, this one isn't just any interview.

Learning what makes a talented person 'tick' is always interesting. Getting a 'glimpse behind the curtain' of someone you know well, that reaches hidden depths you had no clue you would find? Well that is one of the most hypnotic things that I think I have ever come across. I've 

For those unfamiliar; Charli-Anne Shirley is the Founder and 'Designer Extraordinaire' behind Web and Graphic Design company Jelli Ltd. She is also the extremely talented Visionary and Creator of Vintage Fashion, Accessory and Printed Apparel brand, deer oh deer. It was only a matter of time before I raked her over the coals! Find out what happened when I put the most creative lady I know (who just so happens to be one of my nearest and dearest), under the spotlight...

1. So Mrs S; let start at the very beginning in a very Julie Andrews-like manner. I'm privileged enough to know that your earliest Artistic Influence comes from your lovely Dad, John. Can you remember the first piece of Art to inspire you?

Charli with Dad, John

YOU! Always with the hard questions (laughs)! Well Art has always been a massive part of my life; from 'day dot' really so I have far too many memories to just pinpoint one! My Dad was an Art teacher before he retired, so he is knowledgeable about the subject in general. I remember he used to take me to exhibitions when I was really small. He was so passionate about it...I suppose that more than the Art itself, my first real memory was of seeing my Dad and thinking "Wow; this person, is totally in love with this thing". From a young age; I remember seeing what was obviously a huge passion...how much in love he was with something that was just such a huge part of his life. Your parents are role models so when you see someone that you love and they're just...enthralled by something, you can't help getting drawn in. There wasn't anyway I couldn't have been involved in something creative.

Charli's Mum Christine and older Sister, Heather

It wasn't just my Dad. My Mum is not an 'Artist' in the technical sense of the word, but she is very creative, she's very musical and an amazing poet; she writes a lot. My whole family is creative. My sister was also very musical as well, so I guess my whole environment was conducive to me coming out with something in my own voice. I dabbled in various things, tried my hand at music and all the rest of it; but the underlying thing was that I wanted to create something visual. So although I can't really remember a specific piece, I do remember my Dad loving and introducing me to, a lot of the classic Artists. He loves a lot of Renaissance Art, as well as Romantic Artists like Constable, Turner...a lot of  the works that he was into was quite dramatic and emotional. So I guess that influenced my work as well. And also kind of quirky things as well. We have quite an eclectic taste in this family!

      

'Looking South from Near Red Brow Towards Rosthawaite',

Constable

'Light and Colour', 'Shade and Darkness'
Turner

       







2. I'm Sorry...You "dabbled in music"? When did that happen and in what context?

(Laughs) I shouldn't have said that...it's because it's YOU I'm being interviewed by! I could at one point, "Sing", but I never considered myself a 'Singer'; I wasn't confident. I wanted to make music, so I wrote, sang and worked with various Producers; this was when I was at University and I would drive to Brighton from Southampton with the Producer and we'd record in the studio. I did some dance tracks and a few little bits but I was never fully able to get across what I wanted, because I felt my voice wasn't strong enough to do it. And of course, having someone like Mariah Carey being my favourite female vocalist EVER, then just hearing my own voice, I was just like "Ugh, NO! I can't be Mariah, I'm not gonna bother!" I do love music and it is a huge part of my existence but yeah, that was my little music adventure! But we don't talk about it! 

Bobby (Male face of deer oh deer) and Charli-Anne

That was at the point when I met my best friend Bobby actually. He's this amazing vocalist. I'm more of a private person creatively, I find that being an artist, which I'm not, but I am(!) doing my creative stuff with deer oh deer, the graphic stuff with Jelli, and also my own personal stuff that no-one ever sees...I'm not performing for anybody - that's totally coming from inside me. I put out what I feel is good enough for other people to see.

3. So talking of Family, Friends and Stuff...I think it would be fair to say that everyone that you work with, you have strong personal ties to. Do you feel that adds to your creativity and inspiration in anyway? How does that affect you professionally?

(l-r top) Lottey (female face of deer oh deer / Design Assistant), Mike (Operations Director), Charli-Anne
(l-r, bottom) Toby (Sales), Andrew (Mr. Shirley!), Yours Truly (Marketing/PR Manager)

Yeah, it does inspire me. Whenever I've worked in any job, done anything creative or put something out there, I've always needed to feel like I'm part of a family or a team. I can work on my own, and I need that space to work on my own; but definitely feeling like you're in it together with other people, and you're all "making you're own lanes" as Lek (Lekhem) would say...I need to feel like yes, we're making our own lanes, but we're all still in the same town! There's nothing worse than feeling completely alone when you're trying to do something and nobody else gets it, or can experience it with you; sharing those highs and the lows. It's amazing to have a support network when you're feeling a bit down but also, to celebrate  with you when things happen! 

Peter Andre in his custom 'Cookie Monster Hunter Hood

We had the recent deer oh deer moment with Peter Andre wearing the hood. It was just so brilliant to be able to share that and have that little "whoop" moment, where the whole team knows how much work everyone's put in along the journey, to get that far. All these little moments that we're having together, we're all going to remember them. I want to have those moments, because I want to be able to look back in 10 years time and be able to call you, or Lottey or Bobby and say this is what we were doing back then; do you remember that?

In other ways it's difficult because there's pressure. Sometimes you just want to walk away from everything completely just and say; "You know what? For a week I'm not doing anything!" But you  know you can't, you've got other people relying on you, and it's not easy to walk away from that. But I think I would far rather have that support and that feeling of knowing there's always going to be someone there I can talk to about what's going on, and share with. It far outweighs the need for being able to cut myself off, so yeah, you all definitely help me!

4. Can you tell me how the 'Glamslamorous' nickname came about?

Oh. Well! That is just the ultimate combination! 'Glamslamorous' is my Alter Ego..thing...person...creature! When I'm not slogging away at my laptop working, making deer oh deer stuff...when I go out and have a good time and like to get Glammed Up! But  basically the whole Glamslamorous thing came from a combination of two people. Two musicians who have influenced,  and helped me through a lot of the crap that I've been through, but also astounded me with the things that they've achieved. That's Mariah Carey obviously and Prince. Mariah's whole 'Glam' appearance...there's something about her that she always has an aura that I love. 

Do I even NEED to label this?

A lot of people hate on her for whatever reason they want to, but I see beyond any of that outward glamour, which is like her little character that she has. I kind of identify with that, having that need for playing a role or a character that people see, but there's a lot of depth to her as a woman. I can see that and I've always seen that. I've had the privilege of meeting her a few times now as a fan and she was just so beautiful, inside and out, and so down to Earth. There's this whole fan thing where she affectionately calls her fans 'Lambs'; from that we all named ourselves. I was 'Glam Lamb' because I was always into the lipstick, the sparkles and the rest of it. When I met her, she knew me as 'Glam' and said to me that my theme song should be 'The Glamorous Life' by Sheila E...

...Which of course is one of the BEST Songs EVER! I was absolutely stoked about that, so that IS my theme song and always will be - if Mariah gives you a theme song, you don't argue with her! Hence the name of the blog that I've just recently started - The Glamorous Life. 

The name is also a Prince thing. After the whole Glam Slam Club (The singer opened string of nightclubs under the name). I can't even deal with Prince, he's just incredible. He visually, is a GENIUS as well as musically. The image he created for himself; he broke so many boundaries with style, I mean you can't even put him in a particular genre, because he's pretty much covered everything in his career. He's an icon, everybody knows Prince. He's just inspiring, an amazing musician.

5. Most people will look at the Artists you've named and not understand why they're influential. What is the message that you hope people will take from you, they way that you have from them?

People like that you just think, at one point in their lives they were ordinary people going about their day with a dream - look where they are now? I think it's important for anyone who has a passion and a dream to think about them and realise that it can happen, you just have to work, and you have to work hard. They did and look where it got them. Those two out of any artists you can pick out there, are the hardest workers I've ever seen, with probably the least recognition. They're not complacent at all, they just keep going and that's inspiring for anyone who has a dream they want to fulfil - including me.

6. You know we can't not talk about the tattoos! Where did the inspirations first start?

Andrew's Transformers tattoo

I didn't know what was out there until I met my husband. He is literally like a walking canvas so of course there's immediate conversation. I'll never forget the first time I met him! We were in a pub and the first thing he did, I mean we were just sitting there talking and he just put his foot on the table in this pub (laughs) and showed me his leg tattoo, which was this Transformers piece that he's got which is amazing, it's still one of my favourite pieces. But I just remember thinking, this guy is firstly insane, but just adorable because he's like this little ball of colour! And he's sitting there with his leg on the table and I just thought it was AMAZING! This guy is covered in all this stuff and he's not having tattoos because he's trying to be cool, but because he genuinely likes it! So of course, being creative and someone who's inspired by Art, I was really intrigued by the world of tattoos. It did happen later for me than for a lot of people. We talked about them, he used to buy certain magazines and we'd look through them and be drawn to all of these people walking around with these amazing pieces of artwork on their bodies...

Mr & Mrs Shirley

Andrew just opened the door to this amazing world of Art that I'd never had firsthand experience of in a positive way. I was brought up in a traditional Catholic family. Although we're quite Bohemian - we're not stiff upper lip, British, boring stereotypes, but we do have a traditional influence, I guess. So that kind of art I wasn't exposed to it in that same way until I met Andrew. His family are very different to mine. His parents have tattoos, his sister has tattoos and  I absolutely LOVED it. I remember my first one completely wasn't planned; I went with Andrew to get the skull on his shoulders and  this amazing  tattoo artist, Aaron said: "oh I might have a gap of an hour when I've finished Andrew, do you want a tattoo done?" At first I was like, "...What?" Then the adrenaline rush of "Yeah, I want it! But I don't know what I want!" kicked in. Aaron said "I think we should do something on your foot". I said ok! Andrew was looking at me like "what the hell are you doing?! Don't get it on your foot! It's really painful". I decided no, and I really liked it!

Because I hadn't planned what I was going to get, it had to be a Butterfly, obviously because of Mariah, again! The song Butterfly is my favourite, I love the lyrics, the whole idea of what it represents, in the song and my life as well; it just means so much to me. Aaron does Japanese styles in particular, and so the influence is there with the Cherry Blossoms around it...For me it was just perfect. I could go on and on about tattooing; you need a whole separate interview just about that...

7.  So since you've taken us there, let's keep going on the route. The Japanese Kawaii-style, where did that come from?

Ohhh...see I'm good at this whole segue-thing, aren't I? (Laughs) Well I don't think you can't mistake - I like things that are cute! I like things that are pink, I like things that are sparkly, I like things with bows on...(she's not kidding, have you seen our AW10 Bow'n'Chain collection? ES)

Think Pink - Charli-Anne paid homage
to our fave Female with one of her
earliest collections

 

AW10 BowTie Chain

Candy Bling
(Inspired by the 2009 Mariah Carey track)

Female face of deer oh deer Lottey,
modelling 2011's 'Lolita' inspired range

      

AW10 Charm Necklace

AW10 DIDI Necklace

Catch our GORGEOUS Design Assistant, Lottey and the rest
of the dod team at HYPER JAPAN SPRING 2012, 24-26 Feb

My Melody

Little Twin Stars

I grew up in the era of Sanrio, when it was the biggest thing ever. I remember Hello Kitty at it's birth point really. My Melody is still my favourite Sanrio character. I remember the Little Twin Stars, all my pencil cases were the Sanrio characters - I just loved the style of the Art and everything about it. I remember my best friend at Primary School for probably about 2/3 years was a Japanese girl. She used to draw characters from the cartoons she watched and I remember looking at them and thinking, that I just loved the way she drew them. The whole style of it just really appealed to me from a young age, I've ALWAYS been in love with it. That only grows when you look more into it. When you get into tattoos as well; that whole geek sub-culture really, is a world that I love; you can't fail to be influenced and inspired by it. 

'The Gay 90s' ,
Mark Ryden

Ryden was the GENIUS behind
Michael Jackson's most daring album
artwork.

There's something about that imagery with the big eyes; you see it in the deer oh deer characters and that kind of doe-like quality in a sense. They're not necessarily Japanese but you see that kind of style in the works of Artists like, Mark Ryden, who's one of my favourite Artists. He does all this crazy work but he's an absolutely brilliant Painter. All of his work has a concept, a dark side, and I love that. I love things that appear to be cute, but when you look at them closely, it's actually something different., especially Art.

Hansel & Gretel, 
Junko Mizuno

The Life of Momongo,

Junko Mizuno

There's also Junko Mizuno; she does comic strips and comic books. She's done a couple of graphic novels. She's done things like the Hansel and Gretel story, but she's made it quite twisted; there's all this weird stuff going on but it's just so beautifully done! She's got these really cute, weird, beautiful drawings and the characters are really evil! She's got this female character that is sexy, and she's got  beautiful clothes and she's girly and got long hair; she's what every little girl wants to be, but then when you look underneath that, there's a lot more to it...it's a little bit warped! And I think that's why with certain things that I do, more with deer oh deer - I can't so much with Jelli because I'm working for clients - but with my own stuff, I can put that little twist on it.

I'm so absorbed in the culture that I created my own character who, kind of came out to play for a little while, maybe about a year and a half, two years ago. She's having a little break right now and hopefully will return at some point, I don't know when! She is called 'Chicchai' which means 'Tiny'.

'Chicchai' means 'Tiny', which at an even 5 Feet,
fits our Char to a T!

She's like a little woman and when I look at her, I think of myself when I was a child. She's got the little fringe and the brown hair; she's girly, but she's also a little bit brave. She's got a little funny friend called Blue. Blue is a little Rabbit kind of character who doesn't speak very much! I've created some other characters who are her friends...She actually has her own facebook page, but I'm not really doing much with her at the moment because I'm so focused on deer oh deer and Jelli. Chicchai will appear again at some point. My friend Paul actually made me a 3D rendering until then!

7. Has there been anything you tried to design or anything you tried to turn your hand to that just, didn't work? 

(Laughs) Now that's funny! I've always struggled with the confidence in my drawing. I've become far too reliant on my computer so I'm not as good at that as I could be. Everything I know how to do graphically is self-taught, I'm not professionally trained. I did a lot of Web training! I'm quite lucky that I can pick things up quite quickly on that front, but with drawing it's not that easy. The greatest Artists to me, are the ones who make the most confident lines on the paper. You can tell a confident line and you can tell one that says "eh...I'm trying". That to me is the difference between something incredible and something mediocre.  And I never wanted to be mediocre with drawing or painting. So I kind of gave up on it a bit because I wasn't that good (expletive from Andrew in the background that can't be printed, but matched what I said-ES)! So I guess I would love to work more on that. Recently Andrew bought me these amazing 'How to draw Anime' books which are just brilliant, and I love all the illustrations. SO I thought, right; I'm going to sit down and teach myself. But I ended up being so picky with it and crap that I gave up because it was too hard and I couldn't be bothered! I've had to scrap that and say to myself: "Look. You're not good because you haven't practiced. You've got to practice". Anything creative that I can do is going to help me in my work, so I have to push myself to do things that I'm not confident with and may never be very good at, but will help me in the long run.

8. Of all the pieces that you've designed, and this goes back to the first time you ever picked up a pen, pencil or paintbrush - what's been your favourite design?

Oh my GOODNESS! I think the problem is, when you're caught up in something, it becomes your favourite thing! I'm working with Lottey on the Spring Summer collection and I'm totally obsessing over that right now. Maybe the jewellery for the last collection? I was really really pleased with that. 

The GORGEOUS Jaya
in custom Heritage Collection pieces
ILUVLIVE, November 2011

I do love the Halcyon earrings. I love bold, structural things. I've always loved big earrings. If I go into a shop, I go straight to them and luckily, the whole Pat Butcher thing has been very big this season! This is how evil my friends are to me - years ago, I had this gorgeous coat. It had a big, beautiful camel-coloured collar, and I wore it with big earrings. Well my best friend Bobby, who clearly loves me dearly, decided to say: "You look like Pat Butcher in those". So I think that I've subconsciously been getting my revenge by designing all of these big earrings ever since...WE LOVE PAT! She's gonna be SORELY MISSED! But not really, because I AM the real Pat Butcher!

Halcyon Earrings, so named in honour of Marian Lindkvist,
Charli-Anne's Grandmother

Actually, talking about people in my life who have influenced me enormously; I have a special connection to the Halcyon earrings. 'Halcyon' was  the name of a Norwegian vessel that docked in the Lindkvist ports of Liverpool - Lindkvist was my Grandfather's surname. The design is a tribute to my Grandmother.

Bring White Beads When You Call on the Healer,
Marian Lindkvist

I know it's slightly off topic, but I want people to go and read her book so they can understand why I am the way I am! My Granny had a dream that she was surrounded by people in a mental hospital. They had been written off and dumped there, deemed not worth investing in because they couldn't function in 'normal' society. Supposedly none of the patients were capable of movement, yet somehow they were all moving their bodies to music. She wanted to change that in reality and improve their quality of life; that dream inspired that. She set up an organisation called the Sesame Institute. They managed to get certain hospitals to agree for her group to go in and do these movement sessions with some of these patients; people who had sat there for 10 years not able to do anything. Their family members talked about them never doing the simple things the rest of us take for granted, like lifting their arms. With the help of the therapy that she came up with called 'Movement with Touch', the Sesame Institute have literally been able to change lives all over the world...and that came from the dream of a regular mum with an autistic daughter.

9. Is that why Charity resonates so deeply with you? I know from working with you and just your nature as a person, giving is something that's a big part of your nature:

When you've had someone like my Granny in your family, you can't fail to want to try to do something even slightly comparing to that. At some point I want to do some more work for Charity. I've had that in my life, My work as a Fundraising Manager came from that desire to do something. Yes I do believe it's great to go out there and create a famous brand or whatever, but there's always a higher purpose, always something more important that, if I'm successful in what I do, then I will have to use that in a wise way. I believe that we can do that with deer oh deer so Watch This Space when it comes to that area.

10. Ok, so us being the way that we are, of course I have to end with a quirk. Why a deer?

Why a deer? Why a deer indeed! (laughs) Because I love them! I love the shape of the head, especially in that Kawaii style, it just lent itself to the character really well; with their enormous head, little body, and doe eyes. I love all animals, but I love the doe and the stag. To me, stags are just incredible creatures, they're the ultimate handsome couple! So I guess...a deer because they're random! AND we have them in Britain which also lends to our Brit-Vintage core!

I cannot tell you how PROUD I am of this Lady. This has been one of my favourite interviews for several reasons, but mainly because my intention was to bring one of the greatest talents I know to the forefront. I hope you got a glimpse! She is the hardest-working, most patient and empathetic woman I know. Although you could feasibly say our CharStar is the quietest of the ESP Family, take it from me when I tell you, that Charli-Anne is the backbone of our whole mad pack!

Please take a moment to check out just a few of her amazing works:

Charli-Anne:

twitter / The Glamorous Life

deer oh deer ltd:

twitter / facebook / tumblr / youtube

SS11 VIVID Collection / AW11 Heritage Collection

Jelli Ltd:

twitter / facebook

And keep an eye out for everything we have coming up! deer oh deer will be at HYPER JAPAN SPRING 2012, from 24-26 February...

And expect the SpringSummer12 collection, 'Carnivale' shortly after. I've already seen some of the designs and I can tell you, my jewellery box and I are VERY excited!

UNSIGNED HYPE - February Mixtape Release - 'The Valentine's Edition'

The first of the month has become synonymous with more than Pay Day, now that Unsigned Hype are on the scene.

On the verge of their 5th release, the hottest new brand to support and promote Unsigned Artists return with their February compilation - 'The Valentine's Edition'.

Featuring a host of talent on their 'Lover's Flow' - even ESP Boy's Drassick and Lekhem got their flirt on for this one - Ladies, I advise Caution! Having heard the promo, I warn you now: THE CONTENTS ARE DANGEROUS. Beware!

Check out their promo mix and make sure you follow them at @UnsignedHypeUK for the latest release information because trust me when I tell you, they're growing by the day!

Countdown to February 1st...

Introducing the 'Rebels 2 Society'

Rebels 2 Society are a 13-member strong hip hop group from West London.

With a team that have been working hard and gradually expanding throughout the years Rebels, collectively known as R2S, have developed and created a sound like no one else of their time. The variance of their sounds infuse the old school flavour of the Wu Tang takeover, with the contemporary hip hop currently dominating the airwaves of the UK, Europe and International markets.

The Rebelution Part 1 is a perfect example of the mix and diversity that R2S bring to the table. So 'Kick Back', enjoy this first future classic and understand why each R2S member will tell you, making great music 'Ain't Nuttin To Us'.

Meet the Members:

Krome: If you love fast'n'furious flows, the ultra-tricky wordplay combined with intellectual, hard-hitting lyrics then Krome is going to be one of your favourites. One of the founding members of R2S, Krome constantly delivers verses that make others scratch their heads at the knowledge he drops in triple-speed. 

Korshun: The flashy one. Don't be fooled though; also a founding member, Korshun is not one to let his persona speak for his content. Behind the microphone Korshun is lyrically one of the most captivating individuals out there. He has an uncanny ability to paint lyrical pictures combine with his "drunken master" flow and unique tone, leave nothing but fire on every bar.

Fuzzie Bars: R2S's only female, Fuzzie holds it down for her ladies. An energetic rapper with a never-ending flow, lyrically she is one of the most thought-provoking in the group. Working hard at her craft from a young age, Fuzzie has blossomed into a very unique artist. Always speaking from the heart on topics that are often taboo, her capability to educate and entertain at the same time is remarkable.

Lekhem: One of the newest members to the R2S, Lekhem brings his own flavour to the mix. With his unique "3 countries in 1 voice" accent borne from his American, Jamaican and UK origins, Lekhem is certainly one to watch in the R2S camp. The experiences of his world travels bring a strong variety to his lyrical content. With a commanding, yet humorous personality that seeps through the microphone, he draws audiences into his world with hypnotic style. Look out for Lekhem production talents set to make their début very soon.

Reginald: The youngest of the group is not to be taken lightly. With a hunger for success and a determination that surpasses his years, Reginald is stepping up to the plate. His individual flow and lyrics are always hard-hitting and truthful, with content that speaks to many. Never one to shy away from har work, Reginald gives his all to ensure the R2S camp gets as far as possible.

D Night: One of the most distinctive tones within R2S, when Damien Nightron steps to the mic, you listen. His 'in your face' lyrics stay with you and he's not worried if you don't like that, you will hear, and remember what he thinks. 

HudyHary: R2S' very own Eastern-European import! Spitting with incredible flow, HudyHary arrives on any track in a Polish blaze of glory! With bars solely in his natural tongue, more than language makes him one of a kind. A hugely talented artist, Expect to see HudyHary's production credits  soon. 

Prophyle: Another lyrical master, Prophyle speaks to your mind. The depth of his content resonate soulfully time and again. Prophyle's 'golden era' flow demonstrates that bringing positive, soul-uplifting music to the masses is not as difficult as others make it seem. 

TaYshan: His multi-dimensional lyrics make you laugh, think and dream with imaginative flows that capture your attention from the start. An artist who seemingly creates punchlines from nothing, TaYshan has a great ability to tell stories through music. His knack for changing temperament mid-bar makes listening to this guy that much more exciting and unpredictable.

Culprit Cash: Another new addition to the R2S camp. With his intellectual storytelling abilities, clever, often funny punchlines and impressive flow, Culprit is certainly set to steal some fans. With his arsenal of talent, Culprit Cash is set to create some major turbulence on the radio airwaves.

And for those making their début on February's The Rebelution Part.2...

Adversario: Meet the main Producer for R2S. Highly skilled at what he does Adversario creates that contemporary sound with a root in Hip Hop's golden age. With those drums that bang, melodic synths and fantastic use of samples, it is no wonder that American artists are hunting him down for his work. When it comes to creating soundtracks for street poets, his talent hits heights of magnitude.

Seta Trend: Another new member, Seta Trend has been on the scene for a hot minute. Take his easy-going flow that works so well with his tone, add his thought-provoking lyrics and you have a combo like no other! His lyrics place you in his skin and give you the capability to see his world. Also a Producer; Seta's talents do not stop with the Mic, the pen and the pad. Creating epic instrumentals for his lyrical portraits, look out for more from his huge catalogue on The Rebelution Part 2.

TrixCity: One of the most lyrically imaginative rappers on the scene, TrixCity is another new addition to the camp. A philosophical lyricist, his alluring tone and inventive flow prove Trix is not one to sleep on.

Keep up to date with all things 'Rebels 2 Society' via their ReverbNation account.

#FindOutFriday with Julie Iwheta

Julie Iwheta

Of every interview I've been Blessed enough to do, this one by far, did me the most external damage. There were tears, there was smudged eye-liner...I actually endured physical pain.

The laughter Julie Iwheta's character inspires should come with a physical health warning - I still had a stitch 45 minutes after we parted ways. It was that addictive element of her stage presence that captured me, almost as much as her hypnotic vocals. Find out what else got me hooked...

1. I remember the very first time I met you. Uh-oh...Why, what did I do? Before you did anything, it was what I saw. The cutest little miniature top hat, the Dr. Martens and a delivery of one of the best renditions of Lauryn Hill's Zion that I think I've ever heard - in complete contrast to the wardrobe! And then you let rip a stream of constant comedy. How do you put that 'stage style' together?

I remember that hat, it's still alive to this day...To be honest with you, I just go on stage and 'I Do Me'! Sometimes when I look back at videos, I feel like it's a rehearsal that's been recorded! I forget that I'm actually supposed to come on, perform and just sing; 

I just kind of go on and be real...if I know something's going to go wrong, then you're going to hear about it the whole night. The other day, I actually did full-blown drama before I sang. I mean like, made up, freestyle drama...I don't know what happens? Sometimes I feel it's not me...another person goes on, they do what they do and I come off and go "Yeah...that person Sang". If I think about it too much, nerves will attack me and I'd start shaking and sweating...by not thinking about it, if mistakes happen, then they happen, I just Keep it Moving!

2. You said you feel like it's not 'You' sometimes, but another person. If we go to the 'DIVA' territory; the land of the 'Big-voiced Ladies'; we have Mariah and 'Bianca', Beyonce and 'Sasha Fierce', Mary J (Blige) and 'Brook-Lynn'...They all have this 'dual personality' that they claim comes out on stage and takes over. Are you saying that's what you have? And if so, do you want to name her?

Do they? I did not know about any of these people! But I suppose I'm a bit of both because the way I am on stage is the way I am off as well, but I think it was when I did the Jazz Cafe last year, I realised - That. Wasn't. Me. I mean it obviously was in person, picture, body; but the rest of it? That was someone else. And I call her 'Fulu'. She's kind of like an African soldier woman, that's why you've got the boots with that Nubian Naturalness. She's my idea of a mixture of a lady. "Fulu" doesn't even mean anything, it's just a word I made up one day. I was recording with Aruba Red, we were doing backing vocals and I just told her "Me and Fulu miss you". And you can't just shake hands and go "Hi, my name is Fulu..." - no, it needs to be "Fu-LOO".

'Fulu' doesn't need a reason to 'Be', she just 'Is'.

3. According to your bio, you started singing at 15. Is that when you first realised you had chops, or when you first decided that you actually wanted to use them? Because those are two very different things that people often mix up:

Actually...I think more it was more 16. It was the mid-to-ending of my first year of college, so let's say about that time.

But how on Earth did it take you so long? You're not a wishy-washy voiced female, your tone would be hard to mistake even then I would imagine, so explain what happened...Did you not know it was there?!

(Laughs) When I was 15 I didn't sing! I mean I used to "sing" with my Cousin when I was younger, as in make sounds come out...but it wasn't what I consider singing? When I chose Music to do in Secondary School, it was only because I liked being a Producer. We got to the part where it was time to start writing my own songs - which I didn't think were that great - and it wasn't what I wanted to do. Then I went to College because I wanted to be a Secretary. No really, I did! but because the course was a bit "boo" (boring), my Sister told me to go and do Performing Arts, so I said "Ok". Then I went to Uni and started doing Music Technology. For me, singing was more of an addition, than the thing in the forefront because I want to be a Sound Engineer. It's just that I can sing as well.

At the moment my singing is getting more attention than my Sound Engineering, but when I'm in the studio, they're both on the same levels because I'm able to bring out the sound that I actually hear in my head. So I guess I sang, but I didn't believe. I just knew I had a sound but didn't know what I could do with it; and I still don't even know, because sometimes when I open my mouth I'm like "Shut up! Is that YOU?" That's what I say to Fulu and she says "Yeah, that is. That's US..."

4. That leads me to another instant question...Sound Engineering? At the risk of sounding very 'Lioness  - Good For A Girl'; that's different. How are we finding it as a Female outside of the booth?

Fulu and Microphone Child...

Honestly, if I had more practice in it...I would be crazy right about now; you wouldn't even be meeting me because I'd be in the studio looking like a hot mess, sitting in the same seat for 3 days, neck breaking...I love listening to a dry vocal and working out what you're going to do with it. What effects are you going to put on it, how is the vocal going to sound, how are you going to mix it...it's delicious! I love recording. I just love knowing what you could do. It all started when I was younger and I was like, "I wonder how Usher can sing in two voices at the same time...hmmm!" I was clueless, I didn't know!

5. Ok, so I want to ask you about your influences, but in a non-typical light. Who do you look at and not want to be like, for whatever reason?

Lady GaGa

Definitely not GaGa. Not that I put myself in that category, but she's erm...really...really...like, bizarre. I can take elements, like some of her styling...Yeah there's quirkiness and stuff, but then some of her lyrical content and the way she delivers it just puts me off a little bit and makes me think that I don't want to be like that. Like you said, I'm a little bit comical on stage, I don't want to be classed so far into that category that I lose people's interest. 

6. As a kid, everyone has at least one film that they identified with. They believed it was their story and convinced themselves that they were that character. Which film was that for you and which was your character?

I don't know if I would say that I believed I was her, but I wanted to be in the film...it was on TV the other day, Return to Oz. That is my FILM! It doesn't even make sense! But it's such a twist to The Wizard of Oz, I love that! I have that on DVD! When it came on I was excited! I know everything about it, from Tip-Top to The Wheelers, the Headlessness, the Woman and the Guitars..The chicken was just excellent because there was no Chicken in the beginning and there was no reason for one then, that's what made it great!

7. Let me venture back to safety...Explain to me how you got connected with all the people you do backing vocals for? Aruba Red, Dionne Reid, Lioness to name but a few...how did all the hook ups come about?

Joel Fender (In'sight) with Cousin Lioness
Musicalize, July 2011

There were two of us that used to do BV's for Aruba Red; the other girl is a friend and she told me about it. I think I've been with her for a good two years now, we tour all over the place. Lioness...well that happened because I'm really close friends with her Cousin Joel, who is one half of In'Sight and I've done BVs for them as well. She saw that and asked me to do some for her too. Anything to do with singing or music, I actually enjoy and I'm definitely down for. As long as you can respect me and I can respect your graft and what you're trying to do, it's all great. So she had a track that she wanted us all to feature on and it went from there really. I love harmonies. When they're right, they're RIGHT. They get the hairs standing up on the back of your neck, they have you dribbling because they're delicious - like water! I thoroughly enjoy it; I actually put myself out there as being a Singer / Songwriter / Backing Vocalist. 

8. What would you like to get into this year, what's coming from you?

By God's Grace, by God's GRACE...My EP! Obviously everyone has their up's and down's, trials and tribulations...Only joking, I'll put the Sugababes away...My original idea was to definitely have a mixture of everything that I can jump on because with me, in the beginning, I was like "I'm RnB and Soul. That's it. RnB and Soul. Don't touch me. Or address me in daylight. I'm RnB and Soul".

That's what I was like in the beginning! But with everything that I've been through, I guess it kind of worked out quite well that I haven't put anything out because I've dabbled in a lot of different things since; I mean, Soulful House? Never! I never would have thought that I would be dancing to one of my own songs in a club...Rock; I did the cover of Don't Speak because I liked the vocal arrangement more than the bigger picture; then when people heard it, the feedback was really positive. So the EP will be a mixture of all the styles I've tried in the 2 years I've been doing solo work. But there's still more that I want to try though; I want to fling in African, everything...I even want to try (whispers) rapping on there, but then I try and well, I...just ain't got the bars, cuz I'm sittin in my car; not goin far...that's all that ever comes out , just those obvious rhymes (laughs)! But no seriously, I do want to attempt it.

9. Going back to the Sound Engineering; if there was a song you wish you could have produced, which would it be and why?

I can't think of a specific song, but in terms of an actual Producer and all-round artist to be like, it would have to be Ryan Leslie. His studio is just...(breaks into 12-second song comprised entirely of the lyric "Damn")...There's something about him...When I watched some of his videos - I want his studio! The element of just watching him start with two notes and then two seconds later, he's got this bangin' track that just BLOWS. YOUR. MIND. And you just look at him think: "It was just two notes in the beginning y'know..." So yeah, I guess I would have to say that I want to be the female version of Ryan Leslie.

10. You have done quite a few acoustic covers. The YouTube sensation of recording yourself at home has taken off and launched quite a few careers. How important is self-promotion? Is it a good thing for Unsigned Artists to do your own A&R, or should you be letting the 'Pros' speak for you?

I definitely think it's a good thing, because at the end of the day you're learning and gaining that experience, rather than having someone else do it for you. At the end of the day, if someone is speaking for you, then I just see you as a mannequin...Widen your horizons, see what else you can do. I like doing my YouTube videos. I didn't know how much I would like doing them, or the opportunities it would bring me. I got booked to go and sing at someone's wedding in Italy last year; because they found my channel. 

So for me, it's definitely a thumbs up. I also like going onto other people's pages and seeing what they're doing. If you're so used to being in your own little circle where you're doing everything, it's nice if all the focus is on you, but sometimes it's nice to step out...I've met people on there who tell me that they really like my page, when all I'm doing is putting up songs that I really like! Also we're living in a world where it's all about Visuals; no matter what he/she says, it's all about VISUALS. That's what sells. Sometimes, if you make other people do things for you, they take Twelve Thousand Years - and yes I'm gonna say Twelve Thousand Years because it's TRUE! Me personally, I don't have the big money, I'm not a cash diamond princess, it's not about that; when I'm ready to record, I do it on my trusty iPhone4! If someone has a camera then BOOM, great, lovely; but if not? Trusted. iPhone. FOUR...and then I upload it straight to YouTube - DONE!

A MASSIVE THANK YOU to the HILARIOUS Julie Iwheta for her time! Check out her latest renditions, keep up to date with what she has coming up and get yourself her back catalogue from the links below. You WON'T regret it!

Twitter / YouTube / Facebook / MySpace

Bandcamp 

(where you can purchase Julie's single, 'Don't Cry' for 79p)