Music > Interviews

Lucy Rose

28/09/15

Lucy Rose likes tea, and she likes dogs and she likes Neil Young, Sure. Many people like those things. But Lucy Rose also likes playing guitar and piano, singing in front of thousands of people across the world, hanging with her mates Bombay Bicycle Club and writing heartrendingly beautiful songs. She’s playing at the Waterfront this month, so I asked her a few questions to find out what we can look forward to at her gig.

You’re heading out on a huge UK/European headline tour in October and November. There’re a lot of dates particularly in Germany; are you very popular there?

In all honesty I don't think I am, maybe just as popular as I am in most places in the UK, which for me I'm over the moon about. Even if only a handful of people come to my show I still feel honoured that they have, and it's lovely to meet them after the show. It's actually pretty lucky because I much prefer playing more intimate shows.  

You started off playing drums in the school orchestra; how come you decided to leave drums behind?

I haven't really left them behind; I still write all my drum beats for both records and love playing the drums, it's just had to play drums and sing at the same time. Phil Collins is one of the few talents out there who can. I also found it hard to write songs on the drums too when I was starting, so I moved to guitar. 

You started making your own music at 16 but didn’t play it to anyone til you left home at 18. Was that because of a lack of opportunity to play live where you were or was it through nerves?

Maybe a bit of both. I had no interest in playing my music to friends or family as I was just way too nervous and felt like I knew what they would think, which is what most people think when you tell them you want to be a musician; they kind of think you're mad and probably not good enough. So I kept it a secret ambition that I had to myself until I reached 18 moved to London and started playing open mic’s. 

You first met Jack Steadman from Bombay Bicycle Club in London and went on to do some backing vocals on some of their albums. Do you think this meeting was intrinsic to getting your own career off the ground in hindsight?

In hindsight and at the time, it was a massive opportunity to be able to make music with them, not just for my career but for the first time I could sort of quit my job and start going on tour. I mean, I had briefly been on tour when I was 19 singing backing vocals for Razorlight but it didn't last more than a year or so and I wasn't on the records. What made singing with Bombay so special was the support they gave me personally to my music, and them wanting my voice on their record was such a privilege. Like I could add something sonically with my voice. And then to tour the world with them singing and supporting them? Yes it was completely instrumental in the reason I'm able to do music today. 

You have very interesting narrative-driven videos; I really like Bikes and Shiver in particular. Is it a joint effort in terms of ideas?

Yes it was. I came up with the ideas for both videos and then had my friend Orestes (who was the director) would sort of tweak them and add to them so that it was possible to make my idea into a music video. Both videos were very fun to make. 

How was it touring the UK and USA with your debut album alongside Noah and the Whale and Bombay Bicycle Shop back in 2012? Was it a good introduction to the world of touring?

Touring with both bands was brilliant but Bombay took me touring in America which was a completely new experience. I think there were 12 boys and me on a tour bus, but it was still so much fun. Jack and I explored most places in the daytime and saw so much; definitely some of the best times of my life was touring with those guys. And then I got to do it myself with my band which was equally exciting and a completely new experience as we drove ourselves, so it wasn't like waking up in a new place in a tour bus; we had the 10 hour drives in the day and then a gig but it was still so much fun.  

You played at the Hop Farm Festival the same day as Bob Dylan – did you manage to ‘bump into him’?

I didn't and even if I saw him I'm pretty sure I would have stayed well clear; not because he wouldn't be lovely but I have a tenancy to confuse my words slightly, so meeting an idol would be my worst nightmare weirdly! I did see Joan Armatrading backstage though and was very tempted to go get a photo as she is one of my favourite artists.  

Your first album was produced by Charlie Hugall and second with Rich Cooper; how were their producing styles different and did they make your work come out differently as a result?

The one thing I had in common with both Charlie and Rich was that we got on so well. They have become great friends but their work is very different. Poor Charlie was with me recording the record when I wasn't signed and I had zero budget, so he came on board knowing I couldn't pay him because he believed in the record. I'll never forget how amazing that was for me. But he didn't have a fancy studio or anything, we recorded the record in my parents living room, borrowing friends equipment and asking for favours. I loved it though as I wanted the first record to be real and low-fi so that was very easy to accomplish in those circumstances. 

Working with Rich was a real change. Suddenly I was in a studio for the first time and had a lot of new toys and instruments to experiment with which probably led to the sound of the second record. He really pushed me in a new direction to try out new things, and not to be scared of not going for the first idea that came in my head but trying lots of different avenues out. 

Who inspires you as a songwriter? I’ve read that you are a big Neil Young fan.. what are your favourite tracks of his?

God, I have so many the list would be never ending, but I love Cinnamon Girl, Down By The River, Walk On, Heart Of Gold and Old Man. He inspires me for so many reasons I could write an essay but mostly for just making the sort of music he wants to make. The same goes for Joni Mitchell, it never felt like she was making music for the mainstream consumer, but was always breaking boundaries and experimenting with her music whilst pouring out her soul. 

Your new album Work It Out came out in June. How did you go about writing the songs for this album?

I wrote a lot of them on the road, hence some of the names: Koln and Sheffield. Nearly all of them were named after cities initially but got changed later on. But then I wanted some home perspective on the album too so spent the last few months writing at home, working out exactly what I wanted to say. I'm still working that out at the moment. 

This album feels very confident and more urban; it has some rougher edges than the first album. Has London done that to you? It would appear so according to the album covers?

Maybe. I mean the first album is much rougher in terms of sounds and recording most songs in one take and the second is way more polished and perfect. In terms of beats being more urban, I'm not sure that's London or the fact I was hanging out with more indie bands like Bombay and seeing the reaction they got from crowds inspired me to see if I could rock out a little more and not just play folk acoustic music. 

How was it having a lot of time off to create your second album after having been around loads of other musicians for some time? Did you find it lonely?

I'm not sure I found it lonely but some days I seemed to lose my sense of purpose. When you're touring you're always doing something, you feel productive like this is what I'm meant to be doing. Some mornings you wake up at home and you sit down and play guitar or piano for a while and the words don't come out like you want them to, you can't say what you want to say in the way you want to say it and you realise today isn't the day for writing. That can happen a few days at a time and those days are difficult. 

There’s quite a bit of piano on the new album…are there some songs that work better with piano that guitar?

I'm not sure it's that they work better or not, it's just how I wrote them. Generally if I write a song on guitar it stays on guitar, same goes for piano. I get used to the songs sounding like that. 

Do you find it harder to write the lyrics or the music?

100% lyrics, I could write instrumental pieces all day long, and melodies are fine but man..lyrics. Lyrics are the bane of my life sometimes; it’s impossible to know what to say and how to say it and not repeat yourself! 

What’s been your most memorable gig thus far in your career?

Glastonbury 2014 on The Other Stage. Nothing compares to that moment playing to our biggest crowd at a weird stage of my career when nothing was happening. There was zero buzz and people still came and watched us. It created a feeling like none I've felt before. 

Have you written any songs which are too emotional for you to share with the world?

Generally I've put them out; songs like Gamble, Shiver and Don't You Worry were hard to play in front of people at first but it's important to get them out there. Sometimes these songs connect to people more than any other. 

I know you’ve made your own blend of tea…will it be on sale on this tour on the merch stand?

It sure will be; I get complaints if I don't bring the tea along!

Lucy Rose plays at the Waterfront on 23rd October. Tickets available from ueaticketbookings.co.uk