INTERVIEW - Estelle
- Posted on April 4, 2007 12:55 PM
- 0 comments
- Interview By Katie Spain
When we met Estelle, she bounded through our questions without a moment to spare for air. Although she must have been jet lagged, she was ridiculously energetic... kind of like a stunning little puppy. A designer dressed one of course. She talked about her new album with passion and when we discussed the inafamous ‘booty call’ topic, her hand movements went into overdrive.
It's true... Estelle has a lot to say – and her music is the ideal machine for her thoughts. She is feisty and frivolous; words fly from her mouth and loosely loop together. We can’t help but get fired up after catching some of the infectious energy oozing from her Top Shop thirsty pores.
Estelle is an enjoyable mixture of R’N’ B, Soul and Hip-Hop. This British songstress is currently based in the US but flew back to her home town to give her UK fans a glimpse in to her hectic world.
First of, how are you feeling? I know that last night you were out in Notting Hill performing. Are you hung-over?
Noooo. We got in yesterday from New York and I was like no alcohol otherwise I will not wake up tomorrow! If I drink, my voice goes too.
Did the gig well?
I didn’t know what to expect. It was the brand new material with the same people. A lot of people who came were like ‘lets see what she has done since she has gone to New York’ kind of thing. Some guys were stood at the back but then came up to me afterwards and were like ‘that was craaaazy!’ I was like, oh, I didn’t get from you!
You are based in New York now aren’t you? Is it good to be back – you must miss your family?
No not really! I speak to them frequently; they all have Blackberrys. I have been doing this for almost ten years so they are used to me being all over the place. I miss my little sisters more than anything else. Every time I see them they are like a foot taller. It freaks me out a bit. They are in to like Chemical Romance and I’m like what? You want to go to which concert?
You have got your new album Shine and the single Wait a Minute. What should we expect?
This is the realest, most intimate album that I have ever written. When ever I play it to people they are like, ‘great to meet you – I know everything about you now!’ I listened to it one time on a ride to the studio. The producer was like, ‘right – I genuinely know you now; what happened in that situation then?’ I thought, I really put myself out there huh! It feels good though; it doesn’t feel like I am selling anything or doing reality TV. I went through a lot in the past few years; switching labels and also just growing up. I wouldn’t take back a minute of it. It has been crazy: from boys to money to everything – I have just seen the real world for how it is. I thought that if you can get through this then you can get through anything. I just had to put it down in words.
What is the story behind your new single Wait a Minute?
It is me trying to be assertive. Me and my friends all went through the same situation. My friends will be like, ‘he calls me; I go round but he never comes round when I call him.’ I’m like, it’s because you are his booty call. I went through it too and I was disgusted with myself. It was just for that moment of taking back the power. It is a song for the ladies so that they can be like, no wait – you can have it when I say.
Are you happy with the album?
Yeah, I am. It has been almost four years in the making. I had to live through it first. I recorded the bulk of it in the last six months. We finished it in August and here we are.
You have got some impressive people working on the album with you.
Yeah, there is Wyclef, Mark Ronson. Will.i.am. It freaks me out – but I didn’t have the chance to be freaked out. I was like, better make this s*** work. You can’t have that moment where you’re like; I’m sitting next to Wyclef. You just have to be like right, what are we going to work on? Everybody is about their money and their time – you can’t go in their and waste it. I was telling them if we need to stay till six thirty in the morning to finish it if we had to. They were like, for real? There are some artists that do that and they are the ones that are most successful. They were like, you are really are serious then. If it goes out and everyone hates – they are going to look at me. They are going to say, ‘you had a chance with Wyclef and you f***** it up.’
Collaborations must be great but is there any one you get totally stage struck by?
I had a moment with N’Dea Davenport from the Brand New Heavies. We shot the video and she was living upstairs. I bumped in to my stylist who used to style her and she said, ‘I have just got to show you who I am working with now.’ I was like…ahhh. I have certain music posts in my life. Ella Fitzgerald was when I was thirteen and then N’Dea Davenport was when I was sixteen and Mary J Blige has been throughout my whole life. I can’t meet Ella Fitzgerald, N’dea is another one and I think Mary would be the other one where I am like….I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
Do you have a favourite tune off of the album?
It varies from week to week. Right now it is American Boy; the melody keeps gong round in my head. Last week, it was More Than Friends. Sometimes though, I will analyse it too much.
Your video is fashioned on Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It must have been so much fun to make?
It was. I was like, I can do anything so I was like, this is what I want to do! They were like, how did you come up with that? Audrey Hepburn is a classic icon. In every picture she is flawless. She rocked Chanel’s clothes better than Chanel.
Are you a designer girl?
I’m a designer girl. I will mix it up though. I think that if you buy a good dress that costs you a grand, you will wear it forever. If you buy something at a market, you just have to keep going back and spending more money… I am a big fashion freak. I have issues, for real. I collect Vogue and things like that – and shoes.
Lastly, what is the most memorable concert that you have been to as a fan member?
Oh…this is a hard one…I didn’t go to many concerts as a kid; I watched a lot on DVD. I started collecting them as I got older. So, the most memorable one that I watched was Mary J Blige.
NEW SINGLE: ‘Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)
- November 12th digital
- November 19th – physical
See the video here (high)
See the video here (low)
NEW ALBUM: Shine - to be released in Feb 2008.
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