Just after the release of new single Fly, I met the singer Harriet in an lovely old arts cafe tucked behind Angel tube station in Islington, London. She wanted to discuss her new single, a follow-up from her Christmas EP "Maybe This Christmas" & her debut "What's Mine Is Yours" released in 2014. Fly signals the beginning of a vast volley of new material from Harriet. Fly is a rather plucky stomper of a song with a upbeat rhythm & delivers a stern declaration within its lyrics. I wanted to know more about its creation, whether there were more like it in her goodie bag of songs and what she was planning to do next. So armed with a brief set of questions I ordered the hot chocolate and we were set! Fly: (Itunes Order Link)
Did London treat you well during the filming of Fly?
Yes! We had a few surprised tourists who made a cameo or two but thats what I love about London which is why we did that video in that way. I love the city and the moment Fly came out of the oven, so to speak, I had the concept of the video there and then. I loved doing it. I used to live in the West End of London and I'd spend so much of my time wandering, and wondering, around and about. People-watching. Observing the city come alive with my headphones plugged-in channeling new songs I'd just written. Which is why I'm wearing headphones in the video.
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Did London treat you well during the filming of Fly?
Yes! We had a few surprised tourists who made a cameo or two but thats what I love about London which is why we did that video in that way. I love the city and the moment Fly came out of the oven, so to speak, I had the concept of the video there and then. I loved doing it. I used to live in the West End of London and I'd spend so much of my time wandering, and wondering, around and about. People-watching. Observing the city come alive with my headphones plugged-in channeling new songs I'd just written. Which is why I'm wearing headphones in the video.
Okay, I must ask why the
handwriting theme in so much of your promo content?
Hahahahha!!! When I was little I was
obsessed letter writing and I guess it stems from that! I think your
handwriting is an extension of your personality too. I think that’s cool!
You’ve just released Fly which
isn’t about the nasty insect or the Jeff Goldblum film. Or, is it?
No, but thats pretty awesome! Though I’d
love it if it was picked to be the theme for the inevitable future Hollywood
remake! Ok so Fly is about wanting to escape from a loveless relationship, and fall
in love for “real”!
Its a bit uptempo from your
last release like 'If (When You Go)' for example.
Yes. The last two releases were of a
reflective, more melancholic vibe. The melody and tempo was representative
this. Fly felt like the next natural progression. It was a challenge to keep my
sound and identity in a more uptempo song. But Steve Anderson’s production and
arrangement colours the song perfectly. It is important my album has texture
and these uptempo numbers are really key to maintain energy levels in that
body of work. Plus, when it comes to performing them live, its great to
have a variety of ‘zones’ to go into when performing.
Steve is producing all your stuff
yes?
Yes! Steve and I have written the
majority of the album together. I believe Steve is the best producer for
my my record. We have a very special connection and something special
happens when we go into the recording studio. However there have been
other songwriters involved with the album along the way. Like Judie Tzuke,
Cliff Masterson, Dave Munday and Charlie Dore to name but a few. When Steve and
I first wrote and recorded together I knew (and felt) this relationship would
form the foundation on which my sound would be built. I return to this identity
with everything I do now, to try to keep everything relevant.
Whats’ next (after Fly)?
Well, follow-up single possibilities
have been shortlisted. Its a little bit like a horse-race with an ever changing
front-runner. Sometimes a torch ballad I wrote last winter comes out as
favourite. Then it’s an upbeat song I wrote last week with Steve. So you
never know. At the moment two particular songs have been underscored with a
highlighter by myself and my team. We’re just doing the arithmetic on timelines
and discussing what, where and why. But for now, we’re focusing on my
audience. I want to give them more and I want to see them at
shows. So releasing another EP is next up!
An EP!? Details please!
A covers EP. Tracks to be confirmed.
Sorry but i am gonna have to roast
you on this - I need more details.
Well. Its a little too early yet. We are
still experimenting and throwing around ideas. So please get in touch via my
twitter or FB to suggest song titles. No suggestion is too outrageous or out
there! I wanna hear from you.
Why covers?
After the overwhelming reaction to She’s Out of My Life, Home and A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (From
Disney’s Cinderella feature film) I really wanted to celebrate the songwriters
I love and experiment with that before the next single. A
covers EP is a wonderful opportunity to interpret songs in my way. And
to raise a toast to those amazing songs!
Would do a cover of a Sex Pistols
song?
Ha! Interesting curveball but ultimately
yes, if the song is right, and I feel a connection with it. Its about the
song, the lyric, the melody and the narrative. Sometimes the most obvious
choice actually doesn’t work when you go into the studio. You never know.
That’s why we are being open with it. Who knows - could
be anything from Bananarama to The Clash! My followers on
Facebook (link) and Twitter (link) have already been making immense suggestions. We’ve
so far had ABBA, Take That, The Beatles but also the likes of Beth Orton,
Prefab Sprout and Somewhere from West Side Story. I love learning about what my
fans are into! They’ve given me a lot of homework to get on with but I love it
and I am so energised to try it all out.
Harriet with her band Darren Williams, Dishan Abrahams & Cliff Masterson
What about a themed EP?
Good idea actually. Definitely.
Exploring one particular act through a handful of their songs would be a real
challenge and I would love to try this out.
Oooooooooooh what about A Disney
EP?
Steve and I talked about this a while
ago. I love Disney. Adore them. Everything they do! As I am talking to you i am
going through the potential track list in my head!
Let It Go?! Would you go there?
Wow. You think I could do that? Thank
you. What an amazing song. I love Idina Menzel. My gosh. Her range. Her voice.
It is amazing. I don’t think I could do Let It Go justice. There are
already so many excellent covers of Let It Go out there. However generally speaking, I’m a little unsure
about covering songs released by iconic and legendary female artists. There is
a certain magic that is created when an exceptional voice meets an exception
song and I think when that it happens it should be respected and honoured. I
always ask - what could I bring to a song? Could I do it
justice? That’s always on my mind. Respect for the original performer and their
audience is key for me. Having said that, I wouldn’t rule out anything
without thinking about it probably first. For instance, I think, a male singer
can bring something incredibly different to a song originally recorded by
a female artist and vice versa.
So when is this covers EP coming
out and will it be just a digital release? As I know you’ve been getting
requests to do something, to quote Olivia Newton John, physical?
Well. I love Olivia Newton John and
getting physical! (Hahahahha). Seriously though, I love Olivia. I
know I’ve just said I’d be unsure about covering songs by iconic legendary
singers but I would simply love to cover one of Olivia’s songs. I
love Hopelessly Devoted To You. I think its a masterpiece. In fact,
everything she touches is pure gold. I’ve just seen on my facebook page the appearance of her gem - I Honestly Love You.
Which is such a beautiful song. Thank you Mr.Hurstrom, what an excellent
idea. In fact, all the suggestions have been awesome and I’m
tremendously grateful for all the ideas. Keep them coming. As for a physical
release...My album will definitely be available in physical form. My heart
hopes that, if possible, we can arrange something special before that too. The
stars have to be aligned, but my team and I are working hard to
make this happen. We’ve got a few extra surprises down the line too. As
for release date… it will be soon. Steve and I are heading into the studio
in a few days so please get those suggestions in asap!
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HarrietsMusic Facebook Page (Where you can suggest a song & say hi) Link
Harriets Twitter Link
Harriet's Album Producer Steve Anderson Twitter Link
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