Ahead of her gig at the London indigO2 we caught up with the phenomenal Yolanda Brown. This rising star has not only won two MOBO awards but she’ll soon be releasing her debut album. Here’s what she had to say about achieving so much at such and her advice to other musicians…
So we’re getting to know you as the artist but who are you outside of work?
I don’t know, at the moment the artist is taking over but I guess I’m a family person – there’s a fine line between the two the artist and Yolanda Brown the person.
How do you balance your personal life against being a successful artist?
It’s just being able to multi-task really and not taking it too personal, [or] getting upset if your personal time gets interrupted. Obliviously it’s for the bigger picture, knowing that you worked 24/7 – especially being independent [artist] – it’s never been a problem but [rather] the aim.
What do you think it is about you as a person, that has allowed you to become so successful?
I’ve been able to be myself and luckily people like that. I don’t have to put on an act or a false pretence in order to talk to people. I wasn’t taught how to play the saxophone or taught how to write music, so my music really is a conversation to the audience.
Do you have any advice for any young musicians who would like to be in your position?
To keep going I love to meet young musicians before my show, they’ll come to my dressing room and we’ll sit down and talk. I think the main thing is to have a goal from early, know exactly what it is you want to do, so you can stay focused on that goal and then work really hard towards it. Practise is the main thing!
What inspires you to write about the songs you do?
To be honest it’s quite hard sometimes, I do get writers block and get really frustrated, but I think it’s because I’m inspired by everyday experiences. I think it’s always nice to have a concept before writing a song, almost because I don’t always have words – how am I going to get this story across about a person who’s just had a baby.
What is your earliest musical memory?
I guess it was sitting with my dad at the piano – which is now older than I am and playing [it]. Playing the chords and thinking, I actually like this you know and I think from there that’s where music started for me.
Are you excited about your new show tomorrow?
Yeah I am, I’ve taken some time off to do some more writing and be more creative with the process, so it’s actually my first solo concert back for a year now.
How will it differ from any of your other shows?
It will be mainly all of my original material, so in the beginning of my career I was labelled as a cover artist, which is not true in the slightest. So I’m looking forward to the majority being my material.
Yolanda Brown’s album is due for release next year and she will be performing at the indigO2 tomorrow night, for tickets click here
Online edit and interview by Denise Kodia
