Introducing: old-school singer Marcelle Adriana, who describes her sound as feel good, soulful, vibrant and nostalgic. The South London singer is making moves with the latest release of her eight-track EP, ‘The Prologue’. Inspired by the sounds of Motown and contemporary RnB, Marcelle tells Aaliyah Harris about her journey from girl group to solo artist.
I work as… a full-time photographer and graphic designer. I spend most of my days creating with brands and companies, doing music in the evenings and weekends.
From the age of 5… I wanted to do music but I didn’t really try and take it seriously until the last three years.
My inspiration comes from… literally everywhere, some of the songs I’ve written are from hearing a quote in a movie. I’m inspired by conversations, experiences, so many things.
An artist who has impacted me is… Michael Jackson. My step mum recorded a film about him and it’s all I used to watch. Michael and Motown definitely have a big impact on my sound now.
My top three albums are… Michael Jackson: ‘Thriller’; Beyoncé: ‘Dangerously in Love’; Jackson 5, ‘The Very Best of the Jacksons’.
The songs I can’t live without are… Michael Jackson, ‘I’ll be there’, ‘You’re Not Alone’ and Sam Cooke, ‘Bring It On Home to Me’.
My EP… started out on my computer. A series of experiences, conversations, ‘hate you’ text messages to guys who hurt me that I never sent… just a barrage of thoughts and writing. I wrote it with my best friend Monique Amaryllis, who is a Canadian artist, over WhatsApp voice notes. It’s my first introduction to the world and that’s why its named the Prologue.
My favourite track on the EP is… ‘Realise’. I wrote it when I went back home to Guyana about my now boyfriend. I had just gotten out of a situation where I was hurt really badly by someone I trusted, I ended up writing it about that situation.
The biggest highlight has been… having my single ‘Fall Back’ played on the radio. It was surreal. It debunked a lot of doubts I had in myself that I allowed other people to impose on me; it was a really great moment and one I’ll never forget.
I want to see… my first music video on TV, perform at a festival and open for another artist. But most importantly, I want more people to hear my music.
My dream set would be… Madison Square Garden or Wembley.
I’d like to collaborate with… Kehlani & Justine Skye. Both girls have influenced my music career in so many ways and I think we’d make some bangers together!
Listen to Marcelle’s EP now on Spotify at – [https://open.spotify.com/album/6bVGQ1bYcPafbNVKYNKpha]
