Interview Time: Keisha White
Keisha White Growing up in Tottenham, how did you get into the music scene?
Basically my mum used to sing, so music has always been a really big thing in our household. At school, I used to join in with all the musical events, so it had kind of been imbedded in me from young.
Who would you say your musical influences are?
The people that really influence me at the moment would have to be Alicia keys and Christina Aguilera they are fantastic vocalists.
Your music is really mature for such a young lady, is this personal reflection of how you feel?
A lot of the time when I write stuff it definitely is personal. I think it is important to write about personal issues in order for people to be able to relate to what they are listening to. So I would say that everything I write is definitely from the heart.
What can we expect to hear from your new album?
What you can expect is great songs, great lyrics. The words and the whole meaning of the lyrics are powerful. Some songs I have written and some I haven’t. So what you can expect is a blend of original writing and great music. There is even a live orchestra. Yea, it took a lot of improvisation, having to work with top class musicians. It was a lot of had work.
So what was it like working with Cassidy?
He was really cool, a lovely sweet great guy. It was actually he who pursued the track ‘Don’t Care Who Knows’. He heard it and wanted to work on it, so it was quite a surprise. It was fantastic. Lets face it most Americans, do not want to work with UK artists.
Who would you say your main competition is in the industry?
At the moment it’s a bit slim. I’ll be quite honest the UK urban music scene has definitely gone quiet. My stuff stands on its own legs I’m not trying to be anyone. I’m being Keshia white.
You were dubbed as the next best thing by the Sunday Times. How did that make you feel?
That was fantastic. It’s all positive. It gave me that buzz to deliver and to go out there and do what I do best. To have powerful quotes like that is fantastic.
‘The Weakness in Me’ is your new single, tell us what’s it about?
It’s a cover written by Joan Armatrading, in 1978 and I was born in 1986. So there is a big difference in the age gap. I used to listen to her when I was young. She has done everything from rock to reggae to soul. She is a fantastic songwriter and there is a lot of history that people don’t really know about her. She was actually one of the first black British female artist’s in the UK to have a hit record. So I wanted to choose a cover that would bring a bit of history into my generation.
Did you encounter any problems or face any struggles to get signed?
I actually didn’t, I’ll be honest it was really good for me. I walked into record labels and sang my heart out and they either loved me or they didn’t. It has been hard it is not an easy industry to break in, but if everything came to you easy, would it really be worth it.
What is your take on the British RnB scene?
I think its coming up. It needs a lot more work. I think if we keep on having more Kano’s and Jamelia’s breaking into the industry then we will be definitely o our way. A lot more people need to support UK artists. There is a lot of downloading being done. People seem to get a lot of urban music illegal ways.