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Q In The Studio Stacey Walton
Where: Soho Recording Studios, London
Album Title: Stacey Walton
Song Titles: A Tender Kiss, Rip Up The Rulebook, English Girls Are Easy (So You Think) and Many More.
Due: September 2010
“There was a really good chance that this wasn’t gonna be a solo record. I was offered the chance to join an all girl pop/punk group last year. The group was called Bitch Fight and it would have been myself and this girl Tiffany sharing vocals. Anyway I told them I wasn’t interested in being in a pop/punk group and they went and got a new co-vocalist and I’ve never heard of them since. When I was offered the chance to be in the group I was told that they were on the verge of being signed by a major label and were planning to start recording a debut album. I said no and I think they just failed miserably, I honestly haven’t heard of them since.” says Stacey Walton of her first real chance of hitting the big time.
“I’m glad I refused to join Bitch Fight. It’s not like I didn’t want to be in a band, I was all for that but it has to be with a band I’m happy with, I’m not gonna join a shitty band just to be in a band. It’s probably harder doing solo work because you don’t have people to lean on really, It’s essentially me putting myself out there and there’s a pretty big chance I could fall flat on my face.”
When it comes to her songs there is a bit of a inconsistency, I heard her perform 4 songs and there was a straight up punk song, a Rock song with beatles-esque melodies, A song with a country type of feel and an more upbeat dance-type of number.
“I admire all kinds of different music and I think you’ll realise that with the songs which will appear on the album, I’d like to think people won’t be able to put one specific label on this record, I hope they aren’t able to say, Oh it’s a full-on punk record or it’s a typical rock record or it’s a pop record, I hope they struggle to fit it in one genre.”
Stacey was born and raised in London to “Sort of hippie” parents. “They couldn’t hold down a job for too long, They always seemed in between jobs. It was an Ok upbringing though and the fact that they had both been kinda wild teenagers helped me, because I knew I wasn’t gonna get in real trouble if I skipped school most of the time, or if I smoked some weed. Obviously they wouldn’t be happy with it and they of course would have never encouraged me to take drugs. I was young and rebellious and I think it kinda made them remember their glory days. They were never cut out for a nine-to-five job and neither am I, we‘re very similar.”
We’ve been walking from her London flat/apartment to the Soho record studio’s, It’s a good 15 minute walk, a journey which she will be taking almost every day for the next month or so. “It’s not bad, It’ll keep me in shape which is a plus I guess, I’ve never been crazy on fitness and stuff, I’m not the kind of person who is particularly dedicated to being thin.”
She takes out a cigarette from blue denim jacket and offers me a one, I decline her offer, “You’re a smart guy, it’s kinda like alcohol and sex, you do it for the first time because your friends are doing it and then before you know it your addicted. It’s weird because I’m not a heavy smoker generally but when I’m a bit worried or nervous that’s when they come back into my life.”
The conversation shifts back towards her music, “It’s kind of scary to think that, I’m gonna be putting out these songs which I’ve written over the last couple of years and it’s kinda like I’m letting everyone into my life and then giving them the chance to judge me, that’s what kind of freaks me out a bit you know?.
A lot of these songs are kind of biographical so it’s pretty worrying that people won’t like it. But there are a couple of songs which are completely fictional and those are the songs which I’m least interested in for this album. I don’t know how people have handled the pressure of putting themselves out there and being knocked down, I can handle criticism from nobody’s that’s kind of fine with me because I couldn’t care about their opinions, but the worry for me would be if my fans hated the album. I don’t even have many fans, I’ve maybe got 100 fans who definitely will buy the record. I’ll be releasing my first single at the end of the month and I’ve been told that it will be getting TV airplay and radio rotation which is good because that kinda puts my name out there and maybe that 100 people who will buy the record might turn into 200 or 300. I’m not getting my hopes up to high but I’m optimistic.”
Beyond the bluster and the confidence of this 18 year old “Rock Chick” is a genuine worry that people won’t buy her record. But there has been some interest over the Atlantic Ocean in the USA. “I’m still unsigned, I’ve been backed by a friend of mine Danny Allen, he’s a producer and guitarist and I’m gonna be going on tour with him and his touring band in support of his collaboration album, I’ve been learning the songs and I’m pretty comfortable with it. Anyway Danny has backed my debut album financially, so if I don’t have a record label to put it out on then he’s helping with that. I actually got a phone call three weeks ago from this American guy who was at one of my UK gigs and he flew back over to California and spoke to the label he works for and he offered to fly me over for contract talks but I told him that I didn’t want to sign with his label, It’s a major label in the USA but it’s not a label I want to join. They’ve signed some of the worst acts ever, it’s the kind of label that want’s to turn punk rock into pop and it‘s not something I wanted to be involved in. So I’m still unsigned, which is a bummer. I don’t mind going to the USA to talk about a record deal or something, I’d be up for that but I have only had one solid contract offer. Ideally I’d love to sign to a British based label.”
We begin to talk about her lifestyle as we get closer to the studio, “You know people will look at me and maybe think, Oh she’s clearly a slut. I’m not at all, I’ve been in three relationships. Yeah sure when I’ve been out with friends party-ing and I’ve had a few drinks maybe some weed or whatever, then yeah I’ve woke up with random guys, even random girls sometime, but If I’m sober then that kind of thing doesn’t happen so much. I’m not gonna lie, I like sex and that’s the way I am. You can call me what you want but why is so frowned upon for a young woman to like sex. I enjoy it and I‘m good at it so where‘s the problem.”
We eventually arrive at the studio and she begins to talk about specific songs and even plays a couple.
“The main song on the album is the debut single, A Tender Kiss, it’s not as much a sexual song as maybe some of the others off the album, It’s kind of like, Yeah I may be sexual a lot of the time but sometimes you just want to lay on the sofa, watch a film and kiss and just lay with each other. It’s not all about sex but sex does play a big part in my music and life.
I’ve also got this song called Where Do You Go When Your On Your Own, It’s just basically about one place where you can go where you know, you kind of have happy memories and when your feeling down or whatever you go to that place, for me it’s down the riverside, I’ve had a lot of fun down at the riverside with friends who I’ve now lost touch with and so whenever I’m feeling a bit sad or lonely I’ll go down to the riverside and just sit and enjoy the memories.”
She plays me those two songs mentioned and judging by what I’ve heard they could easily be successful singles for her. Despite her worries of failing after hearing those two tracks I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine.
OOC: I've had to be careful with her roleplays, because I want her to be the wild rock chick type but I also want her to have a vulnerable side, I also don't want the crazy wild side to become annoying. Let me know if I've managed to balance the two in this article. |
