‘Selah’, derived from hebrew, is commonly known to be a musical interlude in the Bible. Well, Flavour have a ‘stop and listen’ with new R’n’B music sensation Selah.
A homegrown and inspiring talent, having worked closely with female icon Ms Dynamite and also performing for Missy Elliot, Selah gives us the low down on her upcoming debut single ‘Woman’s World’ in this exclusive interview with Matthew Daniels.
Since being with you in Kingston College of Art & Music you have done some very successful things for someone of your age. How have things been since you graduated?
Things have been really good thanks. I’ve just been concentrating on my music since then. My album is the main focus right now, but I’ve had some really good opportunities along the way, that’s helped raise my profile and develop me as an artist which is something I’m really appreciative about.
Purpose Records is releasing your debut single Woman’s World 2nd August 2010. Are you excited?
Yeah I’m really excited, this is my first official single releasing via PURE recordings and this will be the song that represents me so I really want to know how it will do and how people take to me. Fortunately, so far it’s received some very good reviews and feedback so I can’t complain!
It features collaborations with Sadie Ama, Mz Bratt & Duchess. How did those collaborations go about?
We just reached out to Sadie Ama & Mz Bratt to feature on the track. I hadn’t met them previously, but they’re already two well-respected, talented and known females in the scene, so it felt only right to ask them on the track. At the time of recording me & Duchess had the same A&R over at Sony RCA, so that’s how they came to feature on the record.
Woman’s World has proven to be a huge success on 1xtra’s B-List but also on Radio One, Choice FM and KISS. What does it feel like to be on the radio?
It does feel really good to have my song on the radio and to be able to hear it when I’m out and about. I’ve featured previously on songs that have been playlisted on the radio before but it’s a very different feeling when its your own song. I love it!
Is it true that you have signed a major record deal with RCA?
I did sign a single deal with RCA which in the end didn’t work out, but that just made me more determined, so now I’m going at it independently with a very good team around and good resources too.
Lets go back to your early career days, what was it like doing backing vocals for Ms. Dynamite at the BRIT AWARDS and working with Ms. Dynamite all at the age of 22?
It was great getting to work with Ms Dynamite, she’s already a close friend of the family, so I already knew her. I had a lot of fun doing the Brit Awards, especially knowing that it was going out on TV. I made sure all of my friends tuned in!
How did it go about that you supported Missy Elliot? And did you get to meet her?
I got the chance to perform at Missy Elliot’s concert through Ms Dynamite. She had just done a Mixtape with Akala and they were performing a set of songs from it at the concert. And luckily the song I featured on was selected as one of them. It was a great experience travelling to another city and performing to such a large audience. I felt like a star! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet her.
When you were hand picked by UK’s R&B artist Lemar, did you feel more nervous than honoured? How was it performing at BBC’s Maida Vale, also what songs did you perform?
I definitely felt very honoured to be picked by Lemar, the fact that he thought I was one of the best young unsigned acts in the UK was an incredible feeling, especially being that he is a top R&B/Pop artist and at the time was sitting high in the charts. It was still very nerve racking though to have to perform live in front of him, But I’d performed at BBC Maida Vale before and its a very comfortable environment.
What inspires you musically? What does your album sound like? Have you started recording it?
I’m inspired by all types of music but mainly R&B. My album will be prominently R&B influenced, but I try to incorporate other genres, because I like to experiment, so there will be a good mix.
Words by Matthew Daniels.
