Interview: Harleighblu

How old were you when you first picked up the mic?
I was recording in studios and writing songs - proper songs - from the age of seven. If I hadn’t been given that opportunity then, I donʼt think Iʼd have the opportunities I have now. It takes so long to develop yourself, and I still want to push myself even more. From a little girl, I knew what I wanted to do; I went out there and tried my hardest to achieve it.

What were you listening to back then?
Rare groove, reggae and deep soul. Mum’s a proper Northern Soul and Motown head, so I was exposed to all of that. Then I bought Who Is Jill Scott? when I was eleven, and after that there was no turning back - I was a neo-soul queen. Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and DʼAngelo still get rinsed on my iPod.

You’re currently a student...
I do music performance, which entails reading and writing music, performance and theory. We also look into how politics and society change the way people have written music - how things like the Civil Rights movement influenced musical styles like soul. Thereʼs a lot more to it than I thought; it makes you feel like youʼve learned something when you go home, so itʼs cool.

Are you managing to balance uni with music?
Iʼm finding it okay at the moment - but Iʼm naturally a nighthawk, so with my lessons starting at 9am, itʼs a bit hectic. Iʼm used to being in the studio until 5am sometimes, so Iʼve had to shave off a few of the really late night sessions. I always get my work done but the music never comes in second place. I always make sure I balance it correctly and work hard at both.

Howʼs the new album going?
That doesnʼt feel like work. My producer - Joe Buhdha - is amazing. He plays the magical ideas heʼs sampled or created, then I sit down and write. We throw our ideas together, lay them down and it seems to work. Weʼre 17 or 18 tracks in now, so itʼs going to be a big album.

Is working with a hip-hop producer like Joe Buhdha different to the normal
recording process?
Itʼs like Iʼve gone full circle. I actually did an album when I was 12, and my producer was sample-based then, so I was very urban-sounding for a long time. I worked with some chaps from Birmingham and that gave my music more of a pop-jazz feel, but it was a bit too leftfield; I needed that edge which I think Joe has.

Would you ever give dance and dubstep a go?
Iʼve touched upon it before, but never officially released anything. I was working with the Elementz for a while, and while I do feel that music and theyʼre obviously fantastic, I donʼt feel I sit on it the same. Itʼs the same with Liam Bailey, I think; heʼs been most successful with his Chase & Status track - which is obviously amazing, but I know him for his other stuff. A lot of people think; “I know Liam from that track - we want him on more tracks like that”. But I think heʼs way better than that.

What are the origins of your name?
I was going to be a twin, and my mum was going to call one Harleigh and one Blu. She got so used to saying the two together that when she lost one in the very early stages, she just decided to put the names together.

Your band is huge, and seems to keep on growing. How do you keep them all in check?
I canʼt really take any credit for that; Iʼm more of a turn-up-and-sing girl. I have a certain control, but my bassist James Waring is like the band manager. He does all the graft; making sure everyone rehearses and is on time, making sure rehearsal spaces are fit for the band, and gets us most of our gigs. Heʼs just an all-round grafter. Weʼre all seriously hard-working people, but when weʼre rehearsing it just feels like weʼre chilled and jamming, making stuff up on the spot.

Do you play any instruments yourself?
Iʼm learning the piano at the moment, and have just learned the blues chords. I donʼt find songwriting too difficult now, but if I could get a musical message out of my head and just get it down instantly, that would be so helpful rather than just having it in my head and humming it.

What do you prefer: songwriting, recording or performing?
Recording. Laying down fresh ideas and layering up harmonies is my favourite part by far, but I do love performing as well because of that crowd feedback. When people are jamming and nodding their heads and really feeling you, it makes all the late hours you put in rehearsing and recording worth it.

What do you think of the X Factor?
My opinions are mixed. I respect people who are talented and go on it, because this game is hard to crack and it’s not going to get any easier. But I resent it too, to be honest. The amount of times Iʼve had people say to me; ‘Why havenʼt you been on X Factor? Youʼre twenty now, and that girl is only 16 - youʼre cutting it a bit fine…” when my idols - Jill Scott and Luther Vandross - were thirty-odd when they made it. The producers donʼt know what to do with the very talented people; they give them loads of crap pop songs to sing that donʼt suit their voices and then the audience rightfully end up not ʻgettingʼ them – and if you donʼt win the programme, what damage is it going to do to your career? It doesnʼt seem worth it to me.

You have an incredible voice. Do you ever try to hustle people at karaoke or
SingStar?
Not so much karaoke, but I have played SingStar and lost dramatically. I must flip the
tones in my voice a lot because I just kept getting it wrong all the time. I had to sing flat like “muh muh muh” just to hit the notes. What does happen now though is every time Iʼm at a party or a birthday bash, I have to sing Happy Birthday. I know itʼs coming, so I have to mentally prepare myself...