Raye of Light: The Rising Star You Need to Know

That was so fun! I got as many female producers as I could find and believe it or not, there really aren’t that many. I got loads of female writers down and artists and I rented out the studio space [at The Church Studios]. I just wanted to create a safe environment for women to come and create.

I’ve been working in this industry for a long time now—not just as an artist but as a writer. Being in studios since I was maybe 16 years old, you see only men. It’s always a man at the front sitting at the desk when you walk in. It’s immediately such a power play. I just need to see more women. I want it to feel like its balanced. We’re all capable of doing it, it’s just learning the technicalities.

It can be really overwhelming sometimes. I’m very confident and very determined but I can imagine for those people who don’t necessarily have that self-confidence or balls, it can be really intimidating.

I think it’s very hard to do because we’re bred to compete against each other. It’s completely unnecessary and really wrong. I got caught up in that whole thing when I was younger, which is why I’m doing the opposite now. I’m putting myself out there for women and wanting to be there for women because you have to be the change that you want to see.

I started working with Charli XCX when I was 17 and she completely flipped my perspective on putting yourself out there for women, she really inspired me. She directed one of my first music videos and she was so lovely. I just was like, okay, this is how I need to be. I need to be out there, I need to be putting myself out there for women like she has for me.

Yeah, the BRIT was a very competitive environment. I had an amazing time there but I also had a difficult time there. You chuck a bunch of hungry, hormonal 14-year-olds in a class together and you’re meeting for the first time. Everyone in the room is looking at future stars and trying to suss everyone out. I was always very loud and unafraid to do whatever I needed to do to put myself out there but it was definitely very competitive. It’s a tough industry. Some people are lovely, some people are really kind, some people want you to win and some people don’t.

[Laughs] Yeah, BRIT parties—they were fun for sure.

I love a nice dinner so I’ll occasionally go out for dinner with a friend to catch up. I haven’t been to house parties in ages. I’m kind of over that. I’ll get it out of my system maybe once every two weeks. You need it a bit.

[Laughs] I love that you used the word granny because I was literally going to use that as a term but I was like… I don’t know if I can say that. I’m a granny every day.

[Laughs] I’ve made best friends with my ex’s new girlfriend without him knowing about it. Yeah… I’m such a Scorpio.

You just feel a bad vibe. The separation of a country from something it’s been a part of for so long is going to have massive crippling effects. You feel it in the increase of hate crimes, discrimination and all of that bullshit, you know?

Every person experiences a little bit of something in their lives, but the most extreme [discrimination] I’ve ever felt is not fitting in at school. It was a really white primary school. I always wanted to have straight blonde hair and blue eyes—I felt very unattractive because I didn’t have those attributes. But then you grow older and you learn to love the way you look.

They weren’t professionally in music and they weren’t making any money off music but they were in love with music. My dad moved down to London from up north in Yorkshire to be part of a band and they made music for a couple of years and gigged for a couple years but they didn’t sell any records or anything like that. They didn’t sign a deal—it was just for fun.

We grew up with music all around us. My dad plays keys and taught me to play. My sisters all sing, they’re so talented, I have no doubt they’re going to be doing projects in the near future too. It’s really exciting.

There’s four of us. All girls. I’ve got three little sisters. They’re all so beautiful and talented and I’m just so in love with them.

I know, I know. We could at one point. It’s not a bad idea. Maybe in the future, once they’ve grown up.

[Laughs] That would be amazing actually.

I was listening to a lot of different stuff. I really dug into old school R&B like James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Really incredible powerhouse singers that I fell in love with. I listened to a lot of Alicia Keys. She was my first album I ever bought—The Diary of Alicia Keys.

That’s so amazing. I bought it with my dad in Asda. I remember that day. She is amazing. From there, once I went to the BRIT, I started listening to everything under the sun. I even went through a punk phase where I wore black every day [laughs].

I was listening to a mixture of Judas Priest and AC/DC, but then I was listening to Bombay Bicycle Club and The Doors. Then I went through a massive Tame Impala phase. All alternative, incredible music.  

I’ve been writing for one of my friends called Normani who’s absolutely killing it right now. She used to be part of Fifth Harmony and she’s gone solo. I’m helping her write her album. That’s really fun because I’m writing with somebody that I love to pieces and I really believe in her. There’s almost no dark skinned lead female solo singers out there so it’s a really big moment for black women.

You know what, I would absolutely love to work with Quincy Jones but I don’t know if that will ever happen.

I have definitely thought about it. There are no limitations once you achieve a certain status, once you’re up there. I might just do this for my musical satisfaction. Gospel is inspiring pop music so much now anyway with Bruno Mars—especially using the Church chords in his songs. It has that style. It’s something that I could definitely incorporate into my music.

Growing up in the Church, more than anything, it’s about really beautiful soulful vocals. It’s why I like to sing. Even when I’m singing these pop tunes and that, little bits of what I learned from Church definitely comes across.

I have been listening to Dionne Warwick. She’s incredible and she did this song

called “Walk On By.” It’s so beautiful. It’s a classic. I’ve been listening to this very talented new artist called Koffee and Selena—but not Gomez. The old school Selena.

Yeah, she’s incredible. People keep walking up to me in the street being like, you look like Selena.

I don’t really know what I do apart from music, it’s all just so music based. I can’t go more than two days realistically without creating something because I go insane. Even when I try and go on holiday, two days in, I’ll be squirming. That’s why I bring my set up with me now.

Oh yeah! I’m balls-deep into Homeland right now. I never heard about this thing before. Have you watched it?

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I just re-watched the last season recently, preparing for the new season. I’m so excited.

I’m so excited for you. I love Game of Thrones.

I mean I love obviously Daenerys, so does everyone. I really love Cersei as well because she’s just such a boss. She’s a psycho but she’s such a boss. You’re on season six, yeah? I’m not going to say anything.

Yeah, she would be. Definitely. I think you’re right.

She’s quite brutal. I think a Leo [laughs]. Leos are savage. That’s so funny you say that, I dated a Leo and it did not go well at all.