Interview #128: Alesha

I Like Music has always had a soft spot for Alesha, ever since we interviewed her and the Misteeq ladies back in 2001 at a hotel while they promoted One Night Stand and Lickin on Both Sides. After winning many awards, touring the globe and notching up seven top ten hit singles and three top ten albums, Mis-teeq’s hand was forced as their label, Telstar, went bankrupt and they split in 2005. The next time Alesha was on screen was in the N.E.R.D video for She’s Got To Move and now, Alesha is back on her own, energized and raring to go, and I Like Music for one are very pleased indeed.

Her super cool, sassy debut single, Lipstick, (out August 14th ) which Alesha wrote, urges women to stop bitching about each other and unite, while her debut album Fired Up is due for release in October and promises to be something special. She sings, she raps, she smashes it!

I Like Music caught up with Alesha before the release of Lipstick to talk about working with Pharrell, her advice for young artists and why women should behave like sisters instead of competitors.

“I like music because… it’s good for my soul.” Alesha

ILM: Now wrote Lipstick your brilliant and v. catchy new single, and it's a great message, urging women to stop bitching about each other and unite. How did you get the idea for the track and how did the lyrics come about?

Alesha: Just my experience really of women in general y’know. When I first initially heard the backing track and I heard the guitar riffs [sings it] and I thought ‘that’s so catchy’ and I got really excited and I was like ‘Anders please let me have a copy of the track’ because it was at the end of the session out in Sweden that he gave me the song and I took it back to the hotel room, and I was away in a foreign country so I was on my own, and I just wrote the song in my hotel room, and I came out of the room and I was all excited and I was ringing up my mum and going, ‘what do you think of this hook I think it’s really catchy?’ And It just happened like that and the subject matter, was like a spark, it just came to me in that moment, it just flowed.

And I do care about the way women address each other, I think it’s a really ugly…you know how women can be quite jealous of each other, you know if a women walks in the room and, not all women do it, but I’ve clocked some women doing it, and they kind of start at your feet and work their way up and really scan you and it’s like checking out the competition. But why do we see each other as competition? All for the attention of men, it’s just silly, at different levels and different examples of it. I just think it’s a nicer trait to have to support each other. I like myself more when I’m happy for people. I don’t wish bad on people you know. I just think girls should be taking it easier on each other and stop blaming each other for everything.

ILM: Yeah, life’s hard enough, you need to be supportive of each other.

Alesha: Exactly. And I don’t like it when women look in magazines and get pleasure out of seeing people looking bad and things like that, it’s like, why do you do that? But, do you know why they do it? It’s to make themselves feel better and that goes back to that whole security thing. If you’re comfortable in your own skin then you can be comfortable and happy for other people, and I think that’s where it needs to start from really.

ILM: And that’s a good message.

Alesha: Yeah, it’s about self respect and being confident in yourself and in who YOU are, y’know?

ILM: You worked with Anders Bagge, who's done production for Madonna/Jennifer Lopez. What did you learn from him?

Alesha: Just let go and be crazy, and don’t have no fear. I think that happens to artists when you first go into the studio and I used to be like it; you’re kind of cautious and you over-think things, and the nicest way to make music is to just be free and let yourself go and that’s no fear. And that’s what Anders allows you to do, because his personality is so crazy, and he’s exciting to be around and it makes you feel excited. So you kind of bounce off the energy of the person you’re working with. He’s left such a big impression on me, I definitely need to do some more songs with him for my second album, because he’s an absolute joy to work with.

ILM: And the remix of Lipstick features leading UK MC Shystie alongside yourself. How important do you think remixes are in general and how was it working with Shystie?

Alesha: It depends on the artist, but for me personally, remixes are very important. Just because, when I was in Mis-teeq, one thing we always did was remixes and we used to go in and re-do verses or put a new rap on something to show we’d made an effort on the remix and a whole part of Mis-teeq’s success was that we used to be played by a lot of pirate radio stations and by a lot of the DJs. So the whole remix thing was just as important as the main single release.

So for me on this single, I wanted to work with Shystie, because a) she’s female and b) she’s a great MC and, I’ve just done a radio tour going to all pirate radio and specialist urban stations to show them that ok, so my single is quite rock and pop, but in actual fact, I’m still doing my remixes, I’ve still got my RnB remix, I’ve just got an Agent X garage four to the floor remix done as well, because that’s the music I used to love and I’m putting that on vinyl too for the DJs, because it’s in my blood, I have to do it.

I’ll go into Polydor and say I need vinyl pressed up and I have to go and visit the pirate radio stations and I have to show these people that got me there in the first place that I still care about them and I owe them a lot.

ILM: That’s a brilliant and very pro-active approach.

Alesha: Yeah. That’s very important and with the second single coming up I’m basically going to A&R my own street stuff, so I’ll get the parts of the songs and I’ll go and find the producers that I want to do a remix with it and I’ll go in with them, and I enjoy it; it gives it another flavour. There might be some DJs who wouldn’t necessarily play the single mix of Lipstick because they’ve got an RnB specialist type of show, but if I service them with a mix, it keeps them happy as well and I think that’s really important.

ILM: Your debut album Fired Up is due for release this October. What track on the album did you have the most fun in the studio making?

Alesha: Fired Up I think, because we had live musicians come and play on the song and we had a lot of fun in the chorus, there was myself, Johnny the producer and Nina who I wrote up and we were all standing round the mic shouting Fired Up, just jamming in the studio, and it was a pleasure to record it. And musically to perform it as well, I love doing that one with the band. It sounds brilliant. It sounds exciting musically and energetic.

ILM: You co-wrote most of the songs on the album, 10 out of 12. How was that and can you describe the Alesha songwriting process?

Alesha: OK, so Lipstick, I had the backing track there and I just jammed with it, and I just vibed it and it came quite naturally. Then with other tracks I think about and I’m more thoughtful with. But I don’t really have a set formula. Sometimes I write on my guitar at home, because I know all the basic chords and I can write great songs just at home like that.

I write well with people, I just don’t really have a set formula, but sometimes the melody does come first. It depends who you work with. Some producers like you to come up with the melody and nail that, and then worry about the lyrics secondly.

But I prefer to do the lyrics first, because I like to base it around that. So with Knock Down, as you hear that track, the first verse, chorus and second verse is exactly how I freestyled it down the dictaphone. I was just was vibing down the track and that’s how I vibed it. And the lyrics are exactly what came out there and then, because when you capture a magic you capture a truth almost. And the more you over-think it and revisit it, you lose that original magic that you found. I just like to work of vibes, what hits me instantly. If something’s too much of an effort, it’s probably not right. The one that come quickest and flow the best are generally the ones that end up being the best songs.

ILM: Yeah, they’ve got that natural feel and flow.

Alesha: Yeah, exactly.

ILM: It's great that you still rap as well as sing on the album, have you picked up any tips about your vocal skills from any of the dudes you’ve met along the way? Like LL Cool J, Pharrell…

Alesha: Well Pharrell did. He said I should go and purchase the Slick Rick album. Slick Rick is an old school rapper. Because he felt with my accent and Slick Rick’s vocal styles, he thought that would be really unique and different, so that was quite helpful and I did go out and purchase the album and had a listen.

And it’s quite a basic way of going back to rapping, but I think Pharrell’s point was because the British accent is so distinct, to hear that style done with a British accent would just be very interesting.

So yeah, I definitely took on board his comments and went and bought the album.

ILM: What was it like working with Pharell in the She Wants To Move video and how did that come about? I saw it for the first time and was like, ‘There’s Alesha! Wow!’

Alesha: [laughs] Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! I had a wonderful time. I was very fortunate to work with High Hat, who’s Missy Elliot’s choreographer, and that was an honour, and then I also got to work with Dave Myers, who’s done Janet Jackson videos, Britney Spears videos, and he’s an amazing director, so it was just a major experience and honour, and I was just honoured to be asked to do it.

ILM: And how did it come about, had you met him before?

Alesha: I hadn’t met him. I’d done a photo shoot for Arena magazine and they picked me from that basically. The casting director saw the magazine in America and showed it to the group and they liked the image and picked me from that, so pot luck really.

ILM: And also co-presenting the MOBO awards with LL Cool J? How was that?

Alesha: That was wonderful because LL is just amazing. To be asked to present the British MOBO awards and be up there representing the UK, I was completely honoured. I was so nervous. That whole year was amazing for me anyway, just because, Mis-teeq were doing so well, and we were on a high and it was just another thing to be able to say this is just a great experience. Yeah. Absolutely loved it.

ILM: Your uncle who first encouraged you to rap must be very proud indeed.

Alesha: Yeah, my uncle! He never forgets the time at the house party when I asked him to teach me a rap. From there, to think from that one little party what happened is surreal. My family have always been really supportive and helpful and are still there supporting me all the way

ILM: That’s what you need.

Alesha: Exactly.

ILM: You’re lining up some live dates for later in the year, you must be well excited about that?

Alesha: If you liked Mis-teeq, you’ll like this more. That’s what I’m excited about, because I know I can put on a show, I know that it’s going to be high in energy and it’s going to be fun, I’m going to get the crowd uplifted and I can’t wait. It’s like an exchange of energy between the artist and the audience. And that’s what drives me and motivates me to do a tour and take my band around the world, that’s what gets me excited. So, oh God yeah, can’t wait!

ILM: I remember you also did some excellent covers, Salt N Pepa Push It and TLC No Scrubs.

Alesha: Yeah, paying tribute to the groups who’d inspired us as a group.

ILM: Mis-teeq were really successful; when you look back at those years what moments stand out as highlights?

Alesha: When we performed at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee. There was a moment when we’d just finished our sound check and I sat out in the seats where the audience would be; the audience wasn’t in yet. And it was a beautiful summer’s day, and on the big screens at the side of the stage, we could see outside the palace where all the crowds were gathering and Paul McCartney was doing a sound check, and me and my TV plugger Laura, we started crying! It was one of those surreal moments; Paul McCartney was doing a sound check, we were in the palace getting ready to perform, and we knew how many people around the world were going to be watching and saw the crowds. It was one of the those moments, it was really powerful. I’ll never forget that.

ILM: Were you able to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the journey during your Mis-teeq days?

Alesha: I did personally yes and I still am, just because I’m so appreciative of my job. And I can’t stand artists who moan about their job, it’s like, ‘c’mon, it’s not exactly really hard work’. It’s music and it’s fun. How many artists are there out there who want to be successful and have the opportunity to make an album and release it in the record shops and travel around the world playing music? I’m really lucky. So, I’d feel terrible to not stop and soak it all up and
take it all in and really enjoy it. So every single day when I go to work, I’m happy to go to work.

The worst there’ll be is just lack of sleep, but that’s natural. The human body can only run on so much energy before it gets tired. But I enjoy every single day, I really do.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a whirlwind, but I took it all in. I documented it the whole way, I took photos all the time and my camcorder everywhere, and my mums got 20 odd scrap books of everything we did, video tapes… so I’ve got it all documented. I’ve got a lot of memories.

ILM: How are Su-Elise and Sabrina?

Alesha: They’re good. Sabrina’s making a record. She’s been in Miami doing that so she’ll have something great to put out. And Su-Elise is going to open up a dance school, so I’m really proud of her, she’s very brave.

ILM: Brilliant, well that was always her passion wasn’t it?

Alesha: That was her thing, exactly.

ILM: You’ve gone from bunking trains to get to London I remember you telling me...

Alesha: Yeah I did do that.

ILM: And now you’ve working like mad and hitting the big time with Misteeq to what I’m sure will be a successful solo carer that’s just beginning, so you must’ve learned shed loads - what’s your advice to young musicians just starting out?

Alesha: Sacrifice. There were many years I was skint; I had no money in my pocket, just for the love of music. I could have gone to university but I chose not to because I had faith in what I was doing. And I had part time jobs just to get money to get on the train literally to get to rehearsals. And I used to wear the same pair of jeans for months on end and the same pair of trainers for months on end and I used to borrow my friend’s clothes. But I didn’t care, because I knew that was I was trying to do was bigger than that. It’s having that belief and having somebody close to me, like my mum who had faith in me.

Just one person having faith in you makes a difference. If you don’t have that support system, I don’t know how you can do it. I’m sure there are people who have their own reasons for making it, but for me having that one person in my life who supported me 100% it really helped.

And be determined. I’m from a small town, Welwyn Garden City, there’s not much opportunity round there and I had to remove myself and travel to people who were into the same things I was into. So I’d also say surround yourself with people who’ve got the same interests as you and have the same music tastes as you, that’s very helpful as well.

ILM: What music is rocking your world right now?

Alesha: Razorlight. In The Morning is my favourite song at the moment. Johnny Borrell is amazing, absolutely amazing.

ILM: Please tell me your favourite tune that makes you instantly relax?

Alesha: James Morrison, You Give Me Something.

ILM: Can you describe your favourite place on earth?

Alesha: Hmmm. Round the corner from my house, there’s a field with loads of horses in. That’s my favourite place, I go down there loads with my mum on my days off and we take loads of carrots and apples down there to feed to the horses. It’s quite a therapeutic thing to do and it’s my local area, I love it. I still live in the same area I grew up in because it’s quiet, it’s peaceful and there’s a lot of woodland area, a lot of greenery. And it keeps you back to basics y’know with what’s important in life and that is the basic things really and I love it.

New single Lipstick released August 14th 2006
New album Fired Up released October 30th 2006