Not long into our very relaxed interview at the Walkabout in Wimbledon I realise how much passion she has for what she does, yet there’s a certain humbleness about all the hype that her “rich sounds” are creating. I really enjoyed interviewing her and to top that off was one of the lucky ones to see her perform in London, I for one cannot wait to get her back here as soon as.
SAP: Is this your first “working trip” performing in London?
JF: “Yes this is my first time. I’ve played one gig at the Red Lion in Twickenham and it was absolutely amazing. I just couldn’t believe the atmosphere, everyone was really getting involved in my music, singing along – surprisingly even the men – dancing, it was such an enjoyable gig.”
SAP: You’ve obviously received a lot more exposure and have played at several live performances in South Africa – all of which have been very well received. How different was it for you performing to a relatively “new” following at the African Pulse gig? Did you have a totally different approach to your performance?
JF: To be honest I was just doing what I always do, I thought of having a different approach, but I’ve been doing it for so long and just wanted to keep it real, do it like I always do. I was just getting such positive vibes from the crowd so I just knew I was approaching it the right way.
SAP: Did you get to do any sightseeing or go to any of the summer music festivals while in England?
JF: Well I arrived in London on the Wednesday and I’m going back tomorrow evening (Tuesday), so my trip’s really been short, I’ve basically lugged luggage around from place to place. Luckily though I managed to go out with Friends on the weekend and also hang out with family; I had a really good time, London has a lot to give.
SAP: Are you planning on returning to the UK any time soon to promote your music?
JF: I would love to, if the opportunity arose and somebody invited me I’d be back in a flash. Yet saying that at the moment I really want to concentrate on the South African market, I haven’t’ even started penetrating it and there’s just so much more that I want to do there. I really do want to come back to the UK, but I don’t want to give up on SA it’s not like I don’t think there’s no market for me.
SAP: Are there any specific promotional campaigns aimed at the UK market, and would you say this short tour is the kick-off to your international music career?
JF: The music industry is very last-minute, so I don’t have any up-and-coming promotional campaigns planned in advance, I’m still focussing on SA, and I intend to play at many more music festivals, I unfortunately missed out on the Grahamstown Festival this week as I’ve been in London. With regards to promotion that really comes down to my manager (Adrian King) and I – we are the driving force behind “Josie Field the brand”, we have to make sure I get promoted and get out there as much as possible. Of all the people in the world I’m the one that wants to succeed, the one that wants to make things work for me. I’ve done a small tour of Cape Town and also a few gigs in Durban but I’m planning on doing a much more in-depth tour of the whole country.
SAP: African Pulse is a UK charity working in SA, supplying innovative teaching aids to schools etc. How did you get involved in this charity, and besides this trip to the UK are you involved with anything else in collaboration with them?
JF: Well my dad is really involved in a lot of charities of which African Pulse is one and they were looking for artists to perform in London and that’s how I ended up performing. I’m delighted to be involved with African Pulse and if it means people get to enjoy good music at the same time then I’m very happy. Artists have the opportunity to help promote charities – and I feel very honoured to be asked to get involved in that.
SAP: What inspires you to do what you do?
JF: I love writing songs – it started when I was 15, it was almost like keeping a diary, I would write songs instead of writing a diary. All my personal experiences which I felt strongly about would be turned into a song – I can only write honest songs, and they express all my true feelings
I really enjoy what I do, I feel so lucky, I get a lot of support from everyone but especially my parents. For me personally I want to do what I love and I prefer being brave and living on the edge than selling out and doing something I don’t feel passionate about.
SAP: With your “Mercury” album available on ITUNES as of today it seems like its all full steam ahead for you in your music career. What would you say is next on the horizon for Josie Field?
JF: I’m going to be concentrating on my album Mercury; that’s definitely my main goal I just want to promote the album as much as I can. I really would love to tour in SA and get to sing all over the country. In the mean time I’m also writing new material for a new album but that’s just on the side. A lot of my writing is spontaneous, I’ve got rules for writing songs which I stick by, rules like don’t judge what you’re halfway through, be honest and never throw your songs away. Rules for yourself are good.”
SAP: Do you have a message for the South Africans in the UK and other foreign countries?
JF: My personal message is something that I’m personally about and feel very strongly about. I’m a singer/songwriter, and it’s important that anyone that wants to get involved in arts never compromise their art for commercial gain – I’ve never done that and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that. Just be yourself!
Quick list:
* What would be your dream car?
* Mustang – from the 60/70’s a very old one
* What’s your tipple of choice?
* Jaegermeister (obviously a brave girl)
* When stranded on a dessert island which two things could you not go without?
* Guitar and pen and paper (that’s 3 things but we’re being nice)
* Your hero in the music world?
* I enjoy a well-written song, co60’s – Bob Dillon, Van Morrison, Jack Johnson – I just love way too many artists.
* Sweet or sour?
* Sour
