INTERVIEW: Ella Eyre @ Kendal Calling 2015

With her brand new album due out at the end of this week and a festival season so busy she has barely had time to rest, we had the opportunity to catch up with Ella Eyre earlier this month at Kendal Calling Festival. She opened up about some of her favourite but emotive songs on her album, discussed some of her recent collaborations and most importantly, settled the debate between Crisps vs Sweets!

Firstly are you looking forward to playing Kendal Calling today?

I am! I didn’t know what to expect from it. As last year I was meant to play but was ill. After being so busy this weekend and getting here so early this morning it’s been great to come have a look around – everyone seems up for it! Even my mum had her first Tequila at 11am! What’s great about festivals in general is that ages do range and when the weather is good you can just be a Gigslut!

So, how’s festival season been going for you? How was Glastonbury?

Glastonbury was fab! It hasn’t been as busy as last year, 2/ 3 festivals a week has been ridiculous though! It’s been nice to have that little bit of extra time as my album and new single is coming out this month. With the Armani deal and various other campaigns it’s been important not to make the mistake of last year and overwork. I love my band to pieces and having been with them now for about 2 and a half years, its great to just turn up and play a show and get back on the road!

Taking over from Beyoncé!

Ah its mad – a massive compliment! For them to think I was even an appropriate candidate was just amazing!

So the last few years have been so hectic, but where did performing all begin for you?

I guess it stemmed from being a kid and my mum making sure I was tired enough to go to sleep – I always had far too much energy! So I was a competitive swimmer until I was 13 and a dancer so I had a naturally competitive streak and always wanted to perform. After stopping swimming, I took up drama and that’s when I really discovered that the arts were for me. I went to Brit School when I was 16 and it made me realise that what I loved wasn’t singing someone else’s songs or being a character, it was writing. I started a diary on my way to school, I didn’t know what I was writing about – I just did it. But it wasn’t until I met my singing teacher who said that I should be an artist; up until then, it never occurred to me that that could actually be a career choice. I chose to write songs for myself and 2 months after finishing Brit School, I was lucky enough to sign to Virgin Records.

More recently, people know you for your collaborations – what’s been you favourite project so far?

Ah that hard… I love all of them for different reasons. I really enjoyed working with Rudimental, I spent the longest time with them – I was only meant to go on tour with them for 2 months but that turned into 7! I learnt a lot and it was my first number 1! And then I adore DJ Fresh, so doing the press days and videos with him was so much fun!

If you could collaborate with anyone right now (dead or alive) who would it be?

I’d have to say Mark Ronson – I’d like to think that was realistic! I think his work is amazing. His new album is ridiculous so I’d love to see what we would come up with.

So, album release date is coming up fast. What should we be looking forward to most?

It’s been a long tome coming and I know people have been waiting. I wrote a lot of it at the end of last year when I had some extra time and I took a bit longer on it than expected. My favourite track is a song called ‘Even If’ which I wrote in LA back in January. It’s about a situation that happened a few years ago that I had never been able to write about properly until that session. A lot of people have said that they can relate to it and for me its different as I think everyone is expecting my album to be very dancey/up beat, but ‘Even If’ is just me and a piano – very stripped back. I like that I can have that moment that people can hear the sentiment and vulnerability of my voice. I can’t wait to see the reaction to that track.

Is there any writing happening now? Are you constantly writing on the road, or do you prefer to sit down in the studio?

I can’t write on the road, I don’t like to mix the two. I don’t want to sit down and write abut something that I have been storing up for ages and waste it when I’m not in the right frame of mind. I like to note things down and come back to it in the studio. I’m too scared of wasting good ideas, so for me when my album’s out I’m going back into the studio.

Do you think it’s important to take inspiration from newer artists as well as influence from the past?

Yeah definitely, I mostly draw on things I’m listening to at that moment– like I love Charli XCX at the moment, I think she’s a great writer… I actually listen to her in the gym!

Now for the not so famous (although we like to think it is) Gigslutz Quickfire round…

Karaoke song of choice? – ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’

Describe you music in three words – Honest, vulnerable and fun

Crisps or sweets? – Crisps

Summer or winter? – Summer

Heals or Trainers? – Trainers

Track of the year so far? – ‘Fester Skank’ by Lethal Bizzle