photo credit: Elliott Morgan
Whilst The Saturdays are on their extended hiatus, Vanessa White has become the latest member to break out from her girl band roots.
Vanessa has been busy carving out a solo career, working hard in the studio with the likes of Tre-Jean Marie, Future Cut and Snakehips on material for her forthcoming album.
Her debut EP Chapter One, which includes her new track ‘Lipstick Kisses’ featuring Wretch 32, is released tomorrow (Friday 19th February). Chapter One will also feature ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Don’t Wanna Be Your Lover’ and ‘Relationship Goals’ which garnered rave reviews from the likes of Wonderland and The 405 and helped Vanessa to attract over half a million streams across her music and visuals since the end of last year.
Vanessa recently took time out of the studio to talk to Fiasco Magazine. In a shoot based around the concept of ‘The Hard Work Paid Off’, Vanessa talks about her solo journey, creating her debut EP, working on her forthcoming debut album and the influences that brought her to this point.
Vanessa on drawing inspiration from 90s and early 00s music for her sound:
“It took a long time to find the sound and what was working, but honestly it just came back to what I grew up listening to and what I fell in love with the most – Ashanti, Aaliyah, JoJo.”
“I was obsessed with that genre, and when I say obsessed I was that annoying kid at school, constantly singing with their cd walkman. So anything from that time, the 90s I guess, seems to sit really well with me and my work.”
On taking it back for her dream collaborations:
“I have a whole bunch of people. If I could go back it would be Aaliyah, Teedra Moses and lets add JoJo too! I’d love to bring all of these women together and a whole lot more, and just have this epic collaboration.”
“The wardrobe would have to be 90s baggy trousers and a crop top. Bring it all back.”
On working on the follow-up EP, ‘Chapter Two’:
“I’m working on ‘Chapter Two’ at the moment. It’s definitely going to be the same sort of vibe. Nothing’s changing, but maybe I’ll bring in some more up-tempo sounds. I’m working on establishing the transition between the up-tempo and the soft.“
And if she didn’t take the music route she would have gone with something physical:
“I’ve thought about this loads and I’ve decided that I’d really throw myself into boxing or MMA. But really music makes me happy and that’s my number one thing. What’s the point if you’re not happy?”
The full interview is coming to Fiasco soon – check @FIASCOMagazine for more updates.
Vanessa White’s Chapter One EP is out tomorrow. You can also see Vanessa perform her debut headline show to support the EP release at Cargo in London on March 16th – tickets are available here.
Watch the video for ‘Nostalgia’, one of the EP tracks, below.
Will you be downloading Vanessa’s EP? Let us know @CelebMix.