Currently relocated in Amsterdam Szjerdene is interviewed by the team from IET Kitchen Concerts to talk about what she does and her influences. Love the refrence to 90s Mariah!!! New material is due to come in the new year in the meantime you can download her Patchwork EP here.

UK HipHop royalty TY talks about his career in the music industry to date and his plans moving forward. The most amount of respect for this man he consistently puts out quality content that doesn’t conform to mass appeal but brilliant musicianship. His views are refreshing and inspiring to hear and anyone who does have anything they can contribute towards his forthcoming documentary get involved and reply to the links at the end of the video.

Whilst the sun was shining and the air smelt positive in the heart of Shoreditch, KM Scribbles managed to catch up with the lovely Kersha Bailey a few days before her highly anticipated album launch, over some sweet tasting juice.  See the exclusive interview below

So Ms Kersha let’s get straight into it! Let’s cover some background How long have you been singing? Did you know this was what you always wanted to do?

 Funnily enough I did want to be a Fashion Designer at one point but I realised that wasn’t really my passion. My mum is a singer and singing is in my family so when I started singing it just felt right. I actually did some acting for about 5 years but that was not my passion either. I have been singing from the age of 5 and that is where my heart belongs.  

 Your guitar skills are very impressive and I know you taught yourself how to play right? How long did it take you to teach yourself?

Thank you, I do teach myself yeah. I have been playing the guitar for 5 years but I did lose motivation for a while and lost patience of teaching myself so I have been consistent with playing and learning for 2 years. I am still learning though, I would probably say I am a bit better than a basic player but I want to increase my skills with reading music especially. How I actually started playing the guitar was whilst I was at a friend’s house. Her guitar was just sitting next to her radiator and I picked it up and started humming. I teach myself by humming a melody and writing it down really fast and then trying to find it on the guitar. I also had a few guitar lessons from Michael Kiwanuka & N Dubz’s guitarist Martin Anderson.  I used to play keys and the drums but I didn’t really feel a connection to them.

 I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peak of your album and I love thelyrics in your songs. Are they all written from your personal experience? Where do you get your inspiration from?

The majority of the album is from my personal experiences and my journey so far or I sometimes createstories which I think stems from the acting that I did. The song “Ain’t gonna waste my time,”

..{Interupption} Yes is that the first track? I love that song! Sorry continue lol…

 Aww thank you, the song is about a guy I was with; my first boyfriend. I was a virgin, as I am now and it’s like he couldn’t wait! He was a typical bad boy and I thought I could change him and help him but I realised that really was not the case. He cheated on me and it really hurt. I even put down my guitar for a little while and I did not realise that I had fallen away from my music. It’s crazy how when something like that happens you don’t actually realise how much it affects you and your everyday living. So yeah that is the story behind that song. The track ‘Beyond the Stars’ which is the album title is about when I was younger and wasn’t really confident. I would  sometimes do things that would go against what I believed in. A few years in I slowly started to gain confidence and accepted who I am….I’m still a working progress but i know I’m loved  Other inspiration I get is from people around me and things that may have happened to them but mainly my own experiences.

Wow, yea trust me it’s a hard lesson learning you can’t change someone! Do you have a favourite spot you like to go and write songs? What’s the craziest thing you have written a song about?

 Not really, I write songs ANYWHERE! The song ‘Minotaur and Me,’ may be confusing to people when they hear it as they may not understand what it is about. It is actually based on a bad dream I had which made me wake up in a cold sweat. In the dream the Minotaur was chasing me and there was a voice telling me to run. The dream seemed crazy at the time but I wrote a song about it and it was only years later that I realised the true meaning of the dream and the song. The Minotaur represented the male figures in my life who weren’t there, one of which being my dad who is non-existent and when I did come into contact with him it wasn’t anything positive. Also the guy I spoke about earlier – both of them are male figures that didn’t bring any positivity to my life. They appear all nice in the beginning but then you realise it’s not really what it seemed.

Wow it’s funny how life can work out sometimes. In your own words how would you describe your style?

Ah, I’ve asked my band they don’t even know, lol. My manager says I don’t need to confine myself to a genre or box; my music is just my music. For me I would say I am a mixture of genres with mainly Jazz and parts of Indie and Acoustic Soul. But I mean what section would that be placed under in HMV? LOL

What do you think about the UK music scene at the moment?

I think it’s heathly – we’re getting some recognition and I think it’s great. Whilst the focus is somewhat out here now I think it’s the time for the deserving artists and musicians to make their platform. We all know there are a lot of great artists in the US but I think it UK’s time now.

 How would you describe your journey as a solo artist so far?

It has been eventful and very interesting. When I was exposed to venues with the buzz around me I didn’t have the right people by my side to keep me grounded and to help me. I had people approach me who made a lot of false promises which obviously never worked out. I then lost my buzz slightly because when nothing is heard from you people automatically think you aren’t doing anything and I didn’t want people to forget about me. That was my low point. Also being unsigned is a struggle especially financially as you have to fund everything independently yourself. My album is going to be digitally released and I will be saving money from the guest list from my launch to hopefully print hard copies. This industry can be really stressful but I have had some high points too. Beverley Knight invited me to one of her gig rehearsals which was a really nice night – it was good to get an inside feel of what the industry is like and to learn from someone already in it. I got to just chill with her as well and buss’ joke which is always nice. I also had my tracks played in L.A and I headlined at Ronnie Scott’s and recorded a track with Labrinth – good times.

So the launch is fast approaching! Tell me about that – how is the preparation going?

It’s been a crazy one and because I am unsigned and not working I don’t have all the financial backing to support me and get the venue I really wanted to. Luckily enough though DJ Supa Fine offered to help me out with securing a venue and that’s how I managed to get The Hideaway. I will be honest and say it is not the ideal venue I had hoped for but I am really grateful. I am just stressing about trying to change the décor to put my Kersha Bailey twist on it and make it feel more homely. I would love to have some carpet, big lamp shades and cupcakes present at my launch. The decor the venue has at the moment includes skulls on the wall which definitely isn’t me but I am working with it. I am excited about the launch and nervous at the same time. I did not expect to see the amount of numbers that I have seen on the list to attend but for that I am so grateful, excited and nervous!

If you was not singing what would you be doing?

I would either be teaching music/singing or teaching how to play the guitar. I also like the idea of developing artists too with their singing voices as well as song writing.

Okay to finish up, describe what music is to you in one sentence.

Oh, it’s not just one thing for me. Music is a form of release no matter how you feel whether it’s happy or sad you can relate to it. It allows you to be yourself – you can be whacky, crazy sometimes strange. You can just be you and not be judged.

KM Scribbles

Kersha Bailey’s debut album ‘Beyond The Stars’ will be released on iTunes on Friday 30th March 2012.

The album launch will be held on Thursday 29th March 2012 down at The Hideaway, 114 Junction Road, London N19 5BL from 8pm!

The Soul features team caught up with lady of the moment Lianne La Havas and had a chat with her about her music and her steady rise and evolution into a successful artist. There is also some footage of her performance in Birmingham. Loving her openess and honesty regardless of her vocal ability i don’t think you can’t not like her looks like she will be getting the chance to bring her music to the masses and i can’t wait to see it happen.

Interesting insight into Duke from the guys at House of Alt. He talks about his influences his music, captures him on stage, in dance studios and of course showing off the full range of the Wired Founder’s vocals. I do love the clips of tracks we hear here very 80s very funky look forward to hearing more!

The guys @ Soul Features recently caught up with rising soul star Kaleem Taylor when he performed at Vocals and Verses @ Proud. He talks a little bit about himself how he started and what the futures and there’s some footage of the performance. This guy does have a really nice tone to his vocal perhaps a little reminiscent of Omar. Definitely one to watch out for.

SOOOOOOOO HYPED about this album right here!!! It’s been years since Vula and Ben Jones dropped their first EP together “If You Want It” which was an immense collection of songs that were brilliantly written and performed. Since then i have been rinsing that EP to death and waiting for these guys to return with some new material. The time is almost upon as this EPK shows us. Get to know about Divageek trust me you will not be disappointed!!! Big up PinboardFilm on the visuals!

UK HipHop producer and DJ extraordinaire Eric Lau prepares to drop his new EP alongside MC Guilty Simpson next week and it is off the HOOK!!! 7 tracks of head bopping bangers and basslines with gorgeous keys synths and vocals. Eric talks more about the project and what it is all about in this video. Below is one of the tracks yesterday to give you a little taster of what to expect. Ep is released Monday Feb 3rd pre order your copy here.

With the imminent release of her debut album on the horizon the latest winner of the  BRITS’ critic’s choice award Emeli Sande spends some time with the cameras and heads back to Scotland and her first school. She talks about how she got started, her songs, early years and what to except on the album. Listening to her play and sing at the Piano she is very very good and someone who has honed their skills to a high level and is not just some girl that thinks they can sing. She says she wanted to make an album where every track is quality and can appeal to everyone across the world… well i’m certainly looking forward to it! Album drops Feb 13th and she is on tour in April.

Footage from Michael Kiwanuka’s recent performance @ St Pancras station for the Station Sessions. They have a chat with him talking about his time in the states and the new album dropping a little later this year. Can’t get over just how good this guy sounds simply awesome love it.

Another great feature from the SoulFeatures team this time they caught up with the genius that is Shakka for a quick chat after his performance @ Writers Block last year. As always Shakka is entertaining and his acoustic performance as always is quality!

Big UP Soul Feature for the work they are doing for Soul music in the UK it is much needed. Look forward to the next one.

The 14th were invited down to a warehouse in East London to film a feature with The Beatnik sessions. There’s an acoustic performance of one of their two step killers “Take Me There” and they have a quick chat with the camera. Really liking the stripped down sound with Tracy sounding absolutely immense can’t wait to see what these guys have planned for 2012!

Scene: Backstage at the Rhythm Factory on the night of the Ready EP launch party. The atmosphere is nothing less than crazy but exciting at the same time. Mr Greed’s has a lot on going on around him as show time is near. Looking fresh and pristine is one of the main priorities for the main man himself so I decided to have a quick pre-launch chat with him whilst he ironed his trousers backstage.

KM Scribbles: Soooo…Mr Greeds the big night is here! How you feeling? What thoughts are running through your head right now? Are you feeling nervous?

Greeds: It’s crazy, I’m feeling a mixture of feelings right now mainly nervous but excited. I have got a lot of friends and family here but also some new people who have never heard my material before. This brings a little anxiety on board but I hope they like it. Overall I’m feeling good and ready to go.

KM Scribbles: I can imagine no doubt everyone will have a phenomenal night! We all know there was a minor set back with the venue cancelling last minute. What were your thoughts when that happened? How did you overcome the situation?

Greeds: Damn yea, initially I was very angry and annoyed purely because it was out of our power. However as the days went on, we started to see the blessing in disguise that it held. There definitely has been a lot of positivity that has happened as a result of the previous venue messing us around. For instance the venue we have now grants us a lot more freedom as opposed to the other one, which had a great number of restrictions. It still created major annoyance though because we put the launch on Bang Radio when we started promoting it with the old venue and then for it to be cancelled was frustrating to say the least! I have to give a big shout out to the team though, who pulled it together majorly. We were very diplomatic and didn’t cuss or anything lol (like we may have felt too) we just kept it moving.

KM Scribbles: You guys definitely pulled things together and tonight’s turn out is great! Putting a night together like this cannot be easy. Surely you don’t do this all yourself. You have a strong team right?

Greeds: Most definitely! I get beautiful help from Purple Hill, The Remedies, This is Jam and Rachel White – together we all make it happen. Collectively we put people together, contact press people etc… It gets mad busy there are people in charge of press, social media, so many things… Definitely have a strong team behind me, it’s a beautiful thing.

KM Scribbles: Team work definitely makes the dream work! So, what can we expect from the main man himself tonight?

Greeds: Well for me to get all the songs right firstly, lol. I’m going to have fun. I would love to see people get random when ready, ha-ha no pun intended! It is going to be a night of family, friends and randomness. I’m feeling good!

KM Scribbles: Okay, so your lyrics are very truthful, deep and meaningful. Where does your inspiration come from? Is everything you pen a personal experience?

Greeds: No not always from a personal experience. My inspiration comes from reading, watching films, performers, and musical idols. Some of my writing is from a personal experience but not all. I sometimes write about a cause that I feel very passionately about like the Stephen Lawrence case – that would cause me to pen something. Sometimes I think you can be someone else’s voice through writing so I write through another person’s experience. With this new EP though, I am showing a different side of things – Volume in Silence was a dark piece whereas ‘Ready’ is a happy piece hence the colourful EP cover.

(Slight interruption from a guest backstage who was so ecstatic at the fact that Greeds’ mum cooked puff puff and meat pie for the backstage party – which was more than delicious by the way!)

KM Scribbles: You’ve taken spoken word to a different level. What made you decide to include The Remedies to accompany you?

Greeds: It was an idea from Felicha (Writers Block) who booked me for a gig and suggested I perform with music. She then introduced me to Ash (The Remedies) and I performed the first gig with just myself and him which was a really nice vibe! We decided to take it a step further and include the full band for the next gig we did together and the rest rolled from there.

KM Scribbles: It’s a really nice unit you guys have going! What is your favourite track to perform?

Greeds: Oh wow, I don’t think I have one! Writing is so fun to do because I can take a topic and jus t go wild. Hmmm….that’s a really good question I will have to have a think about that now. ‘There she goes,’ is always a fun one to do because people act silly and really get into it. ‘Rush,’ makes me lose my voice, I love its intensity. A favourite though, I’ll have to get back to you on that one…

(Greeds is giving his trousers evil eyes because the creases aren’t budging)

KM Scribbles: Ha-ha, I’ll be intrigued to hear your answer. So, you’ve kicked started this year with a bang already….what else can we expect from GREEDS in 2012?

Greeds: Well I will definitely be writing more and making a conscious effort to work with different genres. I really want to write a good play also. It’s funny because initially I said I didn’t want to do music I just wanted to focus purely on writing but a lot of people find that comment crazy. We shall see what the future holds but definitely more writing without a shadow of a doubt!

KM Scribbles: Nice! Well the time is flying by and it’s nearly show time! Thank you for letting me invade your ironing moment! Good luck for tonight – everyone is excited it is going to be a good night.

Greeds:Thank you Ms Scribbles….YOTP!

Greeds now has his trousers pressed to a high standard and is ready to start the show!

G.R.E.E.d.S & The Remedies Ep available now to download on iTunes here and read our review here

The good peeps @ SOul Features bring us their second interview and once again its another class act. Josh Osho Is someone I’d heard whispers about but I didn’t know quite how good he was till I saw this. Lovely tone to his voice and he’s not a bad writer at all and from his interview its clear to see he has a real passion for his craft. Will be watching this guy closely big up the Soul Features team look forward to seeing more.

So last Friday Michael Kiwanuka was announced BBC sound of 2012 a massive look and achievement that will now give his songs and voice the attention it deserves. Last Friday he was pulled into the breakfast show with Zane lowe for an interview and performance.
I Remember seeing Michael a year or so ago at a Wired gig and hearing his sound for the first time and being in awe of his vocals and the way his music held you in a trance. This from a guy who I had only ever known to be playing guitar for other artists. His rise has been a joy to watch and a triumph for whatever A&R had the guts to take a chance on him. It gives all the real musicians out there renewed hope that this “Urban” music industry may not just be interested in pint sized rappers, DJ produced dance tracks sung by R&B singers or bass heavy dubstep rhythms but in the soul music that has always been embraced and enjoyed by the United Kingdom.
Looking forward to his album when it finally drops later this year

New team on the block Soul Features presents us with their first offering a feature on the wonderful Kersha Bailey. There’s footage of an intimate performance with Kersha and she talks about music and her forthcoming release very noice.
Good work from Soul Features guys look forward to seeing more from them.

Last year our good friends @ All About Good Music invited one of our other good friends Shakka up to Manchester to perform and also caught up with him for a chat check it out and enjoy.

Last week we posted Shakka’s IMMENSE performance @ I Luv Live but they also caught up with him on camera chatting to him about his music influences and what is to come in the future. His character shines through very funny! This guy is surely destined to one down run these same jokes on a T4 sofa. Get your hands on the “Shakka Crown Affair” here.

Great interview with the lovely Miss Baby Sol. Talking about Music how she creates and her background, influences and experiences. Also a lovely acoustic performace of her new single “She Cries” which she launches this Sunday. Details for the show on Sunday are here and if you want to get your hands on her brilliant EP go to her website http://missbabysol.com

Got nothing but Love for Matti Roots. One of the baddest Soul Funk acts around, awesome vocalist musician and songwriter and sounds just as good live as he does on the record. Footage here from his performance at Flavour Live earlier this month and they have a quick chat with the man too. Quality enjoy! EP is available here.

Kersha Bailey talks about herself and her forthcoming album dropping in the new year. This lady is DOPE, and i for one can not wait to hear her new music!

Last week we posted the excellent video for The Stow’s latest track “Lifelines” . Here is some behind the scenes footage taken on the day of the shoot with the band and director check it out!

Mikill Pane recently headed up to Manchester for a performance promoting his new EP Guiness & Blackcurrant. The good peoples at All About Good Music grabbed him for a quick interview and chat about the EP, touring with Mac Miller, hecklers and more. Plenty of funny stuff in there. EP is available here and look out for him linking up with The Remedies on December 1st for another full band set!!!

Known for wowing audiences with her awesome energetic frank and heartfelt performances on the spoken word scenes Michaela The Poet in this video begins to the show the world her transformation from Michaela The Poet to Michaela Coel. The video shows her on photo shoots, recording and speaking from the heart on her change of direction. Lots more goodness to come from Miss Coel and i for one can’t wait.

The good people @ Right Copy spend some time with AKS and allow him to talk about what he does, who he is and what he is all about. To quote the South London Lyricist “Nothing More Nothing Less” check it out!