Song that reminds you of childhood?
Spice Girls. The first lot of music artists I can remember really being into were The Spice Girls. I was in absolute awe of them; their confidence, style, personality. I completely loved ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and ‘Spice Up Your Life’, classics I still jam to today. This admiration must have transpired mostly from forcing my parents to watch the ‘Spice World’ movie with me a lot. S Club 7 are also huge childhood-related artists for me. You can’t beat tracks like ‘Bring It All Back’ and ‘S Club Party’. I feel sorry for kids who were born after the 90’s to be honest, they missed out on all this tasteful cheese.
First album you ever bought?
Lily Allen- Alright Still. I’m not sure what album or single I personally bought first, but I do remember my dad buying me ‘Alright, Still’ by Lily Allen (2006). He used to play it in the car, and I knew every single offensive lyric on the album (and I still know every word to this day). I remember once playing it at a sleepover, probably for my 10th birthday, and singing along to all 11 tracks. My friends said “wow Sian, you really know all these songs don’t you?”. I still do.
Song you listen to when sad?
Luke Sital Singh & Gabrielle Aplin- Nearly Morning Not so much anymore, but a few years ago when I was struggling mentally through high school, and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on in this brain of mine, I always used to turn to this song late at night. It is the live version of ‘Nearly Morning’ by Luke Sital-Singh, featuring Gabrielle Aplin. The song for me talks about inevitable pain, and how you’re not the only one who feels this way, despite how alone you might feel. A pair of singer-songwriters I couldn’t pair together more perfectly for this lyric.
Best gig you’ve ever been to?
Kate Nash- Made Of Bricks 10th Anniversary Tour I have had the privilege to see so many amazing musicians live, so this is a really difficult choice. However, in August of this year I went to Kate Nash’s 10 year anniversary of her first album, ‘Made of Bricks’. My mum bought me this as a one-off when I was probably about 10 years old, and I became so inspired by her cockney-enthused singing and homemade lyrics. I never thought I would ever get to see this entire album live, so when I did it was so incredible getting to scream every word to every song alongside others who cherish the album as much as I do. Nash blew it out of the water.
Favourite ever album?
The Temper Trap- Conditions. Again, this is another difficult choice. It’s hard to whittle it down to a sole album when there are so many original works out there. I guess one of my most loved albums is ‘Conditions’ by The Temper Trap. It’s just one of those where you can listen the whole way through without having to skip a song. From faultless vocals, to complex instrumentals and a moving musicality, this is an album I can always rely on no matter how I’m feeling.
Guilty pleasure?
Justin Bieber & Ariana Grande. I don’t feel too guilty about these guilty pleasures, because why should we feel bad about our tastes? If you love a certain artist, then that’s nobody else’s business! I guess other’s may consider Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande guilty pleasures for an indie-pop/alternative head like me, but it’s hard for anyone to deny that Bieber’s former album was not filled with tune after tune. Grande’s vocals are just insane, and beyond a scale I will never reach as a singer myself. Kudos to you Ari.
