How has Durham influenced your music and music journey?

It really surprised me, I feel like the music scene here is great. I feel like it's kind of small just because Durham is small. But people are very supportive – in my first year when I got into Durham I did an open mic in my first week and there was already such a community there and I met so many people through that. Just being surrounded by other music people is so cool. I’ve been to the Tiny Fred’s Collective a couple times – that’s insane, it's so good, and really inspiring. Just hearing other musicians in Durham play is very special. 

And then also physically, I really like the landscape of Durham – the nature is inspiring. And then my latest song (‘Nobody Here is Sane’), I took the cover photo on Prebends Bridge – my favourite bridge.

Your new song ‘Nobody Here is Sane’ has just come out – it’s slightly darker than the rest of your songs. Is it more conceptual or have you drawn inspiration from your personal life?

Maybe both. It’s funny because I feel like the lyrics and the meaning behind it is quite dark, but sonically it sounds quite fun and playful which is quite funny. But it's basically about… well…crazy people [we all giggle]. So I had this encounter in New York where there was this homeless guy that you might call “crazy” and I was there with my dad, eating these bagels – you know, living it luxe in New York – and that guy comes up to us and says “ah you greedy fucking pigs” and walks off. It was really nasty and there was a horrible energy, but there was something in that. It was so true. In the sense of like, in New York there’s so much homelessness and that crosses over with mental illness because of the way the healthcare system is there. And it just spoke to something, like the world is so crazy, like we’re going to these fancy shops and then you walk over the road and there'll be people living in tents, it's insane. Haha, I guess kind of deep stuff.

Any plans for a video to go with it?

Not at the moment, but I would love to do it. Hey, if any Durham creatives want to hit me up though!

Speaking of videos, you have a few out already. Can you tell us more about the production and creative process behind making one?

So much fun honestly. The first video I did was for a song called Lie to Me and that one I did in a park next to where I used to live in London with my mum. She just filmed me on a digital camera – it was so cute, we were just having a blast running around in some mud. It was great! The second video for ‘The Way It Is’, that was done with a friend of mine, Ethan Ross, who’s really cool. I had a whole film team there – that felt pretty cool. There was a big camera, people directing me, and I had a fake blood situation going on and they were topping it up – it felt very professional. And the last one, ‘Taste of You’, I got this girl, Leah, who was a student at Durham to film and another student, Horatio, who was acting beside me. So it's all just been working with other creatives – I love it so much.

Favourite venue in Durham to hear other people or play yourself?

Holy Grale! Nothing beats the Holy Grale.

Dream venue to play?

Hmmm. Maybe O2 Shepherd’s Bush? I saw Billie Eilish play there and that was my favourite gig ever, so maybe to be in that space. That’s a high bar, but you gotta dream big.

Proudest moment in your music career?

Maybe when I did a gig in Durham in first or second year at Coviello’s and I was the headline act. It was a release thing for my song ‘The Way It Is’ and that was just so cool. Such a special night, the crowd was awesome, it makes such a difference having an attentive crowd – so that was like wow! 

All songs mentioned here are on streaming platforms, including her new song, ‘Nobody Here is Sane’ out now!

Interviewed by Tallulah Di Tomaso and Valentina Daughton