Josie Blakelock
As her debut single Damsel is released, singer-songwriter Josie Blakelock chats to us about her childhood moving all over the world, her love of literature and what to expect from her upcoming album.
When did you know you wanted to pursue music?
I’d been writing songs since I was about 12, but before that I lived abroad, I’d lived in a lot of different countries growing up - I was actually born in Singapore, and I’ve lived in Cambodia and Russia and Dubai! We were an ex-pat family, so whenever my dad got a new job we’d move, and then we moved back to the UK when I was about 10. Music lessons weren’t really as common when I lived abroad, so I think I just used to sing in school talent shows and things! I didn’t start songwriting until I was 12 or 13. I was a guitarist first, then I started singing and writing.
When did you decide to start releasing your music?
During my uni days in Bristol I did a lot of gigging - I studied English Literature, which has inspired my lyrics a lot. I love Shakespeare and Arthurian literature and romantic poetry, so I think my love of words can definitely be heard in my music! I’ve always planned to release my music, but it’s taken me until recently to have some recordings I’m really happy with. It just takes time to know what you actually want something to sound like.
Do you write literature or poetry as well?
The title track of the album I’m going to release later this year, The Conqueror, actually started out as a sonnet, and then I set it to guitar chords. I love artists like Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan who kind of use words and music in an interchangeable way.
How was the experience of growing up while moving around the world?
It was weird when I came back to the UK, because I’d only lived here for like a year when I was about 5, so I didn’t really know what the UK was going to be like! It was hard at times, because I’d stay at a school for like a year and a half or two years then we’d move again. I think that’s probably why, when I perform live at the moment, my set-up’s really simple - it’s just an acoustic guitar and vocals - as I’ve always been really drawn to folk music, which is kind of the basis of the album, that it’s built around just my voice and my guitar, because the folk music tradition is about being able to bring your career around with you. I think growing up moving around all the time is kind of reflected now in how my guitar goes with me wherever I go. I think I discovered music because I was looking for some sort of constant in my life, I guess, to ground me in a way, so now it’s like even if I’m in a different place I’ve always got my guitar. I had a lot of exciting experiences a lot of younger people wouldn’t have had, which was amazing, and made me more open-minded for sure, but it was also quite dislocating at times!
Did you have an English accent when you finally settled in the UK?
Slightly American, actually, as they teach American English in international schools. People couldn’t really tell where I was from, but then I went to a boarding school so now I sound really British!
When is your album coming out?
I don’t have a set release date for the album itself yet as I’m focused on planning the single releases. I’m doing two or three singles, although I’m hoping to have the album out by summer at the earliest, September at the latest. As I’m self-releasing it’s quite nice to be able to choose a good time. I recorded it at a studio in London called Lightship 95 and worked with an amazing producer called Giles Barrett, who’s also worked with Johnny Flynn on a couple of albums - I really liked the style of production on them, so I sent Giles some demos and said I’d like to work with him. I got it mastered at Abbey Road about seven months ago, it’s just taken this long to get all the visuals and stuff sorted out.
How many tracks are there?
There are ten, and I’ve got a music video for one at the moment, but these things are quite difficult to finance. As it’s my first release I’m still kind of navigating how not to spend too much money but also I want things to look good!
Who are your favourite musicians, who are you listening to at the moment?
When I started writing I was very into Joni Mitchell - she uses a lot of open tunings and I still love to this day her chords and this really specific scale she uses. Her album Blue helped get me into music, which I think is the case for a lot of female singer-songwriters. It has this really raw honesty and the arrangements are so simple, I think that really appealed to me, the idea that well-written words can carry a song, especially these days when I feel the importance of words can get sort of glossed over. I love Jeff Buckley and The National
Where are you based now?
I’m in west Sussex at the moment. I’m hoping to move back to London though. A few months ago the tenancy on my flat run out, and because everywhere in the city was getting so expensive I ended up using my holiday pay to go and do a yoga teaching course in Bali - I love yoga, movement and dance, they’re my other loves aside from music. So now I’m hoping to move back to London but slightly confused about how I’m going to pay the rent! I’ve done a lot of service industry jobs over the past six years, and now I’d like to be able to use my writing abilities for something. To promote this record I do want to get back into gigging, but it’s just figuring out where to play.
Words: Scott Bates
Photos: My Purple Daisy Photography