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Tanya Lacey Interview
RnB/Hip Hop | Tuesday 6th November 2012 | Laura
“For me, it’s just having that stern belief that you can make it.”
She’s a label boss who already had a smash hit which went to number 2 in the charts with Loick Essien ‘How We Roll’, and already released a new EP ‘Head Chef’
You’ve had a good journey so far...4 years, I can’t believe it, that’s amazing. And you’ve come so far, from Bristol to London, and you’ve worked with top artists like Tinchy Stryder, toured with Bruno Mars... is it quite surreal at times, or is this the journey that you’ve always planned for yourself.
It is surreal, but it is the journey that I’ve always envisioned and it’s just the beginning for me – I see a lot more crazy, surreal things happening, so yeah.
And your passion for music – this is what you’ve always wanted to do. You’ve been through it, been through the mill, as it were, cause you’ve slept in studios, and I think I read somewhere once that you didn’t even have enough money to get the bus, so you used to cycle places. What’s been your lowest point?
Well, this is why I’ve got such strong legs! So it all worked out in the end, but I used to work in a pub in Camden and I used to live in Tottenham at the time. It took me an hour and a half to cycle there, an hour and a half to cycle back. I remember one night I must have had a puncture in my bike, so I decided to take the bus, and at a bus stop at around 4 in the morning, this crack-head tried to have a go at me! It’s very difficult when you know you’re making ends meet and you’re still pursuing your dream but you just gotta keep that focus and don’t lose heart.
What does keep you focused though? Because the music industry is so hard and full of rejection. What keeps you motivated? Because some people would just be like ‘Do you know what - I’ve had enough, I can’t - I can’t do this anymore.
It’s not for everybody, I think you definitely have to have to have some balls about you, and I definitely have that. For me, it’s just having that stern belief that you can make it. And even at times where you get a bit discouraged because of the knock-backs – the belief that you have in yourself, it has to be so strong that it overrides that, and also the belief that your family and friends have in you makes a difference as well.
Now you’ve talked about your journey, let’s talk about music. The new EP is great – I love the new song ‘No Glue’! That proper RnB! I love it. Is this a little teaser of what’s to come from you?
It is definitely a teaser – it’s an EP, even though it’s 8 tracks, which is basically an album. It’s a bite-sized sample of what you can expect from me next year and that’s when my debut album drops as well, so it’s just giving people an idea of where I am musically and where I’m going as well.
Now you were signed to Sony, when you had that massive hit single with Loick Essien – ‘How We Roll’ - was that one of your highlights so far? Getting that Number 2...
That was incredible. I mean, when you see your hard work going out there and being so well received as that track was, it’s definitely the icing on the cake, especially when you never know what’s going to connect, so, it took me by surprise but it definitely helped motivate me to keep making more tracks that connect.
I don’t want to mean this in a negative way, but I was surprised that so many radio stations picked up on it. Cause sometimes radio don’t pick up on songs like that. But it was everywhere, on all the mainstream stations.
It was crazy, just hearing my friends and family being out and about, hearing me on the radio – it was great.
Now you’re a very brave lady, because you were signed to Sony, and then you walked away from that deal. Now most artists are just dying to get signed, and you walked away from that. What was the reason for that and was that a hard decision?
It was a hard decision because you know, any group of people that you work with in close proximity like I did with the label – you do become a kind of family, but unfortunately there were a few different issues that were beyond my control, which led to me walking away from the deal. I don’t regret it at all and I don’t harbor any negative feelings because I wouldn’t be where I am without the deal and I wouldn’t know the people that I know musically, without being in a deal. So you know, when it comes down to it, that was a very big part of my journey, but for me I just felt like I needed to do my own thing, and there were a lot of obstacles that were beyond my control and I stuck it out for a long time. I just felt it was time to go our separate ways.
That was very brave, I don’t know if anyone else could have done that. The song ’Too Many Cooks’ - is that about that experience?
‘Too Many Cooks’ - it comes from a phrase ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ meaning too many people trying to put their own spin on what you’re doing can actually hinder what you’re doing and when I was in the label, I was quite confined in terms of what they wanted me to put out musically and I’m an artist who needs to be free when I’m creating and so, that’s what that song is about, it’s about regaining creative control.
I love the story surrounding the song that you wrote.. ‘The Hardest Ever’. Because Will.I.Am basically nicked your tune and then shoved J-Lo on it?
Basically yeah, what he did was taking my tune! No, I mean he heard the track, it was a track that I had started, an idea that I had started with Dallas Austin who, who co-produced the track and Will.I.Am picked up on it. At the time, the label that I was with didn’t pick up on it so you know, you can say that it was fate that he picked up on it and that was the way it was supposed to be. But I did do my own version and that was well received so thank you guys for supporting that.
And you’ve got your own label now! You’ve created that. Is it harder being an independent label now? And being an independent artist?
I wouldn’t say it’s harder, but I’d say it’s different. I’d say there are different things that you learn about, like behind the scenes of how a label works. And how to meet deadlines and how much things cost as well. When you’re operating independently, you do have to change your frame of mind, because essentially you’re doing a lot more than just being the artist. So yeah, it’s opened my eyes.
