That time I sat down with Delilah for IAmMusic.TV...

When Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox put their heads together and created ‘Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves’, I doubt they would have had the female artists currently tearing up the music scene in mind. However, this doesn’t make their genius lyrics any less relevant and as I sat down with Delilah, prior to her performance at LoveDough, I couldn’t help but think that us girls are smashing speakers up across the world in our own right. It’s almost like Franklin and Lennox pre-empted this rise up of creative women because with artists like Delilah in the mix, sisters really are doing it for themselves…and for the music industry, at the same time.

Having worked with artists such as Chase and Status, Wretch 32 and Skream, I can understand why her first single reached the top ten without even having an official release date. “With a release date, we could have maybe gone for a top five but we had a top five record album. It’s been good, it’s been organic. ” Humble as well as ambitious, Delilah is in possession of a talent the music industry so desperately needs. She’s aware she’s good at what she does but understands that there’s always a higher level for her to progress too. “I’ve been in the studio working on the new album a lot, I want to get it out by the end of this year. I’m excited about it; it’s dark, energetic…very me, but it’s also a progression.”

I understand ambition but I’m in awe of how determined Delilah is. It’s a rarity to find an artist totally focused on pursuing a career in an industry famed for being so fickle. “I’m not the biggest artist in the world yet but I feel like I’ve gained a lot of respect; I haven’t had a lot of negative feedback about my last record and considering it was the first one, we made all the mistakes we could possibly make so I’m quite happy with it.”

“Singing has always been my dream, there’s loads of things I’d love to do but I’ve always been someone who’s quite good at picking things up quickly. I’m quite driven and competitive…I don’t like to lose and I could have done whatever because I would have fought to make myself the best at it.”
Role models are hard to come by these days; the moment you’re in the public eye, your entire life is publicised in newspapers and magazines, every accessible medium possible. As I grew up, I saw Victoria Beckham’s battle with eating disorders documented on a daily basis, Britney Spears’ breakdown and headlines connecting drug use with practically every person to come out of the Big Brother house. However, this is yet another reason as to why Delilah is part of a revolutionary generation; it’s not a case of “bad publicity is better than good publicity”, it’s about doing what you love and making sure you’re the best you can be at it. As I chatted with Delilah, it struck me that I’ve never had my eyes opened to that sort of attitude…and it’s refreshing to look at it from this new perspective. Another reason why Delilah is providing the music scene with an attitude never really embraced before.

Recently within the music industry, it’s been a case of artists covering the same stuff we’ve heard before or throwing a rapper into the mix to shake things up a bit. But Delilah’s type of music is fresh, it hasn’t been churned out previously and it’s the perfect type of sound to hit the ever changing music industry because it has longevity. “I try to do something that isn’t throwback and doesn’t sound like an era. I’m a huge fan of voices and people who have a tone so I try to keep whatever it is in my voice that makes me sound like me.”

The current music scene is overcome by super talented women, girls embracing everything Geri Halliwell shouted about back in the 90s. FINALLY, girl power is taking over. “I have a lot of respect for artists such as Jessie Ware, Lianne La Havas, Alanis Morissette but I’m aware we all do very different things. For me, Amy Winehouse was the person who encouraged me into music.”

I always find the subject of Amy Winehouse quite a hard subject to talk about; she’s a musical legend, talented beyond belief and throughout my life, I’ve always listed Amy as one of my biggest influences – she did what she loved and did it well, the ethos behind Delilah’s music too.  “I was really influenced by her. She looks different from other people and so do I. She sings weirdly and so do I. We’re both from Camden and she’s leaving such an amazing legacy behind her.”
As we chatted, I realised Delilah has so much more to offer the music industry than I originally thought. She knows her stuff, she’s passionate and she’s always ready to embrace the different angles music consists of. “There’s a lot of people who can sing and I’m so aware of that but I just want to do something different. There’s probably millions of people who can sing better than me but they can’t sing the way I can. I’m focusing on individuality.”

There’s never been a better time for this sort of focus, what with the music scene embracing people like Iggy Azalea, Angel Haze and Kendrick Lamar. It’s not about doing what’s already been done three years previously, it’s about setting a better example for future generations – it’s about showing the world there’s more to music than Rihanna and Pitbull taking over the charts every Sunday. “I’m not really in the position to help people out but I can offer advice; I’m not where I want to be yet so it’d be crazy of me to think I could delegate the time and effort to take someone where they want to be but I have been doing this since I was 17. I know a lot about creating a sound. I think it’s important for artists to stick together a bit more.”

“There’s a few new artists massively capturing my heart; there’s one girl called Naomi, she’s hasn’t really got an artist name but I met her the other day and her voice is incredible. I’m going to do everything in my power to help her out.”

Whilst there’s no denying that she’s obviously talented, I love that Delilah’s honest enough to admit that she’s still learning and kind enough to want to help other’s out. It’s a rare combination in an industry full of artists all who assume they’re something special. Music is literally the love of her life but it’s not just singing that she can turn her hand too. “I’ve been playing piano since I was 12 but I was never classically trained. I started at about 6 or 7, stopped and then started at about 12 to 14. I stopped again, started smoking a lot and partying as you do when you’re 14 to 17 but I got back on it. I’m not as good as I could be but it’s going to take a practice.” I thought she was just being competitive when she said she liked to be the best at everything she tried out but it’s clear that competition isn’t the case; just pure determination, ambition and reaching heights others only dream of hitting.

“My main focus this year is creating a new body of work. I’ve got a couple of gigs coming up and I’m doing Isle of Wight Festival and Exit Festival as well but ultimately, it’s just about where this album takes me. Baby steps though.”

After our chat, I walked away with a little bit of a girl crush on Delilah, a crush I’m not afraid of admitting too. She is truly something spectacular; without a doubt, Delilah’s music is going to be providing the music scene with something new and exciting, a type of sound other musicians will soon be holding amongst their influences. Her only downfall? She’s a Kanye West fan…

“I don’t want to marry the guy, I just think he’s a musical genius. He doesn’t come across the best but I can’t deny his musical talent. As a lyricist, how he plays on words…he makes you listen to what he says and how he says things. I like that he’s a twat.”

IAmMusic.TV: you know that time I interviewed Vince Kidd?

“I got a bit of CD in my eye once and I have the worst eye-sight because of it; I was breaking a CD because I didn’t want my Mum to hear some of the lyrics I wrote ’cause they were dirty so I broke it and it pinged in my eye.” many artists say that music runs through their veins, but only Vince Kidd could say that music has literally embedded itself within his body. With two days to go before his performance at UD Live on 18th April, I caught up with the fella behind ‘The Voice’ and ended up falling in love with everything he stands for. What we all saw on the telly talent show is half of what Vince Kidd is capable of. With a mind a merge of creativity and business, it’s only going to be a matter of time before Vince, his army of fans and his music have taken over the world. Move over Flo Rida, Vince Kidd is in town.

“You have a massive problem with Flo Rida, don’t you? I love his song about blowjobs…” the precedent is set for my little chat with Vince and I’m well aware that I’m going to be in stitches for every second of it. It’s clear from the outset that he knows his stuff. He’s battled his way to where he is now, won over Tom Jones, Jessie J, Danny O’Donaghue and Will.I.Am on ‘The Voice’ and with plenty of touring experience behind him, his performance at UD Live is going to be a walk in the park. “I love being rebellious, I piss a lot of people of but fuck it, because I didn’t get this far by compromising. I never compromised when I was a little boy so I’m not fucking compromising now it’s my music.” it’s this attitude that has seen him attract a massive following, with a huge number of people admiring his honesty and feistiness when it comes down to his music. In this day and age, with so much music being created, you need to stand out. And if you don’t notice Vince when he walks through the door, you sure as will notice him when he opens his mouth.

It’s refreshing to come across an artist so certain of his purpose, so fixated on a goal but yet so clued up on the obstacles he’s inevitably going to face along the way. “When it came to my first E.P ‘Sick Love’, I listened to people because I was still learning the ropes with how to be business and be creative at the same time.” With ‘Sick Love’ marking Vince’s place in the music industry, it must be quite hard to shake off any stereotype/rumours started after his performance on ‘The Voice’.  “I was interviewed by somebody the other day who was like “you came from The Voice?” and I was like “yeah but I didn’t come from The Voice, I was involved in music beforehand” but if that’s all people have seen of me, I think they would assume that I’m a puppet, not that musical and just a singer as opposed to being 100% involved in my music. Which I am. I love the creative side of this business, it’s what fucking turns me on.”

I’ve always questioned television talent shows, purely because I used to think it was the easy way into a really hard industry to break. But witnessing how difficult it is to be heard in a business where all everybody wants to do is sing, I completely understand the justification of why shows like ‘The Voice’ and ‘The X Factor’ are seen as an entry point. And chatting with Vince, I realised that it’s not just about a starting position, it’s the exposure to potential fans as well. “It didn’t bring me connections ’cause I already had those but I learnt a lot. I didn’t need to go on there to beg for a music producer but it gave me amazing fans. My fans are so selfless. They remind me why I’m doing this. ” and for anyone who Tweets Vince, be warned. “In this day and age, Twitter means you can’t be mysterious but you can use it wisely and it is a chance to get to know your fans. Sometimes if I’m bored, I stalk their pages. I read their tweets and see their mannerisms. We all talk the same way now, it’s weird.” He claims to be “a bit of a lone ranger”, but given that a new ‘Vince Kidd’ language seems to have been discovered, I’m not quite sure how much of that I believe.

“The only thing I didn’t like about going to stage school was that they’re trying to make you like somebody else and I was never like that, I’ve never fitted in. I’ve always had friends but I mean in the sense like the performance side of things, I’ve always been different to everyone else. I didn’t fit in with the theatrical side of things, I’ve always been a bit weird.” wearing a string vest, sporting iced blonde hair and numerous piercings, I can understand why. But the beauty of Vince Kidd is that he’s confident within himself and he’s an ambassador of being comfortable within your own skin – a lesson many young people today need an education in.

Part of a the next generation of musicians to be combating such a tough industry, Vince grew up surrounded by artists such as Etta Bond, Delilah and Vanessa from the Saturdays. “It’s wicked, it’s not competitive because we’re all mad different. One of our guys in our friendship group plays Michael Jackson in Thriller, so we’re all in different lanes. Vanessa’s in a girl band and Etta is doing something on a completely different spectrum, so it’s not competitive at all.”
So it must help being surrounded by people who understand the pressures of the music industry and the lifestyle it brings with it? “My family sort of do, but it’s a lost for them to get their head around. Sometimes I’m waking up as they’re coming in from work and my Dad’s a bit like “what the fuck?” – he always says to me “you haven’t worked a day’s hard work since you were 16″ but they’re quite supportive though. My Mum’s really supportive cause she’s a typical caring Mum but my Dad’s like “yeah, I’ll give you some credit when you bring home some money”, that kind of thing.”

It’s not just making music that Vince loves, but listening to it as well. “I’m really dramatic when it comes to music, my Dad used to call me Dramatic Harry because I love people like Michael Jackson and the great rockstars. But growing up, I listened to a lot of Amy Winehouse, I love her and she was just completely herself.  She just made the music she wanted to make and you’d hear her on the radio and it would seem a million miles away from all this Flo Rida bullshit.”

By the end of the interview, not only have I managed to get Vince to admit his true feelings about Flo Rida, but I’ve also received an invite to UD Live (“come and find me at the bar, we’ll drink tequila!”) and discovered his latest project with Vanessa, from The Saturdays, could cause a little controversy. “May 25th sees the release of my 2nd E.P that I’m dropping which isn’t going to be a commercial release because I just wanted to release something for my fans prior to putting the lead singles out, like a pre-release. It’s got some cool collaborations it though, we shot a video last week with Vanessa which was great. It’s a very different side to her, which I love but it could cause a little controversy. I can’t say anymore then that as I can’t give too much away but the video will be out soon.”

With UD Live in two days time, I wondered Vince if was nervous about performing – wait, this is the guy who thrives off of touring, worships his fans and loves the drama of performing. Of course he isn’t “I’m excited. I love performing and it looks like it’s going to be a really good night.” — and a good night it will be, especially when I get Vince drunk  enough for him to admit to the controversial aspects of his upcoming video…

IAmMusic.TV: Tape Deck Heart - Frank Turner

“Blacking in and out in a strange flat in East London, somebody I don’t really know gave me something to help settle me down and stop me from always thinking about you.” – I don’t know about you but when the opening track to an album touches on drug use, East London and constantly thinking about somebody, it usually has me hooked. There’s something relatable about doing stupid things in random places to help you in doing an ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind‘, right? Or is that just me?

Anyway…’Tape Deck Heart’ is probably the best thing Frank Turner has ever created. Unless he’s a dad, in which case his offspring will always be the greatest byproduct, but in a situation where he’s childless, ‘Tape Deck Heart‘ wins. I’ve been a massive fan of his since about 2008, when somebody I didn’t really like posted the link to ‘Reasons Not To Be An Idiot‘ on their Facebook. Now, I really wanted to dislike it, to be able to slate their music taste like the judgemental 15 year old I once was but that was definitely not the case. I fell in love with Frank’s philosophical honesty, his lyrics that remained in your head for days after you’d first heard them and the way the majority of his songs always sound like a drunken rant. Although every single one of his albums have been completely on point and beautifully created, ‘Tape Deck Heart‘ is one that particularly stands out for me, as my favourite. Maybe it’s the mix of acoustic-y ballads such as ‘Good & Gone’, anthemic tunes reminiscent of an early creation of The Sex Pistols (before they got too ‘Never Mind The Bollocks‘) like ‘Recovery‘ for example and songs that draw inspiration from Frank’s own political musings – ‘The Fisher Kings Blues‘ being my favourite; “and though it seems a little strange to me, people never really change, it seems. We’re all broken boys and girls, at heart, come together, fall apart.”
I mean how can you listen to these lyrics and not feel the need to high five the person next to you, simply because it seems song writing is back ON track? Forget whichever rapper is top dog at the moment, singing about popping bottles or going hard because he won’t go home…Frank Turner has just created one of the most beautiful albums I’ve witnessed to be released in the last 20 years and it’s time we all played it, REALLY fucking loud. Let’s take solace in the fact that we’re all a little bit messed up, we all like to drink too much and end up confessing secrets to a stranger in a dirty old bar and we all regret it the next day…but Frank Turner has just released an album that says everything we all need dutch courage – or five whiskeys – to say. Finally we can all just be honest with ourselves whilst playing songs such as ‘Plain Sailing Weather‘ and admit that it’s okay to be a bit of a fuck up – because Frank Turner has admitted it too.

‘Wherefore Art Thou Gene Simmons?’ is another track that stands out for me, not only because it draws reference to the KISS member but because it’s a song that truly gives me goosebumps. Asking questions such as “does your mother know who you are now?”, this song makes you look inside of yourself, question exactly what Frank’s asking you and wonder how to make things better…it’s like self-help made simple, in a 3 minutes, 35 seconds song.

The entire album is ambiguous, and when you listen to it it’s easy to imagine it being played in an Irish pub in Stockwell at 2am in the morning, but it’s also easy to imagine Frank himself playing it at a festival at 6pm in the evening, to a crowd made up of drunken blokes confessing their love for their ladies and women looking for love in the form of the nearest bloke with a beer in his hand and the least amount of sunburn.

With ‘Tape Deck Heart’, Turner has unleashed a revolutionary album consisting of some of the best break-up songs and hedonistic pub anthems I’ve heard in a really long time. Similar to Billy Bragg, using metaphoric lyrics to captivate listeners, balancing heartache and humour with exceptional precision, Frank Turner has just created the perfect album for a Saturday night singalong, easing you gently into a 22 track headlock from the get go.

Destined for audiences over the world to be singing, crying and laughing along with it, I’m not entirely sure which genre ‘Tape Deck Heart’ best fits into: punk, folk, indie, punk rock… Frank Turner is one of the few artists who can maintain the camaraderie of  a genre so confusingly honest that you need a bit of a laugh to accompany the strength of the truth, whilst highlighting it’s more rebellious aspects as well. It’s not everyday an album is created that makes you crave the grittiness of the truth in such a dishonest world, alongside a pint of Guinness but I’m certain Frank Turner has just come to the rescue.

IAmMusic.TV: Zach Sobiech, the coolest dude.

Today, I was sat at work complaining about some of the shitty jobs I have to do in order to pay my bills; I have a cool job and I couldn’t ask for a better manager but sometimes, the fact that I’m not spending my days writing for a huge newspaper, overlooking the New York skyline, gets to me a bit. But then I saw this link pop up on my Facebook and suddenly, everything was put into perspective :::

http://www.upworthy.com/this-kid-just-died-what-he-left-behind-is-wondtacular-rip

Zach Sobiech is an absolute hero; the link above documents his journey in a way my words could never do. At 17, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and his life was given a deadline. Instead of putting a limit on the amount of wonder he could create, Zach dreamt big and used music as something for his family to remember him by. He created ‘Clouds’ with one of his best friends and in turn, they created something truly spectacular.

Music totally has the power to change the world and Zach’s story proves this. His family and friends will ALWAYS have something to remember him by and his legacy lives on through his creations. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from the above, it’s that you should never under-estimate the beauty of something so simple. Music is something we all take for granted, on a daily basis, but it’s also something Zach’s family and friends will never be able to listen to in the same way again. ‘Clouds’ is beautiful; it’s inspiration at it’s most raw and powerful source.

Yes, we all have bad days and sometimes, we spend a little too long focusing on the negative…this is completely normal, if you’re human. But watch the video and get to know Zach’s story; I, for one, sat in awe as I watched it and realised that it’s about time I showed some gratitude towards everything my life is about. I’m lucky I’m in the position to be able to be writing about Zach’s story, regardless of whether I’m overlooking the New York skyline or the streets of South London.

Thank you, Zach Sobiech, for creating something so amazing, so inspiring…and for letting us watch, and listen, to your story. So many hearts are being touched over the world right now, with your music.

IAmMusic.TV: Why music and religion might not be that different after all...

“And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.”- Mumford and Sons

Religion and music aren’t often seen to go hand in hand; John Lennon once joked about the Beatles being bigger than Christianity and it was pretty much a downward slope from then on. But aside from John Lennon’s ego, religion and music have one huge thing in common: they connect people. Going to a gig is similar to going to church: you spend 90 minutes listening to somebody relay their lives work and when you leave (perhaps in the cases of good gigs…), you feel a connection with an entity so much more powerful than your very being. My altar might happen to be the O2 and for a while, I assumed that I’d only be able to connect with people on a similar wavelength – those who felt at their most comfortable watching Alanis Morissette ‘shing’ (shout and sing…) about performing oral sex in cinemas, alcohol flowing and bodies merging into one as you became unsure of whether it was your own sweat you felt dripping down your body or the person’s next to you. But then I became acquainted with Carrie Lloyd and I realised that whether your altar happens to be a sweaty music venue or the Holy Trinity Church in South Kensington, both religion and music are ultimately about one thing: love.

Carrie has been my writing mentor for the last two years and over that time, I’ve had my entire outlook on life transformed. She’s opened my eyes to numerous points of views I would have otherwise dismissed and encouraged me to think about what the world is really all about. Alongside this, she’s taught me how to continuously learn to be a better version of myself, a nicer person and a more open minded one at that. I’ve always been interested in religion – mainly because, just like music, it manages to get each individual in a gentle headlock and shape their mindset…I’ve just never understood why sometimes this doesn’t work in everyone’s favour? I guess that’s a question that I can’t answer just yet…but with Carrie’s help, give me a couple more years and I’ll come back to you. In the meantime, if you do go to a gig and bump into a particularly nasty guy in the moshpit, maybe you could ask him why music makes him mad and let me know.

When I met Carrie, I lived in a tiny little town off the South East coast and had yet to come across a person so destined to change the world. I guess that’s why I took a interest in her; I saw her ambition, her dedication and her passion for something other than messy nights in Eastbourne town centre. With a 10 year age difference between us, I still think to myself that if I’m half of what Carrie Lloyd is like when I’m 30, I will be the happiest 29 year old on their birthday eve, ever.

So when an e-mail popped up in my inbox back in August, telling me she was planning to move to America for a year, I wasn’t shocked or surprised as I always knew that Carrie was part of the bigger picture. There’s an entire world out there for her to help and although I suddenly realised that there would now be an eight hour time difference between us, meaning ‘instant messaging’ was a thing of the past unless we both became insomniacs, I also knew, rather selfishly, that Carrie’s ‘adventure’ would benefit me because I’d be learning so much about the world without having to miss my favourite band perform at Brixton Academy. Bonus.

I found out that Carrie was to be studying at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Yup, I’d never heard of it before either and it does sound like something out of the Harry Potter series. Nevertheless, through Bethel, Carrie has been studying in America for the last seven months and is now about to embark on something more terrifying than losing your friends in a Pantera moshpit;-

For 13 days, Carrie is going to be amongst a group of ‘students’, all studying at Bethel, as they begin a mission that will not only change the world, but so many of the lives they come into contact with. Bethel lead mission trips every Spring to 47 different countries, with each mission differing from the next depending on the destination. In Congo, Bethel focus on helping the likes of child soldiers regain the life they’re supposed to be living, as children…not weapons of war. In East Asia, Bethel may focus on governmental provision and financial change. It’s all about making the world a better place. Which is why I love Carrie’s religion so much; what the students of Bethel are doing for the world, music does to me.

This time around, Carrie’s going to be one on a team of 51 people flying to the Philippines, where Bethel have partnered with a charity called Unlikely Heroes – a charity dedicated to the rescue of children forced into sex slavery. So far, 30 girls have been rescued and placed into a safe house. Which is where Carrie will be staying throughout this mission. Let’s focus here: I can barely look after myself. Carrie has just agreed to look after the safety of a group of girls whose reality is worse than a nightmare. That’s a lot of responsibility but I can think of nobody better. I mean, if she can provide me with writing encouragement at 3am most mornings, I know for a fact that she’s the best possible person for this mission.

I e-mailed Carrie for a little bit of an insight into the mission; I’m fascinated by all that she does, knowing it’s in the name of a greater power. We may hold different religious views but Carrie’s taught me that believing in God doesn’t necessarily mean believing in a  old guy sat in the clouds with a beard. It’s about believing in love – spreading love, giving love and teaching love. Which is exactly what she’s going to be doing in the Philippines.

For 13 days, Carrie is going to be counselling the girls who endure repeated rape, torture and brokenness on a daily basis. You’re sat there reading this on your Apple iPhone or state of the art laptop. I can’t even begin to put this into perspective.

When Hendrix performed at Woodstock in 1969, atmospheres changed. That’s exactly what happens when Bethel students embark on their missions; atmospheres change, broken hearts are healed and the world moves for everyone involved. The aim behind the missions is to change the world…it’s that simple. Using religion as an umbrella, methods of world changing madness are based around love. Just like groupies following their favourite musician, Bethel students react to what they receive from their God.

This movement was sparked last year, when Bethel students took to the slums of the Philippines and realised that through prophecies received from God, they could heal the broken hearted, the sick and the wounded. Be it trouble in a relationship, a career issue or actual physical pain, these guys have been known to change lives through the revelations they’re witness to. “It’s not about converting, it’s about saving souls as much as showing there’s a bigger entity that believes in love and wants intimacy with mankind. It’s about speaking life into someone, changing a person’s life to think an omnipotent being is looking over them so specifically that He got a couple of people to tell them that.”

Without wanting to disparage the beauty of this mission, because I think even if I wanted to, I couldn’t – there’s enough evidence that this ‘adventure’ is so selfless, inspiring and ridiculouslu beautiful that I’d be stupid to try and belittle such a thing. However, music does something similar. You know when you’ve just gone through a break-up and you hear ‘Someone Like You’ – Adele and you think, for those three minutes, that the song was written solely for you? That Adele wanted to specifically reach out and tell you everything was going to be okay because “sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead”? Yeah…we’ve all been there. That’s exactly what Carrie’s mission is trying to show. That when you feel alone and like things genuinely cannot get any worse…there’s always someone to hold your hand.

People begin to beg for this ‘heavenly encounter’ that Bethel students are creating; “people dance in the rain and atmospheres shift. Less crime occurs in places. Printers work. Really bizarre things happen with a team of people who just want to love and reach out. It changes world.”

Through a technique called Sozo, a freeing intense therapy which connects people back with God, Carrie is going to be changing the worlds of the girls witness to such dreadful things, helping them to have their own ‘heavenly encounter’, reminding them that they too deserve to be loved, regardless of the horrors they’ve been put through.

When Carrie sent me an e-mail about the mission, she warned me that it might be a bit too ‘God heavy’ to publicise. But this is where IAmMusic.TV differs from other publications/blogs; we believe in love and essentially, that’s exactly what Carrie is teaching on her mission. We’re not just about publicising music that touches the hearts of individuals, but publicising the actions that highlight the wonderful, crazy people that inhabit this world, making it a better place for the future generation.

“I’ve never done anything this terrifying. Some of these missions are so dangerous, that if you are accepted to go on the trip – you receive a phone call – no emails, no online evidence anywhere.” The scariest thing I’ve ever done was moving to London alone and there’s Carrie, e-mailing me about hostage situations. There are genuinely no words to describe her bravery. But then again there are also no words to describe the situation of the girls she’s going to be helping…

What I find the most fascinating about the missions Bethel host is the miracles that occur throughout. Carrie’s fully aware of my religious standing and has never tried to preach to me the wonders of her God, but I’m fairly open minded; instead of quivering in fear as Carrie describes the occurrences that take place on the mission trips, I find myself fascinated and begging for more information. It’s explanations of Raise The Dead teams (I think the title is pretty self explanatory) and miracles occurring that give me faith in the Universe. Whilst Bethel students say these unexplainable happenings are part of God’s work, I’m going to go back to one of the first lessons Carrie ever taught me: it’s just love. Be it God’s work or not, the basis of these miracles is that simple.

I guess I’m pretty lucky in the sense that I’ve been surrounded by strong, unbreakable women since a really young age. I began taking life lessons from The Spice Girls and screaming about ‘girl power’ from the age of four and along my journey, I discovered Alanis Morissette, Caitlin Moran and Carrie, herself. Through lyrics and newspaper articles, I’ve had some of the most fortifying lessons instilled in me. But the girls Carrie is going to be spending 13 days looking after haven’t. Like I said earlier, they’ve endured a lifetime of torture and haven’t been able to utilise the people around them for their own benefit. They should be listening to old P!nk albums, singing about being “too cool for school” – not being subjected to repeated rape. Which is where Carrie and her team come into this; they’re going to be healing these children, counselling them towards a life where they can then become undefeated and providing them with the tools to remain strong. “A God encounter to make them rise above their trauma and past the hurt – it’ll allow them to believe in the power of goodness, winning the battle against evil and most importantly: love.”

Festival season is starting...

 

Attending a festival is not for the faint hearted; I wish somebody had pre-warned me, as I lost my festival virginity, that there would be a 99% chance I’d lose my soul at least three times over the four days and I’d see a ridiculous amount of naked men – more, in fact, then anybody needs to see in their lifetime. Friendships are formed that last forever, festival antics are never mentioned again and your liver never fully recovers but the entire experience is completely worth it.

Glastonbury is like the Mecca for hardcore festival go-ers. Many who have previously walked the muddy paths of Glastonbury lament on the fact that this festival is purely about the experience; it doesn’t matter who headlines because the four days you spend in Somerset are going to be magical, regardless.

Luckily for me, it’s my first Glastonbury this year and I get to spend four whole days soaking up the sights with my own eyes. Previously at festivals, I’ve witnessed bedlam; men crying as they feel the strain of their watered down Strongbow hit them, teenagers gurning as their first taste of illegal substances slithers down their throat, girls fighting over mirrors and enough sunburnt football tattoos to make an entire ‘This is England’ documentary. But Glastonbury is different.

Glastonbury is the mother of all festivals; it’s the Waitrose of the festival world. It has spawned a multitude of other festivals, all with the shared aim of being bigger and better but realistically, Reading, Isle of Wight and Radio 1’s Big Weekend are never going to achieve the status and power Glastonbury has managed to acquire over the years. When the Olympics took over the world last summer, nobody moaned about the public transport. Nope, because instead they were moaning about the absence of Glastonbury highlights featured on their televisions. Other festivals tried their very hardest to compensate the crowds who had given up trying to get tickets for the Olympics but few succeeded – but Glastonbury didn’t even bother to try. There was little point and after all, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” – which is certainly the case as Glastonbury tickets sold out in record time this year.

Providing those lucky enough to have wrangled a ticket with areas such as The Field of Avalon, Shangri-La and Arcadia, Glastonbury organisers have left us truly spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment location. Each area providing a different concept to the next, each stage acts as a metaphor for society, a state of consciousness.

The main stage is not only a platform for The Rolling Stones to headline the festival; no, it’s a metaphor for the corporate nonsense that hovers over the music industry. It spotlights the battle between those who are driven by money versus those who get off to the fact a crowd of thousands of people know every single one of their lyrics.
Business men put down their iPhones whilst they’re hanging at the main stage, conversations turn from the stock market to how ‘Wild Horses’ got them through their first case of heartbreak. The main stage prompts the eternal question of how long has money driven the music industry for? When did it stop being about the music and instead about the notes in Mick Jagger’s wallet?
As this question clouds your mind, the sound of one of the biggest musical acts to grace this planet drowns out any niggling voices. It doesn’t have to be like that. I can guarantee that the main stage audience will consist of people who rarely have to worry about money. When the bartender demands £7.50 for a pint of cheap cider, they’ll be the ones to give him £10, along with a drunken slur of “keep the change”. They paid for The Rolling Stones to give them a good time and that’s exactly what they’ll have.

But Glastonbury screams variety and if the main stage doesn’t tickle your fancy, there’s numerous other areas to pick from. The Silver Waves stage will be home to the likes of Nas, Rudimental and David Rodigan as crowds of people embrace the pairing of culture and music. Beats will play out as those who are usually seen filling the streets of Notting Hill come carnival time get down and dirty in the fields of Glastonbury. From what I’ve heard about this stage, I’m half expecting to see Red Stripe being sold by the dozen and 20 something year olds grinding on people they wouldn’t look twice at normally. But that’s the beauty of the festival – you lose sight of your inhibitions, no longer afraid of letting yourself go. After all, what happens at Glastonbury stays at Glastonbury…

People look different at Glastonbury; it’s about self-expression, freedom and individuality; three things which the festival itself screams.
It’s a meeting of the masses, an entanglement of races, religions, genders and sexualities. Nobody questions anyone and all are united by their difference.
There are hipster teenagers, middle aged professionals, elderly hippies, tourists, pacifists, Pagans, Christians, intellectuals, bus drivers and children all running around the festival and it is within these people that the beauty of the festival is held. Conversations flow, music accompanying an unlikely pairing of friends.

As hardcore party animals stuff pills into their cheeks like they haven’t eaten for a week, relaxed parents are laying on the grass feeding organic food to their two year old. Glastonbury truly is a meeting of minds, with everyone coming together as their worries melt away: do you really need to go to the toilet; what drugs should you be taking, should you even be taking drugs; which headline act is playing tonight, who clashes with that band you’ve wanted to see for ages; should you really leave your expensive iPod in an unlocked tent; where the hell did you leave your tent and if you’re worrying about these things, should you even be at Glastonbury?

In a simple word, the answer to that question is: YES. You should always be at Glastonbury. I can’t wait to lose my mind with the main stage audience, to bump ‘n’ grind with those getting sweaty to reggae beats, to share a comedown, and a sunset, with people I met hours before. Glastonbury is where all lost souls come together, where the rollercoaster that is your life really gets going. A musical baptism, you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced Glastonbury and I, for one, cannot wait to be enlightened.

Nobody ever plays Alanis Morissette anymore.

9pm walks through London, getting lost because I can't read the map on my phone and ending up having to ask the bouncer of a private club for directions. Tonight was what dreams are made of. Nobody has any idea what I've just been a part of, unless they were with me, but it's the nicest feeling in the world knowing that nobody knows why I'm happy but the smile on my face is making a complete stranger smile. Seeing couples kissing in Oxford Street doesn't make me cringe, it makes me laugh because I've never loved somebody so much that I'd kiss them so openly in the street like that. I have just re-discovered my first love and it's the most beautiful feeling in the world but it's writing and you can't kiss writing in the middle of the street. I would if you could though. 

I had conversations with my heroes and smoked a cigarette with the writer I most want to be like. And the writer I get told I am most like. I told them all about IAmMusic.tv and they laughed because they said everyone wants to change the world but only really determined people do. So I said that I eat determination for breakfast and they smiled, I think because they saw my eyes flash when they questioned my ambitions. Nothing bad happened though and we continued laughing and smoking until it became too cold to do anything but go inside and continue drinking really expensive cocktails that we were getting for free. 

And then lots of people said I write really well and even though I didn't necessarily believe them all, I've got a spring in my step because I've wanted this for a really long time and it feels like tonight, I've finally got it. And I actually sort of deserve it. There's a part of me that thinks I've just got lucky but the other part is telling me that this is what I've been working towards ever since I was 7 when J.K Rowling was my hero. 

So I walk towards a bar in Tottenham Court Road and I'm crying on the phone to my Mum, which never happens and she laughs and tells me off for smoking but is secretly really happy that I did because otherwise I would never have had the conversations that are making me smile and cry at the same time. I walk into the place and the barlady leads me upstairs to the 'Members Only' area and see one of my soulmates. I don't think soulmates should be limited to romantic entanglements, I think they can be anybody you connect with more so than anybody else, somebody who understands why I'm smiling when Alanis Morissette starts playing in this bar. Because nobody ever plays Alanis Morissette anymore, and it feels like it's being played especially for me because tonight is really special. And then we talk about music and drink red wine until lips turn purple and the music becomes louder because downstairs has just turned into a nightclub. For once I don't want to party, and meet boys who say things like "I like you because you're never going to fall in love with me. This is just a one night thing and we both know it, right? I like that about you because you don't want to stay around in the morning." I just want to revel in the fact that tonight has been amazing and I've hung out with pretty much every single person who I look up to and if I haven't hung out with them, I've e-mailed them. 

Driving across London, with the lights illuminating the water and realising that there is literally nothing holding me back anymore. I have e-mail addresses belonging to every single one of my heroes now and if I want to e-mail them to say hi, I can.

Then eating lasagne and drinking tea, nothing making sense because all I can think about is how tonight was just the beginning and I'm surrounded by every single person I imagine 'living the dream' with. I don't think a night will ever be as surreal as this. I'm glad. I'm not even drunk, just a tiny bit tipsy and for once, I don't mind because I don't want to forget this night, ever. I don't want to wake up in the morning with a hangover and cringe as I remember drunkenly telling somebody I shouldn't that I love them and waking up next to somebody I don't even know the name of. I just want to stay in this night forever, sat on the sofa of one of my heroes talking about how life really is beautiful sometimes.