9 minute read
LUCY SPRAGGAN
from ISSUE 44 STEPS
by GNI MAG
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LUCY
SPRAGGAN
SHE’S LIKE THE GIRL NEXT DOOR WHO SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER. OUR DANIEL CAUGHT UP WITH LUCY SPRAGGAN. THEY TALKED ABOUT HER NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SINGLE - SOBER, AND THE EMOTIONAL VIDEO THAT HAD THEM BOTH IN TEARS.
SHE TALKS ABOUT TAKING LIFE IN MODERATION, SETTING GOALS AND HOW HER FULLY REWIRED PLAN HELPED HER TURN HER LIFE AROUND. AFTER TOURING FOR 13 MONTHS SOLID AND THE END OF HER MARRIAGE SHE IS NOW HAPPILY IN A NEW RELATIONSHIP. WITH HER BIG 30TH ON THE HORIZON SHE’S TAKING CONTROL OF HER LIFE - INCLUDING BARING IT ALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA...
SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK WITH NEW MATERIAL, I HEARD THE NEW SINGLE SOBER WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME, OMG I LOVE IT, IT IS SO STRIPPED BACK AND HONEST. WHEN DID YOU WRITE IT? AND WAS THIS ALWAYS PLANNED TO BE THE FIRST SINGLE?
No, I wrote it the first week I got sober. And it wasn’t even ever really considered to be anything, this song, apart from an album track. I was celebrating like, 15 months sober or something when we released it, and I was just like... Well, before I’d said, “We should put this out.” And I had an idea for the video, I don’t know if you’ve seen the video... Yeah, well, that was the idea for that, I think. It all just kind of came together.
THE VIDEO HAD ME AN EMOTIONAL WRECK. HOW WAS MAKING IT? WHERE THEY GENUINE TEARS OR WHERE ANY TRICKS NEEDED?
No, that’s genuine, genuine. But in fact, that was the first take, that whole one, and it’s funny because the makeup artist and the director were like, “Okay, we’re gonna do this one with no tears. So, they hit record, and started playing the track, and I just started crying. I’m like, you know when someone says, “Don’t cry”, you’re like, “Oh well, you just pushed me to the edge.”
I HAVE BEEN STALKING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, HAVE TO SAY YOU ARE LOOKING AMAZING, WHAT A TRANSFORMATION, I AM SO ENVIOUS OF THAT 6 PACK LOL, HAVE YOU REACHED YOUR GOAL?
I mean, I didn’t really have a weight loss goal in mind. It just kind of happened. And my lifestyle was incredibly active. So I like the way that I look. I always want to lift heavier weights. I don’t have any goals. It’s really funny, because we’ve become a, kind of, goal-based society. And I have goals in certain aspects. When it comes to personal improvement, if you set a goal, often you’re either working towards the wrong thing by accident, and you don’t even know it, or you’re pushing yourself too hard. So, for me, fitness and my body is an interchanging creature that will never stay the same. So, I guess it’s very fluid.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO SAY THIS IS A COMPLETE LIFESTYLE CHANGE AND NOT A QUICK FIX, ANYONE THAT HASN’T JOINED THE DOTS FROM THE SINGLE NAME, YOU NO LONGER DRINK ALCOHOL. TELL US WHEN YOU STARTED TO MAKE CHANGES AND WAS THERE A SPECIFIC EVENT THAT MADE YOU REEVALUATE THINGS?
Well, it was towards the end of my marriage, and I had been touring for like 13 months solid. And everything was really stressful, and I kind of noticed myself getting more and more pissed, and more, like, trying to take the edge off with all kinds of stuff. And, ultimately, there was this one night out that was just too much drama, too much bullshit. And I woke up the next day and I was like, “I’m not doing this anymore.” And I didn’t.
GOOD ON YOU. SO, IS IT FAIR TO SAY YOU WOULD HAVE TURNED TO DRINK WHEN THINGS WERE TOUGH? SOME PEOPLE, DON’T EAT, OTHERS OVERDO IT, WERE YOU TURNING TO ALCOHOL AND THINGS?
Rather than being an emotional whatever-er, whether that’s eating, whether that’s fitness, whether that’s alcohol. My issue is with moderation. I find it really hard to moderate my own emotions, and I find it really hard to moderate how much alcohol I should have, or how much food I should have.
YOU SOUND LIKE ME WITH CADBURY’S CHOCOLATE.
Oh yeah, that’s it. I’m like, that’s the balance I try to find in my life. Because I don’t need to drink, because actually, it doesn’t offer me any improvement whatsoever. And I’m confident, and I don’t need to have a bravado or being a sort of... But with food, it’s as though I’m trying to find that balance in my life, where I’m like, “Okay, I can have that thing. I don’t need to eat the whole of that thing. And it’s the same really, you know, with fitness. I like to workout a lot, but I don’t need to workout to the point where I’m in pain, you know?
TELL OUR READERS ABOUT YOUR FULLY REWIRED PLAN AND HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED.
Fully Rewired is just all the things that I did to sort of change my entire way of thinking. That’s why it’s called Fully Rewired, because it’s about re-establishing your connection and your wiring with food and exercise, and the things that you have issues with moderation in. It also tells you the things not to do, which were some of the things I would do. Like, eating 1200 calories a day was just a joke, and a stupid thing, dangerous thing, to do. It’s teaching people about energy in, energy out. And just trying to sort your mental health out, as well as your physical health. I went to training and there were bodybuilders who struggle every single day to eat anything, because they’re scared of the effect that
it will have on their body. So, it’s about finding a balance, and beginning to really understand who you are.
YOU HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL LATELY ABOUT NORMAL THINGS LIKE LOOSE SKIN AND SAGGY TITS, BRAVO, I LOVE THIS AND WISH MORE INFLUENCERS WOULD BE AS OPEN. I WONDER WHAT YOUR TEAM BEHIND YOU SAYS WHEN YOU TELL THEM YOU ARE GOING TO ALMOST BARE IT ALL LOL
Well, I don’t run, per se... A lot of people are like, “Oh, the label” Or my management. As if they work for those people. But ultimately, those people work for me. And if I fuck up in any sense, I will take the flak for that. And, you know, they are all really supportive. To be honest with you, my PR people and the label are just like, “Fucking hell, sometimes it looks like you know exactly what you’re doing on social media.” And to be quite honest, I do.
YOU TAKE COMPLETE OWNERSHIP, CALLING YOUR BOOBS, EMPTY WRAPPERS AND PANCAKE TITS THOUGH YOU STILL GET NEGATIVITY FROM TROLLS, YOU SEEM THICK SKINNED FOR THE MOST PART, TELL OUR READERS HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT?
Well, first of all, I’m not thick-skinned. Fundamentally, un-thick (laughs). Totally, paper, wafer thin human being. A complete sensitive empath. And so, recently I’ve realised that I can’t keep fighting the battle against all the negative comments. So, I actually have somebody who moderates and comments on Facebook for me, because Facebook is a cesspit of middle aged trolls. So, Instagram can be friendlier, but also get quite a bit of shit on there. So, I will actually just try to find a balance, where I can still interact with people. But I’m no longer checking my message requests. It’s funny, because people are like, “Oh, you should be less sensitive and more thickskinned.” And I’m like, “No, everybody should stop being a fucking piece of shit everyday.”
ARE YOU SEEING ANYONE ATM FOR SINGLE AND READY TO MINGLE LOL
I’m in a relationship.
OH, ARE YOU? I DIDN’T KNOW THAT. CONGRATULATIONS.
Thank you very much. She’s very hot.
IS THIS SOMETHING RELATIVELY NEW, OR WAS THIS ALSO KIND OF PRECOVID?
It was a pre-Covid thing. Yeah, I just wanted to be really, really open about all aspects of my life...
THAT’S BOUND TO HAVE PASSED A LOT OF TIME THEN DURING LOCKDOWN LOL WINK WINK
Well yeah. But, I just guessed it’s really important to, like, keep a bit of stuff for yourself. So that’s why I’ve not been... yeah.. I would never want a makeup or to go through a public breakup ever again.
SO TOURING, ALL BEING WELL YOU WILL BE GIGGING BEFORE THE YEAR IS OUT, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?
Oh, I can’t wait. I can’t wait. Like, who knows where the country’s going to be, and everyone’s in some kind of tier somewhere. It’s sort of a mess, but nobody else seems to be doing this, or putting their foot in the door to get it going, get it moving. So, we just decided, like, fuck it, let’s just go for it. I think if it can go ahead, it’ll be amazing.
THE ALBUM WILL BE OUT NEXT YEAR, AND YOU CAN PRE ORDER ONLINE, IS IT ALL GETTING READY TO GO OR HAVE YOU SOME WORK STILL TO DO?
Yeah, it’s ready, it was supposed to be out in October. So, it’s been ready for a long time, but it was just the production of physical vinyl’s and CDs. Obviously, the factories were closed for three months. So, we’re just on their waiting list. So, we are back up and running for February.
YOU ARE 30 NEXT YEAR, ASSUMING THAT COVID WILL BE A DISTANT MEMORY HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE?
I’m not really sure. Probably, I might go out to Vegas. I have a few friends out in Vegas, and I just think it’s one of those times you want to just go out and do something kind of drastic.
ABOUT CELEBRATING, XMAS IS A FEW WEEKS AWAY, HOW WILL YOU SPEND IT?
I don’t have any plans. You know, I’m like the same thing as the tourists, just waiting to see what the governments say. But like, as long as I have some box of Roses or Celebrations or something like that, and loads of food, I literally don’t care. I don’t even care about being here just with the dog.
WOULD YOU NORMALLY GO TO FAMILY, FRIENDS ETC FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER AND THINGS?
Yeah, I kind of dart around a few different houses, but obviously that’s not an option this year. So, maybe it’ll just be me, gorging under the blankets, on my own.
AND LASTLY, YOU CAME OUT AT ONLY 14 YEARS OLD WHICH IS EXTREMELY YOUNG, SO MUCH HAS CHANGED THANKFULLY FOR THE BETTER IN TERMS OF EQUALITY THOUGH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE STILL STRUGGLE WITH THEIR SEXUALITY, ANY WORDS OF WISDOM?
I think it would be that whoever judges you, based on who you love, is a fucking dick anyway. As hard as it is to hear - that just, it’s so unfair, and you’re just worth so much more than that somebody who would ever do that. I think the other thing is, just giving yourself time. You know, I think everybody shouldn’t be in such a rush. And just give yourself time to work out who you are, and don’t feel like you have to put yourself in any kind of box. I feel like we should live in a world where you don’t have to come out.
