Yola

A true star on the rise, Yola is a name you won’t soon forget. The British country-soul singer-songwriter just debuted her newest record, Walk Through Fire, and we talked to her about the making of the repeat-worthy release.

Take us back to the beginning; what has your musical journey been like so far?

My musical journey has been one that has been fraught with commitment issues, it seems. When I was a kid, I spent my time hiding my true musical affiliations and trying to fit in. It wasn’t cool to be into classic country music in the South west of England in the 90s. Music was tribal at that time and although many people had eclectic tastes, you had to pick sides from time to time. It made it harder to start out. I tried my hand singing jazz, singing over dance music and neo soul music, just trying to fit in. I don’t think anyone really understood my voice at that time. Soon, I turned to being behind the scenes, writing lyrics and melodies that were essentially soul and gospel and then reworking them for clients. It was a round about way of doing what I already did naturally, but never close enough.

Tell us about your upcoming single, Love All Night (Work All Day) – what’s the story behind the track?

I used to work a whole host of jobs when I was starting out. I washed dishes, worked in a call center, and taught music workshops to kids from all walks of life. This song is about people that work hard to be able to do what they love the rest of the time. In an industry that is seeing an increasing gulf between the rich and poor when it comes to artists that reach the top flights of music, this is an ode to the artist who didn’t have rich parents or a trust fund to help them in the difficult times.

What’s the creative process usually like for you?

Usually, my creative process involves sitting on a couch with a guitar on my belly, half watching something meditative like David Attenborough shows while half strumming and half mumbling something that turns into a verse, a chorus or a hook. I let it come to me organically. It’s usually at some ungodly hour where the film between the conscious and unconscious is at its most ambiguous. Of course, for this record, I returned to my collaborative mind. We sat round a table talking about the long and winding road of my life and put that journey to music.

How would you describe your personal sound? Who are some of your biggest influences?

When you listen to the album, you’ll get the idea that describing what I do in terms of genre can get longwinded. There are classic forms of country, country-soul, soul, roots, pop, pop-rock and even a ballad on this record. These genres are very closely linked, so the transition is easy enough to make. I loved acts like Sheryl Crow, Dolly, Aretha, Beck, Mavis, Tina, CSNY, The Byrds and The Everly Brothers!

Overall, what do you hope listeners take away from your music?

I just want listeners to feel what I’m feeling. It’s so important to me to bring the visceral nature of listening to music to an album, to have the listener connect with the lyrics of the feeling I was trying to get across in my delivery. Sharing an emotion is the act of empathy and I think that’s important in the world we live in today.

When it comes to stage presence, which artist(s) do you take inspiration from?

I have a few heroes that I take inspiration from. I love Dolly’s stage banter and her easy-going joking way. I really took a lot from that into the way I am, live. I think I try to channel Janis Joplin in my moments of high energy and, almost polar to that, I try to channel Aretha in my more serene moments.

Any special message for your fans?

Just a heartfelt thank you to my fans for being patient as I found the right people to work with on this record. I took my time making sure everything was right and you all gave me that time. I can’t do this without all of your love and support!