Rudimental collaborator Anne-Marie is embarking on her first solo UK tour later this month and she’s stopping off at The Bodega. We caught up with her ahead of the gig to chat about touring, karate and the year ahead.
You started out performing at a young age and obviously in the last few years you have been constantly on the road with Rudimental. How do you think these experiences have helped to shape the artist you’ve become?
In every single way possible. It’s taught me how to perform, how to be confident, how to use my voice and keep it consistent. Also, being on the road with Rudimental, they were always playing old and new music after the shows on the tour bus and that has definitely helped me create my sound too.
We’ve been loving ‘Karate’ in the office, and what’s so charming about it is that we know from various online sources that you actually do kick-ass at karate. Do you think if singing had never happened for you, you’d still be doing it?
I still do it (when I get the time)! Whenever I’m back in Essex I go and train. But that’s hardly ever now. If singing weren’t happening then yeah I definitely would still be working hard at karate. I already have some teaching diplomas in it so would’ve continued to do that and maybe eventually had opened my own club! Maybe one day I still can. A new style of karate that blends my music with karate haha!
The back catalogue of people that you have worked with is so impressive. Who else would you love to collaborate with one day?
I’d love to work with Kendrick, Frank Ocean, The Internet, or Alanis Morisette!
This is your first ever solo headline tour. What can we expect from it?
I guess a very raw performance. People who will be coming to see me will be seeing some of my first ever shows so it will be very fresh for me and new. There’ll probably be some mistakes but I kinda like that. Also I’ll be singing more songs from my album so they’ll get an insight into that too! It will be fun like always!
As someone who’s been on the road a lot recently we imagine you must have a haven of music playlists to keep you entertained. Which other artists are you loving right now?
Right now, I’m loving listening to The Internet, Jack Garrat, Swindle.
What’s next for Anne-Marie? What do you hope 2016 has in store for you?
Well I’ll be the Rudimental boy’s support act on tour this year and during that I’ll be bringing out some more singles before my album drops in the summer!!
Anne-Marie plays The Bodega on Friday 29th January. Click here for tickets.