Hi guys hope everyone is good! I've been off for a couple weeks on holiday in St. Vincent. It was quite blissful... I went snorkelling with turtles, swam with stingrays and just generally relaxed. It gave me a lot of time to think about the last few months and the next few coming up - 'cos I have got a lot of work to do!
Even though I was officially on 'me' time when I was away, I can never fully switch off and I had a hundred different ideas buzzing round in my head! I'm not gonna lie, this is my second album now and there is that age old stigma attached to the 'difficult' second album! There are gonna be a lot of eyeballs on me, and I would be lying if I didn't say I am feeling the pressure.
I'm a creative artist, and one that wants to be really involved with the planning and execution of my music (which has probably meant I've put a few noses out of joint in the past...lol!) and I'm a perfectionist, which is why I am thankful that I've been given a bit of breathing space to really get this record right. I've come to terms that I'm not the sort of artist that is gonna put out an album a year - I just don't work like that. And I'm cool with that you know - I've learnt to be comfortable in my own skin and really focus on making music that I am passionate about. It took a lot of time for me to come up with the album name but this was something that was important to me. This album is my baby, it's my art and I am so ready to tour and promote it you know. We're only just getting stuck in!
We shot the video for my second single Let It Go last week and no doubt some of you have read the reports that I got myself into a bit of hot water filming it...let's just say that it was a bit hairy at times and there may have been a couple of occasions where we may not have had permission to film where we did...but at least you know when you watch the video that all that adrenalin you see is REAL!
The song is about letting go of negativity and the various issues surrounding that, and I really wanted to keep the overall theme very 'British' and keep it very real. It was important to me to have elements of this theme running through it, and with the Olympics taking over London this year I thought it all just fitted together perfectly. That then led onto me thinking...what is one really key stereotypical London element that runs through us all? And then I was like - London transport! You notice that all Londoners have one thing in common - even if conversation is dead if one person pipes us about their 'horrendous' journey into work on the Underground or how that 'bloody' bus didn't turn up...and then all of a sudden conversation is flowing! Ha!
So we worked this into the theme and thats why some of the video is shot on the Underground in central London...it was an interesting experience to say the least!
So between the nerves and anxiety of wondering what you are all gonna think about the album, I'm pleased to say that we are very nearly there with finishing it. I reckon we've got a couple more tracks to nail and then we will be good. So until next time...take it easy. AB X