“I just want it touch people. I don’t care about money, I don’t care about fame, I just want my music to touch people” – GEORGIE
Nottingham rising star GEORGIE has been a busy bee of late. Not only has she released her second single, ‘Hard Times,’ just over a month ago, but she has also just finished touring with Jake Bugg. Bitter Sweet Symphonies’ Emily Leonard caught up with the singer-songwriter at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall to ask her a few questions…
So I know tonight is the last show… I suppose a good question to start with is how would you say tour has gone?
The tour has gone good. I’ve properly enjoyed it… properly? Is that even a word? [laughs] No I’ve really enjoyed if! It’s great to be on the road and great to support Jake [Bugg] again!
Speaking of Jake, this is your second time touring as support for him and he has quite the following, how does that feel for you?
It’s amazing. It’s amazing that he’s invited me back, I’ve done loads of shows with him now. Obviously he has the tunes and he’s very well known so it’s good to be part of that and everyone is so great. All I’m doing really is stealing his fans [laughs] but it’s nice that I am stealing his fans and he’s super kind to let me! It’s nice that people are hopefully getting on board and enjoying it, that’s why you do it.
I know you were supposed to do a small headline tour earlier on in 2017 but unfortunately had to cancel, can we hope for a Georgie tour in 2018 at all?
Yes! I think so. I think they’ll be so many shows next year. Some support tours as well maybe.
Not to compare you to anyone but I feel you have similarities in your vocals to well-renowned artists like Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin, and I recall hearing you perform a Janis Joplin song whilst on tour with Jake Bugg in 2016. I personally absolutely adored it – would you ever consider releasing a cover?
Yes! I think if you connect to a song artistically as well, there’s songs you feel like you could have written yourself. I think it’s kind of cool to release a cover! I guess you get the heavy influences of what inspire these artists to write and to sing so I think that’s cool.
I know you’re a solo artist but you do also have a regular backing band, do you miss them when you’re touring acoustically?
Yes that’s a good question actually, you don’t get asked that a lot! Because playing solo, it’s just me and Mark [Georgie’s tour manager] it does get lonely sometimes. I’m back here in my own where normally you come off together and you can share that pumped feeling together as well! I do love playing acoustic though, it’s how I started out! It’s how I write my songs, it’s how I first started, so yeah, I love both, but company wise I do proper miss them. They’ll be hopefully more shows with them next year so that’ll be nice!
Ok, so now for some random and silly questions. If you were an animal, what animal would you choose to be?
Defo a tiger! I think they’re just amazing, beautiful creatures! I love dogs though. I was gonna say dogs, so it’d be a dog or a tiger. Maybe like a mixture. A tigog, I’ll be a tigog. [laughs]
Christmas is around the corner – do you have a favourite Christmas tune?
Fairytale of New York. Is it too early to start listening to Christmas songs? I started two days ago, I was like, it’s time! I do love a bit of that Mariah Carey one as well and I love Wham as well!
‘Hard Times’ and ‘This Ain’t Heaven’ are more acoustic and soft tunes, whereas ‘Company Of Thieves’ is more upbeat kind of pop/rocky. I get the impression that your talents allow you to be diverse in your music, can we expect any more styles from you? For example, Country or Soul?
That again is a really good question. It’s weird as a song writer like when I go to write a song, I don’t think of the genre of it, I just write. I don’t think I’m going to write a country song or a rock song, it just comes out and I think because I’ve been brought up with such a variety of music that can make a difference. For me, I’d just release loads of different songs, but I suppose at some point you have to put it together as an album and you can’t have it too spread out but I think the voice can also string it all together as well.
As a fan of yours, I know you’re an avid whiskey drinker – what’s your favourite brand?
Ah the answer to that is that it’s just too hard to choose. I mean look at this. I have 1…2…3…4 different whiskeys in my dressing room [laughs] I like this one (Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey) it’s got honey in so it’s medicinal. [laughs]
Lastly, you’ve released only a couple of singles so far, can we expect many more songs from you next year? Maybe even an album?
Definitely! Definitely! I mean it would be lovely to put an album out, there will be an album out! The songs are all written and there are more songs to be written so there’ll definitely be more singles early next year. I know it was a long wait between ‘Company Of Thieves’ and ‘Hard Times,’ so I’ll make sure it won’t be as long next time.
The latest single ‘Hard Times’ is out now via Soul Kitchen Recordings – and is available to purchase on iTunes here.
