‘For ages I was too shy to say what I wanted to do, but you have to speak things into existence.
You’ve said you’re not embarrassed to say that you want to be successful. Why is that?
‘For ages I was too shy to say what I wanted to do, but you have to speak things into existence. And the busier you get, the more responsibilities you have to hand over, so I need to be honest about what it is that I want. I think if you’re young and you want to be successful, tell everyone.’
What did you learn from your parents [musician Neneh Cherry and producer Cameron McVey] about music?
‘They taught me from a young age that any frustration or sadness I had could be turned into something amazing through music. I was a sensitive kid and struggled a lot with social anxiety. Without the difficult emotions that I sometimes battle with, I don’t think I’d be able to do what I do. I try to be really open and honest about it in the hope that other people will feel comfortable talking about mental health, too.’
Is it true that you kept your songwriting a secret from your mum and dad?
This story is from the December 2017 edition of Marie Claire - UK.
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This story is from the December 2017 edition of Marie Claire - UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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