ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – REBECCA FERGUSON
It was a real joy to chat with Liverpool-born soul songstress Rebecca Ferguson, at such an exciting time of her career. Following a sellout show at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Rebecca is now gearing up for the release of ‘Heaven Part II’, her first album in seven years.
From the get-go, Rebecca’s love for Liverpool shone through our conversation. When constantly travelling to London for her career, she confessed that she just wanted to be home in Liverpool: “You can’t get away from your roots; I’m proud of where I’m from and it’s helped shape my music. What makes Liverpool special is the morals and integrity of the people here. We stand up for things and we care for people.”
Talking about musical memories, Rebecca shares “I loved the dance scene in Liverpool and DJs like Lee Butler. I remember listening to a show from The Paradox (once a well-known club in Aintree) on a Saturday night, which I loved. Before that I grew up on Tracey Chapman, my Mum used to play her a lot around the house.”
The last time Rebecca played in Liverpool was also a pretty special occasion, performing at the Eurovision semi-final in front of a packed arena and millions of television viewers. We witnessed an absolutely stunning duet with Ukrainian singer Alyosha, a memory Rebecca will always cherish: “It was amazing to be part of Eurovision, it was such a big thing for the whole city. To be honest, I’m still not sure how I did it so soon after having my baby, but I’m so glad I did it. Everyone in Liverpool should be proud of the great job the city did.”
We move on to talk about ‘Heaven Part II’, released twelve years to the day after her debut LP ‘Heaven’ (with beautiful artwork by Liverpool-based artist Troika). Not only is it one of the finest representations of Rebecca’s career to date, it is also the first time Rebecca has self-released her own music. “It’s been tough to do it completely independently” she confides, “I had to learn a lot. However, it’s been fascinating to see how it all works; I feel empowered now knowing so much more about the process and the business side of putting records out. Most importantly, I’m really happy that I own it. I’ve never been able to say that before, but with this record I can do whatever I want with it. That’s liberating.”
She continues, “I’m not saying people should never sign with a record label. Sometimes artists need that support, and in the past record companies have been good at putting money into young musicians to help them breakthrough. At the moment though, I’m not even sure they are investing in artists like that – they seem to be more interested in Tik Tok stars.”
Rebecca is rightfully proud of the album. It’s a varied but cohesive collection showcasing the full range of her songwriting and vocal skills. The opener ‘Digging for Gold’ is the standout track for me, boasting a brilliant arrangement and an amazing vocal. “It’s a really personal song for me and reminds me of home. It’s about trying to get by day by day when times are tough: struggling to pay your bills while dreaming about digging for gold. People trying to do their best and getting by through sheer strength.”
I really like the fact that the record surprised me; it’s clear Rebecca hasn’t just settled for giving people what they expect: “I did feel that with this album I had to move it on a bit. It’s definitely different. When I look at artists I admire who have had long careers, like Madonna, they never stand still. So, I really pushed myself to work with different producers and to not go back to what I’d always done before.
I’ve always managed to keep creative control, despite others attempts to bully me into things. But with this, I was more selective about songs and took longer over the writing. I think it’s much more relaxed and organic than anything I’ve done before.’
Irrespective of how it does, Rebecca says she is proud of the album, and rightly so. I ask if it is really her final album, as billed: “I honestly don’t know. When I wrote it, I’d had enough of the industry. Now I’ve done this record independently I feel like I have more power, so we will see. It definitely won’t be my last involvement in music.”
As someone who’s struggles within the music industry have been well documented, I asked Rebecca what advice she’d give to young artists embarking on a career. “Above all, I’d say learn the business. Keep the dream of music, but spend one day a week studying this side of things. It’s so much better to be empowered in knowing what you are doing with your own career. I once worked with Madonna’s make-up artist and she told me that Madonna knows where every penny is spent. That’s how she stays in control.”
We finished by talking about Liverpool again, as we seemed to many times throughout: “When I play at home it’s so nice. A good show is always about the people, and these are Liverpool people, so it’s going to be the best it can possibly be! These are crowds that have come out to have a good time. I usually get a bit nervous on the night, but as soon as I get on stage I know the crowd are there for me. They’re cheering you on, they want you to do well and they aren’t judging you.”
Written by Kevin McManus
Rebecca Ferguson – ‘Heaven Part II’ is out on Tuesday 5th December. If you missed her at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Rebecca will be embarking on a UK tour in 2024. Stay up to date by following Rebecca here.
