There’s a new female popstar in town and she’s ready to take on what the industry has to throw at her.
BB Diamond is a name and a face that you might not yet recognise, but may have already subconciously heard. The latest signing to Turn First’s roster, the management team behind artists such as Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora, she has been shyly honing her craft as a backing singer for Jess Glynne, Katy B and Ella Henderson, but 2015 is her turn to shine bright as the solo star. We caught up with the Southend starlet ahead of her London gig this week, to talk pop domination, pressure to succeed and her brand new track “Instinct”.
You seem to have a pretty extensive musical CV – tell us how this all happened for you?
While I was living and studying music in London, I met some great musicians who became friends and we grew together in bands and various projects. Quite a lot of them went on to perform for various artists, one of which was my good friend who played keys for Katy B. He overheard them say they were looking for a backing singer for Katy and thought I should give it a go so put my name forward. From that point more opportunities came in, one being an audition for Jess Glynne, who I was also a fan of, and then went on to perform and tour with for over a year.
What did you learn from supporting artists such as Jess Glynne, Ella Henderson and Katy B?
Loads! For starters the sheer talent these artists have is incredible, the hard work ethic and determination of them all was inspiring. Especially spending so much time with Jess and seeing her career grow and grow was a massive inspiration to me.
Are you concerned about constantly being compared to other female artists in the industry?
Far from saying it’s a concern, I think it would be an honour to be compared to other female artists in the industry! The female artist game is and always has been strong. Being an artist or being creative often starts with inspiration, all I can do is be my version of the things I’m inspired by. So you will always find comparisons as I take influence from people I might be compared with.
What was the first record you ever bought?
“Gangsters Paradise” by Coolio, and it’s still a TUNE! I remember it coming out and being obsessed, having it on repeat rocking my CD walkman and making sure I didn’t dance too hard as the CD would skip!
And the last record you purchased?
“Drive” – Dornik. I think he’s amazing and I heard this track on BBC 1Xtra and downloaded it straight away.
If you had to be a Spice Girl, which one would you be?
Mel C aka Sporty Spice, as she got to wear trainers all the time and could do backflips and stuff which I could never do! Also she got to do a track with Left Eye which was sick!
Turn First have an incredible reputation for managing a successful roster, which includes Rita Ora and Ellie Goulding. Do you feel any pressure do well because of this?
Yes of course I feel a little bit of pressure but only from myself as The Turn First team are amazing, a real family that are so supportive and are so dedicated to all their artists. I’m a huge fan of the acts on Turn First so as cliche as it sounds it really was a dream come true when I signed my deal with them.
If you had to collaborate with any other artists, either living or dead, who would be your first choice?
Micheal Jackson and Justin Timberlake! MJ was the man who made me want to sing and perform. I was mesmerised by him and his music and I always use him as a constant reference to me when making music. For me JT is a great modern day adaptation of MJ and I think he is amazing! I even loved him back in his NSYNC days.
And what do you think the outcome of that collaboration would sound like?
Mainly me ruining every take from crying or close to passing out at the fact that I’m doing a track with these legends.
We’re loving your debut track “Instinct” – is this a good indication of things to come from you and your sound?
It’s a good intro into one side of me and my music. I’m genuinely hoping that what’s to come will continue to evolve but hopefully listeners will always identify with me and my sound. I’m so eager and excited to get more music out there and performing live as much as I can.
What designers or brands are you loving at the moment?
My look has a bit of a tomboy edge so I love brands that are very much unisex. Myself and my stylist Rikki Finlay really collaborate on my look. I mainly live in Nike trainers! I’m really into Astrid Anderson and Nasir Mazhar. I like teaming high end brands with High street. I’m always on ASOS and Topshop but I think my look will constantly evolve as I love trying new looks and am keen to support British clothing brands too; emerging or established.
What else can we expect from you in 2015?
I’m working on a number of collaborations, but in this industry I’ve already learned you never know where the path is going to lead you – the main thing is to admire the scenery along the way. I’m really excited about my next single which will be out later this year, it’s a real feel-good, get you dancing track. So more music and more live performances.
BB Diamond will be playing the Vice House Party at Old Blue Last on Friday July 3 – free Entry.