The R&B-wrangler carving her own path.
Taken from the 10th Birthday Issue of Wonderland.
Jacket by ICEBERG and t shirt by RIVER ISLAND
“Today, I played her some new stuff and… it’s not crying, it’s sobbing when I put it on, so I’m still hesitant when it comes to playing her my music.” It turns out “her” is none other than 90s sass-rap queen and pop producer Neneh Cherry. Imagine reducing “her” to tears…
With a childhood spent surrounded by the 90s icons we now fetishise in the name of throwback, McVey was raised on an intravenous music diet. But it wasn’t until she hit 16, while studying music production in Stockholm, that she was ready to share her sound. “I just kept it to myself,” says McVey with a coy smile. “I was sort of waiting for it to go away, the urge. I didn’t think it was going to be serious.”
Refreshingly self-deprecating despite her enviable genes (her dad is Cameron McVey, famed for his production work with the likes of Portishead and All Saints), McVey says she’s reluctant to be labelled a rock star baby. “I’m really proud of the things my parents have done, but I didn’t really want them to become a part of my thing,” she explains. “Saying that Destiny’s Child and Lauryn Hill are my biggest inspirations in a really cool music school in Stockholm – where everybody just listens to indie – is the biggest taboo ever!” she laughs.
Photographer: Rory DCS
Fashion: Isabella Brunner
Makeup: Jaimee Thomas
Hair: Shiori Takahashi
Words: Lily Walker