Urban Voice UK recently spoke to the newest Atlantic UK signing Laura Izibor. At 15, she signed he first management deal and a year later she was travelling the UK, America and Europe before signing to Jive records on her 17th Birthday. We talk to her about being in the industry from a young age and her plans for 2008.


You seem like born natural when it comes to singing and performing, how did you discover that you had this talent?

“I didn’t originally want to become a singer, I wanted to be a basketball player in the WNBA and that was my childhood dream. When I was thirteen I was in my drama class and the drama teacher asked everybody to get up and sing, I’d never sang in my life and I was painfully shy as a child so as you can imagine getting up in front of the class was hard. I got up and sang and everyone said that I should really pursue it. Then I started getting my voice classically trained and at 14 my mum managed to swing me a free piano, it was really old and out of tune but I absolutely adored it. I started to play, teaching myself from the beginning, and I thought to myself if I can get out of school early doing this, then it would be pretty sweet and I did!

You’ve written a lot of material during the past four years, what thought process do you go through and who are your inspirations both personally and musically?

“I absolutely love Tina Turner as a performer and a woman. I think she has got the whole thing sussed and I love the way that she gives herself to the audience. The key element that I think I have learned from her is that it shouldn’t necessarily be about you, when you are on stage it should be about the people. Tina would definitely be the artist that I admire on a personal level. Musically, I love Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield the list goes on I just try to absorb all the song legends.”

Where you raised in a musical household and what sort of music was played?

“My Mum was busy raising five kids on her own so she wasn’t going out buying records. I suppose my sister would have been the one who bought music in, she was into Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Led Zepplin which I absorbed and loved equally. So it’s a nice fusion with the soul that I used to search for and buy with my own pocket money.”

Do you get homesick? Will we be hearing that Laura Izibor has moved over to a plush flat in Notting Hill?

“I’m a homesick baby! If I’m over here for a week and I have a day and a half off, I’ll fly home to Ireland. Although I will say that New York is fast becoming my second home, as it’s where I spend eighty per cent of my time. I also recorded my album there and have been commuting from there since I was 16, as I’m signed to the US Atlantic.”

Is there an artist whose career you admire or would you like emulate in terms of success?

“Either James Brown or Al Green, because they have their career last continuously, they get it, they’ve managed to keep their privacy and haven’t been completed exploited.”

What would be your top three tips for young people trying to get into the music industry?

Number one would be to work on your craft, and really be the best that you can be before you start trying to get in, because you can start trying to get in and your very young and naïve and you don’t know what you are writing or singing about, so really work on your songwriting, if you sing or play an instrument go and have lessons to advance as a musician. Secondly, and I know a lot of people may not want to hear this because if someone had said this to me when I was younger I would have said ‘whatever’, I think you should live a little, as the older you are the more you have to give, so take your time as there is no rush. Thirdly, I would say take control, don’t be afraid to speak up and say this is my record, this is me. Don’t be bossed around, it’s very easy, especially being a female and being young for that to happen, so when you go into the business know who you are, and be ready to put your foot down.

New artists are usually compared to other established artists in the industry, who have you been compared to?

“I’ve been compared to Alicia Keys and Joss Stone. But as I’ve said on many occasions they are both talented and successful so it’s a compliment! Obviously as an artist you want to be accepted as you, but in the beginning I know people need a reference to say she’s a little bit like this or that artist, so they can understand it better I suppose.”

If you were to do an album of duets, who would you like to feature either dead or alive?

“It would have to be Donnie Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and John Legend, that actually got me excited thinking about it, that would be so cool. Could you imagine all of those artists on one album? It would be absolutely mind-blowing.”


So that dream of doing a duet with John Legend could be nearer than you think.

“There was talk of it at one stage but he was too busy. Everyone in my life seems to have met him which is really irritating!”

Where would you like to see yourself in five years time?

“That type of question clashes with me as a person, of course I plan my life but I’m also a very today type person. I don’t even look at my schedule for the week after, I look at this week. I think it might have something to do with having an Irish mother, she taught me don’t count you chickens until they’ve hatched. In my dreams, I would like to have success in my music, and I don’t mean millions of records or number ones, I want to have a healthy strong career.”

Born in London, Teish O Days yearning to sing from the age of 3 stemmed from her mother, a professional blues singer. Traveling through America with her parents, an American Air Force Captain, Teish was thrown under their musical influences including the likes of James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald & Aretha Franklin. As Teish drifted through the American heartlands with her family, she started to absorb the culture of American Hip-hop, which became part & parcel of her development.

Returning to England, Teish yearned to put her words into practice & began her climb to success, releasing her debut album Commitment through EMI in 2001.

This impressive, musically acclaimed album, described as a mixture of eclectic fusions, comprised of a rich & elusive blend of R&B & reggae beats with subtle jazz inflections, was reminiscent of distinguished divas like Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday.

Described by The Times as the New heir to soul jazz crown with huge crossover potential.

In 2001, Teish performed at The Royal Albert Hall, at the Burt Bacharach & Hal David Tribute concert, which she describes as one of the most measurable & favourite experiences of her life. Singing a moving & heartfelt ballad written by Burt Bacharach for Dionne Warwick, Teish won over the audience with a heartfelt & breathtaking performance.

Burt Bacharach said Teish O Day is the most exciting discovery since Dionne Warwick. She has amazing control & presence.

In 2003, Teish looked for a more truthful representation of herself. After learning the business side of the music industry Teish wanted to take creative control of her own career, in order to progress & promote herself as well as other UK based artist. Teish & friends formed a company, GhetO Fabulous UK, allowing a freedom to express music without boundaries.

Fast-forward now to summer 2006, Teishs first release from her sophomore album entitled My Commitment. This beautiful laid back, soul / r&b / jazz fusion track is pure class & sophistication for the ears, so unsurprisingly is making major waves. The video for this song has received strong support from TV stations such as Channel U, OBE TV, Ben Television and especially VMX, where she has been out doing a lot of the major US artists!

"My Commitment" is now available through the following major digital music service providers: iTunes, Napster, Virgin Megastores, MSN Music Club, Sony Connect, Music Net AOL plus many more.

Matchstick's interest in music started at the age of 16 as a Jungle MC under the name Maverick. He soon changed his name to Matchstick, which rhymed, so he didn't have to change his lyrics!

He started DJing in Summer 1999 when he bought a pair of CDJ decks. In 2000 he graduated to vinyl and started spinning both formats at a wine bar in London's West End during the lunchtime rush on Fridays. His first big gig was December 2000 when he was invited to play at a university Christmas party in Brighton. In February 2001 he got a slot on South London's community radio station Bassline FM. After a brief stint on Radio 1Xtra hosting Xtra Talent (Nov 04), Matchstick now has a weekly R&B show on premier south London pirate station Whoa FM Wednesday's 10pm-12am 90.4FM.

Matchstick currently works full time for Warner Music UK taking care of the street marketing and club promotions of both Warner Brothers and Atlantic Records domestic and international repoirtoire; acts such as Sean Paul, Fat Joe, Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Kano, Craig David to name a few. Matchstick also puts on events through his promotions and event-management company. His main DJ influences are Trevor Nelson, Matt White, Tim Westwood and EZ.

Matchstick has played for several years at specialist events in night clubs up and down the country. In 2004 he was resident DJ for MOBO Unsigned. Over the last 2 years gigs have included - Manchester: Baby Grand, Papparazzi, ODM (Hidden); Liverpool: Kirklands, Mood; Leeds: Creation; Newcastle: Envy; Brighton: The Arc, The Beach, Zap; Bournemouth: The Opera House, Cardiff: Club 10, Tantra. London: Ministry of Sound (Smoove), Funky Buddha, Cirque, Equinox, Mayfair, Click, Tantra, Embassy, Pangea, Play Room (formerly 10 Room), The Yacht Club, NYT, Context Bar, Rococo, 333, Bar Rumba, Play, to name a few.

Check Out My Latest Mixtape: Mix & Match: Hip Hop Vol. 2 - Coast 2 Coast Edition

It’s been four years since the last album, and although it is clearly visible that Estelle has finally reached a place in which she is comfortable, this is by no means where she is going to stay. Having relocated to NYC, signing to John Legends Homeschool Record label and completed her second album entitled ‘Shine’ due for release in February 2008, the girl has done good.

Estelle’s sitting in Atlantic HQ chilling, her flight back to the US is scheduled within the next two hours, and although she says she is tired she is animated when she discusses her album and future plans, when asked about man of the moment Kanye, she says: “Working with Kanye was the best, he just came into the studio and did his thing, and kept going, I was like you keep on going and then I’ll have lot of material!” her affections are extended to Wyclef Jean, “He was just dope to work with, at one point he had me battling with him the studio.”
Next month sees the release of new single ‘Wait a Minute Pause’, produced by Will.I.Am of Black Eyed Peas fame, the video has just been completed and is most certainly going to be on heavy rotation. Although Estelle is now based in the US, she is still a Brit girl through and through, and isn’t about to change: “Being British makes me different, especially in the music industry, everyone’s main marketing strategy is to be different because there is too much of the same thing, and that is a big thing for me, rapping in an English accent, because we never get respect, so if I’m still able to do that then it’s all good.”
Born of a Senegalese mother and father from Grenada, Estelle grew up in West London in a large family that consisted of eight brothers and sisters and an extended family of cousins. Her mum and dad were massive reggae fans and she spent her childhood listening to her parent’s records and her aunt’s soul collection. Then she discovered Hip Hop. “I got into Hip Hop from my uncle, he was always playing us Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane”.
All these childhood influences have played an integral part of Estelles genetic make-up as an artist, after a brief spell as music journalist and producer Estelle realised that being a n artist was her forte “No matter what I tried to do the music just kept calling me back, I tried lots of other avenues but I knew that music was really where I was supposed to be, and I think that’s important.” “It’s not all about being an artist or a musician, as we need more black women and men in the industry, we need more young people that have grown up knowing what we know and living where we have lived. We are taking our music to these labels and they’re not listening because we don’t have our foot in the door, and they are hiring these ten year olds that know rock music because their dad’s have educated them about it, that’s why that industry is selling because that’s the music they understand.” Estelle continues animatingly elaborating; “Not all of our kids are artists or producers, but a lot of them can run A&R, Press and Marketing.
Why are we not in the industry? Why are our fathers not telling us about what it’s like to be in the industry? Our parents act like they know music; they claim this is our ‘ting’ then why are we not pushing our kids to figure out the business of music?”
With this attitude and passion Estelle has carved her career on her terms, and is now reaping the rewards, and the album shows the growth, it’s clearly evident that it’s Estelle’s time to ‘shine’.

Angela Phillips