www.musicweek.com INTERVIEW LABRINTH WILD CHILDL
TALENT n BY RHIAN JONES
abrinth is the exception to the rule. As the only non-X Factor act on Syco’s roster, the young singer/songwriter is the label’s sole
artist that’s been signed and developed from the ground-up without first being tested in front of the nation. And after hitting No.2 with his gold- certified debut album Electronic Earth in 2012, the pressure must surely be on for its follow-up. Not so much. Spare a few anxious moments, the 25-year- old is pretty placid. “One thing I said to myself is if it doesn’t work,
then I did what I wanted to do. Why not do what you believe is right, than something that you think people want to hear? You usually end up unhappy when you do that. I’ve had moments where I was unhappy - every time I was like, ‘Okay I’m going to write a straightforward pop song that I know people are going to sing to high heaven and be like, ‘Lab, what an amazing song - but I hate it!’” Titled Take Me To The Truth, Labrinth’s
second album is out in spring next year and consists largely of music he’s “always wanted to make”. Shying away from big pop producers and fellow artist collaborators (despite writing sessions with Ed Sheeran, Sia and Emeli Sandé), it’s a product of lone producing, writing and recording sessions – save a little help from string arranger Gustave Rudman, engineer Danny Allen, Clean Bandit’s Grace Chatto and Jamie Cullum. “I have no idea how it’s going to do commercially but I thought if I died and didn’t make some of the things that I’ve always wanted to make, then what’s the point? Why am I doing this? I want people to feel a reality of where I’m from and my background and what’s really going on in my head instead of using industry briefs or fitting into the mould and going, ‘Okay ‘90s house is popular so I’ll make a ‘90s house track because I know it will sell.’ That is boring for me; I constantly need a challenge musically. This album was challenging, but I’d rather it be that way than a smooth [process].” Growing up in North London with nine
brothers and sisters (“my house was like London Underground in the morning”), Labrinth, aka Timothy McKenzie, started making music aged 13. At 18 he was mentoring disadvantaged kids in Dalston at the Urban Development Vocal Collective (UDVC) alongside producing work for artists including JLS and Pixie Lott. It’s where he met Naughty Boy’s manager, Riki Bleau, who introduced him to Tim Blacksmith and Danny D of Tim & Danny Music (who manage Stargate). The duo signed him after hearing what was to be his debut single, Let The Sun Shine, then set up a publishing deal with EMI. Says Labrinth: “We ended up connecting with [Sony/ATV president of UK and European creative] Guy Moot and it just felt right. Me and Guy got on like a house on fire instantly. He’s been massively supportive.” Disenchanted by briefs from record labels that
Hackney-born singer, songwriter and producer, Labrinth, is at some point going to release his long-awaited second album (at the time of going to print, spring 2015 was the official word). After spending 18 months in the studio “throwing paint at a canvas” we find out what’s taking so long
asked for “tracks that sound like Beyoncé”, alongside manager Marc Williams, Labrinth decided to make something new – “commercially cool urban music”. From that idea spawned Tinie Tempah’s Pass Out, which reached No.1 on the UK Singles Chart, and then follow-up Frisky (No.2). After asking him to produce for X Factor artists,
Syco encouraged him to take the artist route and offered a record deal instead.
28.11.14 Music Week 15
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