The release of Lucy Rose’s second album, Work It Out, is very close on the horizon, and the singer has taken fans by storm this year. She’s stepped it up a gear and shuffled things around with a new sound – but the ethos behind her song writing has not changed one bit. Lucy Rose was lovely enough to chat to us at The Edge about working things out, her future tour, and jumping into freezing cold pools.
It’s less than a month to go until Work It Out gets released, so how are you feeling now about the new album?
I’m pretty excited about what we are playing and the music that has been created, but I am pretty nervous about sort of the outcome of what will happen and how it is received and what people will make of it, and all of those questions that I guess every artist has when they are putting out an album. Will my music career last, or will this be the last…but I guess overall I’m really excited about the future and what’s happened and what we’ve made.
There’s been a lot of talk about changes between Like I Used To and Work It Out. Do you think that you’ve changed?
I think I’ve just changed, as in my confidence grew, and I think just touring with different people and seeing other people play at festivals, I’m quite inspired by other musicians and I kind of wanted just to make something different. I mean the first record I loved so much but touring and playing that many, sort of, acoustic downbeat songs every night can be quite…daunting. I kind of felt like I’m just trying to be a bit more light in my sets than I had but I think that this album has done that and will hopefully, you know, bring that light that I’ve felt like has been missing on the first record. But there wasn’t really a conscious decision to change.
Was the creative process for both albums different?
Um… to be honest it is pretty similar. I mean I’ve written the songs with the same principle, which is they have to mean something to me to do them and they’ve gotta have real importance and relevance for something that going on for me so that when I sing them people know that they’re real. The last thing I’d want to see is someone let people know that I’m not real and it’s dishonest in a way. So I guess, yeah, the ethos of songwriting is exactly the same. I guess what I’m saying in this record is very different, which I think is just a natural growth through the person.
Do you have a favourite track on Work It Out? Or have you not sort of got there yet…
Um, I have lots of different tracks. That’s ones which I prefer to play live and there’s other ones, like I really enjoy playing ‘Our Eyes’ live, it’s a lot of fun, but there are some favourites…there’s a song called ‘My Life’ on the new record which is really important to me.
What was it like jumping into the pool at the end of the ‘Like An Arrow’ video? You looked like you really needed the dressing gown!
It was absolutely freezing! We shot that quite late in the evening. I spent the whole day being hot and wanting to jump in but when it got round to it I was like, “what have I got myself into.” It was quite a narrow jump. It was an idea I’ve had for quite a long time.
Yeah…it looked pretty rocky there!
It was!
Have you got any plans in the works for more videos for Work It Out?
Yeah, we are planning one for the next single. I’m hoping to get more directors in to try and make my ideas bigger.
Even after touring earlier this year, including playing at Engine Rooms here in Southampton, you’ve got 23 dates set for October. Will the Work It Out tour be different?
Yeah, I feel like this tour we will really get people dancing.
Are there any particular dates you are looking forward to?
I’d probably just say places we have played before, but I’m looking forward to new places too!
You’re playing Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth-
Oh, are you coming?
Not yet, need to get a ticket. I’m sure I will be there!
I’m sure someone can stick you on a guest list somewhere…or I can [laughs].
We will sort something! Have you got any time between now and Work It Out’s release to chill out?
Hopefully. I’m quite boring, I like to just go to the park! I recently took my nephew to London Aquarium and had him sort of strapped to me, when a fan asked for a photo. It was a bit awkward.
I can imagine! At least you get some downtime in this hectic period…lastly, would you be able to summarise Work It Out for our readers?
Summarise the whole album? Okay…it’s a more varied album with a bit of everything. I’d like to think it’ll make people feel hopeful. That’s what I imagine, anyway.
Lucy Rose will sadly not be visiting Southampton on her Work It Out tour, but she will not be far away at Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth on Saturday 14th November. Tickets are available now.
Work It Out will be released on Monday 6th July via Columbia Records, and is available for pre-order.
