Annie McQueen

Annie Mcqueen has everything that makes her genuine royalty: a powerful, flawless voice, the looks of a bunny-girl and the intelligence and attitude needed to survive the music industry. She may wear a crown, but this girl is no diva!

Interview: Emma Bracey-Wright

She has been singing professionally for over 4 years; has now completed her EP, and is performing at various live gigs in around London. Annie McQueen is ready for a record deal. It's time for her to show us all the gold.

Who is Annie McQueen?
I am a northern girl who is honest and real. I can't fake it. I know it is a bit of a cliché but what you see is what you get.

I really enjoyed your last gig, I believe it was your best performance yet. What are your feelings?
I agree. I do seem to get better and better with each performance. I think that's the case with most things in life - if you practise, practise, practise and work hard, I really believe you can achieve great things. However, The Cobden Club is a great venue, and that helps a lot!

When did your singing life begin? I know you have been singing your whole life, but when did it start to take off?
About four and half years ago. I graduated.....I think I graduated four and a half years ago.......oh my God I graduated four and a half years ago! Well, while I was at University I was always doing the odd bit of session work, dance tracks etc, nothing serious, and like you say I have been singing since I was a kid, but four and a half years ago I decided that I wanted to sing full-time. I felt that this was what I really wanted to do, and I thought I had a good chance of making it my career!

How long have you been gigging?
I started by singing covers, but for the last 8 months I've been going out on the live circuit with my band performing my own music. It's great!

What is the style of your music?
This is really hard. People ask me this all the time. I would have to say it is essentially soul music with elements of blues and folk.

How did you get together with your musicians? How did it start?
It is all about finding the right people. You have to gel with them. You have to be on the same level as them and you have to get on with them really well. You must have the same interests, the same vision, but actually, my guitar player is my boyfriend's best-friend! It is all about who you know really.

Is it easier to work with a friend as opposed to someone who is just in your life for professional reasons?
Yes. I have more freedom. But he is on the same page as me anyway. He knows exactly what type of stuff I like. The way he plays is exactly how I like it to sound. So our relationship works very well.

How often do you work together?
Once every two weeks. We don't push ourselves too hard. We go through the set and make it crisp. When we first joined forces we got together twice a week. We wanted to get the set perfect so we were ready to hit the live circuit.

How much time in your week/month do you dedicate to writing material?
I am writing and collecting lyrics on a constant basis, taking inspiration and ideas from anything or anyone that interests me.

Do you solely write your songs, or do you co-write with your musicians?
It depends. I can just sit and write songs, or an idea for a melody, on my own, in my own time. But we do also sit together and bounce off each other from time to time.

Is the music on your album White Gold all your own work?
It was co-written with producers here in the UK and New York. I think it's so important to write your own material, to sound more genuine, so you really believe what you're singing.

When you write do you find the songs are predominately autobiographical, or more about fantasy?
No they are always based on real life experiences. If not my own personal experiences, then characters I see in movies. I am a big movie fan. I get inspiration from characters' situations and emotions.

What is your favourite movie of all time?
I grew up watching Gone With the Wind with my mum and sisters. I think it is a phenomenal piece of work. The direction, the stunts, the length of it and the story by Margaret Mitchell is all fantastic. It literally blew me away! I constantly watched it and I still love it now.

Do you play any instruments?
No. I used to play the violin when I was younger and I started to play the guitar, but because of my vocal range, I decided that I should solely concentrate on my vocals. Like Joss Stone, I have to get up there and really concentrate on my singing ability.

So which song on your album White Gold is your best achievement and why?
You'll Learn. It is a power ballad and it requires me to sing all of my range. It is about a very close friend of mine who was struggling with a serious problem. He inspired me to write a song about his 'recovery'. It has now been picked up by Global Chrysalis who has given it to a German artist called Joanna Zimmer. She is adding it to her album and I think she is going to release it as a single and hopefully do really, really well. I was quite precious about it at first. I didn't think anyone could sing it the way I sing it. However I am not anymore.

It's flattering, no?
It is flattering yes. Exactly! I am older now and not as precious with my material. I wrote it three years ago. Like you say, it is flattering that someone wants to sing what I wrote. Something fantastic has come out of something so sad. That is what makes it special too.

How did you come up with the name White Gold?
White gold is the purist form of gold. White gold is beautiful. But actually it came from me wanting to show record companies the gold. Show them the best of me!

I know all artists hate to be compared with other artists, but a comparison is always made when you first appear on the scene, so with this is mind, which artists do you think the critics will associate with you?
Again I get asked this all the time and I always struggle. I don't believe that anybody is the next anybody. Aretha Franklin was original, Mariah Carey was original, Norah Jones was original, Joss Stone was original.....nobody replaces anybody! I do however think that my style of music is a cross between Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Delta Goodrem, so I will most likely be compared with them.

Who are your ultimate style icons?
I love the look of 60's and 70's bond girls. Bridgette Bardot and Britt Eckland. Oh and Jean Shrimpton. I think she is absolutely gorgeous! I also really like Jennifer Lopez's red carpet style. When she is at functions or events she looks fabulous. I also like her attitude. She is very business minded and very focused on what she is doing. Let's forget all we hear about her; that is her private life and I don't give a monkeys about that. Her professionalism is fantastic. She doesn't smoke or drink. She is clean living and focused. I like that.

With whom would you most like to perform a duet?
Well I have already done a duet with Salif Keita. It was interesting because of our opposing styles.

Yes it was wicked! But apart from him, who else on the music scene would you love to perform with?
Tony Bennett! Ha ha....imagine it - "If I ruled the world"... I'd love it.

If you could bring anyone back from the dead, who would it be and why?
Jimi Hendrix. He unfortunately didn't get the chance to get to the end of his career. I would be interested to see how he would have developed as an artist.

What are your opinions of the UK music industry at present?
For the past few years it has been dominated by pop; you know quick turnover, pure money making singles. But I think the British public are sick of all that now. We now have artists such as Damien Rice and Joss Stone. There are now echoes of what the industry used to be like in the 60's and 70's with good rock 'n' roll bands coming out of England. If you would have asked me this question a year ago I would be slating the industry.

I know. I interviewed Small World Incident last year and every member of the band was fed up with the rubbish that the industry was churning out.
There are a couple of people responsible for that.....and we all know who they are.

So what specifically excites you about the music industry at the moment?
I think there is a lot of talent out there and the public are embracing it. The public are giving unknown artists a chance. It isn't about recognising them from a TV programme or because they won some sort of competition.

So what disappoints you?
How hard it is! Even if you have a great talent and have every box ticked, it is still really hard to get your foot in the door.

What makes it difficult? Is it because you need to know who to talk to?
It is hard to get music industry people to just listen to your music. It is highly a competitive industry and it just isn't enough these days, for example, to have multiple musical skills, play a variety of instruments, have an enormous range and look like a 'hottie'! That won't necessarily get them to come and see you perform. You always have to have a little bit more; have something else to offer. It's a hard industry.

Would you say it is corrupt?
No I don't think it is corrupt. I just don't think it is a very pleasant business.

What is the last album you bought?
Jamiroquai's Dynamite

So is it good? Were you pleased?
Yes I was pleased. Very pleased.

He is such a funkster.
Yeah.....what a funkster! I think he will always be a funkster too - he will never lose that. I hope he doesn't 'coz he is a cool cat that Jay Kay.

What is your favourite album of all time?
Wow! Well, when I was younger I used to drive to my Nan's house, which took about half an hour, and on the way my Dad would play the Beach Boys' Greatest Hits album all the time. It is a really nice childhood memory. There are some great songs on there. However, my favourite album of all time would probably have to be Aretha Franklin's Greatest Hits or the soundtrack from Top Gun!

What genre of music do you dislike?
I don't really dislike any music because I appreciate music.

But there must be something, just something that you don't personally like. It isn't that you are necessarily being derogatory!
I don't really like garage music. I can't dance to it properly.

Who in the music industry do you think should crash and burn?

(long pause)

How about Craig David?
No because I appreciate where he is coming from. It is his little world and he is making music from his little world.

What does performing on stage do for you personally? How does it make you feel? What is important to you?
What is important is that I make everybody happy. I don't want anyone to be standing there bored whilst I am performing.

So is that solely why you do it, or do you also have personal reasons?
I guess I feel that it is what I am best at. This is all I can do.

Do you have any inhibitions?
Not really.

No... being a Leo.
Yes, being a Leo, exactly!

Describe yourself in 5 words?
Very small and very loud!

Apart from music, what are your passions?
I still love fashion. I also love art. Particularly Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. I love the sixties. I love everything that changed in the late fifties and early sixties. Social changes, economic changes, artistic changes. That era was wild!

What is your favourite destination?
Wherever T.J is...... (Annie's boyfriend)

I love L.A! I've been to L.A more times than I have been anywhere else. L.A has preconceptions that just aren't true. Certain parts of L.A are plastic, but you get that everywhere! L.A has everything. It has beauty, lots of life and lots of freedom. It is full of positivity. It is very inspiring. The people live a very healthy life. Venice (L.A) is amazing. I love that place.

In life, what scares you the most?
What scares me is being unhappy. I don't ever want to be unhappy. I know everybody has phases.

What do you think would make you unhappy?
Un-fulfilment. With regards to my family, my friends, work and relationships. If you have a good relationship with a good person who loves you for who you are and vice versa, that makes you happy. If your family is happy and healthy that makes you happy. If you have good friends; that makes you happy. No Stress. Like Mary J Blige - no more drama! Anything for a quiet life. You know what I mean.

If you get a record deal...
You mean when I get a record deal...

Yes! If they wanted you to totally change your persona and basically transform you into the antithesis of your real self, how would you deal with that?
There would be no deal. I cannot be something I am not. When I first started I experimented with all different styles of music, tried to do what I thought I should do, rather than what was in my heart, and what I was used to doing, and it didn't work. I know from experience that I can only do what is true to me.

What will you do if your singing career does not prevail? What is your back-up plan?
Song-writing. I've already had songs picked up already, so I will just continue with that. I would be absolutely fine living the rest of my life as a published song-writer.

So as long as you are being creative in some manner?
Yes. But I still want to make a good living. I would like to help out my family and make a good life for myself and my partner.

What can we expect next from Annie Mcqueen?
More gigs!

Annie McQueen is certainly making the most of her talents. It won't be long before she is raking in the royalties and being crowned the latest queen of soul. Besides, best things come in small packages and are made of gold.