Lucy Rose: Artist You Should Know

With a debut album (Like I Used To) released and a headline tour of the UK and Europe completed, Lucy Rose has most certainly finished off 2012 on a high note. Coming from the same loosely defined London indie/folk scene as bands like Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, and Bombay Bicycle Club, Lucy's unpretentious, straight from the heart folk music is the perfect counterpoint to the maximalism that is so rife across the airwaves.

Whilst the first songs we heard from Lucy were purely acoustic, placing her angelic voice and personal lyrics very much front and center, she has proved on her debut album that she is just as comfortable over a bed of swooning strings as she is armed with just her trusty acoustic guitar. The combination of Lucy's delicate voice, and personal, observational lyrics make many of her songs feel like a peek into someones personal diary, and there is a cohesiveness to Like I Used To that certainly encourages the album to be enjoyed in one sitting.

Anyone with a passing interest in folk or the gentler side of indie should take the time to enjoy Lucy Rose's tender tales of love, heartbreak and happiness. Click through for essential listening and an interview with Lucy.

Lucy Rose's debut album, Like I Used To, is out now. Buy it here.

What’s your first musical memory?
"Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow? Can you toss them over your shoulder like a regimental solider? Do you ears hang low?"

You just finished touring the UK, what have you been listening to on the road?

Been listening to Grizzly Bear's album Shields and I’ve just discovered Junips and Tame Impala so lots of that as well.

You’ve worked on music with Bombay Bicycle Club (on Flaws and A Different Kind Of Fix), how did you hook up with them and do you have any plans to work with the band in the future?

I met them after they played a show in a pub in Angel near me and got chatting to Jack. We became friends and I started singing with them occasionally. That turned into being on the last two albums and touring with them. It’s been unreal.

You’ve been playing open mic nights and performing your music since you moved to London aged 18 – when did you first realise that music was more than a hobby?

I’m not sure, it’s hard to know when that was. I think I first took it seriously when I moved to London and I thought, maybe I should really give this a shoot. I obviously always dreamed of being able to play music as a career but never thought it was actually possible.

Your debut album Like I Used To was released in September, how do you feel about the reaction to it so far?

It’s seems to have been positive. The UK tour has been really fun and mostly sold out, so hopefully that’s a good sign. Who knows really?

It seems like a really personal record, there’s a lot of heartbreak and sadness. What were the main influences and inspirations whilst you were writing the album?

I suppose I just wrote about whatever I was feeling at the time and the experiences I was having. I find it hard to write a song unless I’ve felt what I’m singing about. I think I’m influenced by pretty much everything around me, I think most people are.

I read that you sell your own blend of tea at your shows, have you got any other quirky merch ideas up your sleeve?

I’m also selling jam—ginger and plum—which is part of a charity called Rubies In The Rubble. I’m constantly trying to think of new things to sell, but keeping them close to me for now....

You signed to Columbia earlier this year, are there different pressures on you as a musician now? What would you do if they wanted to release your next single with a Skrillex remix?

I suppose now I have a force behind me, I feel like I want the record to do well and I want people to be proud of what I’ve made. Pressure can sometimes be a good thing if it’s applied in the right places. I suppose it depends what the Skrillex remix sounds like. It doesn’t seem that likely though!

Recently there have been a lot of great young acoustic/folk artists coming out of the UK. Is it nice to be part of a loosely defined movement or do you feel a spirit of competition?

I think it’s amazing, I love feeling part of a movement, especially musically going in this direction. Everything will change soon and guitar music will be back in fashion. I don’t really think about it all too much and just concentrate on making music that I like.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

Depends if they would like to collaborate with me but Grizzly Bear would be a dream.

What’s next for Lucy Rose?

I’m flying to Hong Kong tomorrow to do some solo acoustic shows in Asia and then I guess it’s more touring next year and start thinking about the next record.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! And finally, Pigeons or Planes?

As I’m flying tomorrow morning, I’m gonna go with planes.