Photos courtesy of Warner Brothers Records.
When I viewed Gabrielle Aplin's video for her latest single "Sweet Nothing," my first thoughts were "explosions of glitter!" "so many drums!" and, of course, "I really love this song." There are so many things to love about the video, but also so many things to love about Gabrielle as an artist - her authenticity, her drive, and her music just to name a few.
To get the big picture you have to go back to the start, to when she was just a teenager and wanted to release her own music. When the major labels don't come calling, what is a fifteen year old Brit to do? In Gabrielle's mind the solution was to start her own label - ambitious for an artist of any age. Never Fade Records was born out of necessity as a way to "release my own music independently," she says. She followed that up with putting videos on YouTube, which helped grow a fan base. Her next big step was getting signed to Parlophone Records (home to the likes of Coldplay) in 2012, and she began working on new music under the label.
Sometimes success doesn't come in a form you'd expect. In December of that year she recorded a cover version of "The Power Of Love" which was used in a John Lewis advert (for all the American readers, John Lewis is a major UK department store). The ad put the spotlight on her, garnering many fans that eagerly awaited the release of her debut album.
English Rain came out the following year. It was well received in England, reaching number two on the charts, as well as producing number one singles in Australia. I was first introduced to Gabrielle's music when I was studying abroad in London, and the title accurately describes the British influence you feel with the singer-songwriter production and style. What drew me to Gabrielle's music was the authenticity - the genuine lyrics and the fact that she plays guitar and piano. You have powerful powerful pop acts like Ellie Goulding or souring bands like Mumford & Sons always present in the UK music scene, but you're less likely to find a female act that sings and writes her own acoustic based music.
When discussing her debut record, she says "…I had songs from my whole life. Some were written 5 years apart and I definitely had to compromise with production to make it flow and to make it seem like they were all written at the same time, which was great in some aspects," she notes. That pressure to make a cohesive sound was likely stressful, but in the end the album produced great hits like "Panic Cord" and "Home."
Her second album, Light Up The Dark, was released globally last month. When it was time to tackle record two, "…it was refreshing to not worry about how we were going to make these new songs sound like a ‘piece,’" she says. The actual recording process for the songs was different as well. She says it was "super chilled. The majority of it was written and recorded in my friends house in North London. It was great working in a house as opposed to a big studio in the city. Everything was very simple, no pressure and the songs kinda wrote themselves!"
The album stays true to Gabrielle's songwriter roots, but adds an edge. You have interesting background vocals in songs like "Fools Love" that add a dimension that was not present on her debut. You can tell she was more comfortable with experimenting with new sounds. The acoustic guitar is largely switched out for an electric one. The lyrics explore more complex experiences. Even the album covers show the change in direction - a lighthearted, young looking image is swapped out for a strong, black and white profile shot.
One of the standout tracks on the album is "Anybody Out There," where she sings "I'm followed by your ghost / I'm stepping on your shadow." "Sweet Nothing" is certainly a strong contender as well. The video shows a large group doing coordinated drum parts to the song, while Gabrielle runs around in a sequined jumpsuit - I was obviously a fan of the piece. One of her personal favorites off the album is "A While." "I was really jet lagged when it was written! I arrived at my writing partner Luke's house straight from a plane home from Austin," she says, "and I feel like I wrote it in my sleep. I don't actually remember much of the writing process, but sometimes that’s the best way!"
In addition to creating two albums that she is proud of, Gabrielle has had a lot of other great opportunities throughout her career. She has done fashion shoots for several high profile magazines, and recently signed with Select modeling agency as a way to find partnerships that fit her and her music. When it comes to fashion, she isn't as concerned with the technicalities. "I think I like clothes, more than 'fashion,'" she notes. "I don't think it should ever over shadow the music, but I love using imagery for imagination and I want my music to have and identity."
Other incredible opportunities include opening slots for Ed Sheeran in Australia and New Zealand, and playing at London's O2 arena opening for John Mayer. When reflecting on the experiences she says, " Ed asked me personally after meeting him at a festival. It was my first time outside of Europe. I learned a lot on both of those tours and it was also so cool to get to play in big arenas. I got to play at Wembley Arena in London which was incredible!"
Touring has become a major part of Gabrielle's life, and it's okay with the singer. "For me the best part [of my career] is traveling. … [I] got to spend a lot of time in Japan which I absolutely love. It’s amazing that music can travel that far!"
Light Up The Dark marks her first official US release - as English Rain was not released in full or promoted in the states. Gabrielle did a short US tour earlier this year to get her feet wet, and says "It was so great to tour the U.S, especially just me and a guitar. I loved it! I got to go to so many cities that I have never been to before and met some amazing people. I think when the performance is stripped back the vibe is generally the same. My audience is always super respectful!" I can easily see her gaining a fan base stateside. With Ed Sheeran's song "Thinking Out Loud" exploding and others like it on the charts, there is room for a strong female songwriter with a bit of a rock edge. When asked about the future, Gabrielle's response is: "I'm really excited to see where [Light Up The Dark is] going to take me. I was 100% happy with it when I finished recording it so anything else is an amazing bonus!" I certainly hope one of those bonuses includes a bigger US tour and radio success, but until then we'll be supporting you across the pond!