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6 | rmmagazine.co.uk exclusive interview Paloma Faith burst into the spotlight like a fireball in 2009 with debut album Do You Want e Truth Or Something Beautiful. Dazzling us with her gorgeous voice and sharp wit, it wasn’t surprising that her next record, Fall to Grace, would be so eagerly anticipated. Paloma explained, “I did nostalgic stuff on the first record, so I wanted to do something that would make people dance”. Romantic and emotional, the album is classic but current. e themes of the album seem to derive from human experience, so I wondered if it had been inspired by Paloma’s own life, “Absolutely!” she exclaimed, “Not only in love and heartbreak, but also relationships with friends and family. Life’s quite hard, I sing about that in a lot of my songs. But rather than dwelling on the negative, I wanted to say that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel”. e song Black and Blue was written following the London riots which reached her hometown of Hackney, “It’s about trying to inject some hope into tragedy” she said simply. Fall to Grace is not a product of a bad break-up, it’s about all aspects of life in which we face difficulty, and Paloma is overjoyed with its success: “It’s amazing. When I first put it out I was thinking, if I can do as well as my first album, then I’ll be happy - and I’ve done better!” Single Picking Up e Pieces has been the singer’s highest charting single to date and with the album peaking at number two in the UK Albums Chart, she is definitely doing something right. With lots of tricks up her sequinned sleeve, Paloma is also a successful actress and has even worked as a burlesque dancer and a magician’s assistant. e talented lady also has a Master’s Degree in Directing for eatre, so she’s always involved with the wonderfully elaborate design of her staging, artwork and videos. A performer at heart, she goes to great lengths for artistic expression, even bravely getting completely naked in the video for Just Be. “e song is about saying I’m going to show myself to the boy I love, warts and all,” she explained, “So it made sense that I’d be naked in the video. Even though, quite frankly, it’s probably one of the most frightening things I’ve done!” Getting starkers in front of a camera crew takes some guts and shows just how dedicated she is to her art. Dressed like a woman from the fiſties and speaking like a girl from the East End, Paloma has an unmistakable character, voice and charm. She has a wonderful paradox about her; she is refined and classy but also easy going and down-to-earth. For Paloma, fashion and feminism go hand in hand. Speaking about the size zero issue, she asserted, “If we are honest with ourselves, the most beautiful women usually have got a bit of meat on their bones. It is dangerous for young people to think that [size 0] is necessary.” Challenging current trends, Paloma dresses strictly vintage and is enthralled in a romance with the 1950s. “I think it celebrates the female form…the real one I mean!” she says, “And because of the way my shape is, it naturally suits me better. It gives me confidence; it’s like armour in a way. Whenever I feel down, my mum calls me up and tells me ‘Put ya lippy on! Get a dress on and get out!’ She’s got a point”. Paloma laughs but the truth is that behind the glamour, she’s really just a normal girl. e success of her album will be followed by an extensive UK tour, with a special night in Essex at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion on February 9th. Of course it will be a spectacle, grand and fabulous, and undoubtedly she will wear something extravagant - maybe the famous “toilet roll holder” dress (her words, not mine) from her performance on Jools Holland will make another appearance. For now though, the staging will be kept under wraps, “I enjoy the element of surprise, it’s an important part of the performance but I’m planning on trying to solidify the things that inspired me when writing this album. I’m excited, I think it’s going to be wonderful”. Paloma has real stage presence and brings a beauty to her performance that is rare amongst today’s famous singers. She stands as a role model of femininity and talent that should inspire young people to embrace the eccentric, be passionate and bold, and above all, dress to impress. Don’t miss this chance to see her in concert. Written by Rae Delanie Passfield Back in Blighty from the American leg of her worldwide tour, the extraordinary Paloma Faith talks about the inspiration behind her new album, her fascination with fiſties fashion and getting naked in the name of art... I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE PEOPLE DANCE IT’S ABOUT TRYING TO INJECT SOME HOPE INTO TRAGEDY PUT YA LIPPY ON! GET A DRESS ON AND GET OUT! RM Magazine JANUARY 2013.indd 6 20/12/2012 08:49
