BELLA COLLINS AND THE BLUE | INTERVIEW
As the funk and soul quartet play at our very first Buzz Presents night, we talk to Bella about her life in music.
When did Bella combine forces with The Blue?
In the summer of 2012 I came back to Cardiff having spent a year in boarding school, on returning I joined a funk & soul band & we started working almost immediately. By the winter I was keen to try it live so myself and bass player Paul Higgins went to local a blues jam night. We got up with guitarist Jeff Coleman and played a few songs. There was an instant bond and our first gig as a trio was a fortnight. It wasn’t until mid 2013 that our drummer Paul Westwell joined us and we started playing as a full four piece band. Having all worked as professional musicians they are three of the best guys about, they make my job so easy!
How would you describe your music to those who haven’t heard it?
We tend to be addressed as a blues band, however do cover more genres. We fuse blues with soul and jazz, the acoustic side of us even allows us to engage with essences of folk.
Do you have a favourite song of yours? Why do you like that song in particular?
At the moment my favourite song is one of the latest I’ve written, called Another You. I recorded it in June with highly acclaimed musician & producer Richard Dunn. It is on my upcoming album which will be launched later this year. This song sounds old! It is dominated by the Hammond Organ and vocals, it could have been plucked from the 1940s!
Where do you think your passion for music comes from?
I really have no idea! Neither of my parents are musicians, yet I was always brought up on what I would call “real” music. I started playing piano and guitar at a very young age, having my first lessons at about 5 years old.
The history of soul, blues & jazz music fascinates me, I think this is what has fired the passion since an early age. To me music is food for the soul. To play the blues you gotta understand it, you gotta feel it.
What do you like to see at a live show?
I like to be entertained from start to finish by professional performers. But it’s actually very satisfying to be reminded that the artists are human though – especially when watching well acclaimed performers. I recently saw KT Tunstall live, during one of her songs she completely forgot the words …three times in the same place during the song, creating a great rapport with the audience, they loved it! In the last couple of years I’ve seen some outstanding live performances.
What’s your favourite Bella Collins And The Blue memory?
One of my fondest memories through working with the band has to be when we supported the Grammy Award nominated Heritage Blues Orchestra. It was an unforgettable night, an honour to share the stage with such incredible musicians.
When was the first time you read Buzz Magazine?
I’ve actually read Buzz Magazine for years, my mum made a habit of picking up copies locally, always making sure there was a copy flying round the house!
Buzz Presents…Bella Collins And The Blue, Kuku Club, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, Thurs 25 Sept. Tickets: £4/£3 Kuku Club Members. Info: 029 2022 6767 www.buzzmag.co.uk / www.kukuclub.co.uk