Urban Vault caught up with London based singer/songwriter Bisola to ask her some questions about her Summer R&B Club Anthem COME ALIVE and more…

Bisola is a true musical all-rounder. Her prowess as a performer has secured her bookings at world famous venues such as the Notting Hill Arts Club, ILuvLive (at Zigfrid Von Underbelly) and Proud Camden. Her skill as a songwriter led her to the final in of the Thame Town Music Festival Songwriting Competition and the semi-finals of the UK Songwriting Competition.

Bisola acted as Musical Director and songwriter for the West End stage musical ‘Hannah – The Iyawo’ and The Voice newspaper ran a special feature of her in 2017. Her single ‘The Impossible‘ peaked at no. 5 on the Indie Charts, and ‘Million Miles‘ achieved the number 1 spot on the US radio music chart. Her songs have featured on Best of British Unsigned and on countless online radio shows and blogs.

What is your name?

Bisola

Where are you from?

I’m originally a Londoner but now partly based in Farnborough out in Lovely Hampshire.

How old are you?

21 forever babe! Ha!

How long have you been making music?

I’ve been writing songs since I was about twelve, thirteen years old but I’d say I really started doing this professionally when I released my first single ‘Need a little love’ in 2012

How many songs albums have you released to date?

I’ve released 6X singles and 2x EPs to date
– Need a little love – 2012 (Single)
Holding on to the light – 2013 (EP)
The Impossible – 2014 (Single)
Million Miles – 2017 (Single)
Lessons My Mama Taught Me – 2017 (EP)
This Christmas – 2017 (Single)
Be Yourself – 2018 (Single)
Come Alive – 2018 (Single)

Can you tell us about your new song, ‘Come Alive’ the background, and the inspirations behind it?

The song actually came out of the blue at a time when I going through some personal battles and getting to a point where I felt totally sapped of energy and life and really felt I needed a miracle to lift me and ‘bring me back to life’. I’m sure many people out there have been in similar situations where you know that you need something beyond yourself to transform you from a dry, desert-like situation to a place where you feel refreshed, re-energised with a new zest and passion for life.

How have you ended up in the music industry?

No idea!! Obviously, as a kid, I dreamt of being an artist but never really thought it would come true ‘cos I don’t come from a musical family and with my family being from an African background, parents from my generation never considered being a musician or artist as a ‘real job’. So I guess I just did my singing and songwriting in the background more as a hobby and didn’t pursue it professionally until I noticed I was getting so much positive feedback and I also realised that my songs have a strong message and story which needed to be shared – it didn’t seem right that I keep to myself.

What did you think of the music industry in 2018?

I think there’s so much great music that’s come out this year and I think what’s impressed me though is how we’re seeing a greater variety of music hitting the charts beyond just the typical pop song or look. One of my favourites that fits in this category is ‘Feel it still’ from Portugal the Man.

What have you got planned for the rest of 2018?
I’ve got a number of songs written and it’s now just about finding the right producer and coming up with the right approach to get them out there e.g. whether I release more singles or do an album. I think at a bare minimum I’d like to get another single out early next year as a precursor to a full album. I’ve definitely got aspirations for a full album so fingers crossed!

What inspires you when you make your music?

Who have you collaborated with so far in your Career? I’ve done stuff with a lot of up and coming talent in the UK but none of them are in the big time so their names won’t really ring a bell. That said I do have a few minor bragging rights – a few of my tracks have been produced by David Ezra who’s an amazing producer that’s produced successful tracks for Reggie and Bollie from XFactor. Also years ago when I was in a choir, we joined forces with another choir to perform at a major event and the choir mistress who took us through our paces and prepped us for the event was none other than Karen Gibson – the lady’s who’s choir sang at the Royal wedding earlier this year!! I’m so pleased for her with all her recent success as I remember clearly back then she was so passionate and enthusiastic about everything she did and it was so infectious

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

That’s a question that’s really tough to answer ‘cos there are some many great and talented artists and producers out there trying to pick one would be tough. The good thing though is we have so much homegrown talent that has had great global success you don’t have to go far to choose from Adele to Jess Glynne and Emeli Sande.

What’s your favourite track at the moment?

There are so many great songs out at the moment but my current guilty pleasure is Ariana Grande’s ‘No tears left to Cry’. Great vocals and a refreshingly different song arrangement.

What do you do when your not making music?

Well, I have a 9 – 5 job with a Startup which obviously takes up a lot of my time. Other than that I love watching sports and movies in my spare time.

In a few words sum up your thoughts about Urban Vault and what we’re trying to do?

It’s a one-stop hub for all things in the urban music and entertainment space. I think it’s great that Urban Vault UK provides a platform where independent artists get featured alongside established and well-known acts. Us Independents need more of these types of platforms it makes a huge difference to us!

Thank you for your time and may you carry on making dope, fresh music….

Bisola – Come Alive via iTunes/Spotify

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