Meet The Fiercely Talented Emerging Artist… CHERISE

Cherise releases the next single to be taken from her debut album, listen to ‘2 Steppin” here. The song is a sunny slice of funk, designed for summer dancing, and inspired by Cherise’s late maternal grandfather. A truly multi-faceted artist, CHERISE is fast proving herself to be one of the most fiercely talented young musicians in the UK. Her effortless, irresistible vocals, alongside her honest, soulful song writing manage to be simultaneously both contemporary and timeless. With Love Supreme, Cross The Tracks and We Out Here festivals already confirmed for this summer and her debut album ‘Calling’ to be released in July – 2023 is looking like a stand out year for our Soul Girl, CHERISE.

Hey CHERISE, how are you doing?

I’m feeling amazing! I’m so gassed to be sharing my music, with 3 singles out (‘Secrets’, ‘Elixir’ and ‘2 Steppin’). I’ve been building to this moment for a long time and so much of the value in making music only comes from sharing it. I’m trying to remain present and appreciative of this moment. The Album release on July 7th is so close!

Your new single ‘2 Steppin’ is a vibe. Tell us a bit more about it?

Ye, 2 Steppin’ is about shaking off inhibitions. And my Grandad Tubel was great at that! He was a confident, well dressed Jamaican man. And when looking after my sister and I, he would often 2 step with confidence down Ridley Road market in Hackney. This song is also inspired by my Mum. One of the biggest pros and cons I’ve had all my life is that I’m a deep thinker; I tend to get locked into a feeling or thought and start to spiral or disconnect. When I’d have emotional spells as a teenager, sometimes my Mum would put on Earth, Wind and Fire and dance in front of me, pleading me to dance with her. At the time I would roll my eyes and say it was silly. But it’s one of my favourite memories, because it was just what I needed! Sometimes, the only antidote for a heavy thought is dancing, and that’s the spirit I’ve injected into ‘2 Steppin’.

Your Grandmother also seems to have had such a big impact on your life – what is the most important lesson she taught you?

She really did. My Grandmother taught me that I have value, and that by extension my art has value. One of my earliest memories is of me showing her a journal of poems when I was around 4/5 years old. She knelt down to eye level with me, and said ‘Don’t show your songs to anybody! Don’t let anyone else look in this book.’. I was really shaken by it… she later went on to continuously remind me that my writing has value. And that if others see its value and I don’t protect it, they might exploit or steal. That sent a clear message to me. The most wise person I know was telling me to protect myself and my art, because they have value. I feel protected by her love for sure

Your album, ‘Calling’ is coming in July, what can we expect from your debut release?

You can expect variety! I’ll be introducing myself for sure so it’s quite personal. I wrote a lot of other songs for this project and only selected the top 10 that fit together to tell my story. ‘Calling’ is me sharing my purpose, celebrating my heritage, owning my sensuality and being vulnerable about my fears. I hope people get to know me as an artist through this project

What are your plans for the summer in terms of live shows and festivals?

I’ll be doing a Vinyl Signing at Rough Trade Bristol on July 12th and Rough Trade East on Brick Lane on the July 13th! I’ll also be celebrating the Album with my band and having an official Album launch on September 18th at Omeara London! Come say hi!

Make sure to check out CHERISE’s new single ‘2 Steppin’ here or below.