{"id":13099,"date":"2014-06-17T13:16:09","date_gmt":"2014-06-17T12:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nusic.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=13099"},"modified":"2014-06-17T14:47:30","modified_gmt":"2014-06-17T13:47:30","slug":"artist-of-the-month-ronika-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nusic.org.uk\/wordpress\/artist-of-the-month-ronika-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"ARTIST OF THE MONTH: RONIKA – Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

RONIKA’s<\/a><\/strong> debut album “Selectadisc<\/em>” was released a few weeks ago, and it received bloody loads of great press. The NME<\/strong> called her “Britain’s best new popstar”, and they’re bang on, because “Selectadisc<\/em>” is a brilliant album. You can see my thoughts on the album HERE<\/a><\/strong>; but we thought we’d get Ron herself to explain a bit about the album and the incredible success it’s had…
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\nHow would you describe your style of music to those unfamiliar with it?<\/strong>
\nSoulful, feel-good Pop music, inspired by Disco, Boogie, Electro-Soul House and freestyle influences.
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\nWhen did you first start working on “Selectadisc<\/em>“?<\/strong>
\nI first started working on the first material with a couple of like-minded Notts producers about 5 years ago. Me and Hip-Hop producer Joe Buhdha got together with the idea of making some tracks inspired by kinda post-disco sounds and “Forget Yourself<\/em>” was born there. We were listening to ESG<\/strong>, Tom Tom Club<\/strong>, and a lot of 80\u2019s disco. And then “In The City<\/em>” was a collaboration with Citizen<\/strong> who\u2019s also originally from Nottingham, with the idea of doing a project inspired by early house.
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\nYou’ve had so much National press love for the album; what’s your favourite line from one of the reviews?<\/strong>
\nThe Observer called me \u2018Sound-engineer turned disco-alchemist\u2019 so I\u2019ve told my friends and family I\u2019m now only answering to my title \u2018the Disco Alchemist\u2019.
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\nIn your LeftLion feature<\/a>, you claimed the most valuable thing you own to be your Boyzone<\/strong> lunchbox; did Boyzone<\/strong> play a big part in influencing the album?<\/strong>
\nThe whole album is influenced by Ronan Keating\u2019s<\/strong> beautiful teeth, his incisors in particular. And Shane\u2019s eyebrow piercing was also an inspiration.
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\nWhat’s your favourite track off the album?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m gonna say “Clocks<\/em>” because it features one of my best friends and mentors Charles Washington<\/strong> who has been a really important person in my life.
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\nWhat Notts specific things influenced the album (musically and non-musically)<\/strong>
\nI grew up going to a lot of clubs and house-parties run by sound systems in Nottingham, I started sneaking into clubs from a young age, around 14, so that\u2019s where my love of dance music which permeates the album comes from. I also lived in Sneinton for 10 years where I had some good times and some hard times, which maybe comes across in the lyrics too.
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