Have you heard of Black Porcelain? This track got me to notice her. So I tracked down her management and got an interview with her before she exploded all over the radio.
Black Porcelain hey? Now that’s a name. Is there a reason behind it?
When I was 17 I was full of emotion and got into writing poetry (who didn’t?). I came up with a ‘gem’ called Black Porcelain and I like the name so much I kept it. The poem was about people who are often overlooked and undervalued, when they are just as precious as the ‘celebrated’. Since then the name has come to mean a lot for me as an artist. I love using contrast and contradiction and I feel like the name somehow signifies that.
You used to work in radio. What made you pursue your dream of music full-time?
I love radio, but I’m more passionate about music. Radio ended up taking so much of my time, that it has taken me almost a year and a half to get halfway through recording my album. I just want to spend my time creating music and performing it.
Are you glad you did? Or are things still quite tough?
At first I was kind of nervous, because I had been doing radio for 3 and a half years. It only took a day for me to realise how blessed I am to REALLY do what I love everyday. Is it tough? Uhmm… Yeah! So next time you hear of a gig or see a CD for sale, buy one. You could be buying me petrol or another pair of red stilettos lol. Its always hard when you start out, but I’m hoping things will get better soon. *hint uhmm does anyone know if Lady Gaga needs an opening act?*
Describe what kind of person would listen to Black Porcelain. What would they get out of your music?
A person who has an eclectic taste in music will like my music. My influences range from Mos Def to Stimela. I do like to describe the music as pop for the thinking woman. I deal with some real issues (poverty, war, HIV), but I can also appreciate wanting to put on bright lipstick and wearing ‘fuck me’ shoes (can I say that?). I’m just getting into ‘girl’ stuff, so I wanna write a song about lipstick and how sometimes that stuff actually cheers you up. I like music about real stuff ;)
Where does Black Porcelain find her inspiration?
I love people and they are my inspiration. I listen to what people say and put it to a melody. I’ve had a few scrapes on this journey and those make for interesting lyrics too.
Describe your artistic process. I’m a writer, so I make a lot of notes and do a lot of rewrites. Do you do a similar thing? How do you prepare to go into studio?
I usually have a melody that stalks me for a while. I record it on my phone and then work out a song structure. Lyrics are the easiest part for me, because its like having a conversation. I work on the song with my producer before we go to studio. I pay for everything, so I make sure everything is perfect before I go into studio. Dis duurbaar (sp?)
You were born in Soweto, but now you live in Cape Town. Where’s your favourite place to be in SA, and why?
Soweto is my favourite place to be because I never feel lost or out of place. Don’t get me wrong, Cape Town is beautiful, it is inspiring and I love it here. But there is a certain peace I get when I am back home. There is so much love, beauty, potential and tragedy in Soweto. Its the reason why I write the way I do. I know both sides of the coin.
What is Black Porcelain listening to at the moment?
I’m actually listening to Lady Gaga (addicted to a song called ‘Speechless’) and Alicia Keys (‘Love is my disease’ is on repeat). I will not be at peace until Kanye West puts out another album though.
Let’s get personal. Do any of your tracks tell your life story? Some artists deliberately draw a line between them and their work… are you that kind of artist?
Most of the songs I write are about me in some way. I couldn’t write about stuff I don’t know or understand. There is a song called ‘Howcome’ on the album and I ask ‘howcome Melodies die and magic lives’. Melody is my cousin who died of AIDS. Magic (Johnson) lives because he isn’t a young mother of 3 in Soweto. I write what I live.
Describe a typical day in the life of Black Porcelain.
I’ve just gotten into running, so it starts with a 06:30 run or climb (Lions Head). After breakfast and shower its usually 4 hrs of piano practise, voice practise and songwriting. Afternoons are reserved for meetings with my management. After supper I work on the live show. After doing some gigs last year I realised that there was so much more I could do with the live aspect of my music. I’m ‘writing’ a new live show and seeing how we can adapt it for different venues etc. This is a very exciting time for me.
Lastly, if your building caught fire and you had to evacuate, name the 5 things you absolutely would not leave without.
My best friend/manager (we live together), my laptop (all my music is on there), my new leopard print shoes (birthday gift), my keyboard (wrote all my songs on it) and my phone (to let my family know I’m alive).
You guys can check out Black Porcelain’s blog here, and you can follow her on twitter here so you can watch as her album progresses. Give it up for this impressive CT Gal. Her single called “Are You Listening” is about to be playlisted on radio stations all across the country. It’s a saucy song about infidelity gone wrong. When she’s big don’t say I didn’t tell ya.
