I spoke to Michelle Escoffery around March for The Pulse (New Nation) coinciding with the release of Do You Think About Me (Artful Dodger feat. her) It's a waste of words me not putting this up she is extremely talented like so many UK heads are and very nice and I'm glad she is getting her propers.. Well she's been getting them just on the low though with her writing but she can sing too. She used to be in Truce don't you know and do you remember the Escofferys? I remember seeing them sing at Equinox when I was 17 yeaaaars ago. That's deep.
How did you get started?
My dad taught us all how to sing. He used to head a male voice choir. It was nationwide. He taught us. That's how we got started we used to sing acappella in the church and then we introduced music later on. First it was like piano and bass and guitar, then drums! Before we knew it we had a whole band that was really cool.
You play as well?
Yeah I play piano. I want to learn how to play the guitar that's my next little challenge.
How did you hook up with Artful Dodger?
Last summer I was approached by my publishers, the Artful had heard some stuff and they were looking for writers to help complete their album. They'd already had rewind out with Craig and I was quite chuffed like ooh what can I do you know? So I went to meet them in London and we just vibed we just vibed. They are really nice guys, and their musical interest is so wide. It was like do you like blah nblah? It was like yeah! Do you like this, it was like yeah yeah!! It was more than just House and Garage so we hooked up, I think it was about a week later. I went down to Southampton and we had a writing session and we wrote Think About Me that was the first song we wrote together. We just clicked and we've been writing since then. I've got 2 songs on the album Think About Me and another song TwenytyFourseven.
B4 you got together with AD you were in Truce How did you get into Truce?
I was headhunted. A guy called Laurence Johnson who used to head a group called London Community Gospel Choir, he contacted me and he was putting this group together and he wanted me to come and join the group because of my writing ability. I've known Lawrence for a very long time since I was young so I trusted his judgment, he was actually managing the group at the time he founded the group. So that's how I came to be in the group. I kind of knew Diane before I joined I didn't know Janine. I knew Diane through the church circuit. so that's how I joined Truce in 93.
The Escofferys were your older sisters right? Did you want to be in their group?
I was in the group!
You were in the group!?
Yeah!
I started singing with my sisters at age 7 than went semi professional when I was 9. We started doing festivals loads of festivals here, Europe. Weddings, banquets, concerts everything and I was actually in the band from the age of 9 and then we recorded at the age of 15. So I went professional when I was 16 when we recorded our first album which was for Atlantic records in the states. I've been singing with my sisters since then. We still sing together now um I have a show, a venue down in Brixton that I do once a month called Kindred Spirit and it's like a poetry jam as well as live music and we normally do a set. It's the 3rd Wednesday every month.
It's my thing along with my sisters. It's a way to give back to the community and way to highlight talent that's in the community that's not recognised. Having musicians come up and having singers, poets come and express themselves where they might not have the opportunity to, that's like my way of giving back.
Going back to Truce again, what's the situation? (Are you still together cos I heard one tune..)
Tony (the photographer) realises that's where he knows Michelle from!
I heard a song on a compilation with Touch. Hide and Seek?
That's a new song. They haven't split up.
So you left?
Yeah they have a new member. I hear that they're recording.
After I left I concentrated on my songwriting. I hooked up with new management, Marlene Gaynor and I just started really concentrating on my writing. For me that's my strongest point so I wanted to really explore that outside of you know doing the tours doing the shows doing the rehearsals, just spending time in the studio just writing every day and see what happens. So that's basically what I've been doing for the last 2 years.
You've worked with loads of different people...
Yeah. Martine Macutcheon, Honeyz, Damage, Hinda Hicks. I'm currently doing some stuff with Michelle Gayle, K-Gee. Fierce when they were out.
You've also done background vocals... is that something you just did?
I've always done it. Through singing with my sisters we've always been asked to do BVs for other people as well. It's fun. It's nice. It helps you to expand yourself; when you have to sit down and listen to someone elses vocal and try and sound like them or try and blend with different groups of people. It just kind of stretches me and I love doing it. I love doing sessions when there's like 7 singers and you've all got to sound a certain way. I really enjoy it. I don't see it like.. `urrgg you're a backing singer' you're kind of degrading yourself or anything like that I think it's part of what you do. Sometimes when you have songs, especially writing songs, you know how you want the song to sound, sometimes you do need to sing the BVs along with the artist so it comes across the way that you want it to come across. In terms of studio work I do a lot of vocal production so I produce other people so I produce other people and vocal arrangement as well so I get involved in the whole process of creating it and making it sound good.
Would you say prefer to stay behind the scenes or at the forefront, like you are with this track (Think About Me)?
Umm.. I would say I prefer the studio work I prefer the creative, actually creating something, coming to the studio one day and having nothing when you get there, then hearing a track and being inspired and writing and when you leave it's like you've got a song. That's a buzz for me it's like, wow! But I also enjoy performing I love performing live, I love performing with a band it's amazing. I think it's all a part of what I do. I think if I had a choice. I would probably just do like live shows and be in the studio and that's it, but there's just like so much more involved. (like interviews) It's all part and parcel of it. To me it's good It just shows that what you're doing is being recognised. Once you're getting pushed to the forefront. It's a good thing.
Would you go back into the limelight? Think about going solo?
I'm still mulling that over (smiles) I think that right now. I'm just gonna go with the flow, see where it takes me and make up my mind when I need to. So far, I'm just really enjoying. I like hanging out with the guys as well cos they're funny as well. Peter cracks me up, he's just mad he just cracks me up. So it's like it's fun. It's that fun element which is nice.
Not like work.
Nah It's fun.. The people around me I have really good people around me so it's like really nice.
Have you done any shows with AD?
We've only done TV. We're gonna be doing some stuff throughout the summer. Homelands, and we'll be doing live set dates, I can't wait for that.
Do you think you'll be going to Ayia Napa or Ibiza?
They're going to be residents there this summer so who knows. I might go over do a couple of PAs, I don't mind sunshine! I don't mind at all!
Have you been there before?
No I've just heard...
Me too.
I'd like to go and check it out, see what the fuss is about,
How would you describe this song/the genre?
Mark and Pete call it 3step. It's basically still H and G but it's 3 step,it's in 3/4 time whereas normal 2 step is in 2, well actually 4/4. that's what makes up the beat. Whereas 4/4 is actually like a waltz, you know one, two 3. 1,2,3.. It's very musical, very musical. Which made my life easy cos I just had to write melodies on top of that. It's very kinda loud sounding and very epic. I think that Artful Dodger have just taken it somewhere else. I think they've just pushed the boundaries a bit more.
Who would you say are your Influences?
Gospel definitely. Jazz and lately I've just been listening to everything just trying to broaden my scope. I love R&B, Hip Hop but I also like acoustic music I like World Music. I love Alanis Morisette. I think her lyrics are amazing. It's quite broad I listen to a lot of different things so that I don't get stuck in one style of music and I think that's what helps keep what I do fresh.
? (I don't know exactly what I asked here)
They're classically trained and I'm classically trainer as well. In Piano and voice. So it's like we've kind of got similar backgrounds but they took it a step further than me I studied it at school but they went to college and did the whole thing so we've got that same kind of background so the musicality, we understand each other you know which is really good.
I guess what I bring to AD, lyrics and melody, just sitting on top of what they do and like all the other artists that sang on this album is soul and that's what makes it work.
How do you feel being at the forefront again? Do you feel any pressure?
I didn't feel any pressure at all. For me it was just. I was just happy to do it because there was already a relationship with Mark and Pete we had BEEN in the studio working in the studio for 9 months working doing loads of things not just for Artful Dodger, for other people as well so there was already a connection there. I didn't actually expect this song to be a single. So when they came to me and were like we're thinking of using it as for the next single I was like what? Yeah and we want you to feature. I was like what!? Oh no! But I don't see it as a pressure I really don't. How I see it is every. I see it as a compliment because everybody that they have used on their records have been talented. For them to say Michelle we want you to sing on this record for me it's a compliment because I know that they go for people who have talent so I don't see it as pressure at all.
What's your opinion on the scene now? R&B and UK Garage.
I think that garage is very much alive. I don't think it's something that's going to die in a hurry. A lot of people are saying garage is gonna be gone in the next year.. but they said that about hip hop and hip hop, but hip hop is still very much alive and kicking so I don't think house and garage is going anywhere.
R&B I think the British scene has taken a big knock in the last year because most of the artists have been dropped. American R&B has been storming the charts which is a good thing but I'm not sure what's gonna happen next as far as UK R&B is concerned
Do you think it's possible to be a UK R&B act and not get dropped?
I think it's very difficult. As soon as you do something different that's not quite what people are expecting...they don't wanna really touch it. I think one of the problems I this country is that instead of being originators we are emulators. I think we need to star being original again. People like Loose Ends, Soul II Soul the reason that they were being original, they were doing something that they owned and was there. they weren't trying to emulate a sound. Americans don't wasn't to hear a cheap version of what they do. They don't want to hear that. They want to hear our own stuff. I think if we start to get back to originating sounds. I think that is why 2 step has done so well is cos its a British sound. When you're listening to So Solid crew you are hearing the British influence and you're hearing the West Indian influence coming through and it's like ok that's different. So it's more appreciated. Especially the younger community they can get with it, that's the language they are using anyway, so you know once we get out of this thing that we have to sound American.
Have there been significant changes since Truce times?
The industry is very throwaway. It's like they'll sign you but if you don't go top 10 in the first month they'll drop you. There's not much time spent developing artists. When I was in Truce there was time for you to develop as an artist and I fell that's very important. Like with Popstars, they spent so long doing auditions and blah blah blah and their first performance was like hmm because they're not developed as artists. The first time you throw them on stage with how many people of course they're gonna be a little bit nervous you know. It's about giving people the opportunity to grow into their space. I don't really see that happening much here and that's where the Americans are ahead of us they put people out on the road for a good year you know doing little shows getting themselves prepared before they do the big show, stepping out.
(Kindred Spirit) is a bit like that?
Yes it's encouraging people to step up to and do what they can do and to give them the confidence to step out of that arena and maybe approach a record co or go and do a bigger show because you need that, artists need support.
What are your futures plans?
whhooooooh!
OK the immediate future!
Going on holiday! My immediate plans. Umm we're talking about maybe doing the next single Twenty Four Seven. Writing. Finishing K-Gee's album. Those are my immediate immediate plans and just doing it live!
Tony (the photographer who has some great people skills) had some questions too.
Are you still friends with the girls or is it hi and rights..? (hi, youalright... *keep moving*)
It wasn't bad terms it was timing. I needed to go I needed to fulfil what I needed to fulfil and I don't really think they appreciated it but at the end of the day how I see it, everyone has their own journey to make and if you feel strongly that you need to do something then you need to do it and I felt strongly that I needed to be writing. I was in the group and I was writing for other people and it was like the songs that I was writing could have gone to Truce but people didn't have the vision or the foresight so when they were successful with other people it was like `hey well could've been'. I'm one of those people. I don' t live my life in coulda woulda shoulda I've got to go and do it otherwise I'll never know.
Tony: hence that's why you have a song in the charts..
I don't like living my life with regrets and I see, how I look at life it's not permanent, it's temporary so when you have opportunities you've just got to go for it.
He gets a phone call.
Where's your surname from?
My father's Jamaican but the name itself has north African descent and it's actually French it derives from (E_______ (ok I don't know the sp.?) and it got watered down 2 generations to Escoffery so that's basically where the name originates from.
(Shaun Escoffery is her cousin) Do you think you'll work together?
I hope so! I hope so, we keep missing each other man!
I ask if he's a yank.
No he's from here!
So you see him all the time.
No I don't actually. I didn't know about Shaun up until about 95 I didn't even know that he existed. I went to a rehearsal for Mama I Wanna Sing (the musical), and we just started talking and I thought.. ooh he's a bit of alright this brother's fine! and then we started talking.. and I was like what's your name? He was like Shaun Escoffery! I was like.. we're definitely related! and it works out that we're cousins so bang went that idea.
I make a wack joke about cousins marrying cousins being cool in some places.
Forget that blood is blood man!!!
fin.