By Natasha Barbieri
Joanna is many things, an actress, a singer and one of the loveliest ladies you will find in crossover music. Her debut album went to No.1 in the charts making her the first independent artist to do so with her debut record. I caught up with Joanna to talk about her upcoming release, “The Rhythm of Life.”
NB: First of all, I need to say congratulations on the success of “Stars are Rising.” You are the first independent artist to go to No.1 with your debut album! What was it like getting the news?
Joanna: Thank you! It really was like a dream come true. I knew at the time, that being new to the classical crossover scene and of course, being independent, that I would pretty much just have my release week to help me achieve the coveted number 1 spot, so my team and I worked really hard promoting the album and driving sales in that intense campaign period. I’ll be honest, it was very challenging especially when we’d looked at who we were competing with; being Mother’s Day week, some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets were running promotions on stands and I found myself up against the mighty Alfie Boe who was being sold at a budget price to thousands of grocery shoppers looking for a gift.
Throughout the week it was VERY close and there were times that I didn’t think I’d do it but I finally got the news on the Friday morning that yes, I had claimed the official number 1 spot. It was the most incredible feeling filled with tears, smiles and plenty of whoops and cheering! I couldn’t believe it, and until I saw it actually published by the Official Charts later that day, I still didn’t really relax especially as their system went down and the chart was delayed in being published until around 9 at night! However, the news finally sunk in and we celebrated in a swanky hotel in London with a rooftop hot-tub (on a blustery and rainy March night!) overlooking the incredible London skyline where Stars are Rising was recorded. I couldn’t have been happier.
NB: Tell us a little bit about your new album. “Stars are Rising” was cinematic and fabulous – what’s the concept this time?
Joanna: That’s very kind of you to say about Stars are Rising, I am very proud of it. My new album is called “The Rhythm of Life” and I’m pleased you have mentioned “concept” as it is very much a “concept classical crossover album”.
This time around I have created an album which I hope will not only be a hit with existing fans of the genre but also appeal to families, to parents, and to children.
“The Rhythm of Life” consists of 12 tracks which, when played in one sitting, takes the listener on a journey that reflects a day in the life of a child, so that each track represents a different hour in the day from 8 in the morning until 7 at night. The album title, The Rhythm of Life (which is also the name of the 2nd track on the album), is deliberately named as I believe there is a rhythm and beat to life itself and when you look at the rhythm of a child’s day it can be relatively cyclical; in very general terms – Wake, Sleep, Eat, Repeat, but there is so much more to a day than this and when you look closer, each day is full of so much possibility and wonder which my album reflects.
For family listeners, I love the idea of children and parents enjoying it together, recognizing many elements of their own exciting days. It is of course also a brilliant way to get children excited and interested in music, in particular, orchestral music.
Yet, regardless of whether listeners have children or not, we all have been children and reflecting on those times can be a highly powerful emotion and I hope my album can provide a suitable backdrop to it.
NB: Let’s talk a little bit about the repertoire on the album. I was impressed that on your debut album you didn’t just put out an album of songs everyone covers. You and your team really put together an original effort and that was appreciated. So, what is your song selection process like?
Joanna: I’m really pleased that people appreciated the effort we put into making Stars are Rising an original offering. Considering the concept of this album I feel that yet again we have tried to really push the boundaries of what is possible with a crossover record. As you might imagine, selecting these songs was so much fun but also a very logical process. We started by mapping out the different things that happen in a day from a young child’s perspective. Clearly, we couldn’t put everything in there as we only had a limited number of tracks we could do, but between myself, my manager and my production team, we created a shared document where for the first week we brainstormed hundreds of different tracks between us which could work and which we wanted to record.
To help us refine the selection we then took a closer look at not only the mapping of the day but also what would be interesting and fun to record and sing, what would be appropriate to record and essentially what would just make us a brilliant final album that succeeds in reaching our main objective. Funnily enough, the first song we all agreed on was the opening track, Greatest Day, originally by Take That who I love, as it perfectly set the scene. We honestly had so much to choose from but the flow, drumbeat, energy, and rhythm of the album is what helped us choose our final songs. Once I played the final selection to my husband and asked him to picture the day, he got very emotional as he started remembering not only the magical times he spent with his children when they were young but also his own childhood, especially on If I Ruled the world which reminded him of a conversation he had with his late grandmother about wanting to be an astronaut. It was also her favorite song, so that’s very special.
Once we had our choices, my genius producer and orchestrator (who also produced Stars Are Rising), Robert Emery, then worked solidly on arranging and orchestrating the full album before we recorded it with Arts Symphonic.
In the age of Spotify and streaming, it was also really important that the tracks we created would work by themselves if individually played, and I think we have something for everyone in there.
NB: I loved the use of special effects in “In my life.” Do you have any special surprises in terms or arrangements on this new album? Are you involved in arranging either directly or just offering ideas?
Joanna: There are LOADS of surprises on the album and it will be a real eye (or should that be ear?!) opener for people when they hear it. I strongly believe that music should never sit still and that as artists we should not accept the status quo. You mention “In My Life” from Stars Are
Rising, which of course was written by The Beatles. There is no greater example of musicians who constantly evolved and created new sounds in music which had never been heard before. If we take that as a guiding principle then I would say that we created an album that takes classical crossover music to a whole new level with production values that are fresh, modern and which deserves a seat at the top table by bringing the genre to the masses. Every time I listen to it I hear something new in the mix. We even have a theremin on the title track, Rhythm of Life!
I am so happy with all of the arrangements; I’d like to teach the world to sing blows my mind how Robert has arranged such a well-known song into a brand-new identity and he has been so clever in creating a suite called “Jeux D’Enfants” based on a number of longer pieces by Bizet. On this track, we have also put in a nod to the “listen with mother”, “children’s hour” and the late DJ, Ed Stewart’s “Junior Choice” radio programs which was a lot of fun to do.
I’m very much involved in every process of the album and even though I don’t arrange it myself, I love working with Robert, suggesting ideas and making it a team effort.
NB: Tell us about your special guests this time around. You obviously have 2 very successful singers but also an orchestra and choir. Must have been a fantastic experience!
Joanna: I am a very lucky girl with my guests on this album! There are well over 100 musicians on it including the orchestra and the adult choir but I also wanted to collaborate with some very special people on it too.
Firstly, I have Paul Potts on the album who duets with me on the gorgeous track, Because we Believe, originally co-written by Andrea Bocelli. I have been friends with Paul for five years now after he sang with me at the CoppaFeel! Concert, Busting to Sing. At that show, we sang Point of No Return from Phantom and we stayed in touch. I love the richness and quality of Paul’s voice, it’s just jaw-droppingly beautiful and I was genuinely honored and delighted that he wanted to sing with me on my album. We had a fun day in the studio together and Paul is not only a real professional but also a very giving and encouraging duet partner.
Secondly, on the track Let’s Go Fly a Kite, I asked my good friend, Children’s TV presenter, Andy Day, to sing with me. Andy and I go back years when we used to do panto together. He’s just become a dad himself and was so happy to be involved. Considering we actually used to sing this song in panto, it felt fitting that we did this one together. Andy is not only a very popular presenter with the kids but also a terrific singer and even has his own band which children love called Andy and the Odd Socks! Also, on this track, we have created a promo video where once again I have teamed up with the brilliant artist and animator, Gary Andrews, who has brought it to life.
Finally, and I am so happy about this, my best friend Lucy runs a very successful theatre school, and I invited a load of their younger performers to form a choir and sing with me on I’d like to teach the world to sing and Food, Glorious Food. I love the sound of a children’s choir and given the content on the album it seemed really appropriate. They are all so keen, so talented and I am really pleased that I could give them the opportunity of appearing on a big album; three of them even have solos!
NB: Recording can be a very stressful process. Tell us a little bit about what the experience has been like for this album?
Joanna: On this album, we made a conscious decision to take a bit more time in the studio recording the vocals to help us create a relaxed atmosphere. Obviously, we do have time pressures to consider as studio time is expensive but we definitely blocked out enough days so that we could enjoy the overall experience more. I think for me, I really do feel the pressure as am determined to give as good a performance as I can, as a recording lasts forever, but with more time to play with and of course, the knowledge that if it doesn’t go right you can do another take, really helps.
For me, a day’s recording consists of a good night sleep followed by a steam and warm up. We then normally do a rehearsal before attempting one or two takes all the way through. Following this, we will pick up section by section, where we need to, to ensure we have enough material covered that can be used. Some songs don’t require that many extra takes but a song like Rhythm of Life is so, so fast that it was inevitable I would need to record more of that in sections. It’s great fun though and with a little bit of reverb in my ears, it at least gives me a little flavor of how it all sounds.
NB: Does your producer or vocal coach guide you while you are recording or is it just you deciding that it feels good and you’re ready to move on?
My producer Robert definitely guides me and I am so grateful for this. He is an absolute perfectionist and has a superb ear for how everything sounds. What I like about recording with him is that it is like having a theatrical director but instead of directing your moves he is guiding your voice to ensure it fits with the song and the overall vision we have. For this album to work, it simply wasn’t enough just to sing in a “classical” or “operatic” way but instead, I had to bring my acting background into it, to find my own way to sing the song appropriately rather than just trying to sound like Montserrat Caballe all the way through which would just be weird!
NB: Since the last time we spoke you were also featured on original songs for Olga Thomas. It’s been so lovely to see you ladies supporting each other on social media. Tell us a little bit about the collaboration.
Joanna: I love Olga. She is one of those people you meet who can instantly brighten your day, make you feel good about yourself and gives you lots of confidence in what you do. Olga was introduced to me through her manager, Louise Harris, who I am also grateful to have worked with and she expressed how much she liked my voice. Given how good and celebrated a composer she is, this made my day. Funnily enough, after I heard that Olga wanted to work with me, I was flying to Antigua and an album of hers was on the inflight entertainment playlist.
We recorded two songs together, again with full orchestras and with the superb tenor, Daniel Koek. The first was Royal Platinum Love Song that was released to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary of The Queen and Prince Philip. Recording a song for royalty was quite an honor and we were thrilled to see it enter the charts at Number 1 and gain BBC Radio 2 airplay. Mind you, I’m still awaiting an invite to a garden party though, given the fact that I go everywhere with my dog, they may not be so keen in case she leads the corgis astray!
The second song was recorded at the same time as Royal Platinum but released a whole year later and was a festive Christmas track called That is his Story. Again, we charted really high and we’ve had some amazing feedback from fans of both mine and Olga’s. Olga calls me “Joanna from Enchanted Forest” which is so sweet but really, she is the magical one and I am in awe of her talent.
NB: Another successful collaboration you’ve had is with Mary-Jess you had your Songs of Praise debut with her and also put together “Christmas at the Musicals.” When did you first meet and what’s the best part of working together?
Joanna: Ah, lovely Mary-Jess. We met at a concert which we both performed at called ‘Songbirds” in London that featured four sopranos. I’d known of her success for a while so was delighted to finally meet her; we clicked straight away, shared the same sense of humor and desire to perform and so what followed was a really wonderful friendship. Being able to share stories and adventures with a fellow performer is a relief as this industry, once you are away from the stage, can, in fact, be quite a lonely experience as you try to navigate your way through it all. We did another concert at Christmas a couple of years ago and I guess this is what evolved into “Christmas at the Musicals” which we toured it in 2018 and hope to do again in 2019.
In between that was Songs of Praise which was a massively rewarding experience. The Songs of Praise team were really supportive during the recording yet, I have to admit, that I was a bundle of nerves on the broadcast day as we hadn’t seen anything since we shot it. I remember it was a baking hot July day anyway so we were already feeling the heat and soaking each other seconds before our song, Ave Maria, was shown. Thankfully, the response was so warm, so positive and yes, I’d love to do it all again!
NB: Obviously, the crossover world is still a pretty small niche but it’s growing bigger all the time. What would you say to people who’ve never given it a chance before? What makes this genre so special?
Well for starters, Classical Crossover Magazine is so important for the wonderful CC community and helping to grow it so thank YOU! It is niche BUT I would say that is so very accessible. Some niche markets are much more of an acquired taste but I’ve received some fantastic emails and letters of support from so many people all of varying musical tastes who say they are delighted to have found what we do. I think the biggest convert I’ve personally had is someone who told me they were massively into grime music and artists like Tinchy Strider, Dizzee Rascal, and Stormzy but had switched them off in favor of me singing Pure Imagination backed by a 72-piece orchestra.
For the record, I also love loads of different genres of music and think it’s really important to keep an open mind as there is so much choice (and influence for our own recordings) out there, not just your usual “go to” type. Take the musical Hamilton, for example; branded the “Hip Hop” or “Rap” musical, it is just soo cool and manages to combine traditional musical sounds with a modern and magnificently relevant style to appeal to fans of all ages and social demographics. In classical crossover, we should therefore also trust how fantastic our own music is and keep in the knowledge that once heard, people will also fall in love with it.
NB: You are obviously a really hard worker. What are some of the things that keep you motivated on the hard days?
Thank you. Being an independent musician, you pretty much have no other choice than to work your socks off as no one else is doing it for you. By default, though it is very, very hard work and compared to a “normal” job, there are no rules, no magic guidebook, and no perfect answer so you have to make brave decisions which will impact everything about your career.
On the hard days, I rely on a good old cup of English Breakfast tea and a review of some of the lovely comments I get from fans to keep me going!
NB: You’ve had so much success so far but I’m curious. Have you ever worked a non-entertainment job and if so what was it?
Thanks, I am very proud of what I have achieved but there is so much more I’d like to do. The last 12 months though have been great and in addition to what we’ve already talked about, I have also been lucky enough to help others through appearing on the Choirs with Purpose album in support of many wonderful causes, leading a 600 strong choir from the NHS AND shared the bill with Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, and Tony Hadley.
When you look at that it seems like a million miles away from a “normal” non-entertainment job (of which I’ve had some in PR and teaching randomly) BUT when you release an album independently you soon realize that you are in fact having to put on the biggest corporate hat; almost overnight you’re suddenly not only a musician but also a social media guru, a marketer, a project manager, a data analyst and even a video editor amongst loads of other things!
Saying that I LOVE my job. I love being creative, making music and my new album, The Rhythm of Life, has been a sheer joy to make and I can’t wait for people to enjoy it.
“The Rhythm of Life” is now available to pre-order joannaforest.com
