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This week we flash back to an interview with UK chart-topping songstress Estelle who, at the time, was on the brink of her American Boy fame. Here the award-winning singer talks about her modest beginnings and reveals what life is like having John Legend and Kanye West as friends.

I want to go back to the beginning. Tell us where it started.

Oh god. It started at ‘Deal Real’ [record store] on Noel Street in London. I used to work there on a Saturday and a couple of days during the week. I was trying to rap and sing, but I wasn’t really serious about it.

How did you go from being a part-time sales assistant to becoming a signed artist?

Well I set up my own record label. I got in on so many different features like Black Twang and a bunch of other folk. After that we went to see a few labels and they were like ‘eerr’ as usual so I set up my own label, ‘Estelle Ents’. I got a distributor for it and I sold like 6000 copies in a couple of months and that that’s when they all came back to me. I got signed to ‘V2’, I put out ‘1980’ and recorded the album, ‘18th Day’. The thing that makes me laugh about that album is half of it was recorded prior to being signed, which included songs like ‘Go Gone’ and ‘Change Is Coming’.

Ok, so you signed to V2 and had a massive hit with ‘1980,’ but it didn’t work out with V2 so you decided to move on. That brings us up to date with your new single ‘Just a Touch’ produced by Black Eyed Peas front man, Will.i.Am. What was it like walking into the studio with someone like him?

He's an insane producer and is very free.

So were you guys in the studio together when you made ‘Just a Touch?’

Yeah we were. I had an idea of what I wanted and hummed it to him and he joined in and John [Legend] who was also there was like, [Sings] ‘just a touch….’ It was just like that! We all sat in there and wrote the song.

So how does that work when you’ve got three people working on one song?

Well whoever comes up with the best line it goes into the song. I mean it was fun, because everyone’s like, ‘how do you say no to Will.i.Am and John Legend?’ I’m like, ‘umm, no!’ Just like that!

You recently warmed up for rapper Kanye West at his gig in the O2, which is a huge arena in the UK. What was it like walking out on stage knowing how much people were in the audience?

All that was going through my mind was don’t fall asleep, don’t fall asleep! We arrived that morning and I had to get on stage four hours after getting off the plane. I was also scared of falling off of the stage because you can’t quite see everything because of the lights, but it felt like felt so good, especially being over here for Kanye.

There are a lot of female vocalists in the UK right now, and you’ve been compared to quite a few of them, who are your personal favourites?

Who am I into? I like everything, like I said my style in music is across the board. My friends in the industry and artists that I think are great include Teri Walker, her voice is amazingly dope and Miss Dynamite - I’m still waiting for her album! I’m sure there’s a tonne of other people I’m missing out.

There was this madness earlier this year when you apparently said that Duffy and Adele should not be categorised as soul singers. Can you clear that up for us?

They asked me about a type of music and then said, ‘What do you think of Duffy and Adele as soul singers?’ I said, ‘Would you call their kind song soul music?’ and the guy said no so I said, ‘Why are you even presenting that question?’

Has everything been cleared up now?

Adele likes me right anyway.

That’s what I’m saying yea she left you a voicemail.

Yea she left me a voicemail.

Ok, so let’s talk about your relationship with John Legend. He’s a friend, a mentor, a co-producer, co-writer and has had a lot to do with your career. How would you describe your relationship with him?

He’s really cool and he’s like a brother as well as my competitor in the same way he competes with Kanye West.

As well as John you’re obviously friends with a whole bunch of people and have worked with incredible list of people too. Doesn’t it feel weird sometimes?

A little bit,

What about when you’re walking down the street and there’s a big reaction to you. How does that feel?

I think people in general place too much excitement on just the fact you’ve been seen on TV. No but honestly I’m a human being. I get tired and I put my pants on one leg at a time just the same as everyone else. And I treat people the same way, especially my celebrity friends, don’t give it that ‘mwaaah mwaaah darling’ crap! Just be real with me just like I am with you. People appreciate that!

Let’s talk about your braces. Is it true that the label pressured you into getting them?

Yeah when I heard that story I was actually at my label in America. The head of marketing called me up and said, ‘yo so apparently we told you to get braces!’ You’ve got to be cool and you’ve got to laugh about it. It’s like come on, look at my personality, look at the artist you’re talking to. You know it was an irritation that people think that just because I look slightly girlier. It’s like they think that I didn’t have the common sense to want to change my look on my own. I’ve always wanted braces. If I could have had them in gold, I would have!

Your single, ‘American Boy’ was number one in the UK for four weeks and even now it’s still in the top 40. Its crazy!

Its not going anywhere in America either, it’s just starting to build, so its even worse!

I was in a strip club in Atlanta and the DJ was like, ‘there’s some singers in here tonight. If my girl Estelle is in the house, you better get up here on the mic!’ I got on stage and sung ‘American Boy’ while these naked chicks did the routine to the song. It was the most surreal moment of my life.

Ends…

Published: 18 November 2009
Issue: 0

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