Monday Motivation

Morning Y'all!

Happy Monday. This week I'm going to keep this short and sweet...

Image sourced from Google

At the end of last year I told myself that for 2013 onwards this would be my moto for life which recently I have been sleeping on. But this week I am determined to put it back into action baby!

Have a great week lovers and remember to only do what makes you happy and if it doesn't make you happy.... then don't do it. Simples!

An Interview with Mr. Banks

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the man of the moment who is currently making us Brummies glow with pride, Mr Jacob Banks. I say I had the pleasure of meeting him but in actual fact I have met Mr Banks numerous times before, but on our previous encounters I knew him as Jacob the street dancer not as Jacob the musician with a whole lot of soul and then some.

It had been a few years since I had seen Jacob around so when my friend told me that he had moved to London and was pursuing a career in music whilst studying a degree in Engineering and had been taken under the wings of Wretch 32’s camp, I was left asking “is there anything that that this multi-talented young man cannot do?” He has written for the likes of One Direction, Alexandra Burke and Wretch 32, released a top quality EP ‘The Monologue’ and has even been featured on BBC 1Xtra’s Live Lounge and he has made it very clear that he is just getting started.

So when I found out that he was going to be performing at Soulive Birmingham I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to find out about the musical journey that took me and so many others by surprise, and how the cute boy who I remembered as a talented street dancer had morphed into a handsome and talented singer/songwriter/musician, as well as his take on the industry, growing up in Birmingham and what he has in store for 2013 and beyond.

For the Love of Moi: You are doing really well right now, how did this music journey begin for you?

Jacob Banks: I’ve always loved music and I think it’s just fate really, everything I did resulted back to music. I had no specific moment where I could say it started here; it just went on and on and then I just fell in love with it and I’ve never stopped.

FTLOM: You’ve come up in the industry really fast, for some it takes years. And you’ve worked with some of the UK favourite talent, which would say has been your best experience so far?

JB: Not too long ago actually I had a show, this was before everything started happening. So many people came out and they knew my songs, they knew my words and it was amazing to me. I’m so humbled by these little things, there was like 200 people and it was amazing. I’ve performed to thousands of people before, but to know that they came out just for me, it was wonderful, I couldn’t have asked for more.

FTLOM: When writing your own music where do you draw inspiration from?

JB: Naturally the first form of music was used to tell stories and to pass messages through villages, so I feel that music should still hold some of that essence. When I write my music and when I write for other artist as well, it’s always from a selfish place where things that I might not want to talk about to a person I put in in my music. I think I’m also inspired by the things I see, so generally life. I’m inspired by other artists and situations that I’ve been through and my friends have been through and just wanting to relay a message and I think that the best way to relay the message was through soul music.

FTLOM: Are there any artist that you are inspired by?

JB: Everyone from Fela Kuti to Al Green to Aretha Franklin to Shakka to anyone that makes music. I’m a fan of music first and I started singing because I loved it so much. I love everyone, it doesn’t matter what kind of genre music, as long as there is something there for me, I’ll take it.

FTLOM: There’s a lot of talk about the Music industry these days of how hard and pretentious it can be. What has your experience in the industry been like so far?

JB: I never say I’m in the industry, I know I am but, I don’t go to the industry stuff, I just make the music pass it on to my manager and he handles the rest. But what I’ve learnt about the industry is that it’s no different from anything else you do in your life. If you work in Tesco’s for example you have bad customers you have bad days, it’s the same thing, it’s just people get emotional about their music because their passion’s involved and it’s hard to separate your passion from the fact that it’s your job. So yeah, the industry’s hard but it’s just as hard as anything else you’ll ever do. I think if you have a good team around you and you respect your team members and you try to find a medium you’ll be fine.

FTLOM:The Video for your current single ‘Kids
on the Corner’ was shot in your hometown, Birmingham, you now Live in London and could’ve shot the video there, why was it important to shoot the video in Birmingham and to also make a statement out of it?

I grew up on Birmingham at a time where was a lot stabbings and a lot of crime, but what I realised the most is that when I saw people committing crimes, they didn’t see any guilt in what they did, they was cool, they didn’t see why it was wrong, like my boys from Birmingham would do dumb shit because of people would say they can’t do it. Like if I was with one of my boys and I said, I bet you can’t slap that guy, he’d go and do it just to prove to you that he can and he’d feel no guilt about it. But now Birmingham is a lot better man. A lot of people have grown up and some people haven’t. My younger brother’s 18 and he doesn’t have to see all of that going on, it’s all Snapbacks and Jordan’s, they’re living the good life. 
So yeah, I’m from Birmingham and I had to represent because you always back track to the first things you do and I wanted to do this for myself as well as Birmingham.

To the Future and beyond

FTLOM: What does 2013 have to look forward to from Mr Jacob Banks?

I want to remain happy for one because happiness is important. I want to keep putting out music. I have a lot of material that I’ve never put out because the time was never right, so now I feel that it’s time and hopefully by the end of this year I should have my album finished and ready to release.

FTLOM: 5 years time, What’s the plan?

JB: In five years’ time I would like to be at the forefront of Soul music. Right now when people think of Soul music and the UK they probably think about Plan B, or people like Yolanda Brown but when people think of Soul music I’d like to someone that pops in your head.
I don’t know where I’ll be in five years, I could turn around tomorrow and say that I want to start writing books, I’d do anything if it makes me happy and I do music because it makes me happy. I love performing, I love singing, I love writing, so as long as I’m happy, I’m cool, I’m alright.

To keep up with Jacob and his music you can follow that man with the timeless Soul on Twitter @MrJacobBanks, Facebook, Instagram @MrJacobBanks and Sound Cloud.

* All images sourced from Google

To All the Rockin' Girls!

Oi Meninas! 

First of all I have to apologise for not posting this on International Women’s day as I have been a busy body with little time these days. But I couldn’t not post anything for all the fabulous and fearless lady bugs across the world!

This one is for all the magnificent ladies out there who have found their way and who are still finding their way in this life, know that you that you are special, unique and strong even on days when you don’t feel it, so don’t let no sucker tell you any different!

Grab your grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends and have a dance to celebrate each others genius!

 

Happy belated International Womens day and month Mamacitas! Mwah.xxx

 

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday lovers! I hope you’ve all had a great weekend.

Sometimes there are certain things in life that you want but waiting around for them to happen won’t make them happen any faster. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take a risk and what is meant to be will be, otherwise how will you ever know?  If there is something that you want this week go out there and get it!

Love Sara. xxxx

Some of That Summer Sun

Everyday it seems to stay a little lighter for a little longer and on days when it's cold as hell but the sun beams in all its glory, I grow more and more exited for the summer sun!

I think that the last time that the UK had a great, hot and by hot I mean consistently hot summer, I had to have been maybe 5 years old! I am now 26. Ok this may be a slight exaggeration but in all honesty it’s probably not. It is no secret that the summer months in the UK are somewhat of a let-down, as old Blighty is famously known for her grey skies and rainy days so I suppose that every year she feels that she has to live up to her dull expectations, put on a show and lay a wet one on us just to keep face with the rest of the world. But this does not mean that that we should take this lying down and lose our enthusiasm for the summertime fun in the sun.

As much as I am a lover of all seasons, with each season there comes a point when you start to crave the next season and right now I am craving summer, because I am past ready to stop wear my faux fur lined parker and Uggs, yes Uggs I own a pair of those things, they may not be pretty but they are warm as hell so again, yes I own a pair of Uggs.

I like to start my day with enthusiasm and the best way for that to happen naturally is if I wake up to daylight shining through my window as apposed to streetlights, I love to be able to sit outside a bar on a weekend or an weekday evening with friends and have a laugh, I love the fact that even the most miserable suckers have a smile on their face when the weather is good and as random as this may be I think that music even sounds better in the sunshine,  but more than anything and you can call me ‘Shallow Hal’ all you want, I LOVE the fact that I can wear really pretty outfits!

Here's to hoping that we have a great summer and if not… there’s always easy Jet and a beach somewhere in the European shores with my name written in the sand.

Image sourced from Google

Adios amigos. xx