Stood on stage aged thirteen in a lace dress from a charity shop and her hair in pigtails about to begin the first notes of ‘He’s A Tramp’ by Peggy Lee, is the moment that started it all for Harriet. She recounts the performance at her local theatre for an event celebrating 20 years of the theatre company as the moment she knew she wanted to do this forever. Not everyone has a light-bulb moment, some people slowly work their way into what they want to do with their life but others, like Harriet, have one big explosion of realisation and spend the rest of their life doing the utmost to get themselves there. As soon as she started singing and the room went silent, she knew it would be the moment that defined her.
Fast forward several years and releases later, she sits at the top of her game, about to release a long-in-the-making second album ‘The Outcome’. A beautiful journey filled with sweet-melodic tracks sitting somewhere in between Coldplay and Abba. She is an independent artist dead set on doing it the way she wants with the new album taking several songwriting sessions in Sweden culminating with her meticulously hand-picking collaborators in the process. “It’s funny, I didn’t really have a plan for what the album would end up being when I started working on new material. It kind of all just came together. I noticed early on in the writing process I enjoyed digging a little deeper with lyrics, feeling more comfortable going to some places I hadn’t gone to before. Working with a variety of songwriters and producers on the record also helped shape the overall sound as they each brought something different out of me. There are some more reflective moments as with the title track, which is very atmospheric and dreamlike lyrically. It’s about learning to sit back and take everything in around you, living in the moment and not being overly concerned about the consequences. I am an over-thinker and the message in this song is something I am trying to live by more often. Magic passes you by when you try to analyse everything too much.” – She couldn’t be more right, sometimes the best thing to do is allow yourself to be present and take in all that is going on.
“My latest single ‘Story Of Your Life’ is about playing the lead role in your life and embracing everything that goes with it; the ups…and the downs. I hope people feel encouraged when they hear it; to know we are so much more capable than we feel sometimes and that picking ourselves up out of difficult situations is what makes us amazing.” The album has clearly been a journey of creation for Harriet and she’s looking forward to fans hearing it. “A track I can’t wait for people to hear is ‘Heartbreak Holiday’. I haven’t had a song like it before – it’s a mix of The Ronettes, Madonna and Shania Twain. It’s the party song on the album! – so much fun to write and has a fantastic Motown kind of energy. A hybrid of ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Dancing In The Street’, it’s about being in desperate need of a break from feeling heartbroken and the best way to achieve this is to put on your best dress, your highest heels, then go paint the town pink without taking yourself too seriously! So all in all, there is a mixture of themes on The Outcome. It’s a pretty colourful record.”
With a release as personal as this is, there are bound to be some tracks where Harriet dug even deeper, allowing herself to be more vulnerable. Asking if there were any in particular she was nervous for people to hear she replied – “I’m anxious for people to hear the album full stop, really. It’s a strange thing setting songs free into the world when they have just been ‘yours’ for so long. I’m excited to hear what people’s favourite tracks are and what the songs might mean to them or make them feel. There is a song called ‘Burn’ which is special to me. There were some tears when I worked with Jocke and Pär on finishing some of the lyrics. I’m not sure where those lyrics came from but when that happens, it’s like a button is pushed inside you and all the emotions come out. The song is about letting go of things that weigh you down. I am one to do this… I take worries around with me all the time; both my own, and those of the people I love. Sometimes you have to let them go so you can breathe. Perhaps the realisation this is something I need to work on in myself is what sparked the tears. I’m so thrilled brilliant artist and songwriter Nikhil D’Souza agreed to join me on Burn for the album. His voice is like a warm hug and he brings such a sense of relief and reassurance to the song with his vocals.”
Harriet said she loved working in Sweden on the album and travelling to Stockholm to solely focus on making music was so beneficial. “I put a lot of myself into songwriting and love all parts of the creative process, so it can be tiring, but in a deeply rewarding way. I found having none of life’s frequent distractions around me – as I would at home – meant I could really put every bit of energy I had into those sessions. I knew very soon after my first trip there that I wanted to make my whole album in Stockholm. The city is so inspiring. On every street corner there is a studio, often hidden away, dimly lit, where all these secret little songs are being born. I love it. I worked with several songwriters and producers on ‘The Outcome’ and the process with each was so different. Some like to build a production whilst working on the song itself and others want to finalise every last word of a song before adding anything to it. I enjoy both approaches as it’s good to mix it up. I’ve found that if the song feels great with just a voice and an instrument, then it’s a winner. It can be easy to get carried away with all the layers on top before you’ve got the melody and message cemented. A producer and good friend taught me to write down everything I want to say in a song before I even start on the actual lyrics. This has been such an effective way of working for me and prevents those ‘second verse struggles’ and other writers’ block moments! It’s amazing how one or two days in a studio are captured in a 3 minute moment for everyone to hear. I’m looking forward to people hearing these songs that have grown to mean so much to me.”
Harriet’s music feels like a secret you should keep to yourself; so personal and sincere. Of course, it’s not something to keep to yourself but rather something even more people should know about. For anyone who may not have had the pleasure of stumbling across her music though, I asked how she would describe herself. “I’m an old soul, with a young heart! I’m always looking for that deeper connection when I’m writing lyrics, and songs have to trigger something in me. I love telling stories and I’m so drawn to the nostalgic sounds of the 1970s where this was such a big part of songwriting. So all this, combined with fresh, uplifting melodies and production that subtly nod to all the music I love from those retro eras, is where I sit sound-wise. I love visiting melancholic places with my music as this is when I feel most connected to a song, particularly when I perform live. But I also love those more fun, luminous moments. My style is an amalgamation of the two I guess.”
Speaking of musical influences, Harriet takes a lot of inspiration from the music of the 1970s with her new single ‘Story Of Your Life’ being likened to a ‘sweet spot between Coldplay and Abba’. “I grew up listening to my Dad’s record collection and we had quite an eclectic mix of music spinning around at home. Out of the speakers would come Led Zeppelin, followed by Barry Manilow; Ella Fitzgerald and The Beach Boys… There was something which tied it all together though. There was always a really special voice and a great melody. I would make my own mixtapes from vinyl and CDs on a double-cassette deck I had and listen to them on my little Sony Walkman. Discovering a new song I loved was just the best feeling, I’d skip back to repeat it over and over again. I still do that actually; Play tracks to death, one by one – be it not on a cassette tape anymore though. Carole King’s album, Tapestry, has always been one of my favourite records. I remember first picking it out because I loved the cover. It very much inspired my artwork for ‘The Outcome’. On the other end of the musical spectrum, we have ABBA. My mum had an ABBA Gold CD, which she played all the time in the car and was something we would all sing along to together on long journeys. Their music has the wonderful ability to unite people and make them feel part of something. There are few bands who are able to be so emotional in their songs and productions, whilst still making you want to get up and dance. It’s unique. I recorded a cover of ‘The Winner Takes It All’ when making my album in Stockholm. It was perhaps the hardest I’ve ever sung but one of my favourite sessions. Johannes Willinder produced it and stayed up late into the night with me to get all the vocals. There’s something so haunting about that song. I loved recording it.”
Growing up in a small town in Hertfordshire, Harriet said she quickly realised although she loved it, she needed to be in London to create opportunities for herself in music. With the small-town lifestyle not able to provide her with the freedom and connections she desperately longed for, she spent all her money on rent and moved to Fitzrovia, a short walk from Soho. “I honestly loved it and it’s a crazy, creative, magical atmosphere, ” she said, recalling her first few years there. “After having grown up in a small town, I liked the anonymity that came with living in central London. It sounds cringy but I really felt so free and like I could do anything, be anyone. I used to go walking around the west end late at night, listening to demos I’d made on my little 8-track Tascam digital recorder and just people-watching. It was an amazing time. I actually wrote a song during my sessions in Stockholm called ‘London’, inspired by my relationship with the city but it didn’t feel right for ‘The Outcome’; maybe one for the next record! Everything started for me at The Spice Of Life in Soho. I was performing there and met two lovely guys who became the start of a string of great relationships that have brought me to where I am today. I’ll be forever grateful to them for buying me a drink that night and kick-starting this brilliant journey for me. I have spent many hours sitting wondering how things would be now if my path had been different but life is a series of sliding door moments, really. You have to go with the flow and make the best of it all. I said yes to everything back then, and I’m pleased I did that, as there is definitely a version of Harriet who would have over-analysed it all and said no, and then I might not have made it to Sweden to be releasing this album!”
When she first began making music, she felt confined to boxes she had put herself in which limited her creativity. Now, with ‘The Outcome’, Harriet has been able to express parts of herself she didn’t feel comfortable with back then. “I feel I’ve pushed myself a bit more with ‘The Outcome’. I experimented with different sounds, looks, and feelings – I think artists get pigeonholed so quickly when they first release music; it’s a natural thing we do as humans, group things together based on how they sound or look! But I was determined to free myself up with this album and not think too much about fitting a particular mould. I remember about halfway through the creative process, there was a small batch of songs that deep down I loved, but I got so caught up with worrying whether they fit a version of me that people – and in turn I, myself – had decided I was, so I shelved them. I’m a big fan of ABBA and watching them return with their comeback album, ‘Voyage’, which was so authentic to them and really shook something out of me. I recalled all those songs and they are now some of my favourites on the record. Touring so much over the past few years continues to inspire me to want to try new things; to share more with the fans about myself. It’s like dating in a way; you don’t tell someone everything about yourself the first time you meet them! I feel that with ‘The Outcome’, people have the opportunity to really get to know me more through these songs.”
This summer will be an exciting one as she takes the new record on a headline UK tour alongside her live band. The last series of shows she did were just with her pianist, a stripped-back sound meaning she hasn’t played with her full band for a long time. “We’re currently rehearsing for the tour. I can’t wait to take ‘The Outcome’ on the road and share the record with audiences in person. We have worked on arrangements for the new songs especially for these shows, combined with a few tracks from my first album as well as some exciting surprises. I don’t feel songs really come to life until they are played live so I’m looking forward to hearing them all breathe out there and hopefully connect with fans. We live in such a digital age now, so touring is where record sales and streams become real people, with real stories. For me, it makes the whole process of releasing an album so worth it. I have a very loyal core fanbase and nothing beats bonding with them in a live setting, sharing those moments together.”
As our interview is about to be concluded, I had to ask what Harriet has set her sights on next as it’s clear whatever she wants to do, I’m sure she will find a way to do it. “I am super keen to see how these songs evolve when performed live. I’ve been living with them for some time and now it feels like they’re flying off into the world and graduating! I also want to celebrate the music of Sweden that’s inspired me so much – I am currently putting together something special that essentially builds on my cover of ‘The Winner Takes It All’… I can’t say much more than that about it right now as everything is still in motion but I am incredibly excited for it. And, of course, I’ve already started writing the next album. Watch this space!”
