As Stacey Jackson prepares to make the music of 2010 all about her thanks to her amazing new album, Upside Down, I caught up with her to find out how on earth she juggles music and four kids!
Hello there, what are you up to?
At the moment, I’m juggling between the promo tour of the album and four kids at four different schools! It’s been a fun and busy time but I am looking forward to a break with my family at Christmas time.
So, you’re getting ready to release your new album Upside Down can you tell us a bit about it?
It’s a tribute to all my favourite songs from growing up, turned Upside Down & brought to a fresh new life with a rock edge! It has some amazing young musical talent from around the UK sprinkled throughout some of the tracks. These kids are from the UK charity Music for Youth.
The new single from that, comes out soon, why are you releasing that track now?
My first single is I Hear a Symphony. It features over a dozen kids on strings from the Central Music School in Oxfordshire. My follow-up single is Band of Gold, which is probably one of the more heavy tracks on the record. But, Band of Gold has been remixed into club dance tracks by some super-cool DJ’s (The Thin Red Men and Future Freakz). It‘s being released in clubs across the UK this week and the video (to the rocky album version) will follow in January.
There is a lot of competition in the business today; do you think you have what it takes to give the big names a run for their money?
What makes this project so different is that I was able to give some amazing young UK talent the opportunity to perform in renowned studios in London and to work with me, plus other professional musicians and producers. And all the big names I’ve spoken to about this project have been very supportive. In fact, this project is just the beginning and the plan is to continue to work with celebrity recording artists to mentor children from MFY in subsequent recording projects with me taking more of an executive producer role.
So, if you could recommend just one song of yours for us to download so that we want to hear all of your music, what would it be?
So hard to choose! I love all the tracks – there is something for everyone on the album. My version of each song is pretty different so I’d recommend that people go to iTunes and download all of Upside Down as all the profits are going to Music for Youth!
If I was contemplating coming to your show or sitting at home and watching Big Brother, how would you get me out of the house?
The official launch gig is 4 February, 2010 at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. The Tabernacle is super cool and is well-known for hosting music and arts events. Since the 60’s it has hosted names like R.E.M, Pink Floyd, The Clash, The Rolling Stones and just recently Lilly Allen. It’s going to be an amazing night and I am featuring some of the kids from MFY – some of them played on the album -- so if I were you, I’d tape Big Brother!
We’ve got to admit you’re a little bit cool, so what advice would you give to someone just starting out, knowing what you know now?
Everyone in life faces different challenges but you don’t have to give up on your dream. If you remain true to yourself, committed and persistent you can achieve what you have always wanted. Hard work and practice really do pay off.
So, if STACEY JACKSON was an acronym what would each letter stand for?
My Kids had the best time with this one!!
S: inger J: uggler (between four kids and work)
T: op Mum A: rtisitic
A: doring wife C: harismatic
C: aring Canadian K: ind
E: nergized S: uper woman
Y: outhful O: MG! Oreo Cookies
N: octurnal
If you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’d have to cheat and say two: The Supremes Greatest Hits and any one of Linkin Park’s albums.
Okay, now we want to ask you some random questions
What were you doing last night at 11?
Talking to Bryan Adams at a charity Christmas party thrown by Sophie Conran about working with him on a project for Music for Youth.
What are you going to do after this interview?
Going backstage at the James Morrison concert at Wembley Arena! I am friends with the guys in the band and many of them appeared on my album!
When was the last time you did something incredibly stupid?
I left a leather jacket hanging on the heated towel bar in the bathroom! Needless to say, I had to peel it off the rail bars!
What’s the last film you saw?
A Christmas Carol with my seven-year-old –- it scared us both to death!
What’s the last thing you bought?
A birthday gift for my husband, But I can’t tell you what it is as I haven’t given it to him yet!
As Stacey Jackson prepares to make the music of 2010 all about her thanks to her amazing new album, Upside Down, I caught up with her to find out how on earth she juggles music and four kids!
Hello there, what are you up to?
At the moment, I’m juggling between the promo tour of the album and four kids at four different schools! It’s been a fun and busy time but I am looking forward to a break with my family at Christmas time.
So, you’re getting ready to release your new album Upside Down can you tell us a bit about it?
It’s a tribute to all my favourite songs from growing up, turned Upside Down & brought to a fresh new life with a rock edge! It has some amazing young musical talent from around the UK sprinkled throughout some of the tracks. These kids are from the UK charity Music for Youth.
The new single from that, comes out soon, why are you releasing that track now?
My first single is I Hear a Symphony. It features over a dozen kids on strings from the Central Music School in Oxfordshire. My follow-up single is Band of Gold, which is probably one of the more heavy tracks on the record. But, Band of Gold has been remixed into club dance tracks by some super-cool DJ’s (The Thin Red Men and Future Freakz). It‘s being released in clubs across the UK this week and the video (to the rocky album version) will follow in January.
There is a lot of competition in the business today; do you think you have what it takes to give the big names a run for their money?
What makes this project so different is that I was able to give some amazing young UK talent the opportunity to perform in renowned studios in London and to work with me, plus other professional musicians and producers. And all the big names I’ve spoken to about this project have been very supportive. In fact, this project is just the beginning and the plan is to continue to work with celebrity recording artists to mentor children from MFY in subsequent recording projects with me taking more of an executive producer role.
So, if you could recommend just one song of yours for us to download so that we want to hear all of your music, what would it be?
So hard to choose! I love all the tracks – there is something for everyone on the album. My version of each song is pretty different so I’d recommend that people go to iTunes and download all of Upside Down as all the profits are going to Music for Youth!
If I was contemplating coming to your show or sitting at home and watching Big Brother, how would you get me out of the house?
The official launch gig is 4 February, 2010 at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. The Tabernacle is super cool and is well-known for hosting music and arts events. Since the 60’s it has hosted names like R.E.M, Pink Floyd, The Clash, The Rolling Stones and just recently Lilly Allen. It’s going to be an amazing night and I am featuring some of the kids from MFY – some of them played on the album -- so if I were you, I’d tape Big Brother!
We’ve got to admit you’re a little bit cool, so what advice would you give to someone just starting out, knowing what you know now?
Everyone in life faces different challenges but you don’t have to give up on your dream. If you remain true to yourself, committed and persistent you can achieve what you have always wanted. Hard work and practice really do pay off.
So, if STACEY JACKSON was an acronym what would each letter stand for?
My Kids had the best time with this one!!
S: inger J: uggler (between four kids and work)
T: op Mum A: rtisitic
A: doring wife C: harismatic
C: aring Canadian K: ind
E: nergized S: uper woman
Y: outhful O: MG! Oreo Cookies
N: octurnal
If you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?