Our May Bank holiday had a new soundtrack to road test. The bounds of #CLICsLIVENOISE are expanding and, brilliantly, discovering all sorts of unconventional creations. Two weeks ago, I saw the jazz scene gain a bright young star. London-born songstress, Paula James, is setting her sights on a whole new stage having cut her teeth performing classically in London, Norway and Italy. Guitar wielding Paula draws her inspiration from genre-defining female jazz artists as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. When faced with our hard hitting inquisition, she prefaced her answers with a superbly ballsy personal statement…

“I’m a dog person and aside from a few foibles, a very happy, well-adjusted, totally responsible woman.”

When and why did you start playing?

I started playing guitar when I was 8 years old and had lessons at school. I had tried the violin for a year before that but I think the noise of me practicing the violin was a little hard on the family, so my aunt Karen gave me a guitar and I never looked back.

What band name alter egos have you tried out on your musical journey?

I always wanted a really sophisticated name when I was growing up and thought I could be called something like Clara Fox, but I’d never get away with it, I am no Ms Fox!

What was the first tune(s) you learned?

I was learning Spanish & Classical guitar at school but the first thing I taught myself to play all those years ago was the Bond-theme tune Monty Norman one. I remember being really impressed that I was able to manage both rhythms at the same time. Such a nerd.

What is the most embarrassing album in your music library?

You know, I’m not really embarrassed by my rather eclectic music library, and that’s not because I’ve got the coolest albums (far from it). It’s just that I’m appreciative of how even the strangest albums have influenced me. Whether it’s Dolly Parton Slipcase, Collie Buddz, or a talking book of Star Trek Next Generation (I warned you, nerd), it has all helped to shape me and I’m happy to acknowledge that.

How do you handle a mistake on stage?

I smile and carry on. If ever I make a mistake you’ll see me grin, it’s not the most professional way to deal with it, but it takes the pressure off, and usually goes down fine with a happy audience. I am really bad for corpsing though!

Who or what is your ultimate influence, musical or otherwise?

That’s harder to answer than I thought it’d be. My family is very supportive and understanding, and without my other half I wouldn’t be able to do what I do, so they have the greatest influence over me. However, a lot of my songs wouldn’t exist without the lubricating qualities of booze!

What scares you most in the world?

If we’re talking, “what’s most likely to make me go from relaxed to totally freaked out in a matter of seconds?”, then I have to admit that ladybirds freak me the fuck out, especially en mass! Everyone thinks they’re lovely and pretty, but then their shiny shells split in two and these black leathery wings start flapping away. They really make my skin crawl.

If you were a superhero, what would your super power be?

My superhero power would have to be mind reading. I’d love to experience how other people’s brains work, but I’d also need the ability to turn it on and off at will, otherwise I’d probably go mad.

Where and when would you travel back in time to perform? 

I’d go back to LA in 1931 to perform with Louis Armstrong in front of a crowd of Hollywood stars. It would be a strange and trying time due to my race and gender and the state of the world, but it would have been an electric place to perform.

If I gave you an elephant where would you hide it?

Well, I’d have to leave it outside it’d never fit in my tiny flat, and I do have an array of scarves, so I’d have to hide it under a rainbow of scarves and pashminas and hope whoever’s looking for it is easily bamboozled by colour.

Which instruments do you play?

In order of how well I play them, I play the guitar, guitar-ulele, mandolin, ocarina (yep, like Link), piano, kazoo… Rock Band guitar… I really thought this list would be longer. That’s disappointing.

Crunchy or smooth?

Smoooooooth! Definitely smooth, that way when you eat too much in one go, it kinda glues your tongue to the roof of your mouth, right?

If you could have anyone locked in a room so that you could torment them for a day, whom would you choose and how would you torment them?

I’d take a (or any) world leader who is actively working to regress the progress made in areas of social justice and lock them in a room and force them to listen compassionately to the stories of those negatively affected by the decisions they’ve made, in the hopes of altering their perspectives.

What was the last lie you told?

I don’t have reason to lie very much, but I am trying to stop smoking at the moment, under the watchful eye of my better half who stopped smoking years ago (and sometimes he’s super preachy). So, while I try very hard to be honest when he asks whether I’ve smoked that day, sometimes I’ll fib, just so I don’t have to see that look in his eye. I guess I won’t be able to do that anymore.

Paula James ‘Shelter EP’ hit the sound waves on May 19th… get to listening.

https://soundcloud.com/samuraisound/sets/paula-james-shelter-ep/s-i5s8O

The post Paula James: About music and her secret sources of inspiration appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Ruta shares with us her story on how it all started, her daily motivation and what it takes to be working for yourself.  We also discuss the differences between living in London and New York after her recent move to NYC.

You are the face behind ADM, founder of COMFESS fashion label and creative director of Atella all at the age of 22. How are you able to balance it all?

Well, first things first, things aren’t always as beautiful and easy as they look on my Instagram! Honestly, I think the secret is very simple – to truly enjoy what you are doing. I know that may sound cliché, but that’s true. As soon as you have passion and excitement for the thing you are doing, even though it’s hard sometimes, you still keep doing that because you simply love it. I still struggle to manage my time almost every single day and some things take longer than I’ve planned, however it always works out in the end. It’s all about believing in your work!

Working for yourself: is that a dream come true or a curse?

I honestly think it can be both. It all depends on what kind of person you are! Some people prefer working in a big company that has a strong culture and specific rules, however, after working for a few companies, I’ve realized that this way doesn’t work for me. It’s not always easy, but I still prefer managing my own time and having my own schedule. I guess it’s because I am a creative person and it’s hard to put myself in the frames, so I create them myself.

Looking back to when you were starting your blog, what was the major creative force for you? What was the mission that inspired you to create these brands?

I never really had one single source of inspiration. I believe that fashion blogging made a huge impact as I had so many exciting opportunities to meet with designers and brand founders or attend fashion shows and gather all the inspiration from it. There’s still so much competition as the fashion industry is full of new start-ups coming up every single day, I think people are always craving new things. I always felt that need to create something that I am passionate about and clothing was one of those things.

Has that changed at all as time has gone by? 

There are so many things happening and changing day by day and that really excites me. I feel that having your own brand or business is an amazing way of growing yourself as a person. You are learning and experiencing new things every single day!

What is your ultimate goal?

I definitely have a lifetime goal to be happy, healthy and to have loving people and family surrounding me (as we all do!). However, I strongly believe in the theory that we all need to create small goals for ourselves every single day. I think that every time we achieve something, it gives us more motivation to go forward. It can be anything, like finishing an article you promised to write ages ago or  going to the gym after a one-year break.

You have recently made a swift change in your life, moving from London to New York City. What are your biggest expectations and plans for the near future in NYC?

Definitely working much more on my blog and creating exclusive content for brands. It’s so easy to lose inspiration when you are always working on creative projects, however since I’ve moved here, I feel so excited to work hard again. I really believe that New York has millions of opportunities for the fashion industry and I’ll do my best to learn as much as I can from this city!

What surprised you the most about NYC in comparison to London? Why?

Well, not talking about prices (haha), I think it’s the feeling itself. I always thought I would feel too far from home, however I do feel like I’m at home here. I love London a lot, however I have to agree that you still feel like a foreigner there as British culture is very strong. In New York, people don’t even care where you are from and it really creates that homey feeling away from home.

What is your favorite aspect/thing about New York?

I love big cities. Even though I’m from a small country, London got me used to big  crowds, tons of cars and a crazy busy lifestyle. I still feel that I’m in that phase of life where I need someone to push me further and New York is definitely doing that!

Do you have a bucket list for NYC that you could share with our readers? Something that every New Yorker, Londoner and traveler should try to do whilst they are there?

It’s funny, but I met a few New Yorkers just recently who have never been on the Brooklyn Bridge. All those touristy places are always crowded, however I really recommend to visit it at least once and take some cool pictures to remember! Go to West Village to have the most delicious brunch in Rosemary’s, rent city bikes and explore Central Park, go to China Town to see a completely different world, try the amazing cocktails at Apotheke and definitely take a walk around Williamsburg to feel those hipster vibes!

Edited by Sophie Walker

The post Ruta Gyvyte: About Living in London, NYC and Working For Yourself appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.