June 2014
The exposure, the
most by any Nottingham artist aside from Jake Bugg, has included rave reviews
for her debut album, Selectadisc, released this week.
And she’s done it
all herself: writing, recording, producing, co-producing and releasing the
album. Her only help came from back in her home city; hip-hop veteran Joe
Buhdha and house producer Laurence Matthew co-produced some of the album.
Fending off major
label offers to turn her into a mainstream pop artist, Ronika (real name
Veronica Sampson), has stuck to her passion for early 80s dance, disco and pop.
“To have all the
nice things that have been said about it, I’m over the moon,” she says.
“It’s not easy doing
it all yourself but that’s the price you pay for artistic integrity,” she
laughs, aware of how pretentious that sounds.
Music journalists
have dubbed her “the Madonna of the Midlands” (she was a fan as a schoolgirl)
and “Gwen Stefani as styled by George at Asda”, but her influences are from
early eighties New York club sub-genres like disco, boogie, Italo and
electro-soul.
Since her first EP,
Do Or Die, was released four years ago, there’s been widespread acclaim but
little support from the mainstream radio or mainstream success.
Although that could
well change with the current buzz surrounding her.
The album was
expected to be released last year but she was ill for most of it due to an
incurable auto-immune disease.
“It’s like a wave
crashing over you and pulling you under, and you don’t know if you’re going to
reach the surface again’,” she says.
“Because of the
drugs I’m taking for it, my immune system is quite weak. Your body can’t fight
off infections.
“I was hospitalised
last year. I had pneumonia; that was pretty serious. So, last year was a write
off.”
She adds: “It’s
really hard to live with. It’s a day to day struggle. It’s just one of those
things that people can get in their twenties. They don’t know why.”
She’s had the
condition for four years.
“Talking about the
illness helps to explain why the album has taken so long but it might also help
others who suffer with long term illness. They might draw strength from my
story.”
Ronika married
fellow musician John Sampson in their teens and their marital home for years
was in Sneinton. He’s best known for alt-rock band Swimming although he’s now
working on a solo project and composing music for film.
Last summer the
couple moved to London.
She says: “It wasn’t
for any strategic reason. We like London, a lot of my family are from there and
it meant a change; I’d lived in Nottingham my whole life.”
She was born in
Sherwood but grew up in Lowdham. Her parents, who are now retired (mum was a
social worker and dad worked at the CPS), were not musical at all although her
two older brothers were and their music tastes had a big influence on her.
As was Selectadisc,
the legendary city centre record shop which closed five years ago.
“It was an important
place to me growing up. I was there every weekend. I wanted to give a major nod
to my musical roots in Nottingham.”
At 13 Ronika was
searching out house parties in Forest Fields and clubbing in the city a year
later. After A levels at Clarendon she studied sound engineering at Confetti,
at HND then degree level.
“I wanted to make my
own music. It was inspired by hip-hop and old electro mostly.”
The sound engineering
skills helped her create her own music. Until the move to London, she was also
passing on those skills to troubled teens for Nottinghamshire County Council.
When she’s being
interviewed, Nottingham always gets a mention.
“They ask me about
my life there.”
Do they mention
Robin Hood, Jake Bugg and guns?
“They always think
Nottingham is represented by Robin Bugg with a gun,” she jokes then adds: “They
ask who I know from the Nottingham music scene but I think they want me to say
Jake Bugg, Saint Raymond and Indiana, who I don’t know.
“Although I have
told them I’ll be doing a Kylie and Jason style duet with Jake.”
She told The
Guardian she’d been shot at here. Really?
“Me and my dancers
were coming from filming my first music video and we pulled up outside my house
when a shot came through the widow inches from my head. There were two guys
chasing another down the street so we were caught in the crossfire. It was more
surreal than frightening.”
She told the same
journalist how her next-door neighbour had been stabbed.
“He was stabbed 11
times on the doorstep and I had to clean up his blood the next morning. He was
having a party and there were people he didn’t want to let in.”
She adds: “I didn’t
want to give Nottingham a bad name but at the same time when they ask about my
life I want to tell the truth. Those incidents, as well as the illness,
contributed to the music I make. It’s feelgood party music because it’s an escape.”
Selectadisc is out
now on RecordShop (recordshoplabel.com). For more about Ronika follow her on
Twitter: @ohronikagirl.
Ronika appears at
the Bodega on Friday, July 11. For tickets call 0845 413 4444 or go to
alt-tickets.co.uk.
WHAT THEY SAID
“One of this year’s
sprightliest releases (4/5)”.
The Guardian
“A masterfully
assured selection of joyful pop songs (4/5)”.
Mojo magazine
“Ronika has
cherry-picked key influences to create one of 2014's most assured and
fun-filled debut albums”.
Mixmag
“Bold, ecstatic
songs draw on synthetic 80s dance music... but don't call it throwback; this is
a thoroughly contemporary singer aiming at the charts and the clubs”.
The Observer
“Quirkily British,
DIY re-rendering of NYC Danceteria-centred disco scene”.
Q Magazine.
“Ronika. What a
woman. One day she will be regarded as one of British pop’s true treasures”.
Popjustice
“Ronika has done
something clever; worn her retro influences proudly but also repurposed them
for 2014 (7/10)”.
NME
“This is an album
made of 13 bangerz - every one is a dancefloor filler and every one will be
stuck in your head for weeks to come”.
Notion magazine
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