Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Nottingham’s Lucy Crisp. Together we discussed their influences, most recent television interview, upcoming single “One Summers Day”, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful to have you join them at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
Thank you for having me and I’m great but how’re you?
2. You began songwriting at the age of twelve. What kind of songs were you writing then?
I used to have a diary for some odd reason, they used to be about love (the good and the bad) and nothing has changed really in terms of the themes of songs I write about. I also wrote some very cringy songs about crushes back in the day but over time I learnt how stupid of a woman I was for writing songs about guys who couldn’t care to notice me! We moved on fast though…
3. Afterwards you taught yourself Piano. What advice would you give to those looking to teach themselves?
Start off learning pitches on a keyboard and build your way up from there. I learned from YouTube videos that did tutorials of my favourite songs and I picked up the idea of pitch and chords from there.
4. What was your relationship with music growing up?
I had a passionate relationship with music. It was always my escapism from everything else that I was experiencing at the time, including hospital admissions. Especially when I was in and out of hospital, we would always play music in the car and it used to be a varied mixture of artists, including Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and MIKA. My first instrument I learned was clarinet at the age of 8 and a year later I ended up taking my grade 1 exam and passed it. To date, that’s probably the only grade I have in an instrument. I learned how to sing around 13 years old and then a year later I started learning piano properly.
5. Dua Lipa and MIKA are some of your inspirations. What song of each do you recommend all humans check out?
For Dua Lipa, “Lost In Your Light” never gets old. It’s so refreshing to listen to.
For MIKA, I can’t get enough of “Happy Ending”. It’s one of those songs that you can cry to and not be embarrassed about it.
6. Who (or what) influences you?
I’m influenced by a lot of eighties music, and at times the dance music of the 2010s. I was joking to my friend the other day that at the moment it feels like we’re all living in the modern version of the eighties with how many songs sound similar to that era. I’ve seen similar artists taking the same inspiration from bands such as a-ha and Tears for Fears. I also loved Kate Bush’s before all the stranger things fans, and I think what makes her unique is how she produced a lot of her songs by herself. It inspires me to produce as much of my songs as I can. Apart from the eighties, Adele was one of my inspirations for the storytelling aspect of her songs. I am also a big fan of Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House”, both of those albums helped me get through tough times.
7. How has social media helped you as an artist? Do you have a favorite platform?
More recently I’ve been able to develop my social media strategy, but it’s been difficult trying to balance my social media with my degree and I’m still to find a nice balance of both! Currently, I love Instagram and I feel I’ve built such a great brand on there. I’m not the hugest of fans of TikTok for creating things as the algorithms aren’t the best but I do love watching content on there and you can easily lose track of time of when to go to sleep haha!
8. You just had your first ever television interview. Can you share what that experience was like?
It was my first time doing an interview as a musician live on TV and I never expected it to be so much fun! I was speaking to the team just before I went on air, and we had a lovely chat about my work. Everyone was so lovely. I think as a musician that is very niche, you don’t get opportunities like that every day so I was really grateful that they reached out and wanted to share my story.
9. You use your experience of living Cystic Fibrosis to empower and create a safe space for listeners. What kind of community has formed from this?
Recently, I’ve had a lot more people mentioning to me how they have friends or relatives that have CF too and how they think it’s amazing of the message I’m trying to get across in my music and brand. It’s a great feeling knowing that I have that special connection with people, and I hope to build the community even further this year.
10. In 2018 you began attending the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies. How has this institution helped you creatively as an artist?
The staff at Confetti have been supportive since I started releasing music and I’ve learnt a lot of things that I wouldn’t have known if I had relied upon Google and YouTube starting out as a musician. Where those platforms do help, someone providing you with knowledge from creditable researchers was also very helpful for my development. I try to get as much feedback possible from tutors and peers, but I also have my own small clique of friends who will always give me feedback on my songs and support me with any release.
11. During the national lockdown you released your debit single “Feet.” What was the inspiration behind this single? How did it feel to release a single during this time?
I wanted my debut single to be an introduction to me, not just as an artist but to me as a person and the adversities that I face. “Feet” was about opening up to someone about the adversities you face daily. It came from a very personal experience of me meeting someone and telling them about my Cystic Fibrosis. It was weird releasing my debut single at the start of a lockdown, but it was such a memorable experience. I remember when my song got first aired on BBC Introducing the day after it was released, and listeners texted in to say how emotional they were after listening to my single. That hit me a lot, and the fact that I could create music that could make people feel that way. It inspired me to continue creating more music across the next few years. I still love singing that song live to this day!
12. You followed it up with “Moonlight Skaters.” in which you shine. Could you share more about this single?
Haha I love what you did there! Moonlight Skaters was about expressing yourself and not caring about what anyone else thinks. At the time I wanted to express my feelings of how I got over a breakup that happened some years ago and it was a post-breakup bop. There was also a big thing for roller-skating at the time I released this song too.
13. Can moonlight skaters be found in Nottingham?
Sadly there isn’t at the moment, but I’m working on that. I know in a city nearby they have a roller-skating venue but Nottingham definitely needs one if there’s not one already.
14. What can fans expect from your upcoming single “One Summer’s Day?” How does it set up your highly anticipated debut EP “65 Roses?”
The dance pop song is about a summer romance of my own and it is more upbeat and happier than the previous songs that I’ve released. There are a few references to vows and the weather, but it helps to summarise what a healthy relationship looks like. It’s a song you could expect to hear on Love Island! One Summer’s Day is like the start of the timeline for this EP and even though it wasn’t the first song that I wrote for this EP, it summarises how happy I was before I felt a lot of adversity. The 65 roses EP will be a body of work that will delve into my personal life, from relationships to losing people you love the most. You’ll need a box of tissues for a couple of the songs near the end of the EP!
15. What is the significance of the number 65?
65 Roses was a way for young people to say Cystic Fibrosis and it was a saying that I grew up with until I was able to say Cystic Fibrosis myself. In my opinion, it’s a great little nickname for such a terminal disease and easier for people to remember than the actual condition itself.
16. Where can readers listen to your music?
My music is available across all streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon! I also hope to create a mailing list soon where I get to share unreleased songs with my fans before anyone else so keep your eyes peeled for that on my socials!
Music Shelf With Mustard 