Thursday 22 August 2013

Shout magazine: Five Minutes with Amelle Berrabah

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Five Minutes with Amelle Berrabah

Best-known as one-third of the Sugababes, Amelle is back on a hot new track! We caught up with her to find out more...
Tell us about the single…
I've been in the studio constantly over the past year and I'm sent demos of stuff quite a lot and always make the effort to listen to them. This one just jumped out at me straight away! I really liked it, but they'd only written one section and the rest was melodies with no words. So I added my own ideas to it. We made quite a few changes because I'm a perfectionist!
You've filmed the video now - was it weird doing it without the Sugababes girls?
Yeah, it was to be honest. The weirdest bit has been the first couple of writing sessions on my own actually. When I'm with the girls, we all chip in and feed off each other. We're all really honest too - so if we don't like something, we'll just say so. We're very quick at making up our mind. I'm not a shy person, but being alone in a room working on something and then having to show people what I'd come up with by myself was really nerve-wracking. It gave me a lot more confidence though. So it was weird shooting the video too, as we normally have a break while the other girls do their parts, but this time it was constant for 18 hours so it was a long day!
And what's happening with the girls - will you be getting back together?
We still keep in touch and see each other - it's a bond that you can't ever break. I can tell how Heidi is feeling from just one look! We're very honest with each other. We've always spoken about doing something at the end of next year, but I think Jade, at the moment, doesn't feel that way. I respect that though - we all have to be 100% in it, or it's not fair. We'll just have to see what happens.
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Are you still working on your solo album, or is it almost ready to go?
Almost ready - but it's been almost ready for two months now! I can't stop changing little bits of it. Even one song I listened to recently, I was like, 'What was I thinking with that guitar?!'
As a whole, I'm really happy with it - I would never release something if I didn't love it - that would feel fake. Hopefully everyone will like it and not just me!
What were you like when you were the same age as a Shout reader?
Very, very hyper! I still am - people always comment on it! So, I would run in from school, get my sports gear on and go play tennis or basketball in the park every day. I was really sporty and used to run for the south of England. I was pretty boyish - I always had big baggy tops on!
♥ Love (Is All We Need) by Adam J Feat. Amelle & Nightcrashers is out now!