đź“·Â : Talia White
Last year, Cally Rhodes released her single System which reached 3.5 million streams on Spotify and in the Top 50 Charts in five countries and has recently released her latest single Summer of My Life, co-written with Si Hulbert. Being named Best Artist of the Year 2018 by BBC Introducing in Shropshire, Cally has since supported All Together Now winner Shellyann and The X Factor winner Ben Haenow on their tours. With the release of her new single, we caught up with Cally to find out about having Little Mix tweet out her video, writing with Si Hulbert and releasing Summer of My Life.
How did you find writing your new single Summer of My Life with Si Hulbert?
Really enjoyable! Si brings a great energy to the studio. His sense of humour is hilarious so it makes the studio environment less tense. We laugh as much as we write.
How long was the single in the making?
I wrote it back in January and used the terrible London weather as an incentive. I love summer and think I was trying to imagine I was anything but completely freezing at the time.
Will there be a music video released or do you have plans for one?
The Vibe Guide have posted an official lyric video on YouTube. They’ve supported me relentlessly this year and I appreciate it massively because I love their channel.
đź“·Â : Talia White
Last summer you released System, how did this go down with your listeners?
Better than I ever could have imagined. Within a week, the song had gone into five Spotify Viral Charts! I believe my listeners liked it because the lyrics were so candid.
How was it releasing this year’s summer single after the success of last year’s?
It’s always frightening when releasing new music because we all know music is art and art is subjective. But it’s also exciting. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put pressure on myself but I love writing music so I don’t want to compare every song I do.
We understand your music was used on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, did you watch the show when your music was played and how was it involved?
It was a complete shock when the BBC reached out to me asking if they could use some music. I actually watched the show the following day on iPlayer and was so chuffed I filmed the clip on my iPhone!
đź“·Â : Talia White
You recently appeared on Gaydio, how was this and will you be doing more radio shows?
I did, and the presenters Jessie and Matt were lovely! I’m sure I will be doing more. I’ve recently done stuff with BBC Introducing, Voice FM and Nation Radio and it’s all been awesome.
What was it like supporting Shellyann and Ben Haenow on their recent tours?
Both tours couldn’t have gone better. Shellyann is so down to earth and Ben Haenow is such a people person! I wish both of them luck with everything they do next.
đź“·Â : Talia White
You were named Best Artist of the Year 2018 by BBC Introducing in Shropshire, how did this feel?
Unreal. Those guys have supported me throughout my releases. It was the best motivation to carry on doing what I’m doing!
What was it like when Little Mix tweeted your acoustic rendition of Touch?
I remember waking up and checking my Twitter thinking it was fake. I then checked my notifications and saw thousands of likes and retweets. I just remember trying to ring everyone in my phone book!
You recently covered Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s Señorita on your YouTube channel, what’s the response been like and what plans do you have for your channel?
Kind. It really wasn’t meant to be anything official. I thought I’d have a go at making the song more chilled as I’m really into chilled pop music. I’ll likely upload more. If there’s a song that stands out to me, I’m sure I’ll cover it.
đź“·Â : Talia White
How did your music career start?
I’ve always loved to sing. It’s really organic and was never forced. I went to a performing arts college in London where I fell in love with music even more and then worked as a session singer for a while after graduating. I think working in a studio environment gave me the incentive to write and record my own demos.
Do you have any events coming up where you’ll be performing and what would your dream venue be to perform at?
I’m actually just waiting on confirmation to find out if I’ll be touring with an artist I love as her support act. Please cross fingers and toes for me. My dream venue would have to be Bestival. It’s my favourite festival because I love colourful outfits and its whimsical vibe.
What are your upcoming music plans?
I’m writing new songs at the moment so stay tuned!
Follow Cally on: