Watching South London songstress Jessie Ware captivate the screen with only a sidelong glance of the eye or a languid raising of the arm in her music video, "Running," it appears that she's inhabited the role of soul diva for quite some time.  But that's not the case.  Ware spent years providing back-up vocals for friends like Jack Peñate before working up the nerve to embark on a career of her own as a solo artist.  And now, with her debut album, Devotion, released this past Monday and a headlining tour coming up in November, Ware reflects on what she's had to learn going from being the back-up to the main attraction.  Read more below and be sure to check her out in PAPER's September Issue, on stands soon!

How would you describe your music?

I think I just do what I want.  My main loves are soul and electronic music and that's what I've essentially tried to do, write love songs and be heavily influenced by people I love.  [These people] come from all different places from Feist to Whitney Houston to SBTRKT to Grace Jones to Prince.  I guess I'd call myself British Electronic Soul.

What's it been like going from a back-up singer to a solo artist?

I feel okay with it now but when I got signed, I felt I got signed too quickly but I would never say 'no' to being signed because it was an opportunity.  It just meant that I have to play catch up because I have to 'walk the walk' because I was 'talking the talk,' and I have to learn how to be a songwriter and that wasn't what I thought I was. 

I learned that you need to write a load of rubbish songs to get the right song. I had to learn how to speak up for myself because I think a lot of the time, if you become quite passive in a songwriting session, then it becomes somebody else's work rather than yours.  I was always worried I was going to hurt somebody's feelings if I said "No, I don't like something."  It's a very weird space to write with strangers and that's probably why I wrote with friends by the end of it. 

Have you developed a process?

I just hope that the song gods are on my side that day.  I don't feel like I have a method yet but I definitely feel more confident.  Some days, it just won't come and some days it just comes so easily.  I think it has a lot to do with confidence for me and to be able to say right at the beginning, "I want to write a song about this" and not worry about whether I was going to offend somebody else.  If I'm listening to a Bon Iver song, I'm like, "Oh god, yeah, I love that line!" and then I'll kind of interpret it into something else.


And in terms of performance, has it been difficult at all to get used to having all eye on you as compared to when you did back-up?

It helps [to have done guest vocals]. You come on for one song and then you buzz off, you know?  You do this very intense thing -- and I took it very seriously -- but you're in and you do that song and then you're off.  I think that's quite a good way of easing into it.

With my own live thing, I remember my first gig was at the beginning of this year in January and the night before, I couldn't sleep because it felt like I was about launch myself into a thing that was so unknown for me.  Post-set, I still really worry about what I say in-between songs.  My chatter's awful between songs. I feel like I'm hosting a dinner party and I've got to have the best chatter.  

Any artists that you think have really good chatter?

Florence [Welsh of Florence + the Machine]. She was amazing. She's a lot more experienced than me but she's so amazing and so at ease. I need to work it out, basically.  I feel like I say funny things that I wish I hadn't said.

Are you ever concerned with people lumping in your music with other British singers known for their powerhouse vocals?  Adele, Amy Winehouse, Florence Welsh or Duffy, for instance?

No, it's a huge compliment to be lumped with people that are very successful and respected.  Yes, there are female singers coming out of Britain but hopefully I can be one of them that can be noted.  I don't find it bad at all.  To be honest, at the moment, it's nice to have people interested.

My impression is that you're quite down-to-earth.  How do you channel an inner diva when you get onstage?

To be honest, I feel quite inexperienced with the whole onstage thing anyway. I definitely think I put on a character that appears stronger and more confident than I probably am feeling. I definitely like to push it a bit, especially with what I wear. I want to look like I made an effort.  I don't take it too seriously. If I've dressed up and have a ridiculous hairdo or something, it's slightly tongue-in-cheek and I'm certainly not like that everyday.  I'll be in leggings and no make-up.



Talking about your look, how did you develop that?

I looked at people that I loved or respected and made an effort. I feel stronger if I have got an outfit on that I've really thought about. It gives you confidence. I always think about the fact that if I've watched people like Whitney Houston and Annie Lennox, there's a strength about them when they perform and I want to be able to do that -- mainly with my voice -- to be able to keep people interested with my singing but I think it's important to me that I feel strong onstage with the outfit.   

Can you give any examples of people whose style you love?

I've taken quite a lot of my mum's clothes.

You're quite close with your mother, right?  I read she's been very encouraging of your singing career even when you yourself had some doubts.

She's always told me I can do anything I want and she's been very supportive and I always knew it brought her a lot of joy to watch me perform.  I never was a very confident performer but I knew how proud it would make her so I carried on trying to get better.  In the back of my head, when I'm performing I'm always thinking, "Will Mum think I made a big enough effort and did I?"  She's amazing. 

Has she given you any advice that was particularly helpful?

"Sing out!"  She's like [Mama Rose] in Gypsy -- like Bette Midler.  "Sing out Louise!"

What are the next few months going to look like for you?  Are you going to go on tour?

Yeah, I'm going to do a tour in the UK -- a headlining tour in November. And then I'm sorting out when I'll come to America but there's nothing definite yet. I just hope people know the songs by then if they've bought the album. That'll be a nice feeling.