Mura Masa

When you meet your idols, I'm not one of those people - like if I saw Prince on the street, I wouldn't say anything. Because I'd want him to meet me. You want to meet people on the right terms or if there's a reason for you to meet.

When I was growing up in the early noughties, I remember the time being very serene, peaceful and innocent. But actually there was Tony Blair's oil wars going on halfway across the world.

I'm very much a nostalgic optimist.

If you're not changing what you're doing and exploring different parts of your musical output, I think you're slowly dying.

I grew up on a tiny island called Guernsey, very small population, very isolated culturally but very beautiful and serene.

I think the first song I remember hearing was Joni Michell's 'Big Yellow Taxi,' my mom played it for me on the car radio.

I've always appreciated having a wide music taste, despite making what a lot of people would call electronic music.

I like having the radio on, that way you're challenged to listen to things that aren't your choice.

I was hedging my bets with university. I always wanted to do music, it was just about waiting for the point when I could confidently say 'okay, I reckon there's enough momentum behind this thing to sustain myself.'

The way streaming is going, this movement in the market of music would suggest that doing a long-form project, especially for a new artist like me - someone who relies on a lot of digital following - it would make more sense for me to release the songs individually.

All punk music is is rebellion, going against the grain. It takes different forms. Sometimes it's a band throwing their instruments around or making really violent and noisy sounds, but it doesn't have to take that sonic form. It can take more of an energy.

I feel like people are now praying for some authenticity and some human touch to music. There's no simpler outlet to that than guitar and piano.

I was at Sussex University studying English lit and philosophy, I had two essays due in and three seminars that day, and at the same time I was messaging my manager because I'd just started to put together the pieces of like, 'Wow. I really don't want to be doing any essays anymore. Why don't I just give this music thing a go?'

The first time I played at Green Door Store in Brighton, which is under the train station. It was sold out by 150 people.

But I guess the first time I made career money was signing a publishing deal when I was still at uni. That was when I waited to tell my mum that I was dropping out, which was half-way through my first year.

I grew up kind of poor, so like, I know it sounds pretentious, but I don't really know how to spend money.

I did shows for a while without a rider, actually, because nobody tells you that it comes out of your fee.

There's only so many ways you can cope with being in dire means, and one way is humour.

Maybe I'm too selfish to just be a producer. Also, I feel like I have something to say that's interesting or unique.

When things socially and politically get difficult, punk music suddenly comes back again, and there's just a really healthy pivot away from music that's not humanly understandable.

What's wrong with being a snowflake? I think if you're calling someone a snowflake that just means you've been upset by something they're saying. We're all vulnerable, get over it.

I didn't want to just be making music randomly and not have any direction.

I definitely don't want to appropriate... not in an 'overly PC' way though.

After the first album, I felt like I needed to one up myself - get even bigger features - and I spent six months thinking about that and not making any music.

There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has an ability to emote.