Imelda May – HuffPost 6.11.14

Mike Ragogna: Imelda, the usual question. What advice do you have for new artists?

Imelda May: Follow your heart, keep with your passions, fight for what you believe in, but also take advice, listen to people around you and then make a decision, and enjoy the journey, not the destination, never sell your soul and have an absolute blast.

MR: Every time you’re on a TV show–let’s say Jools Holland or Conan or whatever it is–it’s clear how much everyone loves you. You’ve been elevated in a way that a lot of artists haven’t yet. People know about you in a shorter amount of time than they would with many other artists who haven’t had a big hit.

IM: Yes, I’m not mainstream.

MR: Do you think that has a lot to do with some of that advice that you’ve taken from yourself?

IM: Oh God, I’ve taken all the advice from meself, and that’s why I’m giving it to somebody else, because I’m really happy! I enjoy music so much, it’s such a passion in my life and I hope that comes across. I couldn’t not to do music, I couldn’t not be a musician and I couldn’t not write, it’s part of who I am, I’ve been doing it most of my life at this stage and I love it and i”m very, very lucky to have a great husband who supports me and he has my support, too. We’ve been together seventeen years, in separate bands for most of that, but because we’re both so passionate, neither of us would ever let the other give up so we say, “Keep going, keep going, go for it!” That’s been a huge help to me. We always said no matter which one of us did well the other would support. Initially he was doing really well and I was quite happy to support him, and then things started take off with me and he’s supported me. It’s great that we can be in a band together and share the whole experience together. I have him to lean on and talk about things at the end of the night, it’s great that we can bring our baby together and it’s also great that I’ve had such a wonderful family. My parents never told me to get a real job, they always said, “Go for it! If this is what you want to do, work hard.” They were always very supportive. Maybe that comes across, I’m very grateful because I’ve been doing this twenty four years, so I know no other life, I’ve done other jobs but there was never the passion that I had for music, so even if it wasn’t doing well for me, I’d still be doing it, because I love it. Another artist asked me that, a lot of people chase fame and success without knowing what it is they want to do, and for me that’s kind of missing the point of life a little. I think the thing is to find your passion first and find your talent which I do believe everybody in the world has a talent, it’s just a matter of finding it. Some guy working in a fish market could be the best rock climber that ever lived but he’ll never know until he rock climbs. You just have to find your talent, whatever that is. I think I’ve been lucky to find what is my thing and what my passion is and to run with it. Maybe all that comes across, my passion, but I’m very happy to be able to do this and I’m very aware of how lucky I am.

MR: Perhaps that’s why a lot of people love you, because of everything you just said. Maybe it’s as much about the passion of the person as it is about the sound of the music.

IM: But it’s also about the audience, too, they can smell a rat miles away. Never underestimate your audience! A lot of people go to stage school and say, “I want to pretend to be rock ‘n’ roll,” and they might not me. They want to pretend to be something else and I think people always smell a rat. If somebody’s wanting to do music they’re not into just because they think it might be popular, the audience knows. They know. Never underestimate your audience. People pick up on how I’m just saying it like it is. I don’t know why people love me because I’m a big pain in the ass as well as everything else.

MR: [laughs] Maybe that’s also why!

IM: [laughs] If you ask my husband, he’ll agree.