“This is the first album that I’ve written that is completely, this is me, a completely out there, married, same-sex relationship woman”
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY JOHN MILIOS
In true working from home style, Scarlette joins our Zoom call accompanied by her canine child Arnold. Behind her is a beautiful art piece of Super Girl and Wonder Woman kissing – hooray for queer superheroes. Scarlette’s musical career has spanned a decade and her 2021 album Back To Life carries a wonderful message of hope.
With your latest album, did the way you found inspiration change from your previous work?
The biggest difference is where I’m at in my life. My 20s were a very confusing time for me. I was in the closet until I was about 25. I tried to be ambiguous with the whole pronoun things and not give away gender in songs. But of course, sometimes you do, especially if you’ve done a co-write and people make an assumption that you are a straight woman. For most of my career if that happened, I either didn’t challenge it, went with it or tried to navigate around it. This is the first album that I’ve written that is completely, this is me, a completely out there, married, same-sex relationship woman. So in that respect it’s very much different and actually for the first time, throwing in, in Valentines Day, “she”.
What advice would you give to fellow queer women within the music industry, wanting to overcome challenges and create a sustainable career?
The best advice I would give people is serve your fans. The beauty of the internet is you no longer need a record company to reach the people who love your music. You can do that directly and if they love what you do, they will get behind you. The other thing that I’d say is don’t be afraid to ask those guys to support you because we are living in a world now, where Crowdfunding and Patreon exist for a reason. Don’t just give it away for free.
Do you have a heartwarming fan story?
I wrote a song called Run Away With Me and I had a lesbian couple who had it as their wedding song and it was really personal because one of their family wasn’t accepting at all of the situation, didn’t approve. They eloped and that was their wedding song and that was really touching.
On the topic of weddings, I read that you’re married to your wife Ezy, how did you both meet?
We met on a dating site called Findher. It doesn’t exist anymore, which is sad. There weren’t that many people on it so it was random that we both were. That’s where we met.
What was your big day like?
It was absolutely ridiculous, it was amazing, it was magical. I’m ridiculously lucky. For me it was definitely a love at first sight kind of story. So I never got any of that kind of jitters or doubts or anything like that. I just had this incredibly magical day, it was sort of like a fairy land.
Has she inspired any of your songs?
You could go through my whole album and pick the songs that aren’t about her. The wonderful thing for me looking back on my career and songwriting is, pre-Ezy it was songs like Piece Me Back Together, Sunday Best and PS I Hate You, songs of tough times and then since her it’s full of light, love and hope. Life is still challenging, like it is for everybody, but when you’ve got your best friend by your side, everything is manageable.
What do you do for fun other than music?
We like to eat a lot. I have a real obsession with films and going to nice restaurants, hanging out with friends, nothing crazy. I’m not a huge adrenaline junkie or anything like that. For me, hanging out with my family is what it’s all about really… My wife just texted me, she must have walked past the room. She said, “You forgot karate”, so there you go. I’m also a black belt in Karate.
You recently recorded Snowed In For Christmas and a cover of Summertime. What’s your favourite holiday season?
That’s really a mean question. Because we go mental for Halloween and Christmas. It’s a close one, but it has to be Christmas. We basically have a Christmas wardrobe. I have about 30 Christmas jumpers now, one for every day.
Are there any upcoming projects you can tell DIVA about?
Getting this album together has been intense because of all the Covid challenges. So right now, I’m very much looking forward to getting Snowed In For Christmas released. That’s going to be the last thing that we do this year. And then properly having a break over Christmas. I say that. I’ve gotta do a tax return, but hey. And then, I think next year, the focus will be about trying to get out there and playing live again, because I’ve done two or three gigs throughout the whole year and I’m really missing that now.
Snowed In For Christmas will be released 26 November
If you’d like to see Scarlette Fever live next year:
5 March 2022 at St Mary’s Church, Purley on Thames RG8 8BJ. Tickets are available here.
14 March 2022 at The Green Note in Camden. Tickets are available here.
More dates to be announced soon for now you can keep up to date with Scarlette on Facebook, Instagram and her website and you can stream her music on YouTube and Spotify.
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