And the Welcome everyone to So the Joker on songwriting episode 124. This is Brian here as always with

Simon and joining us today is an English singer and songwriter who first rose

to prominence almost a decade ago with a strong distinctive vocals, lyrical honesty and striking visual sense,

rapidly becoming one of the most familiar voices and faces in British pop music, with to date

three double platinum albums to her name. In late November 2017 she released

her fourth album The Architect which debuted at number one in the UK chart and as we

record this she's shortly to reissue the album in an expanded deluxe zeitgeist edition

appended with several brand new songs we're delighted to welcome the wonderful

Poloma Faith to the show. We met with Paloma a couple of weeks ago down in a South London studio and we had a very

illuminating and interesting chat which you'll hear in just a couple of minutes. Our guest was born in Hackney, London in

1981 to an English mother and Spanish father and raised by her mom in Stoke Newington after

her parents separated. She grew up surrounded by an eclectic mix of music. Her mom introduced

her to the likes of Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye while her dad was into jazz.

At her mom's encouragement she took ballet lessons as a child and eventually went on to study contemporary dance at university and Leeds.

Following this, Paloma studied for an MA in theatre directing

while supporting herself with a series of part-time jobs,

including working as a bail-esque dancer and even a magician's assistant. She had dabbled a little in songwriting by this time,

but a singing career began almost by accident when the manager of a bar she worked in

as did to Front's band without having even heard their voice. That band became the memorably titled,

Paloma and the Penetrators.

He was joined a gig with this band in 2007 that she was spotted by an A&R man from Epic,

however her audition didn't exactly go to plan.

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