And the Welcome everyone to Soda Jerker on songwriting. This is Simon, joined as always by Brian, and with us today is a hugely

talented Grammy-nominated British singer and songwriter who to date has performed or recorded with the diverse likes of Dolly Parton, John Legend, Ringo Star, Katie Perry, Massive Attack,

Nitten Sawney and Casey Musgraves.

As this reaches you, she's just released her excellent second album, Stand for Myself, recorded in Nashville last autumn and produced by the Black Keys Dan Auerbach, and she joined us recently over Zoom from Music City for a very enjoyable chat about the record and his songwriting process. We're excited to welcome the

fantastic Yola to the show. Our guest was born Yolande Quorty in Bristol in 1983 and raised by her mother

in the seaside town of Porter's head.

She was a creative kid who loved poetry and apparently knew she wanted to be a singer by the time

she was four.

Blimey, I still don't know where I want to be.

A fireman. A stunt man. As a young

stay Yola would plunder her mom's record collection which included the

likes of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye andton John, as well as listening to lots of

Parliament Funcadyllic, Rotary Connection, Staxera Soul and Gospel.

Later she gravitated towards folk and country artists like Charlie Pride, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

Yola grew up in a strict household and her mom was wary of her daughter pursuing a career in the music

industries, but Yola was determined to follow her passion and will tell her mom she was going for sleepovers when she actually had a gig or rehearsal

Very naughty her first recording session was as a teenager for Bristol-based production team distorted mines and she later dropped out of university

after a year to pursue music full-time and moved to London. However, after draining her finances

in service with her music career, she became homeless for a brief period.

Yola ultimately moved to Bristol to get back on her feet, and in 2005 she began performing

with local country rock band Phantom Lim, as well as touring with the likes of Bugs in the Attic, and later wrote and toured with

fellow celebrated Bristolians massive attack. She also lent her vocals and songwriting talent

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