Steal a moment with…LEMON

Time seriously flies. January the time of the ‘new’ is done along with the resolutions that we made that didn’t last. Yep, the new diet so didn’t last. Chocolate is one hell of a drug. Or the plan to try a new look…dungarees maybe…that didn’t quite pan out. We are definitely split in the A London Steal camp on whether dungarees are a good look or not. We are now in February, the month of love. And now that V-day is done (survived by copious amounts of alcohol), we want to bring your attention to something, or rather, someone that you will love. That is an artist who is ready to invade the pop music scene in 2014 by the name of Lemon.

Singer/song writer Lemon has been on the A London Steal radar since our Stealer Ms Chi caught up with her at Showcase Live back in Oct. Known as the ‘ Ghetto Barbie’ her eclectic flavour, high energy and fun personality will make you love her even if you don’t want to. To her credit, her single ‘Pussydrop’ has featured in the soundtrack of international movie hit Kick Ass 2, so you know this blond bombshell is definitely going to be around for the long haul. We wanted to get to know a little bit more, so we sent Chi to STEAL A MOMENT WITH LEMON

Tell me a bit about you. Who is LEMON?
I’m just…you know, I write music and I have been writing for a very long time since I was about 12 and I dance…and I sing and that’s how it all started. I got to about 17 after stage school and dancing for other artists where I was like ‘nah what is this? This sh*t is rubbish’. I stopped everything and decided I wanted to do music full time. And now I’m a b*tch on a mission. And that is Lemon. Pop music with a bit of an edge.

What actually made you decide…I mean I know you were a dancer, but what was the turning point where you decided I’m not going to be a back-up dancer anymore?
I was dancing for an artist (no names lol) and it was an 18 hour shoot. I was placed behind the artist because of our contrast. The artist was dancing and singing in front of me being the star, being put into trailers while we the dancers were left shivering (it was one of those dancing in the rain shoots), and I thought this artist can’t dance or sing, what am I doing with my life?? I’m about to freeze and catch pneumonia and getting paid about £3 an hour for this video shoot to be a featured person?!?’. I just thought ‘this is crazy. What am I doing?’ I mean I had worked with other artists but that was the turning point.

Who are you musical influences?
Neneh Cherry (very cool). I love her. Saw her perform last week. She has definitely shaped what I want to do and the way I write my songs. I love her coolness and her realness and she writes her own stuff and sings about stuff that means something, you know what I mean. It’s not just ‘oh I love you’. It’s fun and also about independence and women. A lot of my songs if you listen behind the lyrics are ‘f*ck you men! we f*cking rock!’ and if you read they lyrics it’s all about that.

Yeah, well the track ‘Pussydrop’ is a bit like…I mean when first heard the name I was like ‘really? you called it pussydrop?’(Lemon squeals in laughter) It is a catchy track and the dance with it is fun (she has got celebs like Noel Fielding and Russell Kane Pussy-dropping)

The reason why I wrote that track was because I have gay fans and they asked me to write the track. (Lemon takes song requests people lol) Everyone was doing the ‘Slut drop’ and I used to call it the Pussydrop because I mean we don’t want to be sluts. They were like why don’t you write a song about it? And that’s why it’s done so well because I had all the fans backing it. The song is all about you want it but you can’t touch.

Who would that one artist be that you would want to work with?
Probably Janet Jackson. The dance routine would be epic, epic-ness. I mean there are a lot of people like the Fugees or Gwen Stefani. I really love her style but Janet Jackson for sure. And Ciara coming in for a cameo in the routine. Babe the routine would be absolutely RIDICULOUS!!!! Sick!!!

Well reading up on what you have achieved so far, your track ‘Pussydrop’ got featured in ‘Kick-Ass 2’ soundtrack, a major thing to happen to an artist…(Lemon) An unsigned artist…that’s true. What has been your biggest feeling of ‘I’m on my way’?
It was walking into HMV and seeing the Kick-Ass album with me at number 5 and the album was top 3 for 4 weeks. Also gigging and getting loyal fans that support you makes you feel you’re doing something right.

So what is next for Lemon?
Well my next track ‘Party Money’ is out later this year. It’s in the clubs in New York at the moment just from me sending it to DJ’s and they are playing it when they DJ and apparently it is going down well on the party scene. The video will be coming out too. Just trying to show people this is what I do. And then a big single coming out in the summer with a big rapper that you are going to know but I’m not going to tell you until he’s actually spitted the lyrics (lol).

Music aside I want to know, as a Stealers, what would you say is your place for FASHION STEALS?
I love Spitafields as a fashion steal. I love it. I get a lot of my clothes from there.

I also like the sale under Selfridges in the car park. It’s only twice a year. (Yes really. There’s apparently a sale under Selfridges. Yes Chi was shocked to hear about that too!!!)
I’ve only been twice. And they bring out all designer, non- designer clothes that are like a fraction of the price and sell it. Like a massive car boot in Selfridges. It’s pretty awesome. You need to be there. They don’t actually promote it coz if everyone knew, everyone would go…(obviously) but A London Steal you are obviously meant to know.

So what about FOOD STEALS?
I love Borough market. (We do too. Check our post on Borough Market). I love food. I’m a bit obsessed with it but I mean if I’m going out for dinner…where did I go the other day? I went to…Chop Shop. Amazing. Really Amazing. It’s in Piccadilly, on the Haymarket. Really good food. But for A London Steal, Borough market. It’s cheap and awesome food.

And a MUSIC STEAL? A Night out?
Do you know what my favourite place to go in the entire London? It’s called Ain’t nothing but. It’s a jazz bar on Carnaby street, just round the corner from Zebrano (Zebrano, by the way, have a really good happy hour most days of the week). It’s packed. And it’s Live jazz band from all around the world. But it’s not jazz bands like chilled jazz. It’s like funk. Oh my God it’s sick. It’s the smallest place you have ever been and it’s the grimmest place but you can literally go in like whatever you want to wear. Drinks are cheap. Really cheap. And it’s a non-profit bar. All the proceeds that everyone buys in alcohol goes to the band and to pay the rent and anything on top, the artists get the money. So I really like it and it’s so good and there’s talent there and the vibe and it’s zero pretensh. Just literally like awesome.

So there you have it. What more can you ask for?

Lemon’s next single ‘Party Money’ will be out soon. Have a looky at the teaser for the track by clicking the link

Follow Lemon on twitter @lemonyworld to keep up with her on the Lemony road.

Words by Ms Chi