faith healer
faith healer
It takes listening to precisely five
seconds of Paloma Faith’s comeback
single to realise that you’re already in
the company of one of the best pop
tracks that you’re going to hear all year.
By the time it gets to the chorus of Can’t
Rely on You, with its defiant stomp and
backing vocals from the songs’ creator,
hit-maker-in-chief Pharrell Williams, it
also becomes patently clear that Faith,
reinvigorated and buoyant, is set to
enjoy a bumper year.
MaYheM! | SPRING 2014
women who really make an effort.
I’ve never been around people who
just wear jeans and t-shirt.”
“In fact, the other day I was walking
around Brick Lane with my mum, my
aunt and my cousin. This girl came up
and said ‘you four look like brilliantly
Can’t Rely on You is the lead track
dressed women; can I take a picture for
of her forthcoming third album
my art project?’ She later wrote to me
A Perfect Contradiction, and her best
on Twitter later to say ‘sorry, I had no
yet: as equally upbeat and sassy as
Faith worked with a host of names on idea it was you!’ It was so funny.”
it is soulful, and with a positivity
A Perfect Contradiction (Raphael
But getting stopped in the street was
that’s impossible to resist.
Saadiq, John Legend, Diane Warren)
partly what made Faith head across
but it’s inevitably the collaboration
The inspiration, Faith says, came
the Atlantic to make A Perfect
with Pharrell that is of most intrigue.
from not wanting to make a record
Contradiction.
as downbeat as its predecessor Fall
“He approached me at a party to work
“I do get stopped a lot – it’s flattering
to Grace, which documented failed
with me and we wrote a couple of songs
but it’s difficult to detach yourself.
relationships to mostly melancholy,
together, and as we got to know each
Ultimately, I wanted to write an album
ballad-like fare.
other through that time he said that he
that was down to earth and about real
had this song that he’d written that he’d
“When I was touring the last album I
issues, and I didn’t feel that my life was
been sitting on for ages. He said he
got a bit bored of being upset,” Faith
conducive to that over here. It’s not a
thought it would suit me, and did I want
says. “I think sometimes when you
realistic lifestyle to have being stopped
to hear it. I was like ‘of course’, and I
write sad songs you write them in a
by people all the time; it doesn’t
loved it. It totally has my name on it.”
moment when it’s like therapy, but then
promote a realistic attitude of life.
when you’re singing them 18 months
“Pharrell is very nice, humble, and so
People can’t relate to it.”
later it’s like picking off a scab. This time likeable. He works very hard and
After A Perfect Contradiction hits the
I knew I needed to inject some hope.
throws a lot away, because he only
shops, Faith says she can’t wait to get
There’s some heartache, but it’s got a
wants the best to come out.” He is
on the road and reinterpret the new
hopeful vibe to it. And I’ve returned to
certainly is a happy fellow, and the
songs for a live audience.
my soul roots, working with people
go-to man for a smash hit, isn’t he?
I’ve admired for a long time.”
“Yes, but you want to hear the ones
“We haven’t planned it yet but we’ll
that don’t make it, though!”
hopefully be touring towards the
A Perfect Contradiction is an evocative
end of the year. I am looking forward
title – where did that come from?
Faith is arguably as well known for
to going out and touring it – it’s a
her sense of style than she is for her
“I mean perfect contradiction in terms
musician’s album. My band love it; they
music, and her appearance is a vital
of the last album, because that was
can’t wait to show off, and nor can I!”
component of the entire songstress/
melancholic, but also in everyday life.
fashion icon package.
You can’t have real joy without real
Paloma Faith’s new album
sadness. It extends to a conversation
“For as long as I can remember I’ve had
A Perfect Contradiction
I had with Pharrell. He was asking me
it drummed into me that presentation
is out on 10th March,
on RCA Records.
about myself and I said I feel an affinity is important. My family is full of
INTERVIEW by ShaUN CUrraN
2
with people who are a perfect mix of
contradictions. And he said ‘do you
think you are?’ and I said ‘yeah’ and
then he told me I should call my album
that. I went home and mulled it over;
I decided it was a really good title,
because it meant a lot of things. It’s
to do with accepting difference
within ourselves as well as other
people and our experiences.”
“You can’t
have real joy
without real
sadness”
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SPRING 2014 | MaYheM!
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