Thea Ford, Roadtrip, London, October 6th
Thea Ford played Roadtrip in London on October 6th
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By Alistair Potter. |  |
Thursday, 08, Oct 2009 04:27
She's an unsigned artist who has just jacked in the day job for music. So why is Thea Ford selling her self-financed debut for charity? Marcus Dubois meets a remarkable young woman on a mission.
It's a well-worn phrase shouted by punters at struggling pub bands and live musicians. "Don't give up the day job". Humour aside, for many of these beleaguered acts giving up the day job is unthinkable. The music industry today is a crowded marketplace. Falling CD sales have plagued the business since the turn of the century, while consumers now have access to more music than ever at a competitive price. And despite the best efforts of Simon Cowell and music television, the days of going from working at a call centre to a "million-pound record deal" are largely over.
The outlook is far from doom and gloom however. Acts such as Pete Doherty and the Arctic Monkeys are considered to be the pioneers of DIY music promotion, narrowing the gap between the star and their fans through blogging and offering downloads. By giving away something of themselves, they gain increased loyalty from protective fans who feel closer to their idols. Yet despite this brave new world, the goal of many a musician is to earn their wage through music. It seems unthinkable that a fledgling act would give up their job only to donate their entire musical earnings to a good cause.
Not for singer-songwriter Thea Ford, who seems to see this as perfectly natural. The 26-year old is two weeks away from her last day in a job at a construction company, having resigned to pursue a career in music. What is remarkable is that Ford self-financed an entire album, pressed 1,000 copies, and then decided that the entire proceeds of her debut should go to charity.
Namely 'MaD for Good', a small Cambodian charity dedicated to medically treating orphans and vulnerable children in a village near Angkor Wat. The charity lost their financial backing when a US investor was hit by the global recession, yet the soon-to-be-unemployed Thea Ford is devoting her musical energies to raising funds. Having spent time with the children who benefit from the charity, Ford was moved to step in and donate all profits from her debut Monkey To The West. She explained the meaning behind the thought-provoking album title backstage.
"There's a monkey in the West in the sense that we're sitting on top of all this money. The imbalance of wealth between East and West is well-known, but what would happen if through buying things, people could direct that money towards the East?" muses Ford after an exhilarating acoustic set at popular Shoreditch venue Roadtrip. A classic-looking popstar with curly blond locks and slinky onstage moves, Ford is an unusual marriage of political musings with a solid pop sensibility.
Stripped back to an acoustic bass and guitar her voice poured into the confined space, bringing an emotional charge to otherwise simplistic pop. In this she is reminiscent of fellow singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot with her lilting tones and folk phrasing. Cat and Mouse is a classic bittersweet tale made compelling by the quiet way in which Ford sings: "I just want to scream at you". Not for her raw emoting; dark feelings are presented with a controlled pop sheen that is oddly beguiling. Nowhere is this more apparent than Dear Bully, where beautiful vocals deal with an ugly subject. With a voice that evokes Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries, a cover of Zombie slotted neatly into the set. Finally, So Long was a folk acoustic with Ford's yearnings to reunite with a lost love. Having recently come to the end of a four-year relationship Ford is surprisingly sanguine about such life events.
"It kind of smacked me in the face to be honest. I suppose you could call it a wake-up call." she says cheerfully. The same phrase is used when the large bruise on her arm is pointed out. Having recently fought off a random attack by a stranger while travelling near her home in South London, she chuckles heartily while telling the story. With a burning energy and a big-hearted approach to music, Thea Ford is a force to be reckoned with.
Marcus Dubois
The debut album from Thea Ford, Monkey To The West, is available on iTunes from 1 November. All proceeds from the sales of this album will be donated to the charity MaD for Good.