An afternoon with Doella
An interview with Doella, a soulful R&B Singer whose voice and energy exudes warmth.
Doella arrives at the Camden coffee shop I am sitting in looking effortlessly cool. She wears a yellow t-shirt and green parachute pants - her statement curly, auburn hair is immediately eye-catching. As she walks in she lights up in a smile and her grounded calm nature instantly puts me at ease. A small dog, who I later learn is called Luna, scurries along beside her, she apologises saying that Luna wasn’t meant to be out on duty with her today but Luna has attachment issues and was refusing to be left behind today.
We quickly discuss our coffee orders before instantly deciding that the occasion calls for a pint. I take no persuasion. It’s one of the first sunny days we have had in London this year so it would seem rude to miss the opportunity! We head over the road and with a pint in hand our conversation commences.
I’m so excited to talk to you! I’m doing really cool stuff at the minute but only my friends know about it. I’m quite a private person naturally but then I’m also online in my bra and knickers for Calvin Klein so I’m trying to get better at sharing a bit more of my life!
I’m excited for people to get to know you a bit more! Okay, firstly did you grow up in London?
Yes! I’m born and raised in North West London so these are my ends! Harlesden is not as swanky as Camden, it's a bit more ghetto...but I love London and I love being from London.
When did you know you wanted to be a singer?
Always. I don’t remember ever not singing. I always knew it’s something that I love to do and I’ve always sung and been in school productions. I went to Barbara Speake Stage School up until year 6 where we did tap dancing, jazz dancing, singing lessons...
Ah so that’s where the moves come from?
I do not have the moves!
I saw your performance at Two Palms, you definitely have the moves!
I do not have the moves. I promise you. That was all the wine haha! I do remember being super shy when I was younger and my mum would force me to do karaoke. She says I used to sing behind a chair. So I’ve always sung but it has definitely taken me a while to have the confidence that I have now. I feel really grateful that I’ve always had a passion though.
Do you feel like you express yourself through your music?
Definitely. I learnt to play the guitar when I was 9 as well and I remember playing so hard that my fingers would bleed because it was literally how I learnt to express my emotions. I’ve never been much of a sharer, I’ve always dealt with things on my own, so music has been the way that I process it and just get it out.
Then I got into writing music which lets me process my own emotions but it also allows me to imagine and take myself to a different place.
Who were some of your biggest musical inspirations growing up?
Ooh there’s so many! Okay. We’re in Camden so I have to start with Amy Winehouse. She’s definitely a main one and she’s somebody that my voice gets compared to a lot and although I don’t really like being compared to anyone else, what an icon to be compared to! I love her essence and her lyricism and I take a lot of my inspiration from her. I also love 60s music so I’ve just tapped in with Dusty Springfield again. I love soulful music, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Nina Simone; they tap into something that just feels channelled and necessary, they contributed so much through their gift and I take a lot of inspiration from them.
When do you think you create your best work?
I think it has changed over time. It used to be by myself. I’d write songs in my bedroom and even now when I start writing and getting in the flow, I’m usually alone, walking Luna. However, more recently I started writing with Caique, my guitarist. He came to one of my gigs - which I didn’t tell anyone about - but he came and after the gig he asked if he could play guitar for me and since then we’ve become best friends. We really connect musically. So I wrote Sekkle Down with him like a week after we started playing together. A week later we had a gig and performed it and I haven’t not played it at a gig since! It came about so organically and we’re both not structured people so the song is not in any structure that is probably recognised by anyone else! It’s just random but it works. So I’ve definitely done some of my best stuff with him but all the people that I meet and work with teach me so much and I love the collaborative process.
Who are you listening to right now?
I knew you were going to ask me that! Okay - Nina Simone I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl, but the playlist I'm listening to is Dusty Springfield radio on Spotify - so look we’ve got Amy, Marvin, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke… very Soulful!
For the third time our conversation is interrupted as a passer by has become infatuated with Doella’s dog Luna.
Luna’s taking all the limelight today, I say.
Doella responds, she’s a Leo...
We then get into a brief astrology interlude:
Ohh, what’s your sign?
Aquarius
Okaaay.
What are you?
A Virgo
OKAAAAAAY
It’s all making sense
Haha, interesting! No i’m a bit of an astrology geek
Same, I love astrology
Do you?!
Yeh so this is perfect! What’s your big 3?
So I’m actually Aquarius stellium, but I’m Aquarius sun, Taurus moon and Leo rising
Ooh very interesting!
I quite like my big three, I’m not going to lie it gives me a little balance. Aquarius is a bit quirky and weird, if I didn’t have the other ones I’d just be a weirdo, no one would get me. The Taurus I’m like I’m chill I’m grounded. Then Leo... I feel like people see me as the Leo.
Doella then quizzes me on my big three; Virgo sun, Sagittarius moon and Libra rising - from which we decide that I am grounded, a bit of a perfectionist and slightly chaotic!
I think other people see me as chaotic more than I see myself as chaotic...
She says having a 4pm pint on a Monday
Cheers!
We laugh.
This is so fun, I’m gonna come with the questions next time!
I look forward to it! Earlier you said you’re actually a very shy person and I feel like I don’t know that side of you. I have seen you perform and you just exude confidence. So my question would be when do you feel your most confident and what have you done to try and gain that confidence?
Wow. Okay, the confidence I feel on stage has definitely taken a while but every time I’m on stage, even if I’m bricking it beforehand, when I’m singing, all is well. That’s where I feel so much peace. I’m not even thinking, it’s just happening. I think that just comes from being so present. It feels very spiritual.
So would you say there is anything specific you do or just that your confidence has grown over time?
It’s such an interesting question because there’s definitely stuff that I do to feel confident in my everyday life. Because in my everyday, well there’s the stage Doella and then there’s (tells me her real name) so I do feel like there are two people and the side of me that is not Doella isn’t shared with many people and yeah I would say having Doella sort of gives me that confidence and lets me balance the two sides of myself. Sometimes it’s fun because it’s my little secret. It’s like you think you know me? Well you don’t even know my real name!
I love that. What advice would you give to your younger self?
It’s funny because I think the things I was feeling when I was younger there’s still threads of those now. So if I was talking to my younger self what I say would still resonate now. What I’ll say feels very generic but it would just be to accept and love yourself and just keep going. Know yourself, learn yourself, you’re good. Honestly when I think about baby me I just think you’re literally perfect and there’s so much coming for you that’s going to fill you up so just enjoy the moment. I always think it’s funny to think about my younger self and it’s like she’s so perfect but like that was me and it still is me so I try and treat myself how I would treat her.
That’s so true, to flip that, what advice would you give to yourself a year from now?
Ooh okay it’s 2025, I’m 23...you have to think of it too! It’s so hard - I don’t know who I am in a year! Like honestly this past year has been insane I couldn’t have predicted it. I think it would just be to stay true to yourself. Stay true to your values, your ethics, your morals, and know that there is always a home within you. Keep fostering that home and lighting the fire within. That’s what I’m learning to do now, taking care of this home so that I can go anywhere.
Amazing advice! Okay, who are some of your other favourite artists on the London music scene right now?
Ooh this is exciting, there’s so many! I’ll give you a few:
What’s your favourite London jam?
You’re gonna get me in trouble... I’m gonna have to say Mezzo’s Corner. I’m a loyal babe. Mezzo’s corner was the first jam that I felt at home in and like oh wow this is my community. And I’m so glad it’s still happening even though it’s in different venues. It’s a beautiful community and I love Mezzo. Yeah. That’s my answer.
What can people expect to see next from you?
Well, I’ve been trying to take a break from performing, which hasn’t gone so well! But I want a bit of time to create. This is where I’m a nerd - basically I was clearing out my wardrobe and I realised that the space in my wardrobe I can sit in and record music. So I have all of these songs that I need to record and I have a band that are ready to go. My gig sold out, I paid the band and the rest of the profit is going towards recording which is amazing because booking studios is expensive. So through the summer you’ll be finding me in my wardrobe exploring my sound and then recording and then I’ll be getting back out there! It’s the very beginning of my journey and I’m in this for the long haul so I really want to be intentional with where I’m going, what I’m putting out there and with what my message is because I have a message and music and I’m ready to share!
Our chat comes to an end as Doella has to rush off to a rehearsal. She invites me along with her which I gladly agree to and I spend the rest of my afternoon being a fly on the wall in the studio, witnessing her creative process with her band. I get a sneak preview of some of her newest tunes making me instantly excited for her to record and share them with the world and to watch her growth as an artist over the coming months and years.
Doella can be found at @doella_music on instagram.
By Emily Newman
Writer Bio: Emily is a writer and performance artist raised in Manchester and based in London. As a multidisciplinary artist herself, her writing focuses on the intersections between different art forms. Involved in creative workshops such as the National Youth Theatre, she is passionate about providing a platform for individuals to express their creativity authentically.