Fleur - Interview

Following her departure with her friends from X-Factor in 2005, Fleur has taken some of what Louis Walsh had said on board. The result is a much more sophisticated and mature sound, a more confident presence, and the experience and knowledge to take her career to the next level. Recently, she has lent her fantastic vocals to the successful collaboration with P3000 and Horx, "The One". It's a wonderful track and is set to be a hit. We speak to Fleur about her current work, and about "that" disagreement with Louis.

Many thanks for taking time out to talk to us. How did the collaboration with Nick Halkes and Prash Mistry come about? What were they like to work with? How much of an impact did they have on the way you approached the song?

Well, my manager has known Nick for years and I had written with Nick many times before. During one session, Nick played me the track that he and Prash already produced and asked me if I could think of something to fit over it. Thats how the vocals came about and this version of "The One" was born! I was pretty much left to approach the song in my own way, we all felt the same vibe from the track and so it all worked out perfectly. They were both great to work with and Ive teamed up with Nick on many more tracks so watch this space!

The video for The One with P3000 and Horx, where was that shot (really liked some of the graffiti art work that featured too), and how long did it take to produce?

The video was shot in the Shoreditch area of London and the location we chose had some great Graffiti that happens to be part of the scenery, so we had to make the most of it! It was shot by Elmino and then put onto Channel AKA days later! Elmino is a very creative director and he works fast! So we didn't have to wait around at all!

How is the album / CD going, and can you tell us any more about some of the tracks that are going to be on it?

The recording process is going really well! I've worked with some amazing producers and writers and I've been experimenting a lot with different sounds and genres. Its been a lot of fun because I've tried to come out of my comfort zone and try new things with my writing and vocally. There's a bit of everything so far, some up-tempo dancey tracks, some heart-felt slower tracks and a few inbetween. It's still in the early stages so I haven't decided exactly what's going on it. I can't wait to share my music with everyone though, I'm really looking forward to that.

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You covered Ed Sheeran's "Lego House", what was it about that song that got your attention, how has Ed reacted to it?

I love that song! I remember seeing Ed Sheeran perform in 2010 at a showcase for BBC 1Xtra and I instantly thought there was something special about his music. I love the lyrics and imagery that Ed uses in "Lego House" and the melody is great! I enjoy singing it too because it is slow tempo but speeds up in places which makes it fun to sing.

Are there any people that you would love to collaborate with on future tracks?

Well, one of my fave artists at the moment is Jessie J, I think she's an amazing singer and a great writer so it would be really cool to work with someone as talented as her. Labrinth is one of the producers out there I'd love to work with, his sound is so fresh! Also, an artist on the underground scene that I've seen a few times and really like, is Roxxxane (RO Triple X), I like her flow and it would be interesting to work with a female rapper aswell.

You entered the X-Factor in 2005, how nerve racking was that, and how important was it to you? Was it everything you expected and what did you take away from the experience?

ha ha! Yes! The X Factor was one of my most memorable experiences. I was in a group and we were all 16 and 17 at the time and got to the Final 12, had to perform live on Television and then later on the tour. It was pretty nerve racking especially at that age performing in front of millions of people! But it taught me a lot. It was really important because it opened my eyes to the real entertainment world and what it's really like. I got a taste of the workload, the pressure and the real enjoyment I got from performing. It was more than I expected, I dont think you know what to expect, you just have to go through it. It's a lot of pressure and very emotionally stressful but for me, was also very rewarding!

Louis Walsh said that you were all (Addictiv Ladies) very good, but just needed a bit of coaching, after you left did you get some professional coaching, or did you do everything self taught? In hindsight do you think he was right?

After the show, we did work a lot harder and since then I have had professional vocal coaching. I do agree with what Louis said, we were very young and initially we only entered to get feedback from the judges that we could go away with and work on and we never expected to get as far as we did. We had a lot of work to do though, definitely. But, I don't think that was the real reason we were voted off by him though, that was more to do with tactical voting!

For a while after X-Factor I think I read somewhere that you were also doing some modelling? How did that go?

I only did a few modelling jobs for an online clothing store but I didn't pursue it heavily. I've always known I wanted to sing and just did other jobs here and there to financially support my musical career. Fortunately though, at the moment I can now focus 100% on my music and I'm really happy about that!

You seem to take your fitness quite seriously, how hard is it to stick to a routine given that you might be on tour, or have other commitments in the studio etc? And what sort of routine do you do?

Yes! I'm a bit of a gym head! ha ha! It is quite difficult to stick to a tight schedule because of studio, shows etc...but I fit it around that as much as I can. I really enjoy classes and my favourite class is SPIN! My work out will always include some cardio (either spin class, aerobics, cross trainer) and weights for tone and definition. I like to mix it up because it makes working out more fun! I try my best to adapt aswell, for example, once I was away rehearsing for the FRESH:LIVE tour with DJ Fresh and I wasn't able to go to the gym. So I brought my running shoes with me and went for a run in the mornings! I try and get the exercise in there where I can! It gives me energy, keeps me fit and is great to build up stamina for performances!

You can find out more about the wonderful Fleur here: http://www.fleurofficial.com/