This month the London based singer–songwriter, Delilah, begins her first headline tour, heralding what one might consider to be the official start of her solo career. Now 21, Delilah, real name Paloma Stoecker, signed with Atlantic Records when she was just 17 and has been writing and recording her debut album, From the Roots Up, ever since as well as touring, writing and recording with the likes of Maverick Sabre and Chase and Status. It would be fair to say that it has taken a long time for her to get to the stage of completion and her relief is evident. ‘Yes it’s done, it’s absolutely done. It’s been tricky because I’ve got songs that I’d written from years ago when I was about 13 or 14 so the hardest part was finding the sound [of the album]. We had tonnes and tonnes and tonnes of songs to choose from, more than 200, but finding the sound of the music industry right now and what I’m about and my heritage, that was the trickiest part and it took some time.’
From the two EPs and 2–4am mix-tape that Delilah has so far released it would seem as though this time has been necessary and well spent. She is a purveyor of, as she terms them, ‘dark, melodic, soulful pop’ songs and seems to have forged herself a sound that is likely to become familiar to many households in the not too distant future.‘Nowadays it’s really easy for artists to be created, to stumble in as Bob or Jane and then leave with a manufactured persona. With me it hasn’t been like that. There’s been no big marketing plan. Everything that I write about comes from my upbringing and from how I am as a person and things I’ve seen in my life; it’s real.’
This sense of authenticity is integral to Delilah’s perception of herself as an artist and there is a firm underlying belief that this approach of taking one’s time and doing things the ‘old-fashioned way’ is essential to achieving this authenticity. Rather than a rapid rise to fame and millions of instant record sales, longevity is her goal. ‘I’m making music that my fans will hopefully be able to pick up in ten years’ time, like I do with the music that influenced me, and go ‘Yeh. Do you remember this album? This was a great album’ and enjoy it. It’s not all about how many hits you have on YouTube. I wanted it to sound like a first album, not like a big budget, multi-million pound record. As much as it’s about Delilah the artist it’s also about Paloma and the songs that I’ve written to get me through the things that have gone on in my life.’
This outlook is refreshing in an industry that has become plagued by talent shows offering hopefuls fifteen minutes of extremely fleeting fame. ‘Ultimately my dream is to make music and sing and perform so I want to do whatever is possible to make sure I’m still doing that in ten years’ time.’ The name of the album is suggestive and, despite the years she has already spent in the music industry, Delilah gives the impression of somebody who only now about to leave her family home and embark upon a road to follow her dreams. ‘I haven’t even begun to start doing what I have planned. Music is my first love and that’s all I can really see right now. Hopefully, from the roots up, I’ll start to show some real growth.’
