Stooshe: œBe who you want to be and love who you want to love

The groundbreaking girl band on why they can’t wait to perform at the Radio DIVA Women’s Stage at Pride in London.

 

When we found out we’d secured Stooshe to play at the Radio DIVA Women’s Stage at Pride in London, to say we were excited would be an understatement. There’s just something about Karis, Alex and Courtney – their strength, their swagger, their insanely catchy songs. We cannot wait for them to get the crowds going and, as you can see from this exclusive interview, neither can they.

 

DIVA: We can’t wait to watch you at the Radio DIVA Women’s Stage at Pride in London. What makes you proud?

KARIS: Playing Pride in London makes me very proud! As supporters of the LGBT community we have played many Prides over the years but never London so this one’s special to us as it's our home town. Being a strong confident woman, who's comfortable with who she is, in a world that tries to dampen self-esteem daily makes me proud. I'm also very proud to live in a generation and a city that accepts people for who they are, and allows people to love who they wish to love. It's beautiful to see people express themselves every day in whichever way they feel and Pride is a massive, if not the biggest platform for that – and being a part of Pride makes me Proud!! 

 

Can you remember the first Pride you ever went to and what it was like?

ALEX: The first pride I went to was in the group, and I think it was Birmingham Pride. I remember that gig being one of our favourites in the year as we had our single Blackheart out.  It was such a rush of energy and a great crowd response, which we didn't expect. We got to enjoy walking around for a bit afterwards as we had a gig in the evening. It was so much fun, everyone there had good vibes, energy and it was all about celebrating love. Love should be the best feeling in the world and everyone is entitled to it. I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't been to Pride to definitely go and have one of the best days this summer.

 

You’re hugely popular in the LGBT community. What do you love most about your LGBT fans?

COURTNEY: The loyalty! We can always rely on this community to be the best crowd ever and always up for a good time. We love performing at Prides every year and are so grateful we have such consistent LGBT fans. Since the beginning too!

 

What can we look forward to in your performance on the Radio DIVA Women’s Stage at Pride in London?

COURTNEY: You can look forward to lots of energy and lots of fun during our performance. Performing is our favourite thing as a three and when you have an amazing crowd to bounce off of, it's the best feeling! 

 

What's your favourite song to perform and why?

KARIS: Still to this day has as to be Blackheart. The reaction and energy we get is always amazing. We love letting the crowd sing the chorus back to us – the feeling is indescribable! And of course we love doing our cute Motown moves from the video, lol! Slip is also really fun coz we really get to show off our vocals. 

 

What are you working on at the moment?

KARIS: Right now we've just stripped it all back to basics – creative process! We've spent a few years experimenting with sounds and putting out feelers but we've realised that our heart is Motown/ pop music with that rnb edge so we're excited to be making that music again. We're putting an EP together of a few tracks that we absolutely love and can't wait to share with our faithful fans. We are still gigging all the time though and love connecting with our squad. 

 

What's your favourite girl band?

ALEX: Probably most girl bands that we grew up with we love. From the Supremes, to TLC, Destinys Child and Spice Girls. There's so many and they are all so different and relatable in different ways it's hard to choose! Spice girls were great as they were so fun and you could be a different character depending on your mood and the platform shoes were a must when I was growing up! Also Destiny's Child songs, vocals and performances were untouchable, with Beyoncé being absolutely amazing. Going to have to say these four are equal top in different ways.

 

Who was your first celebrity crush?

ALEX: My first ever crush was Peter Andre. I literally loved Mysterious Girl and I remember meeting him backstage when I was about ten at a concert. He said my dress was cute and I couldn't say anything but was so happy. I loved my mum so much from then for sorting it out! Lol.

 

What's your favourite thing to do when you're not performing?

COURTNEY: I enjoy painting. I find it quite therapeutic and it's a way of release. Helps clear the mind.

 

Has your gender or sexuality ever made it tough to be in the public eye and the music industry?

STOOSHE: We've never really had any issues with gender or sexuality being in the “public eye” but then I think if we were on a much bigger scale like some of the artists who face scrutiny for their personal choices, we may be. It's an unfortunate dark side of the industry, but it's important we stick together to try and eliminate this completely (whether we have experienced it or not), to support those who have because nobody deserves to feel backed into a corner because of their own choices. Be who you want to be and love who you want to love.

 

Stooshe will be performing at the Radio DIVA Women’s Stage at Pride in London on Saturday 8 July.

The Radio DIVA Women’s Stage kicks off at 12.30pm in Leicester Square.