North London’s Sinead Harnett is the antithesis of overnight success. Since being spotted by Wiley in 2011, the former art student has featured on two number one albums (Rudimental’s Home and Disclosure’s Settle) and worked with Snakehips, Christian Rich and Goldlink. But Harnett’s own time is yet to come. Refusing to fall into the ‘featured vocalist’ category, the 25 year-old has instead retained her own sense of identity by sticking to her R&B roots, offering up the likes of She Ain’t Me and latest single Do It Anyway.
2 Favourite memories of Wiley
1. “The first time he tweeted about my music. I was graduating from uni and had only recently got a Twitter account, because some of my friends said it would help with getting my music heard.”
2. “The first time he rang me. It was the night of my final assessment at uni and he told me I was ‘dope’. We were on the phone, Jamaica-London, talking about a track he wanted me to work with him on, and the next thing I know I was hearing it played on the radio by DJ Target before I’d even met Wiley in person! When I did finally meet him we talked about music over a KFC.”
4 Things that make Sinead question the world
1. Toddlers on iPhones.
“I know it’s just what happens in this day and age but it freaks me out. Kids should be playing outdoors! It fascinates me what the next generation are growing up on these days, how powerful the internet has become, and how out of touch with nature it makes us. It can get unhealthy, you need a balance.”
2. Bad manners
“I mean, why? Just why? There’s no need.”
3. Men in flip flops
“When it isn’t hot and they aren’t on holiday, it’s just not right.”
4. Travelling isn’t a compulsory part of the National Curriculum
“I so wish I was encouraged get out and see the world when I was at school.”
6 Artists/ albums/ films/ books/ people/ places that have had a direct impact on Sinead as an artist
1. Amy Winehouse
2. MJ
3. Justified by JT
4. Timbaland and Pharrell
5. JK Rowling – “I read all of the Harry’s”
6. Marley (The Bob Documentary)
8 Things you really, really need to know about Sinead Harnett
1. She may be called Sinead, but she’s also a bit of Mystic Meg.
“I’m a bit of a psychic and freak people out with it a lot. Some strange things have happened recently. I wouldn’t say I’m completely in control of it, but weird stuff happens quite a lot. I was recently on a flight to Ibiza and got talking to a dude next to me who was going on a stag do. He was in his late 30s, married with a daughter. I don’t know how we got on to the subject, but I said to him ‘Your daughter has two L’s in her name, and your next child will be a boy’. He told me his daughter was called Laila and his wife was pregnant with a boy. SPOOOOOKY!”
2. She might nearly have been Margot Fonteyn or Darcey Bussell but, life.
“I went to the Royal Ballet School from the ages of eight to 11 and genuinely thought that would be my career. But I found the discipline needed with food and exercise a bit too much. I wanted to play with my mates and chill out.”
3. Though Sinead had an older sister, she spent her teenage years pretty much alone – so singing became her solace.
“I spent a lot of time alone growing up so music became my company. My sister was at uni so it was just me and my mum. She had a tough time working constantly and so music became a sort of company for me. Writing about how I felt and playing on the piano we got given to us became a hobby and such fun for me. I was shy about it back then, but I’d sing the house down whenever it was empty.”
4. She’s a wuss.
“I’m petrified of heights and spiders.”
5. And a hippy.
“I think I really am at heart, to be honest.”
6. She’s more Sylvester than Pluto
“I love cats.”
7. She may have graduated from Arts University Bournemouth a few years ago, but she still has educational ambitions.
“I want to learn Spanish.”
8. She’s very bendy.
“I’ve got hypermobile arms.”
Credits
Text Hattie Collins