Raising her middle finger skywards to industry expectations, Angel bravely bears the scars self-inflicted upon her skin to audiences as a mark of strength, not shame. Preferring to date girls and party hard, “l take a tonne of drugs,” her crusade is bare survival. Expressing pain, passion, hate and hurt via her fast flowing verses, Angel forgot how to love after raw exposure to abuse and torture throughout her early years. “I just sit there thinking why the fuck can’t I connect with anything.” Today she is trying to understand how to trust again. Recording her latest video, A Tribe Called Red, with i-D, Angel is proof that out of the darkness really does come light.
I was reading on your twitter that you can go for days without sleep, how do you manage that?
I don’t know, I just coped for four days without sleep at the shoot for A Tribe Called Red with i-D. I party a lot so… that’s pretty much how it goes down.
Do you explore love through your lyrics?
Yes.
Are you in love at the moment?
I wish l was, but no. I just sit there thinking why the fuck can’t I connect with anything. I wonder if the problem is purely me, or if it’s everybody else, or if it’s just me questioning myself too much?
The depth of passion that comes through your lyrics shows that you must be capable of love, it’s just how comfortable you are with it.
Yeah, definitely. I always try to explain to people that when you meet me in person, regardless of how dark my music can be, l am happy. I smile way too fucking much to be honest, take way too many drugs and then I get on stage and bare my soul. I’m taking the experiences that I’ve compiled over my life and I’m putting them out there, brash as they may be. I think that my overall message is not dark, but positive. I want people to keep pushing through the darkness because eventually there is light. I am my own light, I am the proof of it that light comes after dark. If l can help someone to consider their life in a different way then that’s a positive change. If l can help people to realise their own issues and work towards resolving them, then l will have done something impactful. I know that I’m not alone; my music is a remedy.
Are you having the best time of your life right now?
I am. I’m having the time of my fucking life right now. I don’t want to stop. If I stop then I’ll hate myself. But I don’t want to stop.
Do you have a stylist who travels with you, or do you take care of your own wardrobe?
I take care of my own wardrobe. My style switches up every month or so. Last month I was wearing a bunch of long shirts like Oak, Givenchy type stuff, and this month I’m wearing only suits. I bought this suit from Acne, I’ve got a pinstripe suit, I’ve got McQueen, the list goes on. Anything that looks great. l like Joseph. It has to fit me right, I have to look good in it, and I have to feel confident in it. Because if not, then what’s the fucking point? I wore this Saint Laurent suit the other day for the i-D video and fuck it was amazing…
Watch Angel Haze, A Tribe Called Red here.
Credits
Text Milly McMahon
Photography Laura Coulson
NY Fashion Director Alastair McKimm
Hair Ben Cooke
Make-up Niamh Quinn at LGA London using Chanel Hydra Beauty Nutrition spring/summer 14
Nail Technician Sophy Robson
Styling Assistants Katelyn Gray, Holly Grost
Make-up Assistant Fiona Barry