Lucy Crisp: The NTU fresher riding her waves to success

Lucy Crisp, 20, uploaded her song Feet to BBC Introducing, and a day after the song’s release she was being interviewed by Dean Jackson for BBC Introducing in the East Midlands…

Lucy will be starting an undergraduate degree in Music Performance at NTU in September 2020, after finishing her studies at Confetti Institute in July.

She said: “It was crazy times! Next thing I know, BBC Radio Nottingham played my song on the Monday at all times of the day. It definitely touched a lot of hearts and everyone was pretty emotional, even the presenters!”

Lucy is disciplined in a number of instruments but has been singing since she was eight, and songwriting since she was 13. She wrote her song Feet in Magnet Studios in 2019, and the following month she was in the studio.

Feet is a beautiful song that is not only catchy but also shows off Lucy’s incredible vocal range with a classy piano melody. Her general sound and raspy voice have also been compared to that of singers like Adele and Emeli Sande. But she grew up listening to Amy Winehouse, Coldplay and Queen, who she uses as inspiration.

She said: “I try to write all of my songs from a point of view, that not only myself can relate to something, but everybody can with time being non-existent.

“Feet is about opening up to someone you love for the first time and telling them something that they may have not been made aware of before, and for me, that’s telling people I live with Cystic Fibrosis on a daily basis.

“I wrote this song around a time where I had previously faced a lot of adversity in the space of two months. I feel that everyone faces adversity at some point in their life, whether it is the current situation you could be in now or something that has happened in the past.”

The music video for Feet was filmed and directed by Harvey Bryan over the course of two days, the first in January and the second in March the week before the lockdown began.

Lucy said: “I remember having to travel from Newcastle to Nottingham that Thursday as it was the only day that worked for us both to finish off the music video.

“It’s crazy to think the Monday after, lockdown started becoming more of a reality. So we were pretty lucky that the music video even happened.”

Lucy has also done a few live performances, including on Chatsworth grounds, Matlock Bath Music Festival, Metronome and Rough Trade.

Throughout lockdown, Lucy has also been doing virtual live streams, such as Nottstopping Festival for BBC Introducing in the East Midlands back in May. Lucy also performed for the UNISON East Midlands celebration of the NHS’s 72^nd birthday.

She said: “Some weeks ago I got asked to perform my original songs for the Student Summer Stream that Trent TV was taking part in and that was a lot of fun!

“I remember performing all my songs that I’ve currently been planning for my EP. I’m hoping to release it either this year or next year depending on how things go.”

Until then Lucy is keeping busy recording more material and waiting until she can return to live performing. But she hopes to one day perform at The Bodega or Rock City.

When asked about beginning her time at NTU, she said: “I’m nervous about starting but looking forward to a lot. Joining societies, making connections and enjoying putting my time into a subject I’m very passionate about.”

Lucy also has some new songs lined up which she is currently in the process of mixing and mastering. She is even working on a few collaborations and is hoping to work with more people as time progresses.

By Laycie Beck

Feature Image Credit: Alice Batchelar