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Monday 25 July 2011

INTERVIEW: Indigo Williams

short.
sharp.
facts.

Name: Indigo
Repping: Love
Birthplace: Nigeria
Lives: London
Poetry Debut: Early 2010 at The Roundhouse



Q&A


Describe Indigo Williams in 5 words…
Loving, introspective, spiritual, passionate, reclusive.


What’s your favourite guilty pleasure?
Keeping up with the Kardashians *she bows her head in shame*


What came first, the chicken or the egg?
The chicken. It probably evolved from something else and became a chicken that laid an egg.



If you were a fruit what fruit would you be and why?
A strawberry, because they’re my favourite



Since it’s supposed to be “Summer”, what’s your favourite thing to do in the park?
Listen.







ONiT! Is very excited about your upcoming performance at Style and Substance next month. With such an amazing line up of artists, what are you planning to do to wow the crowd?
Lol this is a funny question. I don’t really think about wowing the crowd, I just hope to share something that touches, moves or simply connects with someone.



Will we be hearing any poetry from your current EP “Growing Pains” at the show?
Oooo you’ll have to wait and see.



We know you’ve performed at some MAJOR events such as The Big Chill Festival and the iTunes Festival. Are there any other major events/festivals/shows that you are hoping to ambush with your talent (other than Style and Substance of course!)?
“Ambush with my talent,” hahaha you’re great I like you. To be honest my train of thought hasn’t been on performance. I’ve been investing a lot of time working on my page work and just studying the craft, to improve in general. It is possible to be gifted but lack skill and so performing isn’t hard, wowing people isn’t hard but neither of the two are things that rank highly on my priority list. Performing anywhere is always an honour; I think there is something beautifully powerful about strangers opening themselves up to you and so standing on a stage is somewhat of a sacred act for me.



Do you have any pre-performance rituals?
Going over my lines in my head [laughs] and breathing!



Who are your greatest influences?
Oh lord, we could be here forever. Li Young Lee is currently the person who has majorly impacted my whole approach to poetry and art in general. He has the most unique and esoteric approach to his work. I can relate deeply to that, he was the first poet for me where I could see myself in his work and his attitude to art. My drive to write comes from my drive to understand things; I am always trying to understand myself, humanity and the universe. Life is my greatest influence.



Is there an artist or performance that you’ve recently seen that blew you away?
Warsan Shire and I have a lot of respect for Kayo Chingonyi.


Let’s pretend I’ve just given you £6,000 for you spend on a dream holiday. Where would you go and how would you spend it all?
OH IF ONLY! A trip across Asia with my mum and close friends.



What’s been your best or worst performance experience so far?
I tend to black out during performances so generally I don’t remember them. But the best....the best is never on the stage, it's always after when someone reaches out to say they connected with you. I can’t think of a particular performance, I can only think of particular people. To answer the question though, I guess I’ll say, my debut performance at the Roundhouse, the energy was amazing.

My worst is always when I don’t mean what I say in that moment, which is everything I’m not. For some time, I felt this way, which is why I stopped performing and took a hiatus to just sit down and listen.



Describe your performance style…?
I don’t know. It’s changing so I don’t know.



So, all that said, where can we find you performing next?
I'll be performing at Style & Substance on Tuesday 2nd August at Queen of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, LONDON EC2A 3JX (Full info)




















Lastly, where can we find you outside of the stage?
READ MY BLOG...not that I’m begging - nah, I’m totally begging and it’s fine, read my blog!! LOOOL


Words by: Shorntay Allen




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