Soundchecking With Ronika

Yet, despite all the nostalgia-isms (whether it’s a hint of early Madonna or shades of a new wave Tom Tom Club), there’s a context that makes listening to Ronika seem as relevant now as any other era - with tracks like “Wiyoo” and “Shell Shocked” bringing you right back to 2014. If anything, it’s probably just Ronika herself.

Meeting during Soundchek before her show at Birthdays, it’s clear that Ronika (real name Veronica Sampson) is just happy to be out there, playing her debut record for a crowd of people that have obviously been with her every step of the way.

It’s hard to be categorical about these early influences when Sampson is so humbled to be here for the now. I mean, she wouldn’t even let me call her an “unconventional triple threat”, despite swapping the usual singing, dancing and acting combo for writing, producing half of her record and starting her own label. So while the music may take a retro influence, you can’t help but feel like Ronika is ready to put a foothold in 2014.

Hey Ronika, what’s your online persona?

A bit funny, a bit surreal and elusive. I’ve just started an Instagram, I’ve only got five photos though, and number six will probably be of you.

Can it be a selfie?

I hate selfies. No selfies. Narcissistic bullshit. I think the only person allowed to do seflies on the Internet should be Limmy, the Scottish comedian.

So tell me a bit about this retro influence?

There’s a lot of stealing from old people in my music, definitely. But this record is particularly influenced by 80s disco and early house. When synthesizers got involved with disco basically. It’s the sound that I love because I love Italo, I love boogie, I love all those flavours. I wanted to do a record that had those influences.

Do you have favourite era?

If I had to have a favourite it would be the 80s.

Why the 1980s?

I would of loved to have an excellent quiff - back-combed hair and everything.

I read someone describe you as the “Madonna of the Midlands” - it has quite a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

It’s flattering to be compared to Madonna. But it’s a big thing to live up to and I’ve never said I’m anywhere in her league - I don’t claim to be. There are influences of early Madonna in my music, so that’s where it came from.

What’s your favourite M song?

If I had to choose just one, it would be “La Isla Bonita”.

Is Madonna the pop queen?

She has the most winning pop songs for me. If you have to choose one artist who has got the highest rate of amazing songs, she is the one for me.

What about Britney?

Yeah, I’d probably go Britney as my second.

She is the best media pop star I reckon. She went out with JT, that’s awesome.

Yeah… Janet Jackson is another good one, but Madonna has the best songs and she’s the biggest icon.

So who’s the current queen of pop?

I’m voting for Lorde - she’s smart, contemporary, effortlessly cool and nobody’s fool… she’s amazing.

Well then, who is the King of pop?

Michael Jackson. Definitely.

Not Justin Timberlake? As you can tell, I really like JT…

Currently, it’s Justin Timberlake. He can do everything. He can beat box, he can dance. For me, dancing is a big part if you’re going to be a pop superstar. You’ve gotta have the moves.

I guess you need that triple threat, even if it involves acting in a shitty romcom. Anyway, you’ve moved to London now, is there anything you miss about Nottingham?

I miss the people. I miss my friends. You forget how friendly the people are. A lady in Boots called me treasure the other day; you don’t get that in London. And then she overcharged me for toothpaste.

Alright treasure… did you really get shot in the back of a taxi in Nottingham?

Where I was living in Nottingham, it was a bit rough… lots of stuff went on and that was one of the things on the way back from filming my first music video. We got shot at and it was crazy, we turned round and there were two guys running after another guy. It was a bit crazy where we used to live. There was a murder on the street and the body was dumped just behind my house and stuff.

That doesn’t sound like much fun. Selectadisc is named after a record shop in the area, right?

Yeah, Selectadisc was a really important place in Nottingham. It was a big three story record shop, it was the epicentre of the music scene. I was thinking about what to name the album and I just thought, music scenes are always based around either a club or a local place, and Selectadisc is the place that helped form my musical identity. When it shut down, I just felt like Notts had died a bit. Apparently we’ve got a rough trade opening now…

You also wrote, produced and released the record on your own label. Have you always wanted to do everything on your own?

I produced half of it and co-produced. I first set up my label, just to get my music out there and get it heard. And then it just turned out that it meant I could do whatever I wanted to do with the music, and I’m quite a control freak over it all, so it worked out nicely.

You also DJ, right?

I started DJing when I was a teenager, started playing at house parties and then clubs in Nottingham.

What’s your go-to party tune?

Probably ‘Beam Me Up’, the Jacques Renault remix. [SINGS] BEAM ME UP BEAM ME UP BEAM ME UP NOOOOOOW!

Photos by Hannah Parvaz.

Selectadisc is out now and you can buy it here.