Ahead of his first appearance in the UAE, Peter Feely catches up with theup-and-coming R&B star from the UK to talk Rihanna, JLS and Cheryl Cole.
Your hit song ‘Wonderful’ – what’s the inspiration behind it?
Whatever you do that makes you feel good within yourself as a person – you should hold your head high.
We saw an acoustic version of ‘Wonderful’ on YouTube where you were with Ed Sheeran and Michael Kiwanuka. Are you competitive with them?
It’s not a competition – everyone’s in their own lane. Mike and Ed Sheeran are really good friends of mine.
You have written songs for Pixie Lott, Jason Derulo, JLS and Cheryl Cole. Do you get asked to write with particular people in mind?
It depends, really. I was writing stuff for Rihanna’s new album and with that they didn’t say, ‘What songs have you got?’ They put us in a studio and said, ‘Let’s see what you can come up with.’ And we had to write with her sound in mind. The album’s not been picked yet so [those tracks are] still pending.
There must be a genre that you’re not personally keen on? Country and western?
I love country and western! Listen, that is my favourite: Tammy Wynette and all that.
That’s quite a long way away from Dizzy Rascal and Wiley…
[Laughs] It is but that’s what makes me different. Melodically, when I deliver my vocals, it [sounds] very country. If you’re a music head and you know about runs and adlibs and stuff and the way that you might finish the delivery on a vocal – it’s very country and that’s what I listen to, especially Tammy Wynette.
You’ve had some tumultuous times [Angel served time in Feltham Young Offenders Institute in the UK] – do you think it’s helped in the long run?
Definitely. Everything happens for a reason and at that time that’s what needed to happen to see where I was in life. It was a wake-up call and it’s made me more vigilant.
And you worked with Frank Ocean on your track ‘Rocket Love’.
That was last year. It was his peak – he was killing it but he’s still killing it now.
Was he intense and meticulous or laid back?
He was cool – he is kinda tense, though. There’s no mucking around with him. He comes straight into the studio, says hello to everyone for ten seconds then goes straight to the piano and starts thinking of ideas.
Will this be your first time in the UAE?
I’ve never been and I’ve heard so much about it. It’s a bit too lawful for me – I’ve heard it’s quite strict. Saying that I think I’ll have a banging time. I know I’ll have fun regardless.
See Angel perform at N’Dulge, Atlantis The Palm, in Dubai on August 16 (04 426 0561).
