A

!er a wobbly

second album campaign with

Under the Sunlight last year,
Mandy is rmly back on track with
her latest single Rock On'.
This amazing new track is now a
global hit, giving Mandy her third
chart-topper in the UK.
We caught up with the star to talk
about the success of Rock On',
what fans can expect from new
album Layla and how she's singing
louder than ever before.
CongratulaIons on Rock on'
geJng to number one in the UK.
Was it important for you to come
top of the charts?
Yes, of course. I mean, what you
want and what you get is not
always the same thing, but those
two things this Ime coincided and I
feel very lucky, and I'm almost
pushing myself to work harder.
Knowing that I've had the number
one here and the single's done so
well worldwide, I just feel like I'm
ready. I feel so lucky and privileged
to have produced what I have.
You have come so far in your
musical career. Who or what do
you owe your success to?
Well, I have many things in which I
owe my success to. I am especially
grateful for my friends and family
who have stood by me and helped
me with my musical career. If it
werent for them I wouldnt be
where I am now.
What are your musical inuences?
My musical inuences are mainly
role models of mine, for example;
Led Zeppelin, Haley Williams out of

Paramore, and bands like the

Rolling Stones. They have quite
signicantly inuenced me and
my music, in fact Led
Zeppelin single Stairway to
Heaven was the rst real rock
song in which I found that I liked
and really got into.
I listened to that song religiously
just a few years ago, and now
here I am with my own chart
topper.
You menIoned Hayley Williams
as one of your role models, who
like you, is one of very few of
female rock musicians. Is it
important to you to support other
young female rock musicians?
Yeah, to me its totally important.
In fact, in my music I aim to
inspire other female rock
musicians, and tell them that it is
possible to get this far, whoever
you are, and that one day they

Mandy

too will be able to get as far as I have

in the music career.
Do you have any rivals so far in the
music industry?
Well everyone in the music industry
is a potenIal rival, compeIIon,
though if you mean, have I got up
front and personal with anyone,
then no. I havent got Ime for
people who always want a ght for
no goo reason. Its like, dont rain on
my parade! Im having a good Ime
over here, dont bother me if youre
miserable.
Apart from rock, are there any other
genres of music you like?
I like lots of dierent types of music,
although Im not too keen on pop,
but apart from that my music tastes
is quite varied.
Why arent you that keen on pop
music?
Its mainly because I nd it annoying
in a sense., because it seems to be
stereotypically paired with squealing
12-year-old girls, which make it
childish music in a way.
Its just the completely the opposite
to rock and therefore I cant seem to
understand it as well as I do with
rock, and other music genres.

Dont rain
on my
parade!

Ah I see, well going back to rock. Out
of all the rock arIsts in the world
who would you want to collaborate
with?
Out of them all, Id have to say, a
collaboraIon with Foo ghters
would really suit me because they
are a really big inspiraIon to me, and
Id be over the moon if I had the
chance to do a collaboraIon with
them.