Documenting life is an integral part of the human experience. For British singer Hope Tala, her weapon of self expression lies in lyrics and melodies. She spent over three years creating her debut album ‘Hope Handwritten.’ In the album’s opening track ‘Growing Pains,’ Tala reflects on “trying to write about what’s in my heart.” The result is a time capsule of her 20s spanning heartbreak and self-growth. It’s her very own coming-of-age piece. From 10 November she’ll be taking the magic of her album to stages across the UK and Europe on her ‘Hope Handwritten’ tour, following the US leg earlier this year. Before she heads on the road, she spoke to Schön! about the journey to her first album, her favourite tour memories and what fans can look forward to this November.
You released your debut album ‘Hope Handwritten’ this year. What do you think you learned from the process?
I was making the album for three and a half years so I always think of it like a degree because it was the same amount of time you’d be at uni. It was kind of like my songwriting degree. I collaborated with lots of different people which was amazing and learned so much from all of them. [I] really just learned to trust myself and trust my gut. A lot of times I felt like I was not getting it right over those years and then, you know, managed to come out of it with this body of work I was really proud of.
Our environment shapes the kind of art we create so how did your background influence this particular project?
I feel like the kind of album of my life is ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.’ I have always felt so inspired, not just by that music, but also just by that artist, her process, her lack of compromise, her commitment and dedication to authenticity and quality. The impulse and the desire to say something in her own words. I knew I wanted to make an album that felt soulful, but also, I really wanted to tell a story. I always have loved coming of age novels. I read a lot of them growing up and I still do. Literature has always been quite a big influence on me and I studied English at university. Sonically, I was branching out from where I’d been before which was really liberating and fun.
If this album was a city, what energy is it giving?
I wrote most of the music in Los Angeles where I’ve been living half of the time on and off since I basically graduated from university. So, LA is so influential on this album, but then I feel like there’s such a London influence because I’m from London and I spent a lot of time in London during the making of this project. So, [a] kind of hybrid of London and LA.
What will your upcoming tour feel and look like for the audience?
Hopefully, it feels really joyful. I did the American leg of this tour earlier this year and it really was so special and joyful every night. For me, performing isn’t something that comes naturally. I love doing it. I love playing shows. It’s such a privilege to be able to do that and connect with people in person. I’ve sometimes compared it to doing exercise or going for a run where, sometimes, you feel really scared or kind of feel reluctant to do it, but then you always feel better afterwards. I love just dancing with everyone, singing with everyone. Something I’ve really enjoyed doing this year is just chatting.
Is there anywhere on your EU tour you’ve never been to before that you’re looking forward to?
I don’t think I’ve actually played a live show in Berlin. I’m so excited for this to be my first show there. I’m also really excited to go to Bristol which is where I went to university. The venue that we’re playing in Bristol is on a boat and I used to go clubbing there sometimes as a student. It’ll be a huge full circle moment going there.
From your album, what song do you love to play live?
I have to say ‘Thank Goodness.’ Everyone sings along, it’s such an amazing feeling. When I play a show, the best case scenario is that there’s a group of friends who have come together and they’re just living for it. In Boston, there was a group of girls, that must have been like six girls, and the whole show they were kind of like ignoring me and just singing to each other which is my ideal scenario. I love it because I’m like, you know, this isn’t even about me. This is about you guys having an amazing [time] with your friends. As an artist, to be able to see people interact with each other in the presence of your art, there’s no feeling that’s more amazing than that. That makes me feel so lucky.
photography. Ragan Henderson
talent. Hope Tala
words. Shama Nasinde
The hottest automotive brand on the scene CUPRA is known for championing the unexpected. From collaborations with Spanish icon Rosalìa to exploring the future of virtual reality through Metahype, novelty is their speciality. The Barcelona brand brought their vision to Berlin from 21 – 23 April with the world premiere of the CUPRA Tavascan, their new fully-electric SUV. Its design is sleek, sporty and feline with every detail making for a streamlined and impressive new addition to CUPRA’s line-up. 
The brand’s taste for pioneers is just as present in their collaborations, like with brand ambassador Willow Smith who gave a live performance at the Tavascan world premiere as a hologram. “Anything we do has to provoke,” CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths told journalists at an intimate roundtable. Griffiths described having a taste for “emerging, stranger ones” who aren’t driven by status but by pushing boundaries. It makes complete sense, then, that CUPRA will continue to partner with Primavera Sound festival this year which will take place in both Barcelona and Madrid at the beginning of June. Overall, the weekend united Berlin and Barcelona in a way that symbolises the endless possibilities for where CUPRA could go next.
