Aprilann

Aprilann is not a name you will have come across, but the New York based songwriter who made her Billboard chart debut this week is someone you will all be talking about very soon. Her stunning debut single Crown and the Girls has been impressing Akon's fans on his recent UK tour. With the dance remixes ready to send you into a frenzy on a big night out, it is the piano drive of the emotional and insightful original that is destined for the Radio 2 playlist and international acclaim. We caught up with Aprilann to find out more...

Hi Aprilann, for those not in the know, tell us a little about yourself...

I am originally from Florida but now reside In Manhattan. I moved to NYC for acting school, which is my other love. I definitely want to pursue both. I love writing songs about my experiences. Mostly about relationships that fall apart. But don’t worry there are some happy ones in there as well!

Your debut single is Crown And The Girls, tell us the story behind the song...

I wrote this song the day I realized that I had to be done communicating with this person. It took a lot of denial on my part before I could finally accept it was done. I had the realization right after I got a text from this person cancelling some plans we had. I wrote the whole song on a bench outside of a department store in the time it took my brother to find new sneakers and check out. I decided right then that Instead of letting my anger out on him like every other time before, I'm going to write the best song I've ever written.

We understand it is the lead single of your upcoming EP. What can we expect from the release?

You can expect a very honest depiction of the last couple years of my life.

You have released the single is various formats. The original has echoes of Julia Michaels and Alessia Cara, would you say that is a fair assessment?

I would say that is a fair assessment and a compliment!

The remixes take it in a very different direction. Do you see yourself as a dance star?

Although I love to dance when I'm out with friends, I mainly like to stick to singing, songwriting, and acting for now. But who knows, maybe I'll take on a new hobby in a couple years.

If you had to compare yourself to another artist, who would it be?

Well, a huge inspiration to my music is Taylor Swift, and we definitely write about the same topics of heartbreak.

We saw your on stage performance with Larry Gordon, would you ever consider recording a collaboration?

He is an amazing artist and friend, so it's definitely possible!

Who would your dream collaborator be?

Definitely Taylor Swift!

You are currently on tour with Akon, how did that come about?

My manager got it set up for me. It was a lot of luck! She knew one of the guys setting up the opening acts and got them to give me the chance to open up.

What is the best piece of advice he has given you?

Don’t let a crowd dictate what you think is a good song.

Lastly, when can we expect to see you over in the UK again soon?

As of right now, I am working on getting on tour with someone in the States so I don't have any plans coming up. But who knows who I will be on tour with next, or maybe I'll even be on my own tour next time I'm in the UK.