Victoria Canal joins us on I Never Thought It Would Happen

In this episode of our podcast, host Chris Difford is joined by singer-songwriter Victoria Canal. 

Having released her first single in 2015, Victoria has put out a considerable number of standalone tracks in her own name, as well as collaborations. However it was only this year that she finally released her debut album, ​‘Slowly, It Dawns’. She’s also the winner of not one, but two Ivor Novello awards.

A globe-trotting childhood, with all of its upheavals and changes, led Victoria to finding solace and purpose in music. She started writing music as a pre-teen, recorded her first demo at 13 and soon after gained a scholarship to study at the Berklee College Of Music.

She and Chris start by discussing recording, producing and the song-writing process. They also talk about their experience of live gigs, what the future of the music industry could look like, and how to perform authentically on the big stage.

When talking about early influences and music experiences, Victoria discusses the artists that have shaped her musical journey. She also shares some advice that she remembers receiving from James Vincent McMorrow after attending a show many years ago. 

“The thing that he said that struck me most was, you don’t get people’s attention more by being louder… you make them want to lean in when you pull back. The moments that resonate the most are when I pull back.”

The two go on to discuss what it is like to meet and spend time with other famous artists.“I try to be surrounded by excellence as much as I can be, because it inspires me. I always want to be around that kind of energy” she says. 

When asked what she learned performing with Coldplay at Glastonbury last year, she described the charisma and kindness of Chris Martin: ​“He really wants to be good, and it is inspiring to see that from someone of that stature in society”. 

Listen to the episode in full now, either through the link below or wherever you listen to your podcasts.