‘The brand can’t get too far from me as a person, otherwise it’s dangerous’: 10 Questions for Caro Emerald

CARO EMERALD’S first album, released in 2010, went platinum, and her 2013 follow-up shot straight to No 1.

Those songs are now heard on radio, in Hollywood movies, TV dramas and adverts.

She does one month’s touring a year, and will play Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on October 12 and Edinburgh Usher Hall on the 13th.

Ever refused permission for your songs to be used?

You mean in movies and commercials? Oh my god, all the time. Loads. I’ve always been very protective of the brand.

So is Caro Emerald a person or a brand?

Both, but the brand can’t get too far from me as a person, otherwise it’s dangerous. I don’t want to stray from who I am, and if I didn’t control the image then other people would brand me in a way I don’t want.

Apart from financially, what do you gain by touring?

Fun! Half comes from the enthusiasm of my audiences, and half from my band. We change arrangements when we feel a song has gone stale, so I never get bored. And we have a different theme for each tour.

So what’s the theme this time?

The scenery looks like a South American city, but we have a beach in it too. It’s very Latin.

You’ve released only two albums so far. Why?

The team and I have written songs that are good, but not quite good enough yet. I need songs that will take us forward to the next stage and won’t make us look like we’re repeating ourselves.

How has the business changed during your career?

It’s altered because of technology. When I finish the new album I’ll have to decide whether CDs are even relevant now. Maybe we’ll just release it as a download or on streaming. We have to stay current and up to date.

Does that scare you?

Not at all. Change is never bad in my opinion. None of us like the initial energy needed to move on but, once we do, it’s great.

Who decides what’s going to work then?

I sit with my team – management, producers, songwriters, arranger, etc – and we pose a question before we make a decision. We ask each other “What would George Clooney do?” That gives us the answer.

What is your attitude to life?

I guess I could sum it up as “Live each day like it’s your last.” I don’t ever want to spend an unhappy day, not one single hour or minute, in my whole life.

You have 24 hours left to live. How do you spend it?

I would throw a party, a great big one like a wedding, somewhere in the sunshine. Then, after the best food in the world, I would sing and dance, and laugh and cry. I wouldn’t go quietly.