TapwaterLucy

Words by Rosie Norman Photographs by Lauren Cremer

Styling by Dianah Gwendu - XYLondonSquad Makeup and Hair by Anna Bayes and Nicole Marie Assisting and Videography by Simran Kaur 

I meet Lucy at Katsute 100, a quirky little Japanese tearoom in Angel. We converge at the counter in front of a display of chunky slabs of matcha and strawberry cheesecake which look like something out of Sugar Rush, a pastel heaven. We both order iced oat matcha lattes and laugh at the predictability of our orders. We walk through to a cute little garden out the back and sit in what feels like the dying remains of the summer sun. We chat for a few minutes before the interview begins. 

First of all, I love the name Tapwater Lucy, it’s such a What’s your experience of being self-made like so far? vibe, I read on your website that you’re all about glamour Because you don’t have a producer or anything like that meets satire and I feel like Tapwater Lucy perfectly embodies this. So, how did you become Tapwater Lucy? 

Well, my name is Lucy Kevil and I was known as Lucy Kevil for ages and would just gig and release stuff on SoundCloud under my own name. But it just didn’t feel right to me. It’s actually really embarrassing but I love it, basically, I got it from a meme! It’s one where there’s this packet of Lays crisps and instead of Lays it says ‘Lucy’s’ and then they’re tap water flavoured. So yeah, that’s my name! It was my finsta name for ages and then it just sort of caught on. All my friends where calling me ‘Tapwater Lucy’ or ‘tapwater’, kind of an insult but I’m here for it. 

No, it’s very chic. It seems to embody everything you’re going for. 

And then I’m like, I got it from a meme! I mean I was debating whether or not to just keep it as my Instagram handle, because I ended up eventually changed my personal to Tapwater Lucy and you know like how Billy Eilish had wherearetheavocadoes and I was like maybe it could be like something funny and fresh like that but no. Eventually, it was literally two seconds before I went on to do a show I just went to my band ‘guys, I’m Tapwater Lucy’! I was on the setlist as Lucy Kevil and so I ruined all the line-up posters and everything haha, the promoter was so mad. Causing chaos wherever I can! 

Along those lines, how long have you been doing music? I read online that you’re self-made, what got you into music? 

I mean I’ve been singing since I could speak really, when I was younger, I just took every opportunity to sing. My brother and I, during X Factor’s breaks would do like little competitions for my parents. Then I started in musical theatre and did singing lessons, I also just really loved English and writing as well, so that’s where the kind of song writing aspect came into it. I then went to ELAM for college, and it’s a music college and they really pushed you to really be your authentic self in your music and just to create your own music. So, I’ve been releasing music since like 2016/2017 and that’s kind of since when I’ve been a proper musician, as in not just like having singing lessons and doing showcases and stuff like that. 

and you’re doing your own production and stuff? 

I’m glad you asked that! It is hell! It is hell out there, babes *laughing*. No, its...I love it so much but, I went to music college so you’d think that I’d like have loads of producers to reach out to, which I do but I also have anxiety haha. I went through a phase where I was just like I hate asking people for stuff. Like chasing people, asking ‘hey, can you send me this beat’ and them not doing it, so having to chase it again. It’s horrible, especially when you just really want to release a song, but instead you have to rely on all these other people to make it happen. So, for Loveblind it was just me and my best friend during COVID we just did zoom sessions and it was just something out of fun. And then High & Dry I just produced completely myself which honestly you can kind of tell... 

I was going to ask about lyrical themes, I read something about shining light on negative people and small dick energy? 

Ever since I started song writing, if you’ve ever listened to any of my stuff on SoundCloud, there’s a song I released called ‘out of my life’ and it’s about this girl I went to college with and she was so mean and I was literally like - why are people such dicks?! I’m gonna write a song about this! Then in Loveblind I just carried on this theme of if people piss me off I’m going to write a song about you. 

It’s super refreshing actually not to be going for the conventional love troupes we hear so much of in music... congrats on your IMVA for Loveblind as well by the way! 

Aw, no that’s so lovely of you. It was so surreal when we won. Dora Perphides as well who directed the video is so talented but it was just so surreal. I went out the night before and had twisted my ankle and was bed-ridden and I get a text from Dora saying ‘we’ve won’! so it was a really nice way to start my day! But if a music video was going to win an IMV award out of the one I’ve released I’m so happy it was Loveblind. Loveblind was my first ever proper music video, completely done by me and Dora – we produced the whole thing, the budget was crazy. I was lucky enough to be furloughed in Lockdown so I literally saved every single penny and I’m using this all towards a video. 

The video kind of reminded me of all those Hinge horror stories you hear about, so my question was is that intentional, do you have any Hinge horror stories? 

That’s such a good question! Do I have any? I don’t think I do have any Tinder or Hinge horror stories. I personally use Hinge for validation. I’ve only really been on one date, as in proper like we haven’t met each other one on one before. Obviously I’ve been on dates with my past partner but like that was lovely, I mean we didn’t meet on Hinge or anything it was just friends of friends so I don’t think I actually have any dating horror stories. But the video is definitely inspired by it. 

Do you think comedy is an important aspect of music or your music? 

Lucy: I mean it definitely is for me, I’ve had like multiple identity crises in the past where I’m like I wanna be the mysterious girl who’s like really sexy and mysterious everyone’s like she’s so hot. I do want to be that person but I’m also like, my thing is making people laugh. I’ve always been the class clown, I don’t know why but that’s my thing, I love to make people laugh. I feel like I’m slowly getting there though, I’m really trying to merge the two together because that is a side of me – the sultry, mysterious side and I do want people to be like omg she’s hilarious and she’s so sexy. 

I don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive, there’s definitely something sexy about a funny woman. So, who’s your musical inspiration? 

When I first started out I was very heavily influenced by Kali Uchis and neo- soul and so my first SoundCloud releases are very neo-souly. And then my two songs on Spotify are very indie and I mainly did it because indie music is so easy to produce. So I already played guitar and piano and then I just used the drum sample, so once you can do that you can really create a whole song. So those are kind of my inspirations. But my future music inspiration is like very electro-pop / hyper pop. But I love that about music these days, you do not have to stick to your category. It used to be like, you were a pop girlie, you were an R&B girlie, you’re a rock girlie. But no, like Doja Cat performs heavy metal versions of Say So at the VMAs, or Beyonce puts like country songs in her albums, there is no genre specific artists anymore. Current inspo would probably be Charlie, Rina, Deee-Lite, Donna Summer, old club music and current hyper pop music. I like those two, mashed together. 

On that note, let’s talk about pop music, it seems such an interesting genre at the moment, I’d love to know your thoughts on it? 

I could talk about pop music all day everyday girl, I love pop music. But of course, you’re still gonna get people who are like ‘pop is too mainstream’ so there are still people who don’t like pop, but I think there’s such an art in creating a successful pop song and that is my goal honestly. Like Can’t get you Out of My Head by Kylie where she literally just says La in the chorus about fifty times. It is so camp! And it topped the charts for weeks. People sometimes say, ‘oh well where are the meaningful lyrics?’ Don’t get me wrong I love meaningful lyrics when I need them but I just think it was so genius when they managed to do that and it topped the charts so yeah I think pop music is genius. Pop music is also so diverse, like what is pop music? In the UK charts you’ve got rap music, indie music, you’ve got ROSALIA in the charts, Bad bunny there’s literally not one type of Pop music. 

If you could be a fruit which one would you be and why? 

Great why not, I love this! I think I would be the ripest nectarine ever. My favourite types of fruits are those of the peach family (haha is that a thing?!) You know, when they’re all juicy and sweet and you have to eat them over the sink, so good! 

Final question, who are you a Groupie for? 

So I have a music answer and then a more generic one. Music ones – right now it’s definitely ROSALIA, I love her. And then generic answer – my Mum! I love my Mum! She is fucking crazy, but I love her – not actually even that crazy she’s just very expressive and I think that’s where I get it from.