Joss Stone at Seventeen

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

Joss Stone is on a roll. She's somewhere in Los Angeles. Last night it was the Late Show with Jay Leno and tonight she's just come off the set of the Late, Late Show when we find her at the end of the phone, still buzzing.

Effectively she's released two albums in this part of the world in less than a year - the covers collection Soul Sessions and now the original set Mind Body & Soul. She's a busy gal and as she chats flat out, it's hard to reconcile her girlish Devon vowels with that terrific singing voice. But maybe that's because we're talking to the person that "Joss Stone" becomes off-stage ...

Sounds like they've got you working very hard.

Ohmigod. Yeah but it's cool.

But you'd be used to the hard work by now.

Kind of. You expect it now but you can't really get used to it. My head has got used to it but my body hasn't. I'm young and I'm growing at the same time so I get so tired. But I have to do it otherwise people wouldn't know I have an album out.

Down this end of the world Soul Sessions didn't come out until February or March and the new album is out now, not that long after.

Right it's mad. The Soul Sessions wasn't really meant to be an album. The idea when we went into it was to basically do an EP for which we'd have to do hardly any promo, just carry on making my album and chill out while they have that one. Just underground, with a little buzz. It was cool that people liked it.

It seems that 2 1/2 million people liked it.

Yeah it's kinda crazy.

Were you worried after Soul Sessions went, how the next one would be received. Did you think maybe you should wait a while?

No I didn't want everyone to think I was just a covers artist because, really, I'm not. I have things to say and I just so much wanted to do my own stuff.

The albums aren't a whole lot different soundwise.

I tried to make Mind Body & Soul a little bit more contemporary - not so, so, so old school. I liked that it had a Soul Sessions vibe because it wasn't, like, over-produced. It was done like it was in the 70s, that is how exactly we recorded it.

There was no auto-tune on anything, there wasn't on my second and there never will be on my third. I like it real. If you're not perfect - and I'm so far from perfect - I kind of like that.

You're credited with co-writes on most of the songs on the new one. Are you a natural songwriter?

I hope so. I'm just working it out right now. I love writing but I do get a little bit shy. When it's like the first time and let's say you're with Lamont Dozier [Motown songwriting legend] or Beau Dozier [his son], I was so shy man, I was like a little kid. I was just stupid. Because they are just amazing and I felt so stupid. But I tried and I put in my two quids worth and we definitely worked together on it, but I think I was a little bit too nervous.

What's the difference between Joss Stone and Jocelyn Stoker?

I don't know who this Joss Stone girl is. I don't know who the hell they are talking about ... ha ha.

Was it Joss Stone or Jocelyn Stoker who wrote the songs?

It was definitely Jocelyn Stoker. Joss Stone is the girl who turns up on stage and sings. The girl you are talking to right now is Joss Stoker. You know, I don't want to be Joss Stone too often. It's kind of bad. I find that some people turn into the artists they are trying to be.

If I went on stage and was like myself I wouldn't sing. That's who I turn into in between songs. I'll sing and I'm, like, I'm into my song I don't give a damn who's there, but when the music stops I'm like, "Oh shit what the [expletive] am I doing on this stage?"

If I had me now and me like five years ago - if they both met I swear to God me five years ago would slap me around the face and go "Joss get the hell off that stage. How embarrassing, what the hell are you doing?".

So you had to overcome stage fright?

Yeah. I would cry in between my shows "I don't want to do it Mum. Everyone is going to think I'm stupid", because that is what kids are like. When I was at school if I got up and sang they would knock me down so quick.

That's why I didn't, because I was so nervous and I didn't think I was a good singer. But my mum said "you just have to put on a different hat and be like 'this is what I do' and be confident with it, otherwise you are never going to be anything."

And what else can I do but sing? I don't want to go back to school. Don't make me go back to school. So I have to just get up there, stop being such a wuss and do it.

But I don't want to take that personality with me. That person has to be really over-confident and I find that over-confident people can be a real pain in the arse.

So maybe Joss Stone is more American than Jocelyn Stoker ...

Ha ha ha. I don't know. I've met some arrogant people in England too.

You're still just 17. Do you think it might have all happened a bit early for you.

No I don't think so. I think it would have been nice to chill out and be 17 and not do anything. But if I had carried on I would have got into a lot of trouble so I'm glad I've had something to occupy myself.

I'm glad that I can sing and somebody recognised it early because I know that I never would have gone to college. I hated school so much that I was just going to chill right out and that's not a good thing. I get bored real quick.

You've met a lot of famous people. Are there any that you are still impressed by afterwards?.

Yeah definitely Lamont Dozier. And there was James Brown - Ohmigod I was scared. I walked into the room and he's like a little guy. He's so cute, he's like a cute little man. I really liked him and he was so nice and I was really nervous to be in there with him. I do get a little starstruck but it only really lasts for a couple of seconds.

Does it worry you at all people might not take you seriously because of your age and that you're a white girl from England singing black American music?

No. There's no point in worrying about that. I can't change that I'm 17 and that I'm white and that I'm English, but the thing is I don't want to change it and I don't want to get old quick. I'm cool being 17.

I think people who care about image and don't really listen to the music - they really look at those things but I know the people who just want to listen to music don't really give a damn. So it really doesn't matter to me.