Paloma Faith admits she had no confidence when she first started performing.
The ‘Can’t Rely On You’ singer tried singing when she was 14 but gave up on the idea of a career in music because she didn’t believe in herself.
She said: "I just didn’t have the confidence or think I was very good. I then started again when I was 21.
"I was working in a bar, and I got roped into being the frontwoman of the band of someone worked with. I did it for a laugh, just a bit of fun, rather than with any serious aspirations to make a career out of it."
The 32-year-old star was later persuaded by friends to start writing her own songs and claims her career just "escalated from there".
She revealed she was inspired by artists who are "brave and ballsy", like Grace Jones, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Bjork and PJ Harvey.
She explained: "[I looked up to] exciting female artists that have always thought outside the box and not just done what everyone else was doing."
The star, who releases her new album ‘A Perfect Contradiction’ on March 10, is also working with Samsung’s Launching People campaign to discover new talent and insists she already has experience in nurturing artists, having helped the likes of ‘Skyfall’ singer Adele when she was starting out.
She explained: "I’ve already got a bit of a reputation for helping people with their careers. It’s genuinely something that I love doing.
"I used to be a promoter for a few people who have gone on to have huge careers, like Adele.
"I’ve been asked a number of times to be involved in judging panels for TV shows and other talent initiatives, and turned them down because of the format."
Paloma added: "With Launching People, I get to use my knowledge, contacts and experience to help someone in their career in a positive way."
Paloma Faith: I had no confidence
