Lucy Spraggan was the first contestant in X Factor history to score a Top 40 single and album before the live shows aired. 

Since her appearance on X Factor a decade ago, the Canterbury-born musician has sold over 140k albums and reached over 140 million streams on Spotify alone, with over 540k monthly listeners. Last year’s album ‘Choices’ debuted at #5 in the Official UK Albums charts. 

Now, to mark ten years since her fateful audition for The X Factor, she has just released new single ‘Everything Changes’.

We caught up with her to learn more about her influences and inspirations.

1. What’s the music that you listened to growing up, that you still listen to today?
Tracy Chapman’s self titled album. It is timeless. Don Maclean, too.

2. In three words, describe the minute before you walk on stage.
Intense, exciting, addictive.

3. How do you wind down after a gig?
An alcohol-free beer and some food. I talk about the show with the band and we all discuss the things we saw in the crowd or funny things that went down.

4. What’s the one song (by another artist) you wish you’d written or recorded first?
'Landslide' – Fleetwood Mac. That song evokes such emotion in me every time I hear it. Pretty much every Fleetwood Mac song does, to be honest.

5. What is your pet peeve?
People not considering others on public transport, e.g. listening to music without headphones or having loud telephone conversations, sometimes even Zoom meetings.

6. Name one record, one book and one film that everyone should hear / read / see.
Record: Andrew Duhon – ‘The Moorings’
Book: ‘When I First Held You’ – Anstey Harris (who is also my Mum)
Film: ‘Forrest Gump’

7. Pick the director and lead actor(s) for a biopic about your life.
I would love to be played by Jodie Comer because I ADORE her. And, I guess a Tarantino film – because who wouldn’t want their life to be Tarantinoed?!

8. You’re ordering take-away, what do you get?
A big, spicy pizza. With wings. 

9. Describe your perfect day off.
Hitting the gym, then going fishing at the lake, followed by some food with friends.

10. Tell us, in one sentence, why we should come to your next gig (whenever it may be.)
You should come to my next show because my aim is to have everyone feeling like their absolute BEST self by the time the show is over, all we want is to have an incredible time with a room full of like minded people.

BONUS QUESTION: Recommend a podcast and tell us why we should subscribe to it.  
'This American Life' – it covers pretty much every topic there is in life. It is emotive and educational and sometimes really moving.

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'Everything Changes' is out now.