Teen star’s flying high
Still only 19, Birdy is about to release her third album
‘It’s a very weird life that I live, but you appreciate much more where you come from’
Success has taken Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde – the performer better known as Birdy – away from her fairytale upbringing on her family’s estate in Hampshire.
The great niece of acting legend Sir Dirk Bogarde and the granddaughter of a peer, Birdy became a star at 14 with her debut single, a cover of Bon Iver’s Skinny Love.
On Beautiful Lies, the title track of her third album, she considers the changes.
“Sometimes you get to a place which isn’t going to last, but you want it to carry on,” says Birdy, now 19. “For me, change is quite hard. It’s about accepting change, knowing its going to happen but pretending it’s not.”
Under the eye of her her concert pianist mother, Birdy was tickling the ivories at the age of eight.
She began writing soon afterwards and her deft covers of Ed Sheeran and Bon Iver have brought praise from the originators. But early success has its downside.
“Being away from home, family and friends can take a while to balance out,” she muses.
“But I get to do what I love and write songs with amazing writers.”
The new album is the highlight of her career because she was able to steer it, knowing exactly what she wanted.
“It’s the first time I’ve really loved making it,” Birdy smiles. “On the second album [Fire Within] I liked
it, but it was really scary being so open with people you’d never met before.”
She was thrilled to work with composers such as Simon Aldred of Cherry Ghost, whom she covered on her self-titled debut, but co-writing can be tricky.
“It starts off with everyone mumbling, quite nervous and keeping their ideas to themselves,” she says. “You have to be quite careful with it, getting the balance right between listening and giving your ideas.”
Her new music has a Japanese influence, partially inspired by reading the novel Memoirs Of A Geisha and her identification with the central character.
“She’s a bit of as fighter,” says Birdy. “Most people could relate to her wanting to do her best and become something. It’s an album about finding the light in the dark and becoming more confident in yourself. Also, just learning about yourself, growing up over the past few years and finding my feet.”
Although unable to name any of her late Uncle Dirk’s movies, Birdy is interested in acting in the future. She gave up studying Art and French at college to devote herself to music.
These days, her success has included a No 1 in Australia where she played a three-night run at the Sydney Opera House. Her mother gave her tips to conquer nerves.
“Imagine everyone [in the audience] being on the loo or in their underwear,” she laughs. “But I get so nervous I always forget something that will help.”
Despite her family background she doesn’t feel like an aristocrat but agrees her upbringing was a bit like a fairytale.
“That’s what I’ve got inside me all the time,” she says. It’s a very weird life that I live. It can be tough but you appreciate much more where you have come from.”
Birdy plays the Oslo, London on Feb 9. Album released March 25.