As the UK R&B scene continues to expand and thrive, Harnett remains where she last found herself: on top. From August, she will be hitting the road to promote the album, which dropped independently in April. With live dates kicking off in North America, Harnett will visit Europe in October. In an exclusive interview with Principle, we learn more about her rise to stardom, overcoming imposter syndrome, new music, and more. 

Dress Liwen Liang / Shoes Dreaming Eli / Jewellery Daisy London, 19RINGS

I was reading some of your previous interviews and came across something I just learned about you. You used to be in a band named Blake Tie with your friend. Tell me more!

It’s too much to bear! So I went to the arts uni in Bournemouth, and I had a friend called Zakia, my beautiful Afro-Caribbean sister. I’m a Thai sister. Our symbol was a black tie. We would sing over funky house beats, write songs, and perform. It was great. And then naturally, we graduated and then went in different parts. But I’ll never forget that. We weren’t being paid, but we were performing at certain places at uni.

Did you enjoy it?

I did. Yeah. I loved Funky House more than anything. I think the closest thing to Funky House is amapiano and a full house to beat it. The amapiano resurgence has reminded me of how I felt when I first heard Funky House. 

Is that how you started out in the dance music sphere?

I was a fan of Disclosure and then Rudimental was big. It was bringing house and drum and bass to the charts for the first time that I’d ever seen within the charts. So I naturally just gravitated towards people who wanted to collaborate and had soul. It naturally happened. I think that’s why there’s kind of a juxtaposition with me because it’s either sad, emo R&B, or its tempo. I guess that’s how I get that part of me out there. It makes sense to collaborate with people that do that. I don’t think necessarily dance music has had a voice until now. Like, often people don’t think about who the singer is. People at a Sonny [Fodera] gig don’t necessarily know that that’s a song that I wrote that he is remixing. They’re like, ‘Oh, I love that Sonny Fodera song, “Unconditional.”’

Top Atsuko Kudo / Trousers Liwen Liang / Jewellery Daisy London, 19RINGS

You came up at a time when it was you, Ella Eyre, Foxes, Becky Hill, Anne-Marie, and other female artists from the UK all featuring on songs from similar artists. While embarking on the festival circuits, did it feel like one big gang?

In a way, yeah. Because we would all perform at the same shows. It was nice, but we were also different as well. So it kind of has been interesting to see how we all started. Me, Ella, Becky, and Anne-Marie were the vaginas of Rudimental, and now look at how different all our paths are. It’s amazing. I like that we had that beginning together because we could go through it together because talking about the dark side of the music industry and the male dominance of it wasn’t fashionable then. But now it is. Knowing where we came from and being able to make our own paths as females alone has been lovely.

You’re right in that you all make very different music. However, did you find yourself comparing yourself to them?

I think I’ve always compared myself to anyone around me, but I’ve really worked on not doing that anymore because it doesn’t actually help. It makes you question yourself constantly. Back then, I would be like ‘Oh, it’s really exploded for Disclosure and everyone I work with and I would question, “Is it gonna explode for me?”’ But what you realise is that being true to yourself is the only way to keep moving. That’s what’s worked for me. And so now I just appreciate everyone’s differences. I think back to when someone asked Jill Scott, ‘Are you nervous to go on after Erykah Badu?’ And she was like, ‘No. She’s got her queendom and I’ve got mine. You can’t compare.’ I try and adopt that. 

When you turned 30, you once expressed that you felt like your life had begun and that you had never felt younger. 

Well, for me personally, turning 30 is when I really addressed my trauma for the first time, deeply and properly. So when you start therapy, you get that self-awareness. I think that that decade is really getting to know yourself whereas in your twenties, you’re probably using a lot of vices to run away from yourself. For me, it was a nice journey of healing and also a chapter where you’re not running away anymore. You’re facing everything head-on, and then you can move on.

The last time I saw you, Boundaries was days away from dropping. Now that it’s been out for a minute, how have you felt about the reception?

It’s been really great. I think it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It kind of feels like a first album in a way. I’m quite a work addict. The VEVO thing happened and COLORS, and then I’ve just done something with Mahogany this week. Every day I’m proactive and I’m like, ‘How else can I get the music heard?’ Because it’s not enough to just drop something. There are 100,000 songs at least coming out every single day.

And only so many songs on the New Music Friday playlist!

Exactly. So, I’m loving it. I feel like the reception’s been good, and I’m having people reach out who haven’t before. So I feel positive about it. That’s the only way to look at everything, I think.

In the past, you have spoken about having imposter syndrome, but have since been able to overcome that now. How did you manage that?

I just wanna do some snaps for your beautiful research. You really have read stuff, and that means a lot because you didn’t have to do that. 

Back to the imposter syndrome, I feel like everyone has it to a certain degree. It’s up and down. Confidence isn’t something that just sticks, you know. You’ve gotta work on it. Some days you have to act it. Some days you feel it. For me, the impostor syndrome has reduced because I think I’ve fucking put in the work now for a decade. There’s no way that I can still say, ‘You don’t deserve this, you shouldn’t be here.’ And I think even the Boundaries album shows me that I deserve to do this because we all deserve to go for our dreams. Right? My childhood trauma made me for so long loathe myself. Now that I’ve worked on that it’s like, ‘No, fuck this.’ I haven’t got time for imposter syndrome. I haven’t got time for negativity and I’ve not got time for that inner monologue putting me down. Because actually, how am I contributing to the world if I carry on like that? So I just refuse now. I’m like, ‘Nope. Not today, Satan.’

Top Yeo Ju / Skirt Joelle / Jewellery Daisy London, 19RINGS

You’ve also said that your favourite song from the album always changes. What is it today?

Today, I’m gonna go for “The Most” because I love that anger that I have finally accessed. I’ve always just made the most and dealt with the bullshit. And then in that song, I’m like, ‘No. Fuck the bullshit.’

I can always imagine JoJo singing that song with you. 

Oh my gosh. Should I get her on the remix?

That isn’t a bad shout!

I feel like me and her deserve an original. But if she was down, so would I! She’s the sweetest person on earth. I think for me and her, it has to be the right thing, but I know because her low register is crazy. Her range is giving Range Rover, like, the newest addition.

Talking of collabs, you recently teamed up with Snakehips again for “Been A Minute…” That must feel quite full circle since you first worked with them for your first EP, N.O.W.

Babe, it was when I posted saying 10 years later, I was like, ‘Fuck!’ You know? Like, gosh. A decade. They did a joint project with EARTHGANG, which is coming out soon. Of course, I’ve worked with EARTHGANG before too, so it just made sense. It was a very easy concept to come up with because I’ve been going through it. 

Dress Liwen Liang / Shoes Dreaming Eli / Jewellery Daisy London, 19RINGS

Are you already planning for what will be next?

I’ve been writing at least once or twice a week since the album dropped. I do have an EP ready, but I also don’t want to abandon this project too soon. There is definitely room for some acoustic versions this year. I’d love to release new music before the end of the year just because I feel like it’s moving so fast these days. I’m focusing on that, the tour, and getting Boundaries the justice and the respect that it deserves. And I don’t know if that’s too presumptuous to say, but I’m just really proud of it. And I would love to get a bit more respect on my name. 

In the grand scheme of things, with the weight of the bullshit going on in the world, just knowing that you can share something that you’re passionate about, that’s already the win. I wanna get better as an artist, as a human, as an auntie, as a family member, and as a friend. If we spread love, and part of my love is music, then I think we’re improving the world. We need to lead with love over anything.

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