Who’s in the band?

There are ten of us! Me, Josephine Permaul, on lead vocals, Gregory Madge on guitar, Lloyd Perry on bass, Laura Seddon on cello, Rachel Stacy on viola, Tanya Cracknell on violin, rappers Jermaine Davidson and Michael Wordley, Peter Clark and Dee Diberian on drums.

When and where did you all meet?

I went to the University of Westminster, where I met Gregory, who’s now my guitarist. I’d studied classical music since I was 11 – I trained in voice, piano and violin – but instead of going to a classical music conservatoire I decided I’d rather go on a contemporary music course to learn how to write and learn more about the music industry. When I came out of university, when I was 21, I recruited my rappers and my string players and that’s when it all kind of came together.

What’s with the name?

The word ‘artisan’ means someone that specialises in their own particular technique and skill and craft, and every single member of my group has a specialist musical talent, whether that’s performing or their style, what they listen to, what they’re influenced by. My guitarist is very jazz-led but my bassist is kind of more funk-led, and then you’ve got my string trio who are obviously very classical and then my rappers are very hip hop and grime – it all comes together.

What’s the story behind the sound?

We like to call it hip hopera! I take a classical work that I really like, a little phrase of a famous classical work, and we kind of write around that. There’s a lot of DJs and rappers out there who use classical music but as samples, and they never use the operatic voice. Sometimes I sing something classical that I’ve written over music, or the boys are rapping over a classical work that the strings are playing. It varies with each piece.

Where would we have seen you?

We’ve played at Ronnie Scott’s, Camden Barfly and at Brownstock supporting Tom Odell, Maximo Park and Mark Ronson – sorry to so shamelessly name-drop! And we’ve got gigs coming up soon at the O2 Academy Islington and Jazz Café.

Who are your influences?

I love Muse – Matthew Bellamy is classically trained and a lot of their current work is classical based, they’re sort of writing their own symphonies. Also Imogen Heap is classically trained, with her singing and playing. She’s always inspired me.

Who’s in the audience at one of your gigs?

It’s actually quite interesting because we seem to attract the older generation as well as a young crowd, because of the classical element. We’re opening up the older generation to rap, which I hadn’t anticipated at all. We get the older people coming up to me saying what a beautiful voice I’ve got and then a lot of 13-year-old girls running up to my rappers and wanting to have their pictures taken with them! It’s such an extreme, it’s really nice.

  • Josephine and the Artizans’ lastest single, Let Me Go, is available as a free digital download on Monday, February 17. They are performing at the O2 Academy Islington on Sunday, February 23. Details: josephineandtheartizans.bandcamp.com