SHURA

I felt that pop music didn't represent me. And that's why I made my own.

A lot of people think I popped out of some pink cloud fully formed, ready for action, but I've been putting songs on SoundCloud since I was 16. Five people would listen and like them. I never had any expectations for myself.

I want to explore my boundaries. I want to push myself and go right to the edge of what I am capable of. I don't want to ever be comfortable.

The best thing you can do is having to say no to putting out something that's good, because everything else is better.

It's just as important - if not more important - to take the praise with a pinch of salt, just as you do the criticism.

In London, I used to play 'Boys of Summer,' but it didn't feel right, because it doesn't apply to your surroundings, to the weather. I remember being in L.A. and listening to that record and going, 'Oh, I get it now.'

It's really weird when you realize the people you look up to - who have influenced or inspired you - start to realize what you do.

After putting out songs with 26 million views on YouTube, your life changes a little bit. Suddenly everyone's like, 'Where's the album?'

I've had relationships before where you break up, and you think you're going to die, and then you realise you're definitely not going to die, and actually, you're probably better off without them.

I'm actually really impressed with everyone at Polydor.

As I grew in confidence, I was able to come out and say that I'm a musician.

I love scarves and hats and coats. I love it.

I'm massively inspired by Janet Jackson, and I adore Whitney Houston and Madonna.

If you told teenage me that I would end up supporting Tegan and Sara for a month in North America, my head would have probably exploded.

I love camping, everything about it - tents, the camping stove, sleeping bags. I'm obsessed with technology, be it synthesizers and speakers or tents and Gore-Tex.

When I wasn't working, I was learning how to use production software on YouTube and making music.

I suffer from imposter syndrome all the time. Even if I'm just at a party, I'm thinking people are going to find out that I'm really boring.

I'd love to sing with so many people, but my biggest dream would be to sing on a record with The National.

'Nothing's Real' is about my first-ever panic attack, which I had about four months after getting my record deal.

With 'White Light,' I had just finished watching 'Under the Skin' and was really obsessed with the idea of science fiction presented as normality.

Is the mainstream becoming more queer? Or is it the opposite? That artists like me are mainstreaming queer music?

For me, one song is not enough to be in a person's world. I need to be in their world for 40 minutes; I want to fully experience it and immerse myself.

It is important that you're out, and it is important that you're visible.

People like Prince or Madonna, they're kind of superhuman. You can't imagine them burning their toast, and there's something really exciting about that.

My dad used to do a lot of music when he was young, so he had an 8-track MiniDisc recorder, and when he realized that I was getting on with it, he brought it upstairs to my room and showed me how to record and how, once you finished eight tracks, you can cut it down to two and have another six tracks to play with.