Tom Andrews speaks to chart topper Karen Harding about success, influences and new material.

Born in County Durham, Harding began entering singing competitions aged 16, and by 2010 she was in the running to represent the UK in Eurovision, then she appeared on the tenth series of the X-Factor. But it wasn’t until much later that she got the big break and recognition she deserves. 2014 and Harding was approached by producer MNEK after he saw her cover Disclosure’s ‘Latch’ in an online video.  This resulted in her being signed, ironically, to Disclosure’s record label and her debut single, Say Something, was released early the following year.

The track was an instant hit, with its 90s throwback feel and classic vocals, reaching #7 in the UK, and subsequently spending 26 weeks on the charts resulting in a gold certification. With the follow-up track, ‘Open My Eyes’ gaining nearly half a million views on YouTube Harding shows she is going from strength to strength. We decided to catch up with Karen to chat about her influences and what’s next for the R’n’B star.

Which musical artists inspire your distinct sound? 

“I’m really inspired by the greats like Whitney, Stevie and Prince. They all have such a unique sound and that’s what I inspire to have.

If you could describe your sound in three words, how would you describe it?

Big vocals,and soulful.

When writing new music, how does the creative process feel? Are you drawn to specific sounds and textures within your music?

When I’m writing new stuff I usually just write about the first thing that comes to mind when creating the beat or the chords. I love writing to a simple beat or chords because it leaves you space to write.

Your music has a distinct vibe. What draws you toward the R’n’B and pop influences throughout your music?

Thank you, I love the early Mariah Carey from the 90s and her songs were always so classic sounding. I want my songs to have that classic feel so people could listen to them after years and years.

Your song Open My Eyes has built on the previous success of Say Something. What does it mean to you to be able to release more new singles?

The more material the better! I love gigging my music so the more material I have out means I can do more at gigs!

What’s next for Karen Harding; Are there any new and exciting projects that you’re working on? 

I’ve been in the studio a lot with some upcoming producers from America. I’ve been working with Tough Love too, they’re awesome! Just been working on some more stuff for my own project as well. Really excited to get some more material out and then an album!”

So, there’s, even more, to come from Karen Harding; with an album in the works and collaborative works with duo Tough Love, we can expect more lustful lyrics matched perfectly with 90s house and R’n’B influences. The catchy pop princess is on a rising incline when it comes to her career, with her charisma and infectious dance beats. We are almost guaranteed more synth laden hits. And we can’t wait.

Open My Eyes is available on all major digital platforms now and is also featured in this week #SYNTHETICspotify playlist. Also a big thank you to Karen Harding for answering our questions.