Stooshe

Stooshe
Karis (left), Courtney (middle) and Alexandra (right)
Background information
Origin	London, United Kingdom
Genres	R&B soul hip hop
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Warner (2011-13) Trilogy Records (2015-present)
Website	stooshe.com
Members	Karis Anderson Alexandra Buggs Courtney Rumbold

Stooshe are a British girl group from London, consisting of members Alexandra Buggs, Karis Anderson and Courtney Rumbold. Under Warner Music they broke onto the UK music scene in 2012, with the release of their first single "Love Me", featuring American rapper Travie McCoy. Later that year on 5 December it was announced that Stooshe had been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll.^[1]

Their debut single, "Love Me", featuring American rapper Travie McCoy, peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.^[2] They released "Black Heart" in June 2012, which peaked at number three after a month in the top 10. A cover of TLC's "Waterfalls" was released as a single in November 2012. "Slip" was released as the third single and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, London with the Lights On, entered at number eight on the UK Albums Chart on 2 June 2013. Due to diagreements over the album, Stooshe left Warner Music. The first single from their second album, "Lock Down" was released on 15 January 2016. Stooshe announced "Let It Go" as the second official single^[3] and was released 1 July 2016.

History

2010: Formation

Stooshe was formed in May 2010 and signed to Warner Music in August 2011. The original concept was to create an urban and soulful Spice Girls.^[4] Alexandra Buggs, Karis Anderson and Courtney Rumbold formed following a series of auditions and scouting in Topshop stores over a nine-month period.^[4]

Using tracks from writing/production duo Future Cut, the group spent the next twelve months developing their look and sound.^[5] Anderson said the band's name originates from the word 'stoosh', which is urban slang for something expensive, "a girl who thinks she's nicer than she is", or being stoned or stashed away. They then added 'she' on the end to represent female empowerment. The resulting name is pronounced like the Scottish word "stooshie".^[6]

2011–13: Commercial breakthrough and London with the Lights On

The group released their first song, "Love Me", on YouTube on 14 March 2011, which was accompanied by the release of a music video; originally featuring rapper Suave Debonair.^[7] The release was met with mixed reviews, with The Guardian's Paul Lester reporting, "You can tell there's a proper grown-up, soul-infused girl-pop group waiting to come out",^[8] despite the music video proving an internet hit - surpassing 100,000 views. The group also recorded a music video for "Hot Stepper", a cover of the 1994 hit "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze at Hyde Park's Wireless Festival in July 2011, following their appearance on the Barclaycard Unwind Stage.^[9]

The second single, "Betty Woz Gone", was released onto iTunes on 28 October 2011, earning placement on BBC Radio 1's In New Music We Trust playlist. An official lyric video accompanied the release, following the story of Betty as told by cartoon versions of the group.^[10] It was revealed in November 2011 that the group would re-record and release "Fuck Me" as "Love Me" on 4 March 2012 as their first official single, with US rapper Travie McCoy as the featured artist.^[11] Having been produced by Future Cut, the re-recorded track was posted online on 4 January 2012^[12] and served as the lead single from their forthcoming album, Stooshe. The track marked the group's first chart appearance, debuting at number five on the UK Singles Chart - having sold 37,789 copies, also peaking at number seven on the Scottish Singles Chart for the week ending 17 March 2012.^[2][13]

Stooshe released their second single, "Black Heart", on 15 June 2012—becoming the group's second top five single when it peaked at number three on the UK chart and becoming one of the largest selling and airplay records of 2012. It was awarded gold certification status in September 2012 selling over 400,000 copies, it has sold over 800,000 copied total, spending 6 weeks in the UK Chart top 5, over 16 weeks in the top 40 and received a nomination for “Best British single” at the 2013 Brit Awards, up against some of the biggest names in the industry. It was announced in June 2012 that the group would be supporting American rapper Nicki Minaj on the UK leg of the Pink Friday Tour.^[14] Stooshe performed a brief set on the Bingley Music Live main stage on 31 August 2012. It was announced in October 2012 that the group would be supporting Jennifer Lopez on a part of the European leg of the Dance Again World Tour.^[15]

On 15 November, it was reported that the album's release would be delayed until March 2013 after their cover of TLC classic nineties track "Waterfalls" missed the Top 20.^[16] A statement from the group explained "Following a late rush of creativity which has seen them write some of the best songs of their career, Stooshe have decided to delay the release of their debut album until March 2013 so they have time to record these songs for inclusion on the album."^[16] Stooshe added that they would be going back to the studio soon to record the new songs.^[16] Stooshe's debut album was released on 27 May 2013,^[17] under the title London with the Lights On. Their performed "Slip" on Britain's Got More Talent TV show on 1 June 2013. London with the Lights On entered the UK albums chart at Number 8 giving the group their first top 10 album.^[18] "My Man Music" was announced as the fourth single from the album. The video was released on 23 of June 2013.^[19]

2014–present: Label split and upcoming second studio album

In Autumn 2013, the band split from their record label due to disagreements over London with the Lights On. They are currently working (as of February 2014) independently on their second album. They have said that eventually they will sign to a new label.^[20] They are now under Trilogy Records.

Stooshe have announced "Lock Down" as their latest single from their upcoming untitled sophomore album, the single was released on 15 January 2016.^[21] The video to "Lock Down" was shot in L.A, and at HM Kingston Prison, Portsmouth UK. The new single has two official remixes. Stooshe announced "Let It Go" as the second single from the sophomore album.^[22] The music video was shot by Damien Sandoval, who also filmed "Lock Down", in Italy. "Let It Go" was released 1 July 2016.

The south London trios sophomore album which, hosts an array of talent including Carla Marie Wiliams (Beyoncé and Britney Spears), Grammy winner Keith Harris (Black Eyed Peas) and hit producers Dr. Vades.^[23] The album also burst some great collaborations, including Beenie Man and promises to represent the journey Stooshe have embarked on over the past 18 months. It draws on inspiration from Destiny’s Child and SWV, fused with strong beats, thick synths and live instruments. The sound is a natural evolution of the group, but remains true to their pop, RnB and soulful melody. The girls are also thrilled to be brand ambassadors for FILA UK which will see them showcase the A/W collection and have designed a special range to be released this year.^[23]

Discography

• London with the Lights On (2013)

Awards and nominations

Tours

• The Papercut Chronicles II Tour (supporting Gym Class Heroes) (January 2012)
• Pink Friday Tour^[14] (supporting Nicki Minaj) (June 2012)
• Dance Again World Tour^[15] (supporting Jennifer Lopez) (October 2012)
• Stooshe Live Tour (UK Headline Tour) (12–18 December 2012)

References