First draft for double page spread.

Looking back at Ramona’s life 3 years ago, you would never expect that she would make it to where she is today. Thinking solely about her next fix her life spiralled out of control, forcing Ramona to loose pretty much all she had. However after a year of continuous drug use and crime, she finally decided to clean up her act after picking up her dad’s acoustic guitar, which he used to play before he died. In the interview we had had with her she stated ‘picking up that guitar was the turning point in my life. I realised that I was wasting my life getting high and I was going to get nowhere with it. My dad died at the age of 40, which really impacted me, but it taught me to achieve all my dreams as soon as I could and not wait around. He drove a JCB for a living but often performed at local pubs and community events, unfortunately he never made it as a singer which is why I aspired to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to lead the life my dad always dreamt of and make him proud’. Now 3 years on, Ramona is a huge part of the music scene with her unique voice and quirky guitar playing. She mixes indie with acoustic to make powerful songs. Her music style has been linked to that of Regina Spektor and her voice has already been connected with Stevie Nicks. Set to be huge this year and already planning to tour with two major bands, both The Frattelis and The Pigeon Detectives, we meet up with her in her small home town just outside London for a quick interview which she happily agreed too. Before we begin Ramona, I would just like to thank you for taking some time out of your hectic schedule to speak to us.That’s fine honestly, in fact I really like doing interviews, it gives me chance to put the real me across to the public before the press get to me. I want to prove the point that anyone can achieve their dreams, nothing is impossible. You just have to work hard and never give up the dream. Well working hard has really paid off for you, you must be proud to have achieved what you have.Well yeah, of course I am, I think it’s one of my best achievements in life. However I do give most of the credit to my dad, without him I would never have even thought of entering the music business. So how did your passion for music/ guitar playing all begin?I’ve been singing and playing for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories in life is sitting on my dad’s knee whilst he was playing his guitar, watching in awe at his playing. It went from there really. I started to learn the same pieces as him and slowly began to add lyrics to them. Then about the age of 10 I started to duet with him at a few of the local pubs on a few songs. I loved it! My dream at that age was always to become famous with my dad, but when I turned 14 he tragically passed away. It was at that point when I put down the guitar and stopped singing. It brought back too many memories. That must have been so hard for you. What pushed you to pick up the guitar again and try to succeed in the music business?It was definitely the worst part of my life, but like my mum says ‘we develop from the negatives’ and I think that has played a huge part in my character building. It has made me a lot stronger and more determined than ever. Picking up that guitar was the turning point in my life. I realised that I was wasting my life getting high and I was going to get nowhere with it. My dad died at the age of 40, which really impacted me, but it taught me to achieve all my dreams as soon as I could and not wait around. He drove a JCB for a living but often performed at local pubs and community events, unfortunately he never made it as a singer which is why I aspired to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to lead the life my dad always dreamt of and make him proud’. Your new single ‘Never Forever’ has really taken the UK chart by storm. Where you surprised at the success of your first ever released song?It’s an amazing feeling, I love going to local supermarkets and seeing my face among the isles of CDs, fame hasn’t really kicked in for me yet. I’m just so surprised at the amount of people that already knew me. No way did I think I was going to get this big this quick! It’s an amazing feeling. The actual song I wrote a few months ago whilst on a train. That’s what I do, when I get inspired, I write. I think that’s how the most powerful lyrics are written. So you write all of your songs then? That’s quite an achievement! Are you working on any new material at the moment?Yeah, at the moment I do anyway. I think that’s the main part of becoming an artist. If you write your own songs then you can sing with more passion, as the lyrics are usually close to the heart. Well at the moment I am currently working on my album, which will hopefully be released around June time, so look out for it! Wow, things are really moving quickly for you. What are your plans for the future?‘Take things as they come’ that’s what I believe. There’s no point in planning the future because whatever you plan probably won’t ever happen. I’m just focussing on my career now and I’m sure whatever happens with happen for a reason.