Even in an era of confessional pop, Newman stands out. She’s not afraid to stare down injustice, or to confront her demons before they swallow her whole.
When she plays live, the singer is often moved to tears.
“Definitely, the peace is disturbed sometimes,” she says. “There are days where I feel absolutely fine, then I get on stage and it just comes out. Music can really draw out feelings that you didn’t know were there.”
But it’s not all tears and tribulations.
Playing London’s famous Koko venue last September, Newman clambered up to the balcony and belted out her hit song FU&UF, surrounded by her best friends., external
“That was a moment I’ll never forget. I may not be blessed in the sense of a perfect family, but I’m blessed in the sense of friends, that’s for sure.”
Admirably, she’s kept her friends close. Her sister is part of her management team, her best friend runs her social media, and other friends are training to handle stills photography and nail art.
“I’m just trying to pull people in that I love, because this industry can be so scary,” she says. “So any jobs I can get them in, I’m like, ‘Guys who wants a job? Who can learn how to do it?'”
She’s also getting invaluable advice from her peers, with Sheeran, Capaldi and Sir Elton taking her under their considerable wings.
“It’s just insanity, when I think about it,” she says of getting to open for two of the UK’s biggest acts.
“I was so scared, but yeah, they just opened their arms to me, and I couldn’t ask for more.”
“And it made me feel proud of myself, which is not something I always feel, to have people I respect be so kind and welcoming.”