Lifford Shillingford interview on Colourful Radio 10-Feb-2019
Lifford David Shillingford. Soul singer from the South of London. Featured Vocalist on Artful Dodgers Please Don’t Turn Me On. A career spanning over 20 years in the music industry.
Lifford’s singing career began at primary school in the local church choir where he went on to teach and direct. His first release aged just 17 was a collaboration with MC Mushtaq on a track called ‘Take You Home’ which fueled his new passion leading him to become the front man in a group called Public Demand. Public Demand (which provided him with his first big break) were signed to ZTT through a development deal, and it was during a writing trip in America that the group penned a song which captured the interest of Trevor Horn who duly took the track into the studio. ‘Invisible’ was critically acclaimed as a breakthrough single and considered brave, mature and ahead of its time. A tour with Gabrielle and East 17 followed, staging performances at Wembley Arena. During his time with the band, he continued to write and tutor a number of up and coming artists including a group called Sugababes (the original line up) signed to London Records.
After a short break Lifford went back to singing for himself as a artist and collaborated with garage act Artful Dodger on a track called ‘Please Don’t Turn Me On’ which was a top 4 hit in November 2000. This catapulted Lifford back into the limelight on a higher level, doing radio shows up and down the UK and Europe, TV performances on shows including Later with Jools Holland, Best of Jools Holland, Children in Need, Live and Kicking, London Evening News, T.F.I. Friday, Top of the pops, M.T.V. and M.T.V base with Trevor Nelson, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and C.D.U.K. The track was also a smash for International clubland, where it was PA’d in Ibiza, Palma, Copenhagen, New York, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany.
To follow on the heels of Artful Dodger, Mark Hill went on to form a collective called The Stix – a group of live musicians, singers and songwriters which recorded (and toured) an album full of laid back soulful grooves. Lifford’s 3 co-writes and performance vocals have been featured on various compilations since. A promotional tour paved the way for welcoming reviews and gave Lifford another chance to exercise his vocal and live performance skills, including ‘Give And Let Live’ a fund raising charity record for the victims of the Tsunami disaster featured alongside Chaka Khan, Jocelyn Brown, Bluey (Incognito), Charlene Anderson, Omar and the London Community Gospel Choir.
Other successful collaborations include Disclosure, Joey Negro, Grooverider, Conducta, DJ Cameo, Matt Jam Lamont, Wipe The Needle, Rhemi and Hanlei.
T.V and film placements include N.B.A Games 07′ At Home With the Kardashians, American Pie 6 and Paula Abdul’s fly on the wall documentary series.
On a personal note and after years of collaborations & artist performances, Lifford is currently penning his own beautiful soul songs under the guise of Blue Dye and is having some of the most fulfilling experiences to date.
A body of work which will truly reflect who he is as a recording artist.