Written by: TiShea Wilson, Outreach & Recruitment/Staff Writer
Photos by: Mystic Enigma
Award-winning London based actress, Bibi Lucille, has won the Woman of the Future Award, Starnow’s Rising Star Award and Best Actress at the Island of Horror Film Festival. Bibi’s talent has landed her roles in Amazon Prime’s ‘Trust’, Apple TV’s ‘Purgatory’ as well as London’s West End performance of ‘This was a Man’. She was also a part of the cult-favorite web series that won BAFTAS qualifying Flicker’s RIIFF, ‘I am Sophie’. More recently, Lucille wrote and performed ‘Meat Cute’ at the Edinburgh Fringe. The performance gained critical acclaim, became a finalist at the Offest Awards, and was published by Aurora Metro. Bibi will also be debuting a couture fashion line called ‘B.LUCILLE’ in the Spring of this year, and will be touring a play she wrote and performs in entitled ‘Narcissists’. The show will be showcasing in LA in March, London in May, and the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
With such a standout list of accomplishments and captivating performances on stage and screen, it’s no surprise that Bibi has built quite the loyal following. It only seems logical that the next step would be for her to branch out into music. And she has done just that with some Hozier-inspired blues-pop tracks. After the successful release of her debut single, Addicted, Lucille has now released a second, To Be Damned. She is also planning to release several more tracks throughout the year. Make sure to follow her on Instagram and Spotify to ensure being one of the first to be notified when her highly anticipated singles drop. Nerd Alert News was lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with Bibi about the newest venture in her phenomenal career. To say that we are excited about what this incredibly talented woman has in store for her dedicated fans would be a drastic understatement.
TiShea Wilson: Hi Bibi! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s jump right in! You have quite an impressive resume with writing, acting, and even producing. Please tell us a little bit about your journey and what led you to broaden your horizons into music.
Bibi Lucille: Since I could remember, I always wanted to be an actor. From an early age, I had tunnel vision, and made the decision to throw my all into it. During school, I would attend auditions and the second I was let free into the world, dove straight into any acting work I could get. Of course, it was easier said than done, so I paid my dues by working in a call center for two years before being able to go full time. My music career began at a very early age – the second I could walk, I’m pretty sure my dad handed me a guitar. Bob Salmons aka Robert Hokum was a blues pariah in Ealing where we grew up – he founded the Ealing Blues Festival and became a local celebrity. He would take me to gigs, get me to busk at events and got me a small slot at Barnet Festival when I was 14. When I hit my late teens, I decided to give music a break for a while to focus on acting.
For years, I knew I wanted to return to it, but it never felt like I had the time (or the money). In autumn ‘23, my dad was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. We weren’t sure how long he had left, and so the urgency to pick music back up again took ahold of me. It was always our thing and it was something I didn’t feel I could do without him. I was very fortunate to meet my friend and colleague, Devansh, who massively helped me with the resources and contacts to create an album. I had just about created two songs (that my dad was very proud of) before he passed in October ‘24. I want to keep creating music in honor of him and to carry on the blues legacy, even if I only possess about half his talent.
TW: Your song ‘Addicted’ has a bluesy-pop vibe to it, and it’s quickly become part of my daily playlist. What is the meaning behind the lyrics and what was your inspiration for writing it?
BL: Blues music historically explores the perils of life to an upbeat tune; most blues songs are about losing everything, being lost, being in debt. I wanted to go down that same path with ‘Addicted’ – the lyrics talking about something or someone the listener is addicted to. It could be a person, alcohol, cigarettes… anything that takes the form of the devil when you have too much of it.
The visuals of the song describe a liar turning up to your door (the liar being the thing you’re addicted to, the thing roping you in) and offering you a drink. In a moment of weakness, you take it and accept that you’ve made the decision to break bread with the devil, so to speak. Blues music often talks about selling your soul to the devil, so I wanted to add that with the twist of the devil being the very thing you’re addicted to. In the second verse, the lyrics describe looking in the mirror the next morning and recognizing the fear of what you’ve done – of how you let yourself give in. We’re all only human, and we’ve all given in to something we know isn’t good for us.
TW: What was the process of creating and releasing ‘Addicted’ like for you?
BL: The process felt so smooth and very exciting. I work with Andrew O’Halloran who produces and mixes the songs – I recorded a raw, acoustic version of ‘Addicted’ on my phone and then sent it off to him where he added his own bluesy flair and melodies to make the song full and alive. It’s great to work with someone who so completely understands the style you’re going for and is able to add things to the song I would never have thought of.
TW: What can you tell us about your upcoming song, ‘To Be Damned’?
BL: ‘To Be Damned’ runs with the blues theme again of being damned, and wondering if there’s a way back from your mistakes. I wanted to explore the idea of guilt and damnation, when you wonder if you’ve made a wrong turn in life and if you’re damned to the path you’ve chosen for yourself. I think we can all relate to that – the curiosity of “what if?”. What if I had chosen to take another path ten years ago, where would I be now? Would it be better or would it be worse? It’s the question we will never know the answer to.
The first lyric of ‘climbing into your mind’ is that idea of something completely consuming you. Whether it be a person or a thought – in this case, I wanted to address the yearning for intimacy we (or someone else) has for a person – that they could crave it to the point of wanting to climb into someone’s mind. It could also be interpreted in a way that someone you love could be distracted by someone else and that thing they’re distracted by has climbed into their mind and pushed you away. The lyric ‘a filthy mouth and a soul to match’ touches on those feelings of guilt – addressing that instant regret of saying something we don’t mean and looking inwards at yourself, wondering if you’re a terrible person. If your soul matches your mouth. What I love about the lyrics is that it can all be interpreted. I like to keep everything a little bit vague so people can attach their own feelings and situations to the lyrics so that they can get what they want or need out of the song.
TW: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences and why?
BL: My first, biggest music influence is Hozier. He perfectly married blues and pop together and I will forever be in awe of that. And on top of the perfect music, his lyrics are so poetic – the way he talks about Greek mythology, God, death… All these topics on deity that make his songs feel otherworldly. Also I love the classics – Otis Redding, BB King. Another favourite is a street band in New Orleans called The Dirty Rotten Vipers who are just the epitome of raw talent.
TW: Can you give us a little insight into what the future holds for you? Are there any upcoming projects, musically or otherwise, you can tell us about?
BL: I’m firing a lot of arrows at a lot of targets this year! Some projects that are up and running are: a new dark comedy play called ‘Narcissists’ which will be performing in LA, London and the Edinburgh Fringe this year. I’ll be completing the album this year with about seven tracks overall. I’ve also got a couture dress brand coming out in Spring called ‘B.LUCILLE’ which I’m very excited to share with the world.
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