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London Grammar: Artists have more control now


London Grammar think artists have more control than they did a few years ago.

The band – made up of Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman – are nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for their track ‘Strong’ and feel lucky they haven’t had to change to achieve success in the music industry.

Hannah told BANG Showbiz: "I actually watched an interview with Pharrell [Williams] recently where he said, ‘This is a time in music where you can be yourself’. It [the industry] went through a funny period but now it is coming back to artists having more control again."

Although the act think "every band battles with their image" they feel their record label Metal & Dust Recordings Ltd understood they didn’t want to start dressing or acting in a different way for their music to get noticed.

Dot said: "We’ve been quite lucky really, we’re on an independent label and I think they’re less inclined to do that sort of thing."

Meanwhile, the band are also achieving success in America and supported Coldplay last month at South By Southwest Festival in Texas where they hung out with frontman Chris Martin and drummer Will Champion.

Dan: "They were just amazing to us and for a band like them, they are the epitome of what you want to be as a band, what everyone wants to achieve in terms on longevity and success. For them to give us their wisdom and their thoughts on things was amazing."

London Grammar are up against Palma Violets and John Newman for the Ivor Novello and Arctic Monkeys, Emeli Sande, Sam Smith and Laura Mvula are also nominated in other categories.

The 59th annual Ivors ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 22 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.