Dionne Bromfield

Dionne Bromfield isn't your average 13-year-old. Most girls her age can only dream of fame and fortune as they sing into their hairbrushes, but Bromfield has turned that dream into reality with the helping hand of fairy godmother Amy Winehouse. Having signed to Winehouse's Lioness Records last year, she's currently climbing the charts with Introducing Dionne Bromfield, an album of 60s soul covers. Eager to hear more, we met up with Dionne for a chat.

How did your record deal with Amy's label come about?
"A lot of people used to tell my mum, 'Dionne can really sing you know', but I was just like, 'Oh whatever'. Then one time I was singing with Amy and she said the same thing, so my mum finally started to listen. Amy said she wanted to sign me up to her label and of course I couldn't say no to that!"

What did your friends say when you told them you were releasing an album?
"When I told one of them, she was like, 'Yeah, whatever Dionne', and I was like, 'Yeah, really I am'. They thought it was about as real as Britney Spears going to Mars or something! Most of my friends have now asked if they can sing with me! They're all happy for me though, which is great."

Why did you decide to release an album of 60s covers?
"I chose 60s Motown because it's my favourite type of music. I grew up with it in my household and obviously Amy played me a lot of it too. A lot of people my age might have listened to the Spice Girls or something, but Motown music was just normal for me. I do like modern music too though."

Was it hard deciding which songs to put on the album?
"Some were a little bit hard to decide over, but mostly I was like 'Yep, yep, yep'. I chose 'Mama Said' as the first single because it's my favourite out of the whole genre. My mum was like, 'You've got to sing it for the rest of your life, so make sure you pick the one you like most'."

How much influence did Amy Winehouse have over the record?
"She was very supportive along the way. She does backing vocals on the single and also on a few other songs on the album. I'm so lucky having Amy as my backing singer, but she said she really wanted to do it. Not just for me, but for her as well."

Has she given you much advice about being in the limelight?
"She told me to keep my feet on the ground and keep on the correct path. She told me not to let it all go to my head, which is the main thing."

How do you manage to squeeze in your school work as well as singing?
"I have school two days a week, which sounds like it's quite easy, but I have to work really hard. There's so much homework to do. I'm doing Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at the moment and I'm really dreading it. I don't understand it! It's meant to be a funny thing, but I don't see what's funny about it. The funniest part will be if I actually manage to finish it!"

You performed on Strictly the other week. Were you nervous beforehand?
"I don't want to sound cocky, but I really wasn't. I just sang to everyone in the studio and tried to forget about people watching it at home. It was Alesha's birthday and I got to meet Brucie too. Amy told him that she was scared of him in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and he was like, 'Really? Me? Scary?' He was a funny fella."

Do you prefer The X Factor or Strictly?
"It's hard because they're on at the same time, but I like to watch them both. I think X Factor is a bit more funny and entertaining because you see the auditions, but Strictly is a bit more real. I don't want to sound rude, but sometimes The X Factor can seem a bit predictable."

Would you ever have auditioned for a show like that?
"Probably not, because they can make you think that you've got it. You feel like you're finally there and then they turn round and say 'Bye!' But at the end of the day it's entertainment and some people have done really well out of it. Look at Leona Lewis - she's done really well."

Who's the best famous person you've met so far?
"Probably Mariah Carey. I saw her at The X Factor last year and said, 'Miss Mariah, I love you!". I got a bit starstruck and people were pulling her from side to side, but she turned around and said, 'Thank you, thank you'. I've also been chatting to Paloma Faith on Facebook. I think she's amazing. Her real surname is Blomfield, so we had a joke about how similar our names sound."

Finally, have you had a chance to hear any of Amy Winehouse's third album?
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't... haha! I'm not really supposed to talk about it. It could have been hers or it could not have been! It's great that she's given me this opportunity, so I'm just so grateful to her for that."

Introducing Dionne Bromfield is out now. The single 'Mama Said' is released on November 2.