On Thursdays Del Osei-Owusu sits down with artists on the FOTN radar and gets them to tell their origin story over a cup of tea and biscuits. This week it’s the turn of SANSHA and she brought caramel chocolate digestives.

Hello Sansha, how are you?

Hi Del! I’m quite sleepy today as I had a very broken night as I was sleep talking like a maniac, but feeling excited for the weeks ahead with lots of gigs coming up.

Congratulations on the release of Drudgery how does it feel?

Thank you! It feels good to give an honest depiction of my messy and chaotic ways of thinking through song. There’s been a catharsis in putting something out there that I really see my true self in.

What’s the story behind the song?

Last year, I butt dialled a guy who I had been on a hinge date with, and his reaction to this wasn’t very forgiving, so I found it quite funny as the interaction was a bit embarrassing. I then after that dated someone who turned out to be quite low effort but also quite stressful to be around-hence me referring to a ‘Danny Devito.’ I thought he was quite nice when I met him, but when I realised he was just another guy who was going to give me a bad experience it felt to me like I had discovered he was infected with something that I didn’t realise he had-which he did, it was a bad personality. Having a bit of an anxious spiral about the types of men I kept meeting, how much I was possibly annoying my friends, and how I was coming across, I wrote the first verse. Then the chorus treats bad dating attitudes-drudgery-as an infection.

You are an artist from south east London (Hello neighbour!) how did it all begin for you?

I come from a musical family-my mum’s a music teacher and dad’s a drama teacher! So I was having a go on various instruments from a young age which my parents were pleased about as they were highly concerned/confused by me in every other area. I was doing classical stuff until I went to uni, when I switched up into different genres, while I had quite an eccentric singing teacher who in one lesson made me crawl around on the floor. I started producing music after being really inspired in a session with producer Elderbrook who I did backing vocals for, which triggered me to get Logic and have a go myself. After getting really obsessed and making 9 tracks in a month on my laptop after one weird family holiday, I started releasing a few months after that.

What did you listen to growing up?

Mostly 70s stuff-The Carpenters, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Hall&Oates. Also indie and pop artists that I loved when I was a teen- Goldfrapp, Lilly Allen, Badly Drawn Boy. Special mention to the biggest inspiration to me ever musically- the album ‘Speak for yourself’ by Imogen Heap.

You’re a music graduate what was something that surprised you during the course of your studies?

If I’m honest I don’t have a great memory for what I did academically but what was really formative for me was the scenes I got involved in outside my course-I was the singer for a jazz orchestra, got involved in the open mic scene and fronted a prog rock band for two years where I wore some really mental outfits. One being a pink veil over my head which I wonder might have cursed me as I’m still extremely not married.

You’re also a comedian and you incorporate that into your lyrics, what’s the funniest situation that’s made it into a song?

If you mean my Sansha releases and not the silly songs I sing at comedy gigs, I’m gonna have to say an old song of mine ‘The boy never left you behind.’ It’s about a time that a silhouette of a man in my neighbouring window saw me naked in my room, I felt violated, then the next day got naked in my window again, and got disappointed when he wasn’t there. The whole song is me eulogising that moment and hypothesising this person’s whole existence. I think I was a bit sleep deprived.

Who are your top three comedians?

Paul Foot, Nick Helm and Micky Overman.

You’ve kept a diary in the past, if you could read one person’s diary who would it be and why?

Probably Henry VIII’s. I would love to see how he would have justified all of this actions. I think him excusing himself would be so irrational that it would be funny to read. I also have a bit of a fixation on medieval/Tudor England so this would be right up my street.

You have a unique format for your show, incorporating stand up with music do you have a way with dealing with hecklers?

If it’s a spot on the comedy circuit, my material is always timed right up to the second, all of which I always want to do, so I never have time to waste! Which means I’ll tell them it’s not an interactive show and get back on with it. If I have more wiggle room in a longer set however I’ll chat back to them and see if something entertaining comes out of it.

What are you listening to at the moment?

My favourite band Men I trust are always on rotation. Also a lot of the new Wolf Alice album and this reggae tune called ‘Dim the light’.

What’s next for you?

More blending comedic elements into my song releases, some cool gigs, and continuing the writing of my next hour long show!