20th August: Record Store Day are proud to announce that the winning artist of 2020’s #RSDUnsigned competition is Sister Cookie!
Sister Cookie is an unsigned singer-songwriter living in London who has been involved in making music for over 15 years.
The Unsigned competition gives one talented DIY UK artist the opportunity to have their music pressed onto vinyl and the potential to have it stocked on the shelves of independent record stores around the country too.
This year’s competition had more entries than ever before and judges were blown away by the amount of incredibly talented artists who took part.
Congratulations to our finalists:
1st – Sister Cookie
2nd – The Flitz
3rd – Green Gardens
4th – Robin Adams
5th – Mystic Peach
Sister Cookie was chosen by:
Frank and Dean – Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Sam Ford – Editor of So Young Magazine
Ashli Todd – Owner of Spillers Records
Chris Marksberry – Managing Director of Sound Performance
Frank & Dean (The Rattlesnakes) commented that “Sister Cookie had the most original sound. Like Little Richard, Mark Ronson, Nina Simone and Nick Cave all got locked in a New Orleans speakeasy.”
We caught up with Sister Cookie to chat all about her win and her plans for the next year...
How does it feel to know you’re going to have 500 copies of your music pressed to vinyl?
To be honest with you, I was shocked when I found out I was on the shortlist. When I got a phone call from Sound Performance saying my entry was picked to be the winner, I was genuinely quite overwhelmed. In a good way!
Tell us a bit more about you as an artist? Where are you from? How long have you been making music?
I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and I live in London now. I've been involved in music, on and off, for about 15 years. I am a singer-songwriter and self-taught pianist. My music comes from lots of places and my soul belongs to jazz, the blues and rock 'n roll.
Are there other artists/ bands that have inspired you to get to where you are today?
So many. Among my inspirations are Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, Hank Williams, Little Richard, Mahalia Jackson, La Vern Baker, Howlin' Wolf, Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Willie Mae Thornton, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Vivaldi, Bobby Darin, Fats Waller, Max Roach, I could go on…
Are there any record shops that have been particularly supportive of you as an artist? Any favourite record shops in the UK?
I have procured a fair bit of my collection from Audio Gold and Flashback over the years. And a special mention to Zen Records on Broad Lane in Tottenham, where I wandered in one sunny day, and left two hours later, with an armful of records and some of the most memorable conversation of my life.
What’s the dream? What do you want to do next?
I've been writing a lot of new material lately, and I've just started rehearsing with my band. I'm looking forward to recording some new music in the near future and playing the new songs live. I'm looking forward to playing live again in general - I've missed that more than anything.
Check out Sister Cookie on her socials:
TW: @sisterrrcookie
IN: @sistercookie
FB: @sistacookie
Watch her video entry for the #RSDUnsigned competition here: