The Ivor awards in London this week will celebrate the collaborators who have dodged the stresses of celebrity
Bright lights and public adulation are commonplace for those few singers who regularly hit the charts. But behind the hubbub that surrounds performers such as Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran or Little Simz, hides a small group of hitmakers, co-writing hugely commercial songs and rarely making headlines. These are the music industry’s secret weapons.
Crucial to this backroom role, according to one of the most successful newcomers around, is the job of keeping a pop idol grounded in normal life. Speaking this weekend about the close partnerships involved, Kal Lavelle has revealed that a top priority for her is making sure that an A-list star, who will often step straight from a private jet into a helicopter, can still deliver lyrics that fans can relate to.
