By Ninder Kaur
Bambi Bains was the first female member to join Team PBN and ever since she joined the collection she has been non-stop busy balancing her music, modeling, dancing and acting career. We caught up with the Birmingham-born star.
- For those people who don’t know Bambi, What’s the story behind your name?
My Aunty was called Balbir and she grew up with black and white people who could not pronounce her name properly. At that time, Bambi was a very popular Disney film and they decided to call her that as it was closest to her name and easier to say. Unfortunately, she passed away aged 24 from too much heat in India due to diabetes. Years later, I was born and my father decided to name me Bambi since birth.
- Describe your sound?
My sound is completely versatile as I can switch from Punjabi to English Soul/ Pop to Hindi, but I would say that Mainstream music is more me.
- What are you currently working on at the moment?
I have something different to bring to the table this time, completely different to my last two singles, as I wanted to showcase something, which represents the real me.
- You’re very young and successful. How is it having a mentor? Are the final decisions PBN’s?
Having a mentor is very helpful because you have a little fast track into the industry and not having to start right from the bottom. Every decision is always finalized by PBN.
- What’s it like being a female in a very male-dominated industry?
It’s a lot of pressure. There have been times where I wanted to give up, but I never quit if I believe I can aim higher. There have been times where I have felt left out and felt like I wasn’t good enough but some people make you feel that way because you’re a young female, and at the start, very naïve.It’s time to break barriers for Asian women and show not only the industry, but also the world how capable we actually are.
- What advice would you give to females that may want to kick-start their music career?
Please research everything you need to know about music beforehand. Be a businesswoman as well as having a musical talent. And NEVER keep all of your eggs in one basket. Have a degree, or a side job, something to fall back on. But most of all, enjoy it, remain humble and never let anyone bring you down.
- You are an actress, singer, model and dancer. How do you manage to balance everything?
I work 24/7, and I find it impossible to sit still and not do anything. I feel like the world moves so fast and I have to keep up and work hard because I fear failure. Luckily, everything seems to fall in place, as everything I like doing is very practical and creative; each of my job roles complements each other. I prefer singing and dancing to everything and I guess modeling and acting is something I do if good opportunities come my way.
- Tell us a bit about Beauty By Bambi? Why did you decide to start your own YouTube channel?
At first I didn’t want to start the channel because I already have a lot going on, but because of high demand from women wanting to know how I style myself and what products I use, I thought it was the best thing to do on the side. However, instead of releasing so often, I keep it to 1 video every 2 weeks because filming and editing is extremely time consuming.
- What made you want to become a singer? How did you get started? Who musically inspired you? Was your family supportive?
My first ever music lesson in high school was where my musical venture started. I was forced to sing ‘Three Little Birds – Bob Marley’ and my teacher told me I have a beautiful voice. She believed there was something there, but I wouldn’t. She suggested that I should join her choir lessons every week and I did. I enjoyed is so much that I became the lead singer in Gospel choir every Sundays at church.
I was getting A* grades for every composition I made in writing lyrics, producing music and hitting most key ranges. Then I won my first ever talent show where I sang a Michael Jackson Medley and I believed that I had to pursue a singing career.
- A lot of images have been circulating with you and H Dhami. Can we expect collaboration?
There isn’t a collaboration musically, but you will soon find out!
- What do you think of the Asian music industry?
Unfortunately, I think it has died down a lot in the UK due to the lack of releases and less effort in music. We need to think outside of the box and not be afraid to step outside of our comfort zone. Unique music videos, a fresh sound, new artists; we definitely need more females on the scene!
- What do you like to do in your spare time? You have a very successful modeling career that is also keeping you very busy.
I am a home girl, so I like to spend time with my Grandma, family and friends as much as I can because I don’t want my career to over power what means to me the most.
- Tell us a bit about your acting career?
I took acting as one of my subjects from high school throughout A-Levels so I have done mini projects in the past. But I am now working on a bigger project, which will be releasing soon!
- You have a lot of social media followers. Would you call yourself a social network addict?
I wouldn’t call myself an addict, but I do think its really important to stay connected and keep consistent so that my followers remain engaged with me. I always say that consistency is key if you do anything creative.
- What’s next for you?
Not long ago, I came up with a brilliant idea, involving a huge amount of females but I will announce what I’ll be working on very soon about that. I do have singles coming out in the next couple months and maybe an album too! Tour dates will also be announced once my singles are officially released.
Quick fire round
First app you check in the morning? WhatsApp
Favourite music genre? UK Garage
Favourite food? Italian
If you could do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Singing
Favourite place in the world? America
Dream collaboration? Beyonce
Dream occupation? President
Favourite song right now? Justin Bieber – Where are you now
All time favourite singer? Mariah Carey
Must have makeup product? Mac Prep+Prime Highlighter (Light Boost)
Favourite style – Ghetto fab or Indian glam? Indian Glam of course!
