New single from former policewoman Danielle Morgan

Former Met police officer Danielle Morgan releases SHY, the latest single in a fast-rising singing career.
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After ten years performing and writing in Dubai, Pagham-based Danielle is now back in the UK – and keen to build a following closer to home to go alongside her international fanbase.

“I am originally from London and moved to Pagham 12 years ago,” Danielle says. “I wanted to be near the coast and wanted to focus on writing. I was a Metropolitan police officer at the time. But I had studied at the Brit school in Croydon. All of the top people went there. I studied music and drama at the Brits. I was one of their first graduates there back in 96, but when I left, it was all Spice Girls and pop music and very cheesy. I didn’t want to fit into that mould. I said ‘This is not really the right time for me’ so I decided to wait for the music world to change. I decided to join the police force because I could then get a mortgage and a proper career and put some money aside towards investing in a house, which is what I did in Pagham.

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“I was in the police force for seven years, and I absolutely loved it. You used to get a call because there would be a bomb scare and everyone was rushing away and you were rushing in. You were thinking ‘This could really be it.’ Everybody believed they were invincible and you were like an adrenaline buzz junkie. But it is not good for relationships and it is not good for family. It is really a single person’s life, and I wanted my focus to be on my music and my writing. I knew that if I didn’t leave the police, then I would never leave. I got to sergeant and I was about to be made up. I thought ‘Once I get this, I am going to be middle management’, but I want to make music. But I was thinking I would get into the detective side and stuff. I was battling with heart and head.

“And then the opportunity came up to come to Pagham and to take a career break and focus on my music. And I found I just loved being by the coast, the peace and quiet. And then I got the opportunity to go to Dubai for six months, and I ended up staying there ten years. I was singing and performing, writing and working with musicians from all over the world. It was amazing. But I exhausted Dubai. I knew that it was time to come back.

"The opportunity came up to record at Abbey Road. I flew back last April and did two days recording there. With the publicity around that and the release of the EP, I didn’t know what was going to happen, but it just went crazy. It went mad with an international following, and I realised I needed to be back here, near London, back on the ground. But my house is in Pagham. This is my writing and emotional space. I do have a crash pad in London, but this is my space here now.” As for the music: “My influences are Motown and musical theatre. It is a cross between Beautiful South meets a bit of Blur.”

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