Second Draft of My Article

Lottie; a name synonymous with stardom, a dominator of the indie rock scene and an award winning artist. On the surface, Charlotte “Lottie” Connell has it all, success as a musician and a fan following like no other, but beneath the smoke and mirrors lies a very different story. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll; not only a Guns and Roses smash hit, but the mantra of Lottie’s previous existence. Hinted at in her first no.1 single “Hooked”, Lottie has reached out to us here at LEAD to tell the true tale of her formerly unseen world, packed full of secrets, revelations and of course her road to recovery.

So Lottie, after all that success, where did it all go wrong for you?

It all started to go wrong when I began to mingle with the wrong type of people. They were taking me to “A”-list parties and they introduced me to new things, I was easily lead by them and didn’t know how to say no. I started getting high three times a day and got addicted. On stage, I didn’t know who I was anymore, I had become a slave to the drugs.

Was that the point when you realised you had a problem?

Yeah, I had a sudden realisation that if I didn’t do something about it, my life was gonna spiral downwards and I had to do something to change that. I didn’t want to end up with nothing because I’d worked too hard to get to where I was, but more importantly I was seriously ill.

Do you think you have treated or cured your addiction?

Cured, definitely. I’ve been clean for ten months and I have no intention in going back to the drugs, I’m a changed woman.

So, you’re a changed woman, will this transpose into your music? Are you a changed artist completely? Or just a changed person behind the mask?

I wouldn’t say my music is going to be drastically different, even though I’ve changed as a person I’ve still got the same love for my music and I just want to produce the best sounds that I can.  I’m releasing my new album “Wired Up” in 2014 and I hope that it is successful and my fans notice that I take my career seriously.

What can we expect from your new album “Wired Up”?

I started writing the music for my new album when I was recovering from my addiction, I was really motivated to get my life back on track. So I believe that when people listen to my new music, they’ll be taken on a journey through my recovery from track to track. They will understand the struggle I went through and that there is always light on the other side of the tunnel. I was definitely inspired by people who helped me through bad times and good times in the last couple of months, they have a major part in my album.

We’ve heard through the grapevine that you’ve set up a charity, are you going to coincide your album release with your charity launch?

Yes I have set up a charity to help those who need extra support with their drug addictions. I’m really proud of it and hope it helps as many people that need it as possible. It will be come out the same time as my new album, 2014 is going to be a big year!

Are you not worried that some people may see this as a publicity stunt rather than setting up a charity to help others?

I’ve just been really busy trying to make a new start in 2014, and I thought that launching my album and charity at the beginning of the year would symbolise a new start for me. The charity is there to help others, and my album is there for people to enjoy, people shouldn’t associate the two together.

So you say 2014 is your big year, do you have a New Year’s resolution?

I just want 2014 to have a happier atmosphere, I want to promote both my charity and my album and I hope to do a UK tour at the end of the year. I’m really excited to see how things turn out!

Lottie’s album is due to be released 4th January along with her charity launching within the same week. If I were to give my tip off for 2014, it would certainly be this girl, watch this space.  If you are battling an addiction and would like to seek help go to Lottie’s website www.sayno.org.uk .