Blending genres and raw emotion, Carmen Rose Davidson opens up about her multicultural roots, powerful influences, and the deeply personal story behind “Make Sure” and her debut album Sincerely Yours.
1. Your music blends Country, Jazz Fusion, Blues, Funk, and Ethereal soul — how did you develop such a unique and genre-crossing sound?
I think it was inevitable really. I grew up in Ealing, West London — one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the UK — with mixed South Asian and Christian roots. My ears were soaking up a whole world of sound from the very beginning. Gospel, Arabic maqams, 80s rock, country, Vivaldi — all before breakfast! That cultural collision became the heartbeat of my sound. I love the fusion of genres and wanted every sound that has ever inspired me to have a seat at the table. So when you listen, it sounds like the hustle and bustle of the musical heart of London — because that’s exactly where Make Sure was first born.
2. “Make Sure” is deeply personal, born from experiences of betrayal and mistreatment. What was the emotional process like turning that pain into such a powerful and empowering song?
Honestly, it poured out of me. I discovered a former lover had been cheating on me via social media and my heart just sank. I sat down with Dolly Parton playing in the background — because if anyone understands that kind of betrayal, it’s Dolly — and the words just streamed out of my hands and the tears out of my eyes. The song also draws on a broader landscape of past relationships where I experienced abuse and mistreatment. Writing has always been how I process pain. It’s like my heart speaks before my head catches up. The empowerment in the song wasn’t something I set out to create — it came naturally from choosing to turn that pain into something that might help someone else.
3. You describe the track as a “woman-to-woman plea” rather than a political statement. What message do you hope listeners, especially women, take away from it?
I hope they feel seen. Not judged, not lectured — just held. Sometimes we all need reminding of our worth, and this song is for every woman who has ever forgotten hers — including me. I actually want the song to reach anyone who feels mistreated in any kind of relationship — the message of knowing your worth belongs to everyone. I’m not standing above anyone with this song. I’ve been there too. I know what it’s like when your nervous system normalises something that isn’t right, when you mistake control for strength or mistreatment for passion. I just wanted to reach out a hand and say — you are worth more. You always were.
4. Your vocal style has been compared to artists like Beth Hart, Joss Stone, Aretha Franklin, and Lana Del Rey. How have these influences shaped your voice and artistic expression?
Those are extraordinary women and I’m deeply honoured by those comparisons. What connects them all for me is that they sing from somewhere real — there’s nothing performative about their pain or their joy. Beth Hart and Joss Stone have this volcanic, uninhibited quality that I’ve always been drawn to. Aretha is the foundation of everything — that Motown soul, that authority, that grace. And Lana brings a dark cinematic atmosphere that I connect with deeply. I’ve never consciously tried to sound like any of them — but I think when you grow up absorbing music that genuinely moves you, it lives in your voice whether you intend it to or not.
5. The release of “Make Sure” coincides with the cultural conversation sparked by Inside the Manosphere. Did that timing influence how you view the song’s impact or relevance today?
Watching that documentary was a profound moment for me. Seeing some of those women — the pain behind their eyes, the body language that told a different story to the words they were saying — I felt compelled to respond. I’ll be honest, I’m impulsive by nature and I felt it immediately. Not from a place of judgement or moral superiority, but from deep compassion. I understand that everyone navigates their relationships in their own way — but sometimes you just need someone to hold up a mirror with love. Make Sure was written long before the documentary existed, but sometimes a song finds its moment. The fact that it landed the same week as Louis Theroux’s film feels less like coincidence and more like the song knew where it needed to go. I really hope it reaches the people who need to hear it.
6. Your debut album Sincerely Yours is now out — what does this project represent for you personally, and what can listeners expect from the rest of the record?
Sincerely Yours has been ten years in the making — and I mean that literally. These songs have been living inside me, growing with me, sometimes waiting for me to be brave enough to release them. Grieving the loss of a young musician reminded me that we don’t get unlimited time to share what matters. So here I am, finally putting my heart on display. The album is a sonic diary — a mixture of originals and reimagined covers that explore mental health, trauma, addiction, faith, toxic love, and the long road to healing. It’s the beautiful and the broken parts of what it means to be human. I write real music for real feelings, and Sincerely Yours is the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done.
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