SAFIA VS Labels, Ariana Grande Fans And Their Publicist

"Sorry, I'm having to post this thing right now. Apparently we've got the video out," mumbles Ben Woolner, thumbs flying over his phone. "And I'm doing the press release," their publicist says as she types furiously. "So apparently we're organised," laughs Harry Sayers, kicking back with nothing to do. "It's all coming down on us."

The video they're announcing accompanies lead single Over You from their long-awaited debut album Internal. It's the first clip done by a team picked out by the boys' overseas label and not by their mates over at Cruz Media, and they're hoping there will be a little less drama surrounding this video than the last. In 2015, there was a bit of an internet hoo-ha over the similarities between SAFIA's clip You Are The One and Ariana Grande's video for One Last Time, both featuring an end-of-the-world scenario. The lads are itching to speak out about it, but their publicist is being a publicist and the insults are flying.

"We did have one day where we were like stressing out a little bit, like 'ah crap,' like, what was actually going to come out of it? It was concern mostly."

"SCOOP?!" yells Woolner. "NO," the publicist shoots back. It's like trying to control a bunch of sugar-hyped toddlers. "There was no [resolution]. We just copped a lot of death threats," says Sayers. "From like, 12-year-olds," Woolner laughs. "There were lots of Ariana Grande fans, what're they called? Arianadors?" "It was kinda good publicity," Sayers muses. "We did have one day where we were like stressing out a little bit, like 'ah crap,' like, what was actually going to come out of it? It was concern mostly." "No remorse, I'd do it again," Woolner smiles slyly over calling it out on Facebook. "I know I'm gonna give you a heart attack, I know the power I have!" he grins at his publicist, who's looking bemused. "Thieves, thieves!" "SAFIA Internal tour dates, they're not happening, the tour is cancelled," she dictates with a sly smile, typing. Ah, the power struggles at play between young artists and their mediators.

But no one had control over the creative direction of Internal, and while the rest of us have been feeling cheated by a titillating four-year string of hit singles without a whiff of a climactic LP, Woolner cheekily admits that "we were never really writing an album. We were just writing songs for the sake of writing songs." "I think people have been waiting for this. It's been single after single and it's like 'where's the friggin' album?'" adds Sayers.

"[Labels] always have their suggestions and it's always like, 'fuck off'," he continues. "We've had some pretty bad ones too. Like, when we were in Memphis they wanted us to wear cowboy hats or something. And someone in the UK wanted us to get a picture with a koala." "No, no, that was Germany," Woolner butts in. "But they don't really get the irony, like, 'can we get them on a beach holding koalas? 'Cause they're Australian.' I wouldn't wanna hold a koala! It'd attack me, especially near water, it would not want to be there," he protests. "Rip your face off," Sayers bears his teeth.

"The 'internal' kinda delves into - we've always kept things between ourselves. I suppose we're considered maybe in that electronic scene of artists, but we've always been on the outside of that," explains Woolner of the album. "I think now I'm comfortable being on the outside... Now we can move in our own direction and be our own thing."