venbee talks new music and her "mental year" at Reading 2023

Of all the buzzy newer acts playing Reading this year, venbee might be one of the most exciting. With a run of fizzy, fantastic singles over recent months, she's had quite the year so far, and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

We caught up with her before her set on Reading's BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage on Friday (25th August), for a quick catch-up.

You've had a bit of a mental year.

I have had a mental year. How nuts. I've been here, there and everywhere, just travelling all over the place and playing so many shows and releasing more music. I'm very lucky and blessed to be doing what I'm doing. I'm having a blast.

Has it been a hectic festival season?

Yeah, the festival season's been crazy. Last year I wasn't playing to many people, and then this year I'm playing to a full crowd. It's crazy. It's the best experience I've had in my life.

You're playing the Dance Tent later, right? What can we expect? 

Hopefully a mosh pit; loads of dancing. I won't be dancing because I dance out of time to my own music, but I jump like a lunatic and I hope that people enjoy it. And hopefully people will sing along to some of the songs.

Have you done Reading before?

No, I've never done Reading before. I've never been.

You Loud London girls have had an insane year, it's popping off. 

We've had a mad one; it's been really great that everyone's there for each other through it. There's a lot of highs and lows, but it's been a really really good one and I'm very, very grateful to be a part of it. 

You have a new mixtape coming up?

Yeah, I have. I have a mixtape coming in at the end of the year, and a few more songs to come. I've got one dropping on Monday with Hybrid Minds, I'm really excited for that one. And then another one that's coming with - I can't say who yet, but I've got another one before the EP, and then the EP. Then a tour, and then that's it for the year I think.

Have you been recording that while you've been out on the road?

Yeah, some of it's in between. So like, in between festivals is writing and getting everything finished and stuff. A lot of the songs that are going on the EP were written last year, so it's been a long process to get it all down make sure it sounds good and something that I'm proud of.

So what can we expect? Is it like the usual Venbee drum and bass?

Yeah, yeah, it's D&B focussed, but there are some more stories in there and some parts of my life that I haven't shared yet.

It's more introspective?

Just parts of my life that I haven't spoken about yet and that I think now I'm ready to share.

Anything else coming up later in the year that you think we should know about?

I'm going to Australia for a few weeks, and then and I think that's pretty much it. I've got so many things going on I'm losing track of things, it's hard to remember.