Paloma Faith's Lowestoft bassist 'always knew' she would be a star

Andrea Goldsworthy will go on her seventh tour with singer Paloma Faith

A Suffolk musician said she "always knew" Paloma Faith would be a star.

Andrea Goldsworthy, a bassist from Lowestoft, met the singer in 2008 while living in Hackney, London.

Fifteen years on, she said it had been a "real privilege" to perform with the popstar and band members.

"The fact that we've been together for such a long time, we genuinely have forged some incredible friendships that are definitely lifelong," she said.

Andrea Goldsworthy said Paloma Faith refers to the band as "misfits" and she feels "happy to be part of that"

Ms Goldsworthy recalled playing just four gigs with Faith in 2008, before the singer was given a record deal.

"She would always put a lot of effort into those early shows," she said.

"Then she got signed and the rest is history."

Ms Goldsworthy is now preparing for her seventh tour with Faith, which begins in April 2024 and they will visit the Ipswich Regent on 8 May.

"We've done some incredible gigs together," she said, which included performing on Glastonbury's mainstage in 2015.

"Loyalty is quite important to her," she continued, "There's a lot of singers who would chop and change their band - It could easily be one band or another.

"With Paloma, the current line-up has been like this for about 12 years, a little bit longer."

Andrea Goldsworthy spent 20 years in London after studying at a music college

In 2015, Ms Goldsworthy and fellow bandmates started the Faithettes, a pop and soul cover band.

She added: "It means when we're not on tour with Paloma, we still get to gig together. It makes us so much better as a band because we're playing together all the time."

Despite their fifteen year friendship, Faith is yet to visit the bassist's home town of Lowestoft, but "she's definitely invited".

Now back in her home county, she said she is looking forward to performing in Ipswich next year and hoped her friends would come along to see the show.

"It's always a fun gig," she said.

"My guest list requests for that show is going to be crazy."