'I felt embarrassed being my mum and dad’s daughter': Mabel Cherry, 21, insists she wants to make it in music without the help of her famous parents Neneh and producer Cameron McVey

By Andrew Bullock For Mailonline

Published: 13:05 EDT, 17 August 2017 | Updated: 13:50 EDT, 17 August 2017

Her mother was one of the breakout music stars of the 1990s and her father is the producer of trip hop band Massive Attack.

But Mabel Cherry, the 21 year-old daughter of Neneh Cherry and Cameron McVey, has insisted she doesn't want her parents' help when it comes to her own music career.

‘When I was in my teens, and was like, “I really want to do music”,’ she has told the Evening Standard Magazine. ‘I felt quite embarrassed by being my mum and dad’s daughter. I thought, “People will never take me seriously".'

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'I felt embarrassed being my mum and dad’s daughter': Mabel Cherry, 21, insists she wants to make it in music without the help of her famous parents Neneh and producer Cameron McVey

'I felt embarrassed being my mum and dad’s daughter': Mabel Cherry, 21, insists she wants to make it in music without the help of her famous parents Neneh and producer Cameron McVey

It seems, however, that the aspiring musician has shunted her parents' contacts, as she went on to reveal she doesn't really know anyone in the industry.

'I very much had to start again. But I knew why I was here: I wanted to do music, and I wanted to do it by myself. I felt like if my parents helped me, I would never feel confident in the fact that I’m actually good.’

True to her word, without telling anyone who she was, she immediately started cold-calling management companies ‘literally just harassing people’.

No nepotism here: It seems, however, that the aspiring musician has shunted her parents' contacts, as she went on to reveal she doesn't really know anyone in the industry

No nepotism here: It seems, however, that the aspiring musician has shunted her parents' contacts, as she went on to reveal she doesn't really know anyone in the industry

On tackling anxiety by keeping journals and playing music, Mabel went on to say: 'Mum has always kept journals and she told me, “You need to be writing all of this down”. I must have been five or six when I realised all the stuff I was writing made sense with what I was playing on the piano. And that was an incredible tool for me.

'Any time I was feeling down, I was always just like, “Ah, go and play”. My mum would always say it was never a bad thing. It just meant that I was open, and that I felt a lot. The older I get, the more I agree with that.’

Mabel isn't shy admitting that she wants to make it big - and that she has always aspired to have a career like Beyoncé.

Like mother like daughter: 'When I was in my teens, and was like, “I really want to do music”,’ she has told the Evening Standard Magazine . ‘I felt quite embarrassed by being my mum and dad’s daughter. I thought, “People will never take me seriously"'

Like mother like daughter: 'When I was in my teens, and was like, “I really want to do music”,’ she has told the Evening Standard Magazine . ‘I felt quite embarrassed by being my mum and dad’s daughter. I thought, “People will never take me seriously"'

Musical heritage: Mabel is the 21 year-old daughter of Neneh Cherry and Cameron McVey, producer of trip hop band Massive Attack [pictured]

Musical heritage: Mabel is the 21 year-old daughter of Neneh Cherry and Cameron McVey, producer of trip hop band Massive Attack [pictured]

‘I’m not going to lie, I’d love to win a Grammy. Underground isn’t the word I’d use to describe my childhood dreams. I definitely idolised Beyoncé growing up. I remember going to her shows and being like, “I would love to sing for thousands and thousands of people”. I’m not embarrassed to say I want to be successful but only on my terms.’

She has already made a high profile appearance in Skepta's music video for single Shutdown.

‘I remember [feeling] really strong,' she said of the experience. 'And there were lots of other strong young women, sort of in the same styling. It felt very British. I remember feeling very proud to be from here.’

On tackling anxiety by keeping journals and playing music, Mabel went on to say: 'Mum has always kept journals and she told me, “You need to be writing all of this down”. I must have been five or six when I realised all the stuff I was writing made sense with what I was playing on the piano. And that was an incredible tool for me'

On tackling anxiety by keeping journals and playing music, Mabel went on to say: 'Mum has always kept journals and she told me, “You need to be writing all of this down”. I must have been five or six when I realised all the stuff I was writing made sense with what I was playing on the piano. And that was an incredible tool for me'

However, she admits, it's not always plain sailing.

‘Sometimes I’ll see a session on paper and be like, “Oh, this person wrote this song for this person, I’m really excited, it’s going to be really amazing”, and then it just isn’t.

'[Chemistry] is 90 per cent of it, and then the other stuff just happens when it happens.' 

Debut: Mabel has already made a high profile appearance in Skepta's music video for single Shutdown

Debut: Mabel has already made a high profile appearance in Skepta's music video for single Shutdown

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