Lauren Ray is on the other end of the telephone, we are not facing each other and yet because of the great gift she has for expression, a sense of pureness, and straight talking. I almost imagine that she is sat just opposite me, her features, thanks to the dynamic video for her single Be A Man, inscribed on my eyes, glowing with pride at the way she has taken her talent with serious passion and how she has patiently adhered to her own sense of self, of exploring what it means to be an artist without rushing into it with all the dangers and issues that can arise because of it.