Photo Credit: Daniel Sannwald
I got really wasted, talked to loads of nonsense people, stumbled around, danced like an idiot and went home—a normal night out, really.
Last Thursday, I had the chance to speak with Little Boots, one of the most talked about electro-pop chanteuses on the dance floor in the past year. Having already released her debut album Hands in the UK, the singer is now poised to make a splash overseas with the release of her album in the US on March 2.
Though she admitted she was a bit hung-over after enjoying herself at the previous night’s NME Awards, Little Boots was happy to chat with MuuMuse about her album’s upcoming release in the US, her music and influences, and the accompanying tour.
I hope I managed to answer all the Muuser questions that were submitted! And as for whether or not I asked her if she’d been licking trees lately? You bet I did.
Read on to check out some of the highlights of our conversation below!
Photo Credit: Daniel Sannwald
On rumors of licking trees and rolling in mud…
Oh my god! My friend showed this video to me, and she’s got like—is it like loads of numbers on the video? Yeah. She’s got brown eyes, I’ve got blue eyes, so it’s obviously not me. There’s your breaking news: I confirm that it’s not me, but I almost wish it were because it’s quite cool.
On the NME Awards…
Nothing exciting happened. I got really wasted, talked to loads of nonsense people, stumbled around, danced like an idiot and went home—a normal night out, really…I don’t know if there was any gossip. Lily Allen had a fight with Courtney Love, I don’t know. Didn’t really pay attention. It was good fun.
On the geometric and math-inspired imagery of Hands…
Um, I mean, it was quite separate really. The song and the artwork with the triangles weren’t really together on purpose. The girl I work with, we came up with it all together. We did a lot of things that involve space. I don’t know how the triangle thing got started. I don’t know if I’ll keep it. I’ll probably change it for the next record…there’s not really any kind of concrete reason why. They’re cool!
On the pressure of being named the BBC’s Sound of 2009 artist…
I feel so much better since the record is out and all that stuff is over, and it’s someone else’s turn this year. It was quite stressful. I’m really glad all that’s over, ‘cause it was quite stressful…to live up to that level of hype, you have to be literally incredible, otherwise you’re going to get a bit of backlash. I was preparing for backlash. Actually, I didn’t really get one…it was kind of a relief to me in the end because I was quite stressing myself for a bit, you know?
On whether she’s recording a new album…
I’m kind of starting to. I haven’t written anything I really like yet. I’m just getting ideas together and formulating stuff, but nothing solid yet. I think it will be some more organic instruments, maybe not quite as dance-y. I haven’t really thought it through yet…I want to incorporate more piano.
On getting ready to tour the States…
I just can’t wait. There’s so many places I haven’t seen. So many places I want to see again. We’ve got a bus this time, which is going to be so much better because we can drive and see places a lot more than when you’re flaying everyday. I’m really excited…I spent a lot of time in LA, so it will be nice to go back there.
On the crowd in the US compared to the UK…
We seem to have even more gays in America than in Europe. It’s like a seriously gay crowd, which is great. People are seriously enthusiastic and energetic. It’s a very positive vibe. It felt more like a dance kind of show. People are more up for dancing than at home.
Photo Credit: Daniel Sannwald
On writing for Kylie’s new record…
Someone I worked with was like, “I’ve been asked to do some stuff with Kylie, do you want to write it with me?†And I said, “Yeah!†It’s cool, you know, a lot of people write for Kylie, and they probably normally have hundreds of songs to choose from for every album…it’s good to try getting into that space. I’ve got my best Kylie voice to sing it.
On who she’s listening to these days…
Music Go Music from LA…Ellie Goulding, she’s great. The new Hot Chip record is pretty good.
On whether her recent blog on McQ about the occult has influenced her music…
Umm, not really anything publicly. In my head…I’ve been reading this book about Tarot and stuff, which is pretty cool…I don’t think any of it’s influencing my music just yet, but I’m really into it at the moment.
On the inspirations for her fashion…
Part of me likes really classic people like Audrey Hepburn or Brigitte Bardot…I think Pixie Geldof is cool. The film The Craft, quite into 90’s stuff right now.
A final thought for the fans coming out to see her in the US…
It’s a really good place to get a boyfriend if you’re a boy. [Laughs] I don’t know, I’m excited to finally get out there and play and seeing loads of places!
Hands will be released in the US on March 2. For tickets to see Little Boots on tour in America, click here.