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kalluun-patangaroa · 5 years

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The world of... Brett Anderson

The Telegraph, 3 March 2007

By Naomi West

The singer Brett Anderson, 39, formed the band Suede at the dawn of the 1990s. Suede’s eponymous first album won them the Mercury Music Prize in 1993. Anderson releases his first solo album on March 26, preceded by the single Love is Dead on March 12. He lives in west London.

Morning routine I set my alarm for about 8am and wake up to women singing. I have a particular playlist on my iPod that I’m constantly refining that has people like Françoise Hardy, Keren Ann, Astrud Gilberto, Bat for Lashes and Kate Bush. You want to wake up with a bit of beauty. I do love the morning, I keep writing songs about it.

Exercise routine I’ve always exercised. I used to do a lot of sport at school and was a keen runner and football player. Now I use an exercise bike, which is great because you can read at the same time. I have a sacred half hour in the morning when I’m improving my mind and my body.

Reading habits I’m an obsessive reader and read a novel a week, maybe more. Current authors I love are Michel Houellebecq, Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Kurt Vonnegut and Martin Amis. Recently I’ve discovered Daphne du Maurier. I always thought she was a granny’s author, but my sister bought me The Scapegoat for Christmas. It is a really clever book about identity and guilt and blame.

Films you love While I was writing the first Suede album, my friend Alan and I were living in a squat about two streets from where I live now and we watched Performance every night. The director, Nicolas Roeg, lives around the corner and I drink in the same pub as him. I’m not particularly star-struck by people normally, but I’ve got such respect for him and always feel a bit like a blubby little fan.

First car I first bought a car in 1999, a Mercedes, and I used to have a guy to drive me around. But I decided recently that I was going to take control of my life. Being in a band you don’t have to do anything for yourself and you end up on autopilot. So I started to learn how to drive last September and I passed my test in November. My instructor said he’d never had anyone pass it that quickly. I’ve got a silver Audi now and I enjoy driving, though I’m still quite cautious.

Favourite homecooked food I cook well enough to enjoy my own food, but it’s not going to win any awards. I cook simple things – pasta, salads, fish, Sunday roasts. I don’t mind taking time to do it, it’s a nice experience.

Best present received The Lazy Hare that my sister made and gave to me is absolutely beautiful. There’s something surreal about it, it’s slightly too fat and I like that. I’ve got a few of her things – they’re always inspired by some fable or country tale.

Oldest thing in your wardrobe I don’t have any of the crap I wore in the early 1990s any more. Everything was £1.50 from Oxfam and a bit tatty. There was a series of gigs in the early days where clothes would get torn off me. Now I have a few things I’ve worn for 10 years, a couple of nice suits. I’ve got a Gucci leather suit that I really like, and I’ve worn on stage a few times. It’s quite extreme. You’ve got to feel like you’re fabulous to wear it.

Favourite room My bedroom is beautiful, an oasis of calm. I recently had it done up, which took about a year, so it was both expensive and painful. I studied architecture so I’m quite aware of my environment. I’m a tidy person. After years and years of living in an ashtray, I now like a space to be clean.

Biggest extravagance When I bought my piano for £500 after we first started getting money from Suede records, it seemed like a huge amount of money. I’m not a piano player at all, I just tinker on it to write – I wrote By the Sea on there, and Sleeping Pills. I never had formal music lessons but my dad was an obsessive classical-music fan, the sort of guy that would go to Franz Liszt’s birthplace and bring back soil. It all seeped in.

Evening routine I always fall asleep to Brian Eno. He’s my night-time music man. I love his music. If I had to choose a record that would be the only one I listened to again, it would be Ambient 1: Music for Airports.

#suede #brett anderson #press

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girlieinterns · 6 years

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An Interview with Gigi Rowe

The interns had the chance to chat with singer and Girlie client, Gigi Rowe. Here’s what she had to say about her music, her influences, and her favorite moments as a musician.

J: What was the first show you went to?

G: I feel like there were some really iconic artists that I saw when I was young, like an artist named Anne Murray. She was one of my grandmother’s favorite singers, a Canadian singer, and she had this song called “Could I Have This Dance?” which when I was like five, my grandmother had me learn and I would sing it at family dinners. Then my grandparents took me to her show when I was really little. I grew up in New Jersey and she came through at the Garden State Arts Center.

O: How do you craft your aesthetic and persona?

G: So I grew up in New Jersey, in and out of New York City all the time and I feel like I have kind of my real story and then part of the reason I think that I created Gigi Rowe was that I was like “You know, what I don’t have to be boxed in.” Gigi Rowe isn’t this girl from New Jersey; Gigi Rowe is of the future and the past, and was an orphan at birth found wrapped in a blanket on an enchanted island. And so Gigi Rowe is a character that exists in her own fantasy world and I get to be the earthly Gigi Rowe.

C: What upcoming projects have you been working on?

G: I’ve been in the studio a lot recently. There’s a universe I come from of being a singer songwriter and then over time your creative vision gets bigger and bigger. But lately I’ve just been working with so many different writers and producers and having so many cool opportunities to work with people that I’ve always looked up to in the industry and then people that are super young and now getting chased by all the labels, so it’s fun to meet so many people and work with people at all different levels. I wrote a song with someone in Nashville that recently people are like “I really like that.” It's kind of getting into a Kate Bush meets The 1975 vibe. Also, I’m recording next week with a young producer, NATIIVE, out in LA. He’s someone I’ve been working with for the past year and doing some really fun work. It’s kind of like when you have your photograph taken by different people, you’re going to look different. The same person can be super indie and edgy, dark and black and white, or saturated and pop. I’ve definitely been on that sort of exploration. When I first met the Girlie team, it was very much a bubblegum moment because I had my music featured on the Just Dance video games. That’s been this cool ride, but it’s only a small part of the big picture. I just did a song with Brian Kennedy, he was the one behind “Disturbia” by Rihanna and Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger.” At his core, he’s an incredible piano player, so we did this beautiful raw piano track.

J: What impact do you want to make with your music?

G: I think I just want to take people on a ride and inspire people. I mean ultimately I’d love to inspire myself, which isn’t always easy. I think when you’re super creative and have tons of ideas, you can run through those quickly or you kind of feel like you can’t keep up with yourself. I think that that’s always a challenge.

J: So far in your music career what do you think is your biggest accomplishment?

G: Performing at Rock in Rio was amazing. I’ve never been to Brazil or South America, it was where the Olympics took place. Justin Timberlake was headlining and I got this opportunity to be on an arena stage for the first time and to walk out and perform my songs that were featured on Just Dance and have people singing every word in a country I’ve never been to. And to have people lined up to get pictures and autographs, it’s in that moment where it becomes very real. It’s amazing when you can see that impact.

C: Who are some of your influences?

G: I’m more like a Cyndi Lauper style performer. I come from being more of a rock and roll girl. Cyndi’s such a badass and I think her whole message and who she is is amazing. I just wrote a brand new song called “Color Outside The Lines” and I feel like it’s very “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” meets “True Colors.” That’s a really cool space to be in and I love that comparison. I saw her open up for Cher and in that moment I could really connect and be like, “Oh these are my people.” I love those iconic women where they’re larger than life and their personas are so much apart of their art.

O: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future? Who is your ultimate dream collab?

G: Wow so many thoughts in my head. I think Cyndi and Cher. And to be able to do something like be in a movie, like Cher was just in “Mama Mia” and did this whole soundtrack. To be able to be on screen with someone like Cher or Cyndi and be able to collaborate on the soundtrack would be amazing. I’ve always loved epic iconic artists like Bono or Bruce Springsteen so doing something with them would be awesome. I’m a go big or go home girl.

C: Where’s your favorite place to visit?

G: Now I’m just thinking about food. That question turned into “Where do you like to eat?” Well, I always love coming back to New York City because I feel like it’s home but at the same time always fresh and new. I feel like I romanticize cities, but Paris definitely has this allure for me. I think it’s something growing up with American pop culture and movies that the idea of Paris is very romanticized. I love so many places. I’ve been enjoying this kind of Miami, Nashville, LA, New York rotation because they’re so different but compliment each other.

O: If you could be any cupcake flavor, what would you be?

G: Such a good question. I would be a rainbow cupcake. I’ll show you a picture to illustrate. Actually, I’d like to be a cake. This place recently came on my radar, it’s called Flour Shop. I haven’t gone yet but I have to go. Okay are you ready for this? That’s me as a cake. Pop some pink champagne with that and you have Gigi Rowe!

C: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what one album would you want with you?

G: I’ve actually thought about this. Billy Joel’s “River of Dreams.” “Lullabye” is on there for his daughter and I used to loop that to go to sleep. That was what just came to mind right when you asked that.

O: What sort of music did you listen to growing up?

G: I grew up going to a lot of musical theatre. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen “Cats.” I think that seeing these dramatic family operas had me totally immersed. I can definitely see where that feeds into this universe that I’m inspired to create. Being taken to a lot of those shows made an impact.

C: What is one thing you can’t live without?

G: Coffee. Wow a one word answer!

O: If you had to be a Disney character in your next life, who would you be?

G: I’ve always loved Sleeping Beauty. I was kind of obsessed with her when I was little. But it would be fun to be Ariel. I want that red hair, that voice, and that prince. It would be fun to say something like Flounder, like something really random.

J: Do you have a pre-show ritual?

G: I’m still dialing that in. I wouldn’t say I’m superstitious, but I like to feel spiritually. Energy definitely means something to me. I think as I do more shows, I’m excited to get in this next incarnation of what the Gigi Rowe live experience is like.

J: What advice can you offer new musicians?

G: Run! Just kidding. Lionel Richie gave me the best advice when I met him. He told me “Just keep going.” There’s little in life that that doesn’t apply to.

Thanks again to Gigi for taking the time to chat with us here at Girlie Action. Make sure to check out her music on her website and follow her Instagram for updates!

#gigi rowe #interview #music #girlietraction

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