Interview: Little Boots!

If you’ve been blog leeching in the past couple weeks you’d probably have stumbled a couple times upon ‘Little Boots’ whom new single ‘Stuck On Repeat’ is being praised & already called one of the best tracks so far in 2008 specially because it literally does what the title says. Interviewing ‘Little Boots’ I realized how serious this is… If things all go well ‘Little Boots’ could become one of the best new artists of 2008, You’ll be amazed to find out who’s involved in this nu-pop project… Knock yourself out.

DL: Little Boots – Stuck On Repeat (320Kbps)
DL: Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat (Dub) (320Kbps)

Let's clear up the key fact to this whole 'Little Boots' outfit, is it just you Victoria, or is it you and a producer/musician collaborating?

Little Boots is just me... obviously I work with producers and I'm sure there will be collaborations in the future but the project is just me.

The name 'Little Boots'?

When I started doing my own project I wanted a name that was external to me rather than just use my real name... Little Boots was what my friend had started calling me after watching a film called Caligula... Caligula is Latin for 'little boots' which was the name of a Roman Emperor who was pretty insane... he turned the palace into a brothel and made his horse a member of the roman consul, pretty mad... look it up on Wikipedia. Anyway the name just kind of suited me and it stuck.

So you're a movie girl? 'Michel Gondry' means anything to you?

Of course, although I thought he’s more into music promos? But no I'm not really a movie girl I generally consider them to be a waste of time I'd rather be making music. Although I do enjoy music videos, a few of my friends are promo directors and I am always interested in what people come up with, I think the visual side of songs is only going to get more important.

The first single 'Stuck On Repeat' is produced by Joe Goddard from Hot Chip right?

Yeah he just got hold of the original demo I'd done for the track and he was really into it, a lot of the work was done over email. He built a lot of the music up using the original demo then I redid the vocals. It's a strange way of working but he is very time limited because Hot Chip's new album has just dropped (which is amazing... buy it), but it seems to work for us as I like the pressure of working at home not in the studio. We've got more stuff in the pipeline together so fingers crossed.

The whiny male Ooohs on 'Stuck On Repeat' are Joe's right?

Well I wouldn't call them whiny! But yes, they are definitely not mine.

Even though 'Stuck On Repeat' is pure electro, being the ex-lead singer of a successful Leeds' rock band leaves a residue of indie guitars allover you, is Little Boots going to be all about electronic music only like on 'Stuck On Repeat' or Is there going to be proper indie rock tracks, with full lyrics & live instrumentation?

I've always loved electro especially since I started playing and collecting synthesizers a couple of years ago so I knew I wanted the project to be more electronic, but there's a lot of stuff I'm getting very tired of in the electro scene at the moment and I think its important to be fresh. I don't think there'll be 'proper indie tracks' as not too much in that world is exciting me either... I just want to have a variety of sounds and keep using a range of instruments, I like mixing synthetic and organic sounds I think it makes a really interesting combination.

I know right! I mean it seems like once someone comes up with a new sound & it succeeds, everyone else just follows which ends up with 20 bands/artists making almost the same music when only 2 or 3 of them are good! Or maybe that's not what you meant... but still I would like to hear it from your point of view? & what are you exactly tired of in the current electro scene?

Well I think that's a bit of a generalization and things are more complicated than that, but yeah there's a lot of things that sound the same not just in electronic music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing it just pushes me to try think one step ahead or try new combinations.

It's funny how 'Stuck On Repeat' is a pretty accurate name as it does generate a craving for playing it repeatedly throughout the day for many listeners already, The words to it are very simple & extremely catchy... who writes your lyrics?

The magic lyrics fairy... who do you think?! No seriously its all me... I was going through a phase of writing almost nonsense lyrics round a theme or concept, like in this one I wanted it to be called stuck on repeat as a metaphor for how someone makes another person feels, but at the same time wanted to the track to sound like the CD was actually stuck on repeat, so it kind of works on two levels. A bit like onomatopoeia, Deep...

Another person involved in this project is 'Greg Kurstin' of 'The Bird & The Bee', I believe you finished recording 4 or 5 demos with him... have you found the Little Boots sound through them, I mean do you know where you want your music to go or is it still in let's-try-&-see-what-comes-up process?

Its definitely still in the working process, I don't feel tied to any sound or direction I'm just trying everything and following up on the things I get excited by... its not a very ordered way to work and probably end up with a pretty random album but I kind of like that, it probably reflects me more as a person.... No direction and slightly schizophrenic... yeah probably about right!

If I heard that answer few years back I would've sworn that you're quoting 'The Presets' as their last album 'Beams' doesn't repeat any tricks twice yet it became one of the best albums of that year... what I'm trying to say is a lot of artists (specially newbies) try hard to strict themselves to one style in a desperate attempt to come up with 'Their Signature Sound' & it ends up projecting them in 1D... you know? I mean, listeners these days are much smarter, they can filter marvelous from the plain good & have a wider range & music knowledge! So pretty much what seems like a chaotic random music making is a smart plan!?

Well no offence to ‘Presets’ but if I was going to quote anyone it probably wouldn't be them... but I think you’re right, I felt in my old band there was definitely a pressure to try and stick to 'our sound' even though I don't think we ever really knew what it was. Nowadays I just be myself and try everything. Some things work, some things don't.

By any chance any of you ex rock band members going to be involved?

Probably not.

Who else?

Not sure yet... more with Joe Hot Chip, hopefully some stuff with Metronomy... my friend Dev from Lightspeed Champion is always threatening to write power pop with me but we never get around to it! I sang BVs on some tracks he did with Basement Jaxx but I dunno if they'll ever get released... I'm talking to a few people at the minute.
derstand
OMG METRONOMY! You know he has a record coming out soon & judging based on his latest release 'Radio Ladio' it seems like this time around he's aiming for a wider range of audience, since 'Radio Ladio' is less weirdness & more on the pop side... meaning your collaboration is bound to conceive some gems! How did you get him on board? Is it just talks for now, or did you work on stuff already? Please tell all...

I'd say Radio Ladio is definitely no less brilliant than anything else Joe's done, probably more. I dunno we've all been friends for a few years but time is always difficult, apparently he has made a track for me... I'm just trying to prise it out of him! But yes I've heard his new album is seriously brilliant and from what I saw would be worth purchasing for artwork alone!

You're bound to play live at some point, do you have a band or an extra set of hands, exactly how do you plan on performing?

I'm not planning on proper live gigs for a while I want to get the music right first, when I do I will definitely have a full live band I can't imagine anything else, I'll probably play keys/ synths and I have a brilliant drummer Anna Prior. For now I'm doing some low key gigs... a few DJ sets and some secret piano vocal gigs planned round London... I also have this thing I'm gonna do with me and a karaoke machine but it's still in the works...

You're not going to buy a mobile karaoke machine & just drag it in the streets & subway stations singing for promotions are you?

Singing for promotions? What you on about?!

Let's go through some of your MySpace top friends! First 'Kylie Minogue'... even though on your blog you haven't mentioned her in the list of influences but there is definitely some common ground between her style & yours (judging merely based on 'Stuck On Repeat')! Are you a Kylie fan?

Yes HUGE! I love her, my mum and I have tickets to go watch the new tour. I have her calendar on my wall right now. It's not really her she just kind of represents ultimate pop music for me. I think as well its coz we're the same height, I've been called her evil twin before.

Don't you think Kylie is more aware of the independent music scene than other popstars, I mean in her current 'X' era she has tracks produced & remixed by Calvin Harris, Studio, Kish Mauve, Spitzer, Death Metal, & CSS! Is the thick line between indie & mainstream is slowly decaying!?

I dunno really, I think she's just a proper old fashioned popstar and maybe they're trying to dress her up with what's cool or hip but I just find nearly everything she does to have a certain quality... I don't think there was ever a thick line between indie and mainstream to be honest, they are both just constructs and if they even exist then they are always simultaneously feeding and destructing each other.

Back to the MySpace Top Friends subject, So... ‘Kitsune’ possibly the label you're releasing your first single through?

Maybe in the future, they did want to release ‘Stuck On Repeat’ but we decided not to do it so we can stay in control at this early stage, its going to be on some Kitsune compilations I think and who knows maybe a single eventually.

Wow, you rejected a kitsune offer, they have a pretty strong reputation & they strictly release good music! Them wanting 'Stuck On Repeat' is a strong statement of its brilliance!

I'm not saying it'll never happen.... I love and respect the Kitsune label but they have such a strong brand and identity I don't want to get lost in that, not just yet anyway... but yes I was very flattered that they asked to release it and who knows what will happen in the future.

Frankmusik/Seiji/Late Of The Pier… Possible remixers?

Would love all of the above! Seiji I've been working with on songs/ production actually, I love the Róisín Murphy stuff he did. Vince Frankmusik is a friend and we have the same management, everything he touches turns to electro gold. And would totally love LOTP boys to do it, I just saw their new video its sooo sick. My ultimate remix though would be by T2 who remixed the track 'Heartbroken'. Bassline is the new phenomenon.

You sound like one of us cool losers who need to be updated & aware of what's new & who's new in the scene! Do you check Blogs for new?

I go on Blogs sometimes but only to get hold of something I've already heard, I'm terrible for downloading music free but to be honest why pay for something you can get for nothing? I have given lots of people my new track for nothing, the way things work are changing and I don't know what the solutions gonna be yet but I don't have a problem with downloading music. I don't really try stay updated with any scene or anything, just if I happen to get passed something new I'm excited by I'll follow it up.

Even though you don't have 'Heads We Dance' on your top friends list, their drummer 'Bex' left you a message on your MySpace calling you 'Vic' & saying "We've got lots of new live dates booked so see which suits you and we'll see you there!"... What's that all about?

God this is a bit of MySpace stalking! Yeah I'm friends with HWD from when I lived with Leeds, I was a fan of their old bands and we have a lot of mutual friends, their first gig was supporting my old band. I actually did some guest vocals on one of their tracks a while ago... hopefully I will catch them live soon although now I'm in London it's a bit tricker.

Ohh, actually few weeks back they sent me a sampler with 3 tracks... I can only recall hearing backing female vocals on 'Love In the digital Age' & 'Work It Out', by any chance is it one of them?

Yeah I'm on 'Work it out' but I don't think it really sounds like me!

There's a post on your MySpace blog that confirms the following influences:
[B-52s / Kate Bush / Girls Aloud - Black Jacks (first verse & choruses) / T-Pain / Basshunter / Kate Bush again / Daft Punk pedal / Elton John electro / Sugababes - Denial (verse only) / Max Martin eat your heart out / Dr Luke (is he a real doctor?!) / Jobim - Waters Of March / MILEY CYRUS / Queen albums I & II]

That list consists of multi styles, meaning your music is either experimental pop where you take bits and pieces form every other song/artist or you're just going to work with as many different people as possible? But seriously 'Miley Cyrus' (& you have her listed in capital letters)... I don't get it?

God this is just the tip of the iceberg... experimental pop sounds like a good phrase... Miley Cyrus is a genius you need to open your mind my friend, 'See You Again' is where it's at... Talk about stuck on repeat... that's what's stuck on repeat on my iPod. I'm also really into Ashlee Simpson 'Outta My Head' at the moment.

I can't help not thinking that Miley’s beginning is similar to Bitney's but sometimes becoming TOO FAMOUS could end up being a bad thing... at least to a minority. Ehh, I just hope she doesn't pull another live lesbian kiss or marry a nobody, go out without knickers, shave her head & then fall in love with an ugly papparzo... Why am I even talking about this…

I have no idea... to be honest I don't care if she wets the bed every night I just like the music.

Back to the influences list, the fact that 'Girls Aloud' & 'Sugababes' were mentioned tells me that 'Little Boots' is first and foremost POP?

Definitely. I love pop music, anyone who knows me will tell you I'm completely obsessed, it’s so immediate it’s like musical drugs. All I do all day is try write pop songs with my piano, if they sound cool it's an accident... I just think pop is an exciting place to be, if you can manage to do something that strikes a chord with a large amount of people and at the same time still be a bit weird it's a great achievement, I find pop the most challenging thing to do as songwriter.

Because it could easily end up sounding like every other song out there?

No I think you've missed my point, I find it challenging to create something that can appeal to a large audience that can still be a bit unusual and maybe make people think, kind of like when you didn't want to eat peas with your dinner when you were little so your mum would say hide it in some mash, coz everyone likes mash. Hmm actually maybe that's a bad analogy...

Beside 'Vocals' what does Victoria bring to 'Little Boots'?

Well I'd like to think pretty much everything! I'm not just a random puppet vocalist... this whole project is me... I write the songs, lyrics, sing, MySpace, Blogs, find people I want to work with... Vocals is only one tiny part of the picture, I've never really considered myself a vocalist, I've been a musician a lot longer I only started singing when I was a teenager and needed vocals on the songs I was writing.

Out of mere curiosity, what are the latest albums you purchased/downloaded?

Hmmm let’s look... Ashlee Simpson, Daft Punk first album, Ladyhawke, MC Hawking, Wiley, Lykke Li, and I think Mystery Jets Young Love is brilliant... even if they are boys with guitars.

Name 1 artist you'd rather get shot in the head from close range than listen to his songs?

Manic. Street. Preachers.

What's next? Official Releases? Video? Remixes?

Yeah the extended version of Stuck is gonna be released on 12" white label in a month or so, just a very small release... probably no video or remixes all just starting small, keeping it real...wotevz...

But ‘Remixes’ is one of the ultimate pleasures of buying new singles! Well, what if the 12" sells like crazy... will you then be willing to re-release with remixes? (The correct answer is: Yes!) Yes?

I'm sure there will be remixes eventually... just for now like I said this is a very low key release. Yeah maybe it will encourage people to buy it... if we sell loads, will have to do a re-release with remixes. Never though of it like that.

Little Boots MySpace