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music ! interview
She’s pretty, she’s blonde, she can
sing (a soprano, at that)… and doesn’t
have an entourage behind her music,
look, and every word that comes out of
her mouth. Is she for real? Well, yes.
That’s Alison Goldfrapp, the 30-some-
thing native of Bath, England, who has
spent the past seven years making
music with partner Will Gregory.
With the release of the Mercury
Award-nominated Felt Mountain in
2000, the Brit-nominated Black Cherry
in 2003, and the March 7 release of
third record Supernature (Mute),
Goldfrapp’s sophisticated cinematic
electro-pop continues to evolve, ever-
so slightly ahead of its’ time.
I know that you hate interviews so I’m
going to try and be as entertaining as possible.
I understand that for Black Cherry you
agreed to do about 14 interviews a day. Are
you going to be doing the same for
Supernature?
I don’t hate interviews, actually; it’s
a myth. I think people keep writing that
because they think it looks good on
paper. I always do a lot of press. Like
Alison Goldfrapp
when the album first comes out in
Europe, I always do months of press.
It’s something I do and I don’t mind
doing it. I just don’t like stupid journal-
ists: the ones that don’t do any home-
by Ana Roman work or ask inappropriate or stupid
questions.
Do you feel you have become a bonafide
pop star?
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2006 12 ENTERTAINMENT TODAY
No, I don’t. Its funny, I think I’m
probably in denial. I’m quite a private
person so when I’m not doing or mak-
ing music or performing music, I just
go out with my friends. I don’t do the
whole circuit thing. I’m not a teenager.
You know, I was broke for years, so I
sort of feel very grounded, I suppose.
I’m not interested in celebrity or fame,
or anything like that. I love what I do
and I want to do well at that. For me,
it’s a neverending thing to make music
and perform it. I love doing it… You
know I don’t get recognized? I never
do. I love it! It’s much more interesting
to watch other people than have other
people watching you.
Why did you choose the title
“Supernature”?
There was a song called
“Supernature” that came out either in
the ‘70s or ‘80s and I remember that
from being a kid. It was a very comic,
disco record. It had lots of wild syn-
thesizers on it and it was quite kitsch…
there was something about it I really
liked. Also, there was a book written in
the ‘70s called Supernature. It was this
whole idea about a world where nature
is superior. I think the whole idea is
that we have been inspired by the nat-
ural world and the idea of Human vs.
Machine and Human vs. Nature. Sort
of this super fantastical world.
During your live performances, how
important is the narrative to you?
I don’t know if I have ever thought
of it like that. Music for me is a narra-
tive. All sound or music has… I mean,
it’s like looking at a painting. It has to
have a narrative to it. Sound has a nar-
rative therefore it has an image. It tells
a story, however ambiguous or literal.
When it comes to touring, before you go
on stage, are there any sort of energies that
you tap into besides your own?
No… I’m quite English. Not real-
ly.
Do you ever get nervous?
I do get very nervous, actually.
Nerves are quite a good thing, you
know. It’s the adrenaline. There are no
rituals I engage in, you just get into
what you are doing; you feel the audi-
ence. The audience makes the gig, real-
ly.
Is there any other animal, besides the
horse, that you would like to explore more of ?
I’m very interested in symbolism
and the way that humans use animals
as metaphors for ideas about them-
selves. Whether it be in fairy tales, clas-
sical paintings… you know, since time
began humans have used animals to
convey status, power, and all kinds of
things and I have always just been fas-
cinated with that. That’s why I like
them. They have always been a source
of inspiration, whether it be in beauty,
or even comical. The natural world is
part of our psyche; it’s really a part of
who we are.
The buzz surrounding your new album is
that it’s more mainstream or commercial.
Does it peeve you a bit that people simplify
your album in such a way?
I don’t get peeved, I just really
don’t understand it. What does that
mean? What are they saying? What are
they saying by ‘it’s a more commercial
sound,’ what difference does it make? I
think it’s irrelevant. Either you like
something or you don’t. As far as com-
mercial is concerned, I don’t even
know what that means anymore,
because now I think the kind of music
that we listen to in the world, and the
music that is successful, is such a vast
range of genres. It’s all mixed.
Do you ever have any weird, divine inter-
vention moments? Where do most of your
ideas come up in your head?
You’ll be driving along and sud-
denly a melody will come into your
head, or you’ll have a dream about
something. I think every day, all day,
your brain is sort of taking in informa-
tion and everything… I mean lucid
moments when you are sort of staring
out of the window….
Do you think it’s harder or easier now as
a woman to get ahead in the music industry?
I don’t know about now. I think
now is probably quite a hard time for
the music business full-stock, really. I
can’t comment now; I think it is just
hard. It’s a different story if you have a
pretty face. I have come across a lot of
snobbery, and many stereotypes —
many stereotypes when it comes to me
and Will. I remember in the beginning
I would have to do a lot of convincing,
and still do. And I still have to say that
Continued on next page
02.24 12-13 color.qxp 2/23/2006 6:48 PM
Alison Goldfrapp
Continued from previous page
I do write the music as well, because people
assume that Will wrote all the music and I just
sort of came in and sang… and it didn’t matter
how many times we wrote it down in our bios or
in the CD sleeves, people would always assume
that. So yes, I do think people believe these
stereotypes about a female singer and what they
do… You do have to shout more in a way, when
you are female. There’s a lot of technical stuff
involved when you are in the studio and you get
some guy that talks to you who thinks you know
jack shit about the technical side, or sometimes
they will try to pull the wool over your eyes about
something.
What are the hardest lessons you have learned as an
artist, especially when it comes to performing, writing the
songs, collaborations, etc?
I feel like quite often we have to compromise,
especially when it comes to money. We do have a
budget; sometimes we have to make do with what
we have, and that’s always a bloody issue. Budget.
Which I find depressing. Also time. I mean, the
busier you get the less time you have to concen-
trate on things, and I really like taking time over
things. The reason why we work in the country-
side is because it’s much cheaper and it’s a much
nicer environment to work in. I mean, you look in
the local newspaper and find a cheap house to
rent. It’s much more relaxing than a regular studio
which I find is a much more sterile environment
to work in. But there’s something nice about just
renting a little crusty old cottage and doing the
vocals in the kitchen or wherever you want… I
like the fact that it’s not a functioning studio. It’s
like a more domestic environment in which you
sort of take over. I like looking at pictures on the
wall that are mine as opposed to someone else’s. I
like that sort of feeling…
It’s taken you such a long time to get where you are
now. What do you think it is about yourself that has
taken you this far?
I just think you have to be strong. Don’t
compromise yourself too much. Do things at
your own pace. Oh god, I don’t know. I always
feel like you can never, ever, be satisfied. I mean,
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they don’t want to necessarily compromise…
maybe they want to do something different that
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isn’t going to be an instant hit. I am well into my After hours tours available
30’s and I think our whole society is very ageist
and… I mean, it doesn’t matter. You still have to CALL NOW!
do what you have to do and there are ways of
getting around it, as long as you are not trying "As an artist, the advantage of liv ing at the Burbank Senior Artists Colony is it allows us
portray an image of someone much younger
than your years, then you are alright. Just do
who work with the arts to have a synergistic relationship with each other - the individual
what you’re doing and f**k everyone else. artist exposed to this can then create more than when working alone."
There will always be loads of stereotypes and -Gene Schklair, Sculptor & Resident, Burbank Senior Artists Colony
prejudices that you will have to sort of ignore.
You have to just stay strong and ignore those
things. I mean there are things in the beginning
that you have to do that you are not that keen on,
but on the other hand, you are learning your craft.
In a way that’s great because you become the ulti-
mate voyeur by watching other people… doing
backing vocals for Tricky, that was such a great
learning experience because I could watch him
and see what he was doing and it helped me big
time… I mean, it helped me pay my rent and I
was learning about what it is that I wanted to do
and what I didn’t want to do — and learning
about what you don’t want to do is just as valid.
Goldfrapp perform live at the Wiltern LG on
Saturday, March 11, before heading to SXSW for a show
at Austin Music Hall on Thursday, March 16, with
Morrissey, Richard Hawley and The Zutons. For more
information, go to www.goldfrapp.co.uk.
ENTERTAINMENT TODAY 13 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2006