‘I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN THE BANJO'
Let us prey
Nicola Meighan chats to New Zealander singer-songwriter Ladyhawke and finds out why shooting cats and meeting heroes are way less scary than bagpipes
‘ ell. it's basically me just flying through the air. shooting cats. ay'oiding cats. and trying not to die.‘ grins Pip Brown.
abashedly. Better known as one-woman Vintage pop behemoth l.adyhawke. the quietly-spoken. congenial New [calander is detailing her personalised computer game with a blend ol~ incredulity and delight. The al'oresaid eight-bit. airborne kitty shoot-em-up tree to play at her MySpace -— preyails as retro
online distraction. and short—hand l'or Brown's career integrants: independence. authenticity. gender
.stlhyc‘l's’iull. Slls ltist. sci-l‘i nostalgia »— and cat
al‘ltl'eciation. ‘lt's reall) simplet’ she itssc‘t'yztlc‘s.
Brown makes it look that way. \Yithin six months 0T
releasing her eponymous debut album last autumn. Ladyhawke was roughhousing the likes ol' Jay-7. and leyentual \‘ictorl Pete Doherty —- for the Best Solo Artist gong at this year's NMli Awards — and counting Peaches. (‘ourtney Loye and Kylie among her admirers. Yet her apprenticeship is worth relating: beliore relocating to London. she was a one-time axe- basher with Wellington's Peel-endorsed Two Lane Blacktop and Sydney‘s similarly-touted Teenager. The singer. songwriter and multi-instrumentalist‘s inaugural long—player is charged with ardent syntb anthems. scorching pop and scrupulous electro-rock. lt elicits an ay'id litany ol‘ chart stars: Fleetwood Mac and Pat Benatar (“Back ol‘ the Van). Joan Jett and Debbie Harry ('Dusk Till Dawn). Fax/box and The Bangles (‘.\ly Delirium‘ ). Kim Wilde and Bananarama (the re-released 'Paris is Burning' l. Brown‘s aural excay'ations. resurrections and re- imaginings are will'ully l‘orw'ard-thinking. but giy'en said retrospectiy'e roll-call — and preyious reports that she‘d low to work with Kylie — with whom would Ladyhawke collaborate. by way of a definitive duet'.’
‘That‘s interesting.’ she muses. ‘I always wonder about that. I think about digging up heroes lrom my past. but. you know'.‘ a pause. ‘it‘d be interesting to do something with The Strokes , or Karen () l'rom the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. that'd be aw'esome.‘ she enliyens. wide-eyed. 'But with your all—time heroes. you remember them in their prime . I‘m thinking l)ayid Bowie here and il‘ you met them now you might be disappointed. ()r they might just be an asshole.' a shrug and a smile. matter-ol—l'act.
l‘antasy alliances with indie glitterati notwithstanding. what other surprises might we anticipate in any new Ladyhawke material'.’ Has Brown‘s 18-month pit—stop tour ol‘ the globe upturned her creatiy e process'.’ ls her art much defined by a sense ~— or lack UT plzlc‘c‘l’ 'Yc‘zlh dclinilc‘iy.‘ she concedes. ‘You know. I hayen‘t l‘elt grounded l’or a
really long time —— I haye this really scattered sense ol‘
sell' at the moment. and I think that“ be rellected in my writing.‘ she recounts and sighs. “I mean. I‘ve been haying ideas and stall. and it all jtist seems so weird and different. I guess that's jtist an outward sign of how cra/y things haye been.‘
Speaking ol‘ the impact of a peripatetic. rock'n'roll lil'estyle — hay-e Brown's tray'els unearthed any new instruments that she'd like to tackle. giyen her broad mtisical \‘iTIUUsin'.’ ‘Well. he always wanted to learn the banjo.‘ she rey‘eals. suggesting that our arch pop anthropologist may yet shun the 80s in l'ayour of bluegrass.
(iiyen the upcoming Glasgow show. what about the bagpipes may'be‘.’ An outburst of mirth: 'Woah. they'd kill me? Oh my God. the lung power necessary for that?‘ she laughs. 'l’m too asthmatic . . .'
Ladyhawke, QMU, Glasgow, Fri 15 May.
THE BEST ROCK, POP. JAZZ & FOLK
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>i< The Pains of Being Pure at Heart New Yorkers clearly enamoured wrth indie pop with a ‘G‘ postcode: The Pastels. 8&8. Nice ‘n' Sleazy Glasgow. Wed 20 May (Rock 8 Pop)
5,: Nigel Hitchcock and Paul Towndrow The pair of saxophonists pay tribute to Coltrane and Parker. See preview, page 64. City Hal/s, Glasgow, Sat 76 May. (Jazz)
>i< Madhat McGore and friends A chance to see a ton of new rap faces from our hip hop underground for no pence. The Hide, Edinburgh, Sat 76 May. (Rock & Pop)
* Glasgow Americana Festival Eight gigs showing just how good US roots music can get. See preview, page 64. Various venues. Glasgow, Sat 76—Sat 23 May (Folk)
=i= Crystal Antlers and Times New Viking Brutal, no-fi rock from California. Sneaky Pete '3, Edinburgh, Mon 78 May; Stereo, Glasgow, Tue 79 May. (Rock 8 Pop)
=6: Knockengorroch World Ceilidh Terrafolk and Roni Size head up this multi-faceted celebration where theatre. circus and kid's shows are all in the blend. Knockengorroch, Thu 27-Sun 24 May. (Folk)
* Stag and Dagger One ticket. one night, six venues. 40-odd acts: an amazing line- up of new music. See preview, page 64. Various, Glasgow, Sat 23 May. (Fiock 8 Pop)
* Lau Kris Drever. Martin Green and Aidan O'Rourke show their trad virtuoso chops. See album review, page 68. Skate Raw Farm, By Dunbar, Fri 22 May; Tol/booth, Stirling, Sat 23 May. (Folk)
=1: Music Routes Festival A vivid mix of folk, electronica, pop, rhythm and blues and the bloke from the Inspiral Carpets! See Five Reasons, page 71. The Village, Edinburgh, Tue 26 Ma y- Tue 2 Jun. (Folk)
'1-2‘1 Va, /,.'3 THE LIST 63