Suzy Blu [Interview # 155]

like there was as many dominant females in music- both commercially and not- until recently. From Adele to Florence Welch to bands like Metric, Sleigh Bells and Dead Sara, there are also a ton of probably lesser known bands out there fronted by women. Have you noticed this inflation and do you have any theories as to why the man is no longer holding the woman down as much? Who were some of your female musical heroes growing up?

I don't really care about gender when it comes to music other than lyrically. To try and answer your question though, I love Joan Jett, she has always maintained the intrigue and air of mystery alongside producing great pop songs. The Runaways in general were great. Billie Holiday had a fantastic voice and is constantly played when I'm around as well. I find myself listing singers though based simply on gender which means I'm filtering out half of my musical taste right off the bat.

2) On a related note, I feel like many shoegaze bands can have female vocalists, almost to the point where I could be so brave as to say that there might in fact be more female fronted shoegaze bands out there than male fronted ones (That sound good). Why do you think this is? Any insights onto why the ladies love shoegaze?

It's an interesting hypothesis, I'm not entirely sure I agree. Maybe it's you who likes the ladies of Shoegaze? : )

3) Before you did this, you were in a band called Insect Guide. What has it been like going from that to this?

Insect Guide are just asleep right now. I think an artist always needs to move forwards because life does. I write about the things around me and a lot has changed, as it does when you're growing up a little bit, I tend to write stories about the people around me and I naturally see the darker sides of people and situations, being able to use drum machines and more electronic equipment for the Suzy Blu stuff gives me greater freedom to express that. I would never want to not write what I wanted to at any given time so for now what I write is Suzy Blu stuff. Plus I have so much fun on stage. This is a project at its very beginnings and I'm still fascinated and thrilled every time a new effect is tried out in practise or something surprising happens on stage. I can't wait to gig even more!!

4) You are from the UK which I want to say in some ways takes music more seriously than the states (Though I feel like a lot of countries do these days) How do you feel about American bands that come over there to get famous because they are not accepted here?

Jesus, I didn't know they had to do that. I suppose you go where your audience is though and I can't criticise that if the intention is pure.

5) Ramones or Sex Pistols?

I like both. I have more Ramones on my iPod but that wouldn't be difficult as they released a hell of a lot more music. You can always dance to both bands though so if I'm in a club and they're playing either band, then I'm dancing, I think Stan (guitar) and Alaric (bass) just hope it's not by myself in the middle of a dance floor with chaos happening around me, I'm trying to be good at the moment. I don't know if this helps answer your question but I wear my Ramones T-shirt to practise and I sleep in a Sid and Nancy one. 

6) You covered the White Stripes most famous song “Last Night” in a manner which I prefer to their own sound because quite frankly I think they are a band that is getting worse with every release. Have you thought of making any other unlistenable bands easy on the ears? Because there is probably a list somewhere…

We covered Last Night by the Strokes. I wouldn't touch a White Stripes track because you couldn't really change it! We played around with it before we went to do a tour down the US East Coast earlier this year as a little tribute to Manhattan. It's a good live track and it's a lot of fun to play! We always have a cover version of something in the set for when we play live as it's so fun to play with sounds and interpretations. The way you interpret a lyric changes so much from person to person it's what keeps certain songs alive generation to generation.

7) Your newest three song release (Can I call it a maxi-single?) is available on CD. Do you have any plans for a cassette or vinyl release down the line?

Don't call it a maxi single, that kind of sounds like a sanitary towel!! I'd love to release something on vinyl, I think it's such a sexy thing to have. You feel such a sense of really owning the full piece of art when you have a record in your hands. Plus the sound of a song on vinyl is pretty hard to replicate accurately. I love cassettes for making mixes for friends and lovers but I don't think I'd release a song on cassette.

8) If you were told you could tour the U.S. but had to pick two bands from the UK to bring with you, who would you choose?

Well we just came back from our second US tour and wherever I tour with whatever band I always make sure we tour with acts from that country. This being said I have very happy memories of touring the US last time with The Manhattan Love Suicides and doing the Cake Shop with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I'd happily relive the memories of that tour when I've finished making more memories. This time around we toured with The Veldt and Panophonic who we love. It was an absolute pleasure meeting The Veldt on a personal level as well as a musical level. Their music is ace and off stage they were all real gentlemen and did many impressions of Beatrix Potter for us...between marriage proposals! Getting lost in the early hours in with Panophonic and stopping at Baltimore cemetery for some inexplicable reason was certainly fun as well as terrifying!

9) Final thoughts, shout outs, reasons why you do or do not like Harry Potter, etc…??

I often fall asleep to the voice of Stephen Fry reading me Harry Potter...when I'm alone in bed.