On the Saturday, about an hour before she was due to go on stage, I was able to have a chat with Alice Russell about her music, and here’s what she had to say:
Q. Where have you traveled from to get here today?
I came from The Big Chill today, because we’re doing that tomorrow night. So we camped up and the sound engineer and me drove down in the car.
Q. “Pushin’ on” was my favourite track of yours, and I know from your blog that you recently went to Columbia to visit Mr Quantic. I was wondering if there was any chance of a collaboration in the future?
Well actually, we’ve just got two tracks finished – we’ve done an album together. We did it with a Columbian band and me and Mikee came over from my band, so we’ve got the strings, the soul…its got a real mish mash going on.
Q. You’ve recently been in the studio with David Byrne of the Talking Heads as well, he’s been quoted as saying “ working with a singer like Alice is something new, terrifying, and ultimately amazing”. How was it working with David, for you?
Well it was like meeting a hero for me – I loved stop making sense. I’m currently reading his book at the moment too…He’s just a lovely guy, really gentle and funny.
Q. Do you have any pre performance rituals that you might be doing in the next hour or so?
If you get loads of time, which you usually don’t, I sort of have a bit of tea, try and remember what I’ve got to do…but usually you just run around and kind of end up having ten minutes to do everything, then run on the stage.
Q. Do you have any other projects in the pipeline at the moment?
Yeah, besides the work with Quantic, me and TM Juke are doing a new album at the moment, so yeah we’ve got something bubbling at the moment. We’re going to try and get it out by next year, and are performing a couple of the tracks tonight.
Q. Is there any song you’re listening to at the moment that you can’t get out your head, that you’d recommend us checking out?
D’you know what? I’ve been listening to Roses by Gerogia Anne Muldrow ft Mos Def. I’ve also been going back in time and listening to a lot of old Bill Wither’s songs.
Angie