Don't Panic/Interview

### Interview

*With last year’s landmark **Geidi Primes** LP about to get a reissue this month on record label, **No Pain in Pop**, Canada’s great indie hope **Grimes** visits London ahead of the release for a couple of headline shows. **Don’t Panic** caught up with her beforehand for a quick chat about Goths and stuff.*

**Why did you decide to record under the name Grimes? Does it have a special meaning?**

That’s confidential!

**Haha, OK. What artists influenced you the most growing up? Are your parents musical at all?**

My mother doesn’t really like music at all, but my dad’s pretty musical. He really got me into R&B and stuff. He loves TLC and George Michael and stuff like that, which I would say I’m heavily influenced by. Other than that it was mostly like Tool, Skinny Puppy, bands like that.

**I feel like if a new female artist is even slightly off-kilter or a bit weird she is compared to Kate Bush. Was she an influence for you? How do you feel about the comparison?**

I really respect Kate Bush but I don’t think I have too much in common with her. I feel like comparisons like that exist because there aren’t nearly as many experimental female musicians, so Kate Bush is easy to pick out. She was never an influence, I heard of her because of comparisons but I do see a lot in common between us, at least in the sense that we both approach pop music from a weird place.

**In the same way, I feel like anyone who has worn double black in a video or photoshoot and is unconventional, is described as Goth Pop or something. How do you feel about Goths? Is it a genuine influence?**

Well, I really think that a lot of people in my age group were heavily influenced by Goth music/style when they were younger, so I do think it is a genuine influence (at least for me - but I identified as a Goth for most of my teen-hood). Sometimes it’s kind of silly that it’s become so fashionable, but I’m glad that kind of aesthetic can see the light of day because I do think it’s really cool and it would be sad if it weren’t revived. And honestly, I think it’s really been refined, a lot of that stuff looks and sounds a lot better than it did in the 90s.

**It must be even more daunting for young solo artists who are used to composing/making music without a band to go out on the road for the first time. How do you prepare for live shows? Do you find it easy to perform live on your own?**

I find it a bit difficult to perform live on my own. When I can, I use a drummer and in the future I’d like singers and stuff. It’s pretty weird preparing for shows, trying to turn recordings into a live song (I feel like most people do the opposite). But it’s been a really great challenge to take on.

**How was your experience of opening up for Lykke Li? Looking at videos from those performances you seem to have picked up a lot of new listeners from that tour. How did you find playing for an audience that hadn’t necessarily come to see you?**

The Lykke Li audiences were super, super accepting and loving. It was a really incredible boost for me, self-esteem wise and also just as a performer. I feel like after playing to that many people, I’d be pretty hard pressed to be intimidated at a show. But yeah, she was really nice and cool, I feel like I learned a lot from her.

**Are you looking forward to your headline shows in London? Have you visited here much in the past?**

My only real experience in Western Europe was when I came over for a single day to play the Dazed Festival and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done and I *really* want to come back. So yeah I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also nervous.

**London label No Pain in Pop are reissuing *Geidi Primes* on August 8th here, how did that come about?**

I think Tom from No Pain in Pop met my manager in New York at a show I was playing and things just kind of unfolded. I’m really excited to be doing it with them though, and it’s nice that that release will see the light a bit.

**You directed the (great) video for ‘Vanessa’, was that a first time experience? Something you’d like to do more of?**

Thanks. It was my first time doing that, but the guy who shot it (Jon Londono) helped me out a lot. But it’s something I plan on doing more of for sure and it was really, really fun.

**How do you feel the imagery surrounding a release adds to the listening experience? I read that you’re an artist too, is it important for you to control/create your visual identity?**

I think the visual aspect of a sound is extremely important, and I work hard on that part of Grimes. I think in terms of marketing it’s extremely beneficial, but more importantly it rounds out the concept of a song. When I write music I always have music videos in my head (none of them really ever get made) - but I think a lot about what I’m going to do visually.

**Literature seems to have helped shape a lot of your work. What are you reading at the moment?**

I’m not really reading literature at the moment, mostly essays, non-fiction and stuff. I brought this Noam Chomsky book on tour, but it’s pretty dense I fall asleep a lot when I’m reading it.

**Are you working on any new projects we’ll see in the near future?**

I’m working on a new full-length, it’ll probably be out in January and then I hope to tour and also release a vocal a capella album and make exclusive tracks for a bunch of producers I love and see what they do with it.

*Grimes plays Club Mofo at Corsica Studios, Elephant and Castle, on Friday 5th August with Creep (NYC) DJs before embarking on a UK tour with How to Dress Well. Check her website to hear more.*

Written by Beck Rosoman

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