Any words for your fans in Kingston who made it out to see you at Banquet Records?
“They’re the only reason that I’m still able to carry on doing this. A lot of the industry didn’t get me for a long time and it was mainly people coming to gigs that made people open their eyes and come and have a look at me. Without the fans support, I’d probably just be an accountant.”
How can KU music students make it to the big time?
“The main thing is just writing songs. If you can write really great songs that people can relate to, want to listen to, and that makes them feel something. Even if it makes them feel like they just wanna go out and party and get drunk, that’s not my type of music, but any kind of music that makes someone feel a mood is good. Keep writing; it’s easy to feel like you’re not going anywhere and you need to give up. Carrying on is the key.”
Did you ever think about giving up?
“There were so many occasions. I only got signed a couple of months ago. The last five years I’ve been playing and playing and playing and thinking it was never going to happen. Even if nothing happens from now, the achievement of actually getting a CD in shops is something in itself that I thought would never actually happen.”
I saw you having a cup of tea and some Jaffa Cakes before the gig, is that the secret to a beautiful voice?
“I’m not sure what the secret is really. There’s different secrets. Talking of Jaffa Cakes, I actually stay off dairy most of the day and then I go mad on it at night by drinking pints of milk; downing it at the end of a gig.”
How was Bestival this summer?
“Bestival was really good. I feel like I always get booked really late, and then they’re like “alright, let’s get Lucy in,” two weeks before. But Bestival was insane. I did a thing with Rob da Bank a few weeks before and I was clashing with Sigur Ros. I’m obsessed with Sigur Ros so Rob moved my stage time for me, what an absolute legend! Bestival was one of my favourites this summer for sure.
I’ve sort of always loved festivals or hated them, they go one way or the other. Either insanely epic and amazing or a total plummet disaster. Bestival in 2003 was the muddiest festival I’ve ever been to. We were loading in a foot of mud, carrying amps, trying to carry them above the mud. It was insane. Everyone was just so muddy and drunk, it was just amazing.”
Prefer festivals or the more intimate gigs?
“They’re completely different things. At festivals I was more nervous when we started out because I wasn’t really sure how it was gonna go down and I’d gone from doing really intimate shows to raucous crowds. But after a long festival season that was really special to be back in a smaller space with 100 people squashed in a room together listening to music. It was really, really special.”
Any more albums coming out soon?
“I hope so. I wish I was back in the studio and writing, that’d be a dream. I’ve got some touring, I’m not too sure what the future has to hold just yet, just lots of touring until Christmas. Glastonbury next year, fingers crossed. I doubt it though, I think they’ve already started making bookings.”
You’re skyrocketing up the iTunes chart. Is this the last we’ll see of you in Kingston?
“I doubt it. I might be up there now but I’ll be quickly heading down. I’m not a massive optimist. Whatever happens I prefer playing smaller venues so hopefully it’ll stay that way.”