aaamusic | On 20, Apr 2011

AAAMusic chatted with the lovely Lotte Mullan about nail varnish and her passion for music.

AAAMusic: I can finally talk to a girl of my age! So let’s start with this: favourite nail varnish?

Lotte Mullan: Ooh hello! My little sister got me some urban Decay colourful ones for Xmas and they’re really fun (need two layers though!).

AAAMusic: Obviously Ii won’t ask you only about make up! Let’s talk a bit about yourself: when did you start composing?

LM: Oh, I was quite up for that….I do like the word “composing’ – not sure I’ve ever done it though!…I began writing rambled thoughts on scraps of paper when I was about 5….and then I decided I wanted to make noise so I combined telling stories with stomping around on the piano – my poor mother!…

AAAMusic: Your voice is really beautiful and mellow: did you take singing lessons?

LM:I took some lessons with the wonderful Rock Goddess Nikki Lamborn after suffering from Nodules (blisters on the vocal chords caused by Tom waits impersonations) – and she practically saved my life. Nikki helped me find my own voice that is just there naturally rather than my rock ‘n roll impersonations which looking back seem very funny/stupid!

AAAMusic: I read you like every music genres, but if you could only pick one, which one would it be?

LM:Oh!….that’s painful!…Can I say Roots and then it includes Blues, folk and Country?!

AAAMusic: What song do you wish you’d wrote?

LM:Jolene by Dolly Parton

AAAMusic: You went from rave parties to Beth Orton: how would you describe these two phases of your life?

LM:Going up and coming down

AAAMusic: Your debut album is about to be released, can you describe it for us? How personal is it?

LM:It’s called ‘Plain Jane’ and it’s about championing the underdog, Triumph in adversity, sometimes there’s just the adversity – it soundtracks my awkward teenage years of first dance/kiss/love/hearbreak – pretty personal but I’m a story teller and would never let the truth get in the way of a good song.

AAAMusic: Do you use music as therapy, to free yourself?

LM:I’m afraid I do….I try to pick the interesting bits for you though and leave the dross locked away in a drawer for my Grandchildren to discover in years to come.

AAAMusic: You already received great reviews for the album: do these raise the pressure levels?

LM:No I love it! …sometimes comparisons are frustrating but I am a girl with a guitar and I realize some people see this as all defining – if they could they’d call it tit genre.

AAAMusic: With whom would you like to duet?

LM:Dolly Parton’s the only one for me.

AAAMusic: Have you ever considered trying your luck on the X-factor?

LM:NO!….NO!….NO! It’s bollocks….but if they want to cover one of my tunes for this year’s Xmas number 1 then tell Simon to give me a call.

AAAMusic: Can you spare any advice?

LM:Hmmm…”you can’t eat Credibility” has got me through thus far (on my way to the chippy).  Also get up early and write songs before people start calling you – otherwise it’s the first thing to go when you’re so busy trying to ‘make it’.

AAAMusic: Tour plans for the summer?

LM:Setting off in May around the UK and doing as many festivals as I can too – festival season’s my favourite – you can get away with all sorts as the normal rules of life just don’t apply!…See you there.

Author: Roberta Capuano