Page 9 - Black Velvet Issue 88

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commissioning the same anti-poor TV series like I’m a director in the record label Boogooyama ians are very into their music to a high level.”
Benefits Street. I mean… really? How did you that puts out Skunk Anansie’s records. I’ve got Being on the show helped widen Skin’s
find those people? You found those people to be a lot of experience and I think that in that situa- knowledge of music. She says, “It was interest-
sensational and then suddenly everybody thinks tion, the X Factor situation, it’s a brand new ing to get into the mainstream kind of Kurt Rus-
that everyone’s like the scum that are on that TV model. In England, when I was growing up, I sell side of music because I didn’t really listen to
show. Well, actually, no… People are living on used to watch New Faces. That was still going that kind of music. From my show, there were a
the breadline and couple of girls
they’re really suffer- where that was
ing and it’s really their world. I had
difficult. They’re not one really inter-
all there to sponge esting indie artist,
benefits off the tax one artist that
payers.” was much more
weird, and then
n ‘Bullets’ another artist that
ISkin sings, was a main-
‘When you think stream pop girl,
about your life, so it kind of
think about the life widened my
you want to save’. knowledge in that
So what does she way as this was
think when she music that I
thinks about her hadn’t really stud-
own life? ied before. And I
“Individually, thought it was in-
the reason I got into teresting because
rock music, the rea- I’ve always liked
son I chose this as pop music and
a lifetime career, is I’ve got lots of
because I wanted guilty pleasures
to do something dif- whether it’s
ferent with my life,” Bruno Mars or
she says. “I think Katy Perry, so
when you get into that was really in-
rock music, you make that your career, it’s be- on when I was a little, tiny kid, so we’ve had this teresting to get into that. I do think we’ve got
cause you want the alternative to the 9-5 job ex- kind of thing going on in England, talent shows, some very strong female pop stars right now
istence. 9-5 job, marriage and 2 kids. You just for a very long time. I had a lot of fun with it. If who are very much in control of their stuff, who
think to yourself, “I don’t want to do that.” So for I’m really, plainly honest, I think that anyone who are really making their own money, and are writ-
me, my life has always just been about “How goes into these competitions knows really ing their own stuff in a very un-puppeteered kind
can I do what I want and aim for contentment clearly what can or might not happen to them. of way. So that was interesting. But for me, to be
but still be able to have the things that I want They know that potentially they could become honest, I see what I did on X Factor and that
materialistically and emotionally?” You decided the biggest star. But what’s likely going to hap- whole thing very separately from everything else
to do that as a journalist, you could have done pen is they’ll probably get a lot of marketing and I do. In the same way I made a film – I’m an ac-
lots of things I guess, because you need a cer- a lot of weight put behind them while they’re on tress in a film and that’s coming out this year.
tain amount of intelligence to be a good writer, the TV show but if they don’t win or if they don’t And I’m a techno DJ which is a very under-
to be in a position where you can interview cer- make a mark they’re just going to disappear af- ground punk kind of world. I see all of that quite
tain people, at a certain level, and it’s because terwards. Anyone that doesn’t know that now is separately. I see myself quite separately within
you want to do something different with your life. a fucking idiot. And I do think there’s a certain those different roles. It helped Skunk Anansie in
You don’t want to just chop along with the type of artist that goes into these TV shows. many ways. We were already a huge band in
masses, you know? You want something edgy, You’re not going to find Thom Yorke on X Factor. Italy and now we’re a mega-huge band in Italy
something different, something exciting, inter- You’re not going to find that kind of character. so that doesn’t hurt, if I’m really honest. I think
esting, and for me, that’s what I want. And for It’s much more mainstream, it’s much more Skunk Anansie are Skunk Anansie. I’m not just
me, being in a rock band is a way to do the stuff commercial. For me, it’s one way to become Skunk Anansie, I’m just part of that huge, mas-
that I love; to play rock music, write rock music, successful as an artist, there’s one way to get sive thing that goes on there.”
sing rock music, but to be successful enough discovered. I discovered a couple of girls on the Skin doesn’t see herself being on X Factor
that I only have to worry about doing this, I could show that I thought were absolutely amazing forever. “I think it’s something that you do for a
live off being the lead singer of Skunk Anansie if and if it wasn’t for X Factor no-one would know couple of years and then get out of,” she says.
I wanted to, which fills me with contentment and that they existed. One girl in particular was from “For me, the root of my soul is Skunk Anansie
that’s what I’m aiming for. I’m not aiming for hap- a very, very poor background and there was no and whatever else I do I always go back to
piness. Happiness comes in spikes and when way someone was going to find her just naturally Skunk Anansie and that always has priority. It’s
I’m happy, I’m in the moment, I don’t want to sit but she got found on X Factor so it’s kind of like, a TV show and I don’t want to become like an
down and write about it. But most of the time I it’s a journey for working class people in some Eastender doing the same role for the next 30
have an underlying contentment that, at my age, ways, to get discovered. I think now, unless years.”
my band’s been around a long time, it’s still you’ve got a bit of money, it’s really difficult to af-
going really strong and people are still excited ford to do anything of the arts. You don’t get ith one of the band’s most well known
about it and interested about it. That’s a really grants for it, you have to pay thousands of Wsingles being ‘All I Want’, Black Velvet
true success, isn’t it? That’s kind of what you money to become an artist or become a singer ends by asking Skin what she wants now. She
want to do with your life, just be able to do what or whatever. You have to go to some school. It’s replies, “I’m really into branching out and doing
you want to do, feel free about it, relax about it, very difficult to get discovered the way that different things really. I’m really into developing
set your own timetable, set your own calendar Skunk Anansie got discovered. So I think it’s an other parts of my character. The last two years I
and make some money.” interesting sideshow to the music industry. And was in a very restrictive relationship that in some
I had fun with it, I think it was good for me to do ways held me back and now I just feel very free
ver the last few years Skin has something completely different with my life. And and I feel very selfish in many ways that I just
Obranched out. She has many strings to you’ve got to remember that the Italian X Factor want to try different things. I’m really into saying
her bow, one of the more recent included joining is nothing like the English one. They have rock ‘yes’ to stuff right now and I think it’s really ex-
the judging panel on X Factor Italy in 2015. Skin bands on the Italian X Factor, the first in the panding my horizons.”
explains, “I’ve got 26 years experience in the world to have rock bands. And all of the judges Visit www.skunkanansie.net for more info
music business. I’ve been in a band, I’m a solo play guitar so they’re all musicians or artists.
artist, I’m a techno DJ, I play rock music, I play There are no TV presenters or radio presenters. Words By Shari Black Velvet
techno music, I’ve got a production company, So that evokes a very different kind of show. Ital-
SKUNK ANANSIE