![\"\"](\"\/beta\/\/media.wonderlandmagazine.com\/uploads\/2011\/06\/JBe592-01.jpg\" "\\"Little")
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The UK\u2019s favourite synth-pop princess Little Boots on Jamie Cullum, Phil Oakey and \u201cthat horrible little child off X-Factor.\u201d
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For anyone who has been living under a rock for the last year, a quick skip through the Little Boots phenomenon so far\u2026 Classically trained pianist Victoria Hesketh grew up in Blackpool. The 25-year-old cut her teeth singing jazz at wedding receptions, jamming in a punk band that only covered Blink-182 songs, plucking a harp in a prog-rock outfit and, dressed as a Blues Brother, performing “Gimme Some Lovin\u2019” to Belgian tourists. Early flirtations with fame include a failed bid for Pop Idol<\/em> at the age of 16 \u2013 \u201cI sang Nina Simone\u2019s “Birds Flying High” to a producer in a hotel room, he said no, I cried and went home\u201d; and as a former member of the almost-ran indie band Dead Disco. Her best friend started calling her Little Boots after seeing the film Caligula<\/em> \u2013 the Roman Emperor\u2019s name is Latin for Little Boots; \u201cI guess because I\u2019m pretty small and wear boots a lot!\u201d In February 2008 she started appearing on YouTube \u2013 sat in pyjamas on her bed with a keyboard \u2013 doing cover versions of everything from Girls Aloud to Joni Mitchell. Within a year she\u2019d appeared on Later\u2026 With Jools Holland<\/em>, signed to EMI, topped the BBC\u2019s Sound of 2009 poll and, most recently, narrowly missed out on the Critics\u2019 Choice Award at the BRITs. With her debut album due out this summer, it\u2019s odds-on that the best is yet to come\u2026<\/p>\n Describe your music in five words?<\/strong> What was the first record you bought?<\/strong> What was the best Blackpool nightclub from your teen years?<\/strong> What’s your favourite YouTube cover you’ve done? <\/strong> Worst gig to date? <\/strong> What was your thesis on Jamie Cullum all about?<\/strong> Which artist would you most like to collaborate with?<\/strong> Singer you\u2019d most like to hit?<\/strong> If you could teach the world to sing… which song would it be?<\/strong> Photography: Jon Bergman A full version of this article first appeared in<\/em> Wonderland #18, Apr\/May 2009<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The UK\u2019s favourite synth-pop princess Little Boots on Jamie Cullum, Phil Oakey and \u201cthat horrible little child off X-Factor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9419],"tags":[199,181,196,116,198,197,148],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nElectronic. Melodic. Escapist. Kinda Disturbing. Futuristic. Is that five?<\/p>\n
\nTake That was the first album I bought out of my own pocket. Pretty good. I don\u2019t have it anymore. It was on cassette. The first record I was bought was Kylie Minogue Locomotion<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\nThere were only two vaguely alternative clubs. One was a goth club, which I didn\u2019t go to. The other was kind of indie. It was called Jokes and I loved it. I used to go every bloody weekend. They used to play Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin and stuff like that. I bet I\u2019d still love it now.<\/p>\n
\nI really like the one of Wiley\u2019s “Wearin\u2019 My Rolex.” It was a challenge from a friend who didn\u2019t think I\u2019d do it. It\u2019s really funny, I sing it wrong because I thought it was \u2018babble\u2019 not \u2018bubble\u2019 \u2013 it makes me sound southern. I had a bad cold that day anyway. I started doing them as a joke but people just started emailing requests and it snowballed. I\u2019d like to do one of “Bizarre Love Triangle” by Depeche Mode. Is it Depeche Mode? No, New Order. I might do that next when I have time.<\/p>\n
\nAs Little Boots? One I did in Newcastle \u2013 nobody turned up. I guess doing things like The Blues Brothers in a Belgian theme park is pretty up there. But that was character building. It was a 30-piece big band and we\u2019d do a medley \u2013 everyone wearing shades. I had some very embarrassing dance moves\u2026 I hope there isn\u2019t any video evidence out there! But if you can get up in front of a bunch of tourists in a stupid outfit and do that, then you can get up in front of anybody. <\/p>\n
\nI didn\u2019t write a whole thesis on him. I mentioned him in it. It was to do with how he covers someone like Radiohead in what\u2019s supposed to be a jazz style. Jazz is supposed to be about improvisation and spontaneity\u2026 he just comodifies those elements and turns it into this packaged version of jazz. That was my point really.<\/p>\n
\nPhil Oakey from The Human League. I\u2019m a massive fan \u2013 they\u2019re great. Their record Dare<\/em> is just brilliant.<\/p>\n
\nThat\u2019s a bitchy one\u2026 Eoghan Quigg, that horrible little child off X-Factor. He\u2019s like a man-boy with a baby-face grafted on. But I wouldn\u2019t want to actually physically hurt him because his big stupid squidgy face would look at me and I\u2019d feel bad. But I\u2019d like to stop him singing.
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\nWithout music where would you be?<\/strong>
\nGardening. I\u2019ve got a garden in London now! I\u2019m not really into flowers. I love growing vegetables. I like the whole process from seed to edible produce. It\u2019s like you grow this thing and it becomes a part of you.<\/p>\n
\n“Mirrorman” by The Human League. That\u2019s my answer today\u2026 it\u2019ll change tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\nWords: Will Alderwick<\/p>\n