And who are your inspirations from a musical perspective?
Right now its probably the Sun Studio artists like Roy Orbison, Elvis and The Everly Brothers and a lot of sixty eight garage rock psychedelic music then a lot of Burt Bacharach. Am also a fan of eighties more on the romantic side like Slade, The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen.
In recent months the UK has had an influx of female singer/songwriters what sets you apart from the rest?
Probably that I write my own music, no offence, this is something that I have always done, even though I bring a tradition of fifties, sixties and seventies music more to the forefront, Im doing them in a way that isnt retro revivalism its just a continuation of a good rock and roll tradition. I consider myself more of a rock band than a diva.
Neptune City was produced by Tore Johansson, who has worked with The Cardigans and Franz Ferdinand, what was it like working with him?
Very funny he is an odd man. We would fight a lot because when I would bring the songs in I thought they were completely done so we would sit in a room for five or six hours, until I was about to jump out of the window, then he would be like ok I think we have it and he would be wearing karate pants, I just wanted to burn them.
But it was cool because we both come from a very similar music aesthetic, we both like things that are really creepy that are juxtaposed by really beautiful, we pushed each other to think outside of our boundaries. When I thought I was done he would just be like this is the worst song that you have ever written, and Id think it was the best song and then things I thought he was wrong on I fight with him enough until he realised he was wrong.
It was the pushing of each other but it was cool because he wasnt fancy he was very into like dreams, more like on the lucid and emotional side of living, thats how I am so it was cool to work with somebody like that .
How did you find the recording process of your debut album?
it was kind of like a mix of really great musical highs but personally it was the Swedish winter so it was very depressing. I was all by myself (laughs) so it was lots of scotch and just getting involved with the record.
Away from music you studied illustration and you have your own mural business how do they impact on your music?
Well I dont have the mural business anymore; I guess we have got quite popular in New Jersey so I would probably get locked in someones closet. The business was more of a way to make money in art it wasnt very artistic I would paint of a lot of Italian restaurants and lighthouses and peoples houses.
My own art work, my comics, they inspire my songs because the way I was taught art in school was instead of drawing a woman in a field you would take into consideration what the air smelt like and what the ground felt like, what colour the leaves were and how they felt, so it was very sensory and when I write lyrics I take all that into consideration because I want people to step into my songs rather than just hear it.
You have been tipped by Rolling stone as one of the ten artists to watch this year how much pressure does that put you under, if any?
None at all I just thought it was cool I will get to show my grandkids that grandma was in Rolling Stone once.
Finally what is next for you?
We are going to be doing a bunch of summer festivals, we are on the West coast with Chris Issak, we are doing some festivals out here, we are doing the Wireless Festival then we will probably come back over here in the fall for another tour.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw