Tallulah

Name, where are you from?
Tallulah, South-East London.

Describe your style in three words?
Eclectic, messy and clashy.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
I actually haven’t been to that many gigs, I like watching big full show performances a lot. I saw Britney Spears on her Circus tour - it was pretty epic.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
So I’m thinking about this in a sense of who I think my music would make sense musically to be on a line up with - Eurythmics and Everything But The Girl.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Riot Grrrl.
80’s London Punk.
Early 90’s New York Club Kids.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Robert Mapplethorpe - I just feel like we’d be friends. I guess if we were hanging out back then like 1975 Patti Smith would be playing us something she’d just written for 'Horses'.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
I haven’t played many shows yet but I did my first headline show just over a month ago now, at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington. All my friends came and some of my family so it was super nice - the stage was a pretty tight squeeze with me and my band on but that was quite sweet really it was all very intimate.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill - Kathleen Hanna was the pioneer of the Riot Grrrl movement. Riot Grrrl started as a subcultural movement that combined feminist consciousness, punk style and politics. At the time Kathleen had also started her first band Bikini Kill.

The first track you played on repeat?
I was like 10 or something when Alicia Keys released ‘The Diary of Alicia Keys’ album. I learnt every single word to every track and I loved singing those songs, so they were always on repeat.

A song that defines the teenage you?
‘Nineteen’ by Tegan and Sara -  When I was like 14 I loved that song so much, I used to listen to it on repeat in my room. I had this idea that being 19 would be so cool - I got the lyric "I was nineteen" from the song tattooed on my wrist on my 19th birthday haha. Pretty lame now, but that song makes me feel so nostalgic over the 14-year-old me.

One record you would keep forever?
‘Only You’ by Alison Moyet/Yazoo. 
It’s the first song I learnt to sing cause my Dad taught me it when all the other girls my age were singing songs from Ariel at the time. It reminds me of being nervous and feeling different.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
I’ve got the Ace of Base lyrics "Just laying on the beach and having fun" from the song ‘All That She Wants’ tattooed on my thigh. I mean I wouldn’t say that was necessarily inspiring but I love it.
But some lyrics I do find inspiring/just love:
"I am on a lonely road and I am travelling, looking for the key to set me free" from ‘All I Want’ by Joni Mitchell.
"Every night before I rest my head, I see those dollar bills go swirling round my bed" from ‘Free Money’ by Patti Smith.
and my top choice "I want to be the girl with the most cake" from ‘Doll Parts’ by Hole.

The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ by Whitney Houston.

A song you wished you had written?
‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper.

Best song to turn up loud?
‘What’s Up' by 4 Non Blondes.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
‘Look What You Made Me Do’ by Taylor Swift.
One of my mates is working on her tour at the moment a got me a ticket for her Wembley show. She. was. SICK.

Best song to end an all-nighter on?
‘Coffee’ by Sylvan Esso.
It's chill enough to start thinking about wrapping it up, but still happy so the end of the night blues don’t kick in.

Any new bands you are listening to right now?
‘Graceland’ by Das Body.
‘One Specific Thing’ by Sugar Cane.
‘Fall In Love’ by FADE.
‘Darker Shade Of Green’ by Charles.
‘Pure Shade’ by Ezra Collective.