Lopez Blogs

Let's face it. The final quarter of 2010 on my blog has been dominated by the X-Factor. As has British pop culture. it's not just a talent show any more - it's a genuine talking point phenomenon. Normally, I'm fixated only on the finalists and while they certainly entertained me during the live shows this year, more than ever before I had a tinge of sadness that one group in particular hadn't made it to the live shows. Princes and Rogues. They seemed to sparkle together from their first audition until they were told at Judge's Houses they were going no further.

But hurrah! Rather than let doom and gloom kick in, the fearless fivesome set about honing their skills, performing up and down the country, doing some quite charming youtube videos of songs, being quite prolific and interactive with their burgeoning fanbase and essentially working their little socks off to ensure continued success. What I really like about Prince & Rogues is that they all seem such charming fellas, they have harmonies to die for and a style that is both totally accessible and utterly quirky. Added to all this an unashamed love of pop music (none of this "oh i want to be doing thrash metal really" nonsense) which shines through in their choice of cover versions and it all adds up to a winning combination. I'm hopeful that they will be recording some tunes soon - I'd be thrilled to take one of their songs to premiere on the Larry Flick radio show... But for now, here is a chat with the very lovely, very charm the pants off you P&R...

Let's get the obvious questions out the way first - how did you five boys come together?

Jonny and Cameron had separate ideas that they both wanted to enter x factor as a band. Cameron and Jonny had known each other for about 5 years after meeting at other band auditions. Jonny put on his status on facebook about putting a band together, Cameron then messaged him saying he wanted to do it. They met in London to discuss what kind of band and how they should go about it. After some failed auditions held by Jonny to find members, Cameron knew Dave, Dave knew Ashley and Ashley knew Derek. So by degrees of separation we all formed through friends of friends.

Any regrets in doing the x-factor? How do you think you will use the platform of the show to succeed where others have failed?

No regrets at all. Our only regret is we didn't enter sooner. People complain about not getting through and its a fix etc etc. But after spending time with Cher, Matt, Rebecca at Bootcamp and then One direction at judges houses, it was amazing to sit at home and really watch there lifes change. They were all normal people like us at Bootcamp, hoping that they were going to be chosen. Watching Matt win was so emotional. Especially after him snoring so loud one night at Bootcamp, Derek did not get any sleep! (because there are 5 of us, one of us had to share rooms with another contestant at Bootcamp.) Amazing things really can happen to normal people. After getting to judges houses people become bitter about not being chosen for the final and they forget what an achievement it was to get there in the first place! All we want to do is entertain and of course we would have loved to do it on live tv every week but its not the only place to do it. We have the whole world to explore!!!. When we got back from judges houses we didn't waste a second, we had photos done, a great booking agent secured and gigs up and down the country performing at most of the same venues the finalist perform at anyway.

What do you think of Wagner progressing so far in the competition when groups like yourselves weren't given the opportunity?

Well you do have to remember its not only a Talent show but a TV show as well and he did make great TV. We never really thought of him as taking our place as he was not in our category. Perhaps we might have felt different if we had been in the Live shows with him.

How have all the Christmas lights performances been going? What is your favourite so far?

They have been great fun, we love any gig we do. Warrington lights stands out to us as all as the staff and acts were brilliant. We also got to perform along side Treyc Cohen, so it was nice to see her again and catch up. Cambridge lights was also amazing, did you know it is known as the 'Geeky' city?as you can imagine we fitted right in there,lol.

I did not know that! And talking of geeky cities, you've really honed the geek chic style look and yet made it quite individual among yourselves. Did you consciously come up with a cohesive image together or did it just naturally happen? Where's your favourite places to get your clothes? How come Ashley looks so good in a bow tie and yet i look like my great uncle Leonard?

We took the idea and ran with it when Simon Cowell said at our first audition 'It was a bit geeky'. He knows what he is talking about so we took his advice. We scoured our own wardrobes as well as, charity shops, vintage shops and the high street. When we starting looking we saw that 'Geek Chic' was everywhere! Ashley is our main Geek Chicer, he helps a lot with the styling and has a great eye for a bargain. Most of the bow ties you see only cost about £2 from Camden!

I so need to go shopping with you! Will the theme of your look carry forward to any music you are recording? I see you going with an 80s geeky vibe to your tunes but could be completely wrong...

We want to make big epic songs with live instruments but with that 80's electro pop element. People like The Hurts, Mika, Alphabeat and Frankie goes to Hollywood all do this. Also most noticeably Take That's new album which has every different type of style on it rolled into one. We also love the strong backing vocals of Glee. They really make the backing vocals stand out rather than fade into the background which is great for a band like us. So we want to make some great 'Geek Chic' classic pop tunes. The kind of song that no matter who sang it you don't mind having it stuck in your head.

That would be magnificent. if you could hurry along with that i'd be most grateful :P Especially as you've done some acapella video cover versions on Youtube - most noticeably Relax, Video Killed The Radio Star and a gorgeous version of Red. How did you choose those songs? Who arranges your harmonies?

Cameron and Jonny firstly arrange the songs. Then as a group we get together and work through them, either adding things or taking away things that don't work. Relax was actually the first song we performed at Judges houses which they didn't show on the Television. We choose the songs as we love the 80's fun vibe they had and with red it shows of our harmonys and that we can be serious...sometimes!

How are you different from a typical boyband?

Were kind of like 'The Inbetweeners' of boybands! We have decided we are not a boyband and not a manband. I think we differ as all 5 of us can sing, a lot of emphasis goes on our strong harmonys and quirky image. Were not trying hard to fit into the generic category of ' We're a boyband and we have to be really cool' We are just being ourselves which is a bit geek and a bit chic! We all know everyone has an inner geek....Even Simon Cowell! We have just decided to embrace it!

"Kind of like "The Inbetweeners" of boybands! Just don't work some of their vocabulary into your songs!! So working together as a group, are you like those naughty rascals - do you get up to any mischief on the road? Did you really trash Simon's house? (And were you disappointed Sinitta wasn't in her leaves this year...)

Lots of mischief, dont forget there is a Rougue in each one of us as well as the Prince. Some things we can never reveal..But we have fraped davo, we wrote on his status that he was going to be a father. He started getting texts saying congratulation. Some from family in Dubai and OZ! There person who was most confused was his GF Marriane who called from Holland to ask what was going on. As our gigs are all over, we stay in lots of different hotels, 'knock door run' is good in hotels because whoever is at the back usually gets caught!

Ok here's the exclusive, Here is the story behind wrecking Simons house! There was no drinking and no partying BUT, it was Jonny who ruined the 15 Thousand Pound rug...Basically we had been filming in the sea, messing around having fun and all the contestants had access to one room in the house. We were the last band to get filmed so everyone had been walking in and out over the rug so it was a bit damp already. Because we were the only band to actually throw ourselves in the sea we were soaking wet. We were all getting changed when Jonny dropped his swimmers and half of the sea bed feel out on the rug. Loads of muck and stones. That's when the picture got taken by 'The sun' when they had laid it outside to get cleaned and dry off! So we are sure it's ok now. Sinitta rocked her catsuit this year so we were not to disappointed.

Who has the worst habits and how long do you think you can put up with them for?!

Recently we stayed at Jonnys house in Clitheroe, we were all sitting when his dogs came over and starting licking his feet. He actually lets them get right in between his toes. We cant actually talk about it for too long as it makes us feel sick.

I think I just tasted my lunch again actually hearing that :P Who's who in the band, character wise? (e.g. joker, serious, dog licking one, etc)

Derek- The Random one
David- The Dizzy one
Ashley- The Sensitive one
Jonny- The Mad one
Cameron- The Sensible one

Johnny - is it true you were in Avenue? Did you sing on Set Your Body Free? One of the greatest unreleased pop tunes of the new millennium! What are your memories of your time in that band?

Yes its all true,lol.I had an amazing time in Avenue.We worked so so hard and every time we had a knock back we just grew stronger as a unit and managed to achieve things we didnt think possible.We also managed to record some amazing songs ie. "Set Your Body Free",it was a TUNE!!!!!!!!!i recently found a video on Youtube of Brian Freeman choreographing at a dance seminar to our song.You need to check it out,the kids are amazing dancers.

Derek - will you be returning to Ireland for Christmas or do you think you will stay in London? What are everyone's plans for the festive season?

We are all going to have 2 weeks off over Christmas. Derek will be back in Ireland for Christmas and spending new year in London. Cameron will be home in Scotland for both Christmas and New Year. Jonny, ash, David will be spending Christmas at home and New Year in London.

Have you had any interesting come ons from your female/male fans? What's the weirdest thing that's happened?

Well Diva Fever did take a fancy to Ashley! The weirdest thing I think is signing fans with permanent marker in some crazy places...

You can't really blame Diva Fever. He is quite 'the fox'. Finally, what are your goals for 2011?

its a secret,watch this space !!

A secret?! Outrageous! All that schmoozing and they remain tightlipped :P Well you can be sure that I'll be covering it here - thanks to all 5 boys for being so generous with their time and fun with their answers. Princes and Rogues, you are kings among men :)

About blinking time is what you are probably thinking. It has been a good 3-4 months since Darin released his Lovekiller single, the albums dropped and finally we have the video to go along with it! Blimey! Still, when the song is this good it doesn't so much matter that it's a bit behind schedule. Here's what is going on second by second in the Lovekiller video :)

• It's all dusky and misty outdoors, which is always a little bit mysterious - kind of like a pre-credits sequence from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I do love that there are a few bikes around. Europeans are so much better at cycling than Brits (most Brits)...
• Oh no! There are police cars all shining their lights onto a lifeless body. DRAMA! Plus, how do the batteries never run down on these police cars? It's incredible. I only have to leave my lights on for a minute after the engine is off and I get that whirry whirry sound. And i'm a hybrid!
• More and more cops/fuzz/whirley whirlies arrive at the scene (some in particularly cheap CSI jackets) and we finally see the Christ like pose of poor Darin lying there. How's he going to sing?
• (Ps, I am loving that this is all playing out like a film. I feel like I don't even have to go and see Saw 3D on Friday and I am reasonably assured that Darin is a much hotter leading bloke)
• Oh! That's how he sings (1m04s) - he looks quite creepy lying there singing without anything but his lips moving. And his head looks like it shouldn't bend that way. Having said all that, he certainly has more life in him than some of this year's X-Factor contestants, ho ho, etc.
• He gets up off the floor (ooo he's wearing braces/suspenders - I love a fella in braces/suspenders!) and not one of the so-called police crew seem to notice. How pointless is that training? OR! (God i'm quick) something supernatural is occuring because it's gone very white and ominous.
• Even Darin looks a little bit confused, but that doesn't stop him singing his little heart out (unless it's already been ripped out?) and oh! Nice bum shot at 1m57s. It's important to point these things out.
• Now there is some black smoke (how Lost) and Darin is looking in on another Darin who is sitting in a fairly sparse hotel type room. I am loving his boots btw (2m13s)...
• Following on from the boots shot, some woman comes up behind him in some weird attempt to recreate the Maroon 5 Hands All Over album cover. She gives his hair a good tug and goes for a lingering exposed throat shot (2m27s). How KatherineVampireDiaries of her...
• Ew. The dirty minx gives his throat a good licking (not a metaphor) and then we see a shiny knife (tempered steel no doubt) behind her back. It's not looking good and jacket off Darin behind the slats gives an impassioned (half hearted) "noooooo". He is right to look a bit upset. It's all gone a bit Dexter. Someone call the blood spatter expert!
• 2m35s RIP poor stabby Darin...
• There are a lot of gruesome shots of a bloody Darin (2m51s) as he runs through the red mists and then we are back in the park where he is unstabbed! How freaky (Friday)
• Darin runs into a church where stabby lady seems to be on trial for her crimes. She doesn't look too bothered, but does rock the Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan big-rimmed-hat-in-court look. I am also appreciating the link between court and religious judgement and Darin does a stunning crucifixion pose in front of a stained glass window (3m30s)...
• The case continues and all the people in the court-church get black eyes and chant along to the song. Perhaps there is some marketing genius in Darin releasing this late, but so close to Halloween.
• Oh! It's 4m plus now and everyone is on their feet and stabby lady has been found guilty of being a lovekiller (and probably an actual killer unless this is all some sort of metaphorical heartbreak fantasy dream). She's not so smug now is she?
• Darin is zipped up in his body bag, back to the opening shot and jobs a good un. The end. Marvelous.

A quick (and I mean quick) chat with the man (from Aug!)...


You're just about to release your fifth album in Sweden - most popstars release a greatest hits album at this point instead. Was there any temptation for you to do that? Or were you fixated on getting some new tunes out there?
There will probably be a greatest hits here in Sweden soon, but right now I wanted to release my new songs.

One track on the album is Can't Stop Love - which you performed at the Swedish Royal Wedding earlier this year. Such a great performance (love the bow tie!) - what was it like being part of such a huge event?
Thank you so much! I felt really honored to sing and write a song for the royal wedding, it’s a true story and i think that’s what makes it so strong.

Talking of big events, you've also competed in Melodifestivalen with another track on the album - You're Out of My Life. That contest is absolutely huge in Sweden right? What was that like? Is it fiercely competitive?
It’s the biggest show here in Sweden. I was really nervous of course, it was like a big challenge for me, i didn’t win, but it went really good. The only thing I tried to focuse on was to do my best.

Lovekiller seems such a huge anthemic song that could be massive across the world. Do you have any plans for going more global with your music?
Yes, that’s one of my goals, to release my music in more countries.

How succinct! What are your plans with this album - will you have more singles from it? Any tours?
Yes, I think I will release more singles from it, but i haven’t decided which ones yet, and I will probably go on tour again soon.

Your last album flashback was in 2008. It seemed somewhat ahead of it's time really - 6 months on from its release and everyone was mimicking that solid club-pop sound, none more so than Lady Gaga. Was the sound of the album something you consciously went for or something that evolved as you were making it? It felt like that album could have been massive internationally...
Thanks, yes I wanted that type of sound for the Flashback album, something that felt new and futuristic in a club/pop-r&B/electro way, it was what I was aiming for.

You got your big break on Swedish Idol and more than any other alumni I know you've been incredibly loyal to your Idol roots - you did Viva La Vida last year and have contributed an album track to the preview advertisements for this years show. I guess you are quite fond/proud of your Idol heritage? Any thoughts?
Yes, that’s what started my career in Sweden so that’s something I’m proud of, so I collaborate with the show a lot.

Sweden seems to be the one place where solid male pop is as prevelant as the massive female stars - you have Mans, Danny, Ola and now Eric Saade. You could create your own EMD supergroup - Eric, Mans, Darin! is there a pop community where you all know each other or is it just when you run into each other at events? Also, do you think there is a reason that male popstars have more success in Sweden than say currently in the UK?
It’s just when I run into them on events etc. I actually don’t know.

Right - thanks for answering that! I'm a huge fan so this opportunity to chat has been great. Any parting shots?!
Thanks for the nice chat and hope to see you soon in the UK!

I love it when the questions are longer than the answers!! Back soon with boyband and more christmas! EEP!

The Candle Thieves have quietly sprung up as one of the most charming and delightful purveyors of pop goodness that this year has seen. They manage to create wonderfully chirpy sounding tunes and then mirror this with sadness-tinged lyrics. It's never a depressing listen though and overall optimism and joi de vivre wins out. Check out my album review here and my review of their most recent EP "Happiness Blues" here. I'm also delighted that they are getting such amazing press at Entertainment Focus, Glasswerk, Allgigs, Virgin RedRoom and There Goes The Fear. Aceballs. I'm definitely hoping to catch them when they hit Birmingham later this year with Badly Drawn Boy... Here's my quick chat with the lads :)

Hello gentlemen. What is the very worst first interview question you have ever been asked? Or are you still waiting for that to happen...?!

Scott: Hey! Ha ha definitely not that, that's the best!

You've been described as "the UK Beach Boys", "the next big thing" and "your new favourite band" (which I'm sure you'll agree, there are worse things to be described as)... how would you describe the band and each other?

Scott: They really are lovely things to be described as, but we would never in a million years even slightly suggest in any way ever in the history of the world that we were anywhere near as good as The Beach Boys. I think describing ourselves is a tough one but a really good question. Sometimes you can actually be criticised for things like that. "The Candle Thieves are not as good as The Beatles!!". And you'll be sitting there wanting to scream "I know we're not!!". Glock's my friend, he's consistently nice to be around and writes songs that I love. I feel super lucky.

Glock: I think Scott's super lucky having a guy like me around. I'd say we're definitely as good as The Beatles.

Or at least as good as those bike riding chimps who were on the Ed Sullivan Show after the Beatles :P While most acts have been busy building up buzz on the internet, you've really taken it back to the people by reinventing the rock tour - visiting people's own gardens, kitchens, living rooms etc. A) how the heck did I miss out on this and B) what was that experience like? Any high and/or lowlights of such small intimate venues?

Glock: Those gigs worked way better than we expected. It was just a bit of a daft idea that grew into something forest-like. A bit like how the band started, but greener.

Your music makes me both giddy with joy at such delightful melodies but often want to weep at such fragile lyrics and vocal delivery - it's something that Abba (for example) excelled at. Do you have a life rooted in sadness that you need to put a positive spin on? Do you need a hug?! (Your album title reflects this musical dichotomy perfectly by the way)

Scott: I always need a hug! We are very lucky in our lives I think. I don't know about Glock, the sadness I personally get is with things going on in other places in the world. When you look into the world you'll be most likely hugely distressed by what you see. I think we started The Candle Thieves as a little form of escapism.

Glock: You see what I have to work with!

I do see! Nothing wrong with a hug though :P The album though is one of my favourites of the year and teaming with potential singles. Do you get a say over which tracks get selected for single release or is it more down to the record company? Do you have any favourite tracks on the album or do you love all your compositions equally?

Scott: Thanks so much. Honestly My Fizzy Pop is one of our favourite blogs so that means a lot to us. Yeah the label chooses the singles. I always hoped "My Little Room" would be a single but we definitely don't know what we're doing with the business/industry side of things so we're grateful to leave that to them! They do a great job for us.

Oh. I'm listening to My Little Room in a whole new light now. I love that you also focus on EP releases - i often think bands should revert to the formula of releasing 2-3 EPs a year rather than an album. That way fans are constantly getting something new and exciting, yet overall it's an album's worth of material. Any thoughts on that?

Scott: Ah thanks for saying that! I hugely agree. We're always trying to put up new releases with extra new songs and stuff. The great thing about downloading is that people can just buy the new tracks instead of getting ripped off by bonus editions where you used to have to buy the new version of an album you'd already bought before! We just did the Happiness Blues one and we're hoping for another EP before the end of the year which will be a bit different :)

Great - always remember a Christmas song never goes amiss on an end of year EP... Glock - you seemingly play every musical instrument under the sun and have been in other acts before the Candle Thieves. It seems that for both of you Alcopop records and your new music are the perfect fit. Have your previous experiences been essential to you getting to this point or do you really just wish that you'd found each other years ago?

Glock: Yeah we did things very differently in my last band. Like any relationship, you have to be respectful and caring. If you get complacent then it can only function for so long. We're always learning but I was a different person with a different head on my shoulders 5 years ago. I wasn't ready for The Candle Thieves at that point and I'm very grateful for it now.

Let's talk about some of the tracks from your new EP - Annabelle's song has this very simple but very lovely piano refrain and seems like a biographical tale. Which comes first in the creation of a song - do you have some lyrical thread and build the music around it, or is it far more organic than that?

Glock: I'm no Bob Dylan but I read something about the way he used to write songs that I can relate to. About it kind of being channelled. I'm not sure where it comes from but it's never mapped out. It just kind of falls out and it's lovely when it happens.

Then there is Paper Aeroplanes which has some great handclap beats in (you can never go wrong with a hand clap in pop songs) and is entirely perky but has this juxtaposition of being a fragile song in a upbeat setting. It's sometimes how I feel at a party. Or seeing a sad clown. (That wasn't really a question was it, feel free to make general observations)....

Glock: I remember around 7 years of age being in primary school. There was a Paper Aeroplane competition where the whole year designed a paper areoplane and whoever's flew furthest won a prize. I remember mine going the furthest but because my young rival's had hit the ground after mine, I lost out. It's a metaphor for something but I'm not sure what. Also I'm scared of clowns.

And Peterborough. What with one of JLS coming from there and now you guys, you are really putting it on the map - and not just for speedy passport applications! Have you been given the keys to the city yet?!

Glock: It's bad but I literally can't leave my house at the moment. I lost my keys a few days ago you see and nobody's let me out.

Scott: Ha ha yes we have a great passport office! We haven't unfortunately but our hometown support has been amazing. All the local journalists and press have been lovely and everyone coming out to the gigs have been amazing.

So what are your plans for the rest of the year? Anything Birmingham way? We'll do coffee - my starbucks is opposite a candle emporium. We could go shoplifting!!

Scott: We are! We're supporting Badly Drawn Boy at Birmingham Town Hall in October. Let's meet up for coffee and shoplifting for sure. Thanks loads for the interview Paul.

Glock: Thank you.

Thanks for your time :)

The grey skies of London sparkled a little brighter on Saturday night when Elouise bought her live show to the capital. Produced by the wonderful Steve Anderson, it was destined to be a fine introduction to the powerful and emotive vocal stylings of Elouise and a reminder that voice and performance is still important and needed in the world of pop music; a flashback to times when Judy, Shirley, Dusty et all would simply take to the stage and command a presence from start to finish. A full set list is available on Steve Anderson's blog (I remain quite pleased that recently when I sent Elouise a list of musicals songs she should one day cover, I had inadvertantly guessed one which made this list!) and it's hard to imagine any other contemporary singers who could perform these songs in one sitting and make it seem so effortless and engaging. There's epic balladry in there, but it's mixed in with danceable delights (One Night Only, Could It Be Magic, Xanadu) and delicious campery (Fireman Of My Dreams). For those that weren't there, I'm sure videos will pop up at some point on youtube - in the meantime, sample clips at Elouise's various webpages. Stardust Melodies EP should be available in October to add to your collection :)

I got the opportunity to ask Elouise some questions a few weeks back - here's what she had to say :)

So Stardust (the song) has just aired on Larry Flick's morning show - it seems like it's part of a much bigger musical landscape happening yet works well as a tune on it's own (i'm thinking of songs like Copacabana and Cabaret...) Does it set a template for the theme of your next Ep/forthcoming album?

You know I love Copacabana! Well I think the track ‘Stardust’ is one on it’s own. It sums up everything about Stardust in a song. The big musical production, the big voice, and it introduces the way for my own stardust melodies to follow on the EP. The next EP will be all covers, as well as ‘Stardust’ I have taken on two of the greatest melodies/anthems of all time, and these two songs are very much the powerful torch epics that I think people expect from me, although they’re so big I’m a little nervous about everyone’s response to these great classics!

It's also tinged with a sadness and pathos, that is offset by the sheer power and determination in your voice, matched with that gorgeous brass section which really brings it to life. Was the brass section there when you recorded the tune and do you draw on any experiences to bring out the emotion in your voice?

I always draw on my own personal experiences when I record and I always put every bit of emotion that I can into them. One of the songs is very personal to me and my family, and I put so much emotion and drama into it when recording that I nearly passed out!!!! (Although this was probably because I was hungry, and after a big bowl of pasta I was fine!)

I actually found the recording of ‘Stardust’ vocally challenging, as the vocal is huge throughout! The brass section wasn’t there when I recorded the track no. Once the vocal was down myself and Steve Anderson listened back to it, and Steve said it needs real brass!!!! So he made a few phone calls and pulled in the Kylie brass section! How cool is that! I don’t think you can beat real brass, and I can just imagine this song with a full live band one day in a fabulous dress at The Royal Albert Hall! ;)

Stardust (the show) is due in just a couple of weeks now - and you've been tweeting the gowns, the shoes, the dance routines - which are you most excited about?

The gowns, no the dance routines, no the gowns! I don’t know, all of it! The dresses are more fabulous than ever, and I now have a choreographer so the dance routines are fabulous too!!!!

And can you tell people who are/aren't attending what the show will deliver? What's the ultimate goal for you in performing this concert?

The show hopefully will deliver a night of glamour and a rollercoaster of emotions. I want the show to be a spectacle and I want to draw people into my world for that short space of time. The show takes on a magic section, a diva section, a heartbreak section and a love section. I use some of the greatest songs of all time to explore these emotions and tell my own stories through the music of iconic women such as Dusty Springfield, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. I also have two wonderful girls with me on the night, who also get to sing and dance in ridiculously high shoes and sequins, and we perform numbers like ‘No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) & ‘You Don’t Own Me’ together! It’s lots of fun!!! Not to mention I have a bit of eye candy in the show too.... I have a special support act on the night, ‘City Gents’ (below). These four gorgeous men are a cross between Il Divo and Michael Buble, and their voices are simply gorgeous! I have sneakily borrowed the men for certain numbers in the show too..... without saying to much... BOND, FIREMAN, and SEQUIN HOTPANTS.... well that kind of says it all doesn’t it :/ ...!!!!!!

The ultimate goal for me with this show is to vocally get through it! Almost every song is a show stopper in Stardust and it will be a huge vocal challenge to take on! At the end of it all though, I want the night to be a success, I want the audience to have had a wonderful night, packed with high glamour, drama, tears, laughter, fairy cakes, and fabulous songs.

Last time we spoke, we discussed working with people like Terry Ronald and Steve Anderson. You are continuing to work with them - is there anyone else you are currently working with/would like to work with?

The track ‘Stardust’ was written by Hoagy Carmichael, and this version was originally recorded by The Three Degrees. Steve Anderson has produced all three tracks on the next EP, like ‘The Stardust EP’, and I really think we have completely found my sound now. Working with Steve is like a dream come true and I feel we are creating something really magical with the music now. I hope myself and Steve will go on to produce a hit album, and continue to work together and make all these Stardust dreams come true. Having Steve, Terry Ronald and my creative team behind me is all I need and I have no ambition to work with anyone else. Although I still want to do a duet with someone at some point….!

The response to your first EP of songs seems to have gathered you a really dedicated following and larry flick has been promoting you like crazy! Have you noticed a discernable change in life yet or is everything still plodding along nicely while you wait for the next stage of your singing career?

No, I am still spending my rent money on sequins..!!!! The support from Larry Flick on Sirius XM in New York has been really incredible though, and I feel extremely lucky to have him support my music and my ambitions. The fans that I have gained from the first EP have all been truly wonderful, and I will be forever grateful for this early support in my career. I cannot do this without you all and I treasure every one of you!

You don't fit into a traditional pop genre. You sort of transcend the trends to create a more timeless sound - you are more a chanteuse for the ages than perhaps the next Lady Gaga. Is this because this is the type of music you love/grew up on? Is there ever a temptation to just belt out a Bad Romance floorfiller?

Oh totally! I love Bad Romance! We actually had an idea to do a mash up of the song for the show, but there just wasn’t time amongst everything else!

I think my voice just lends itself to this genre of music that I am creating. I love powerful dramatic songs full of emotion that have a beautiful melody and strings soaring on them! I think this is why myself and Steve get on so well! I did have a collection full of Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Judy Garland when growing up! I think this probably started from my love of the musicals, and watching these fantastic women in films like ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, ‘Gypsy’, Funny Girl, ‘Meet Me In Saint Louis’. I’ve always been completely fascinated by them and their ability to move people through their performance, and it was something that I’ve always wanted to try and touch on in my performances.

How do you think your songs will fit in at radio? I think you have more of a sound that will sell a lot of albums rather than a lot of singles, but then again you only need a big Celine Dion-type ballad to launch a career...and a niche market can be incredibly lucrative in terms of dedicated fans craving your sound.

Absolutely. I have been working towards making this album happen for a long time now, and I am getting closer. If I could have a hit album one day that would be the dream come true. I think my sound will take some time to break into radio, but like you say all you need is that one song… have I got that song in the bag… maybe… ;)

Has it been hard to get to where you are currently at? Where you ever tempted to do Pop Idol/X Factor/A Song For Europe?! You could have been charting at 124 with That Sounds Good To Me!!

Oh my goodness can you imagine!!!!! I was actually asked to go and audition for Eurovision, but it seems they didn’t want the diva in the dress and the epic torch ballad after all… ;)

A few years ago I was tempted to go for Pop Idol, X Factor, yes… in fact before these shows all started I went for an audition. It was a long audition process all over the country and I was actually chosen for the band, but then after lots of discussions they decided they should have filmed the auditions, and we were all dropped, and then the launch of Pop Idol started, in which I did go back for but was turned away at the first audition. From this moment I knew how fickle the industry can be, and this gave me my determination to do this the hard way, and I feel I am now getting there.

I'm still obsessed with Fireman Of My Dreams - what's the reaction been like to that song? It's camp and funny and glorious all at once!

I know isn’t it! The reaction to ‘Fireman’ has been really great! I think people liked the subtle cheekiness of the song, and enjoyed hearing me sing something a little different. I’ll be performing ‘The Fireman Of My Dreams’ in Stardust, the audience might even get to see a real fireman’s helmet if they’re lucky…! ;)

So after Stardust the show - what are your plans then?

Well, I’ll be releasing my second EP, ‘Stardust Melodies’, and then hopefully working towards a single, and of course an album!!!! We also hope to try and get my show ‘Stardust’ on the road for a mini tour, so lots to do and be working on!

If you could do a cover version in your own style of any current (ish) song, what would you do and why?

Well, I’ve had ideas about covering a Britney song recently actually, something we might try in the future… There’s a few songs I’ve thought about covering actually, from Kylie to Skunk Anansie to Erasure! What cover would you like to hear me perform..? Maybe I’ll be able to do it… ;)

Well you know, I have a whole host of songs I'd like you to cover - in particular a musicals album. But most recently - hmmm, how about putting a female spin on Shame by Robbie Williams?! Right, what's currently on your iPod that you would recommend?

My ipod is currently taken up with songs from ‘Stardust’!! I do have a few others in there though, In fact Steve Anderson has got me into a wonderful artist called Rumer. Her voice is like Karen Carpenters, it’s really gorgeous soothing music, and I’m loving Katy Perry at the minute, she’s good fun.

Oh, I really like Rumer! I've written about her once, mainly because of Steve tweeting about her! Now, you've done a lot of Abba tribute concerts in the past - are you the AnniFrid or Agnetha?! And have you ever thought of recording one of their tunes for yourself? They certainly do heartbreak and sadness incredibly well (ditto Karen Carpenter) (note: I asked this question before Winner Takes It All had been announced as a recorded track! I'm two for two!)...

I feel like you can read my mind….!!!! Yes I have depped for a few Abba bands in the past, and I am an Agnetha not a Frida! I quite like being blonde actually for a short space of time!

As you will now be aware I have covered ‘The Winner Takes It All’! For me, this is one of the greatest pop songs ever written, the song has a beautiful melody and at the heart of it is an incredibly sad story. I wanted to try and give a piece of myself to this song and see if I could pay tribute to one of the greatest classic songs of all time. I am incredibly proud of the version myself and Steve Anderson have created, and I hope it honors the song. If you liked this song though, wait to you hear track 3 on the EP….!

and finally, what of Steve Anderson’s tracks would you cover?

You know I really love ‘Confide In Me’ but it has been covered twice now! I just love the opening musical production, it is like a Bond theme and I love it!!!!!! I don’t know, I would just like to sing my own song that Steve and myself have written one day.

Thanks Elouise for your time in answering these questions :)

Gravitonas certainly won me over with Kites, but i've become a full time disciple thanks to their gorgeous new single "Religious" (read my EP review here)... And just like the brillo video to Kites, they have excelled themselves once again with a visual treat that you get the full rundown to below (plus a little chat with the charming fellas after)...

• Pause as soon as the video comes on the screen... it's a rather lovely shot of Andreas Ohrn looking all serene and like some sort of southern gentleman. Gosh, he's a handsome chappy isn't he?
• He seems to be the patient to Alexander's therapist role - a role that the latter visually suits very well with his enquiring eyes and sucking on a pipe. That wallpaper is just ghastly though!
• Alexander seems to be contemplating every word as Andreas emotes the lyrics. It seems that he is singing to his therapist when he says "i used to be hollow/then you came along"...
• As the beat kicks in, the scene alternates between a windy outdoors, and the horribly wallpapered indoors, which is enough to make anyone need psychiatric help. Alexander's pipe gets greatly engorged, which surely must be some sort of sexual metaphor?!
• Oh! love that the window has a heavenly glow subtly shining through it. Tres bon.
• Outdoors and walking to the sea, there is pink clad shaman figure holding an awful lot of pink balloons. It looks pretty nippy out there...
• At 1m40s onwards, there is some brilliant gothic imagery with Andreas standing clad in a rather amazing coat, standing atop some rocks with the sea crashing behind him. It's video art, and reminiscent of Madonna's Frozen, but without the creepy crows...
• Alexander has taken on a priest type role in this scene - interestingly, his chair is much further away from the couch than when he was in his therapist role. Some sort of commentary on how far religion is removed from understanding the problems of the (un)common man? Or am I getting too deep?!
• Priest Alexander is flanked by two non-pink shaman. One has an ace hat/headgear made out of washing up gloves - and not your cheap as chips yellow ones either. I have found my halloween costume!
• The exhilarating second chorus sees the colourful shaman troop through the woods (followed by our beloved Gravitonas duo) like some sort of spiritual Priscilla Queen of the Desert quest. Pause at 2m41s and more video art appears - the shaman posse standing in front of the misty woods is somehow both creepy and glorious all at the same time. Much like most modern religions...
• Alexander and Andreas approach them, like some sort of celestial Watson and Holmes. Pause at 2m57s for the most terrified eyes I've seen in a while. It's beautifully shot and instantly conveys the uncertainty and terror of our next steps that we all sometimes feel in life...
• As Andreas sings the last "religious" of the middle 8, he looks positively possessed and the video continues to focus on his dominating presence while an animalistic freedom of movement takes place around him. Astonishing.
• As Alexander releases an electronic "aah" at 3m40s, it's a glorious moment and you can almost smell the incense and ferocity of the woodland scene. Love. It.
• The video ends with Gravitonas walking almost hand in hand into the sea for the cleansing kiss of baptism. Such an amazing video...

A quick chat with Gravitonas...


- Not to fawn too early on, but Religious actually makes me weak at the knees each time I listen to it. It's pop communion! And a bit like Army of Lovers "Crucified" has been resurrected for a whole new audience. Where/how did the song originate?

Andreas: We wanted to make a sequel to the first single "Kites". Like a Kites 2.0. One day when I came to the studio Alexander and co-producer/writer Henrik Wikström showed me a couple of new ideas and one of them was the embryo of "Religious". Even though it wasn't much in the draft yet, except the chords and a melody line, it really knocked me of my feet. Me and Alexander started writing the lyrics right away and we began recording vocals in the next couple of days. Gravitonas' guitarist Ben Smith filled in with guitars, we brought in a choir, strings, beats and the production kept growing and growing, Finally, Religious, the brother of Kites, was born!

Alexander: Not that we are afraid of writing more traditional tunes too, but the refreshing thing with "Kites" and "Religious" is that we have skipped the old verse-bridge-chorus-structure and gone for a structure of just a strong melodic line with huge instrumental bits thrown in. It's a lot more dance or even hip-hop than traditional rock or pop. And it means the production is more important than ever since we are all producers ourselves in Gravitonas. "Kites" has now spent four months in the Top 10 of the Swedish dance chart. That's exactly where we wanted to be at at this stage. New music always begins on the dance floor!

- "The Brother of Kites" could be an amazing Gravitonas tribute band name :) Now, the piano at the beginning of the tune is just heavenly (ok, I'm done with the religious references now) and paired with the vocal is quite a powerful opening. It's orgasmic as a crescendoing piece of pop majesty, but it also makes me want to hear some stripped back acoustic songs from you. Is that a possibility?

Andreas: We like machines so you won't here anything completely acoustic from Gravitonas at this point. Maybe on a stage but not on a record. Some of our songs are stripped down, at least parts of the songs, but somehow most of them always end up with loud and sweaty climaxes.

Alexander: I agree. I just want the whole "Unplugged paradigm" to die. I'm much more interested in exploring soulful music with electronics than with acoustics. Sure, we have recorded acoustic versions of a couple of songs too and will perform them too eventually, if only to prove that we CAN do it, since this seems to concern the many unsecure music journos out there. But it's not where our heart is at. Gravitonas is a lot closer to Bjork than people may have realized. We agree with her notion of a "nordica" music style: A very Scandinavian ambition to combine soul and machines. Gravitonas, Robyn, Royksopp, The Sound Of Arrows, and Miike Snow, that's all "nordica" to me. And it all started with Bjork's magnificent records in the 1990s; this is Scandinavian contemporary pop that has broken the predictable but overdone links to Abba och the Cheiron production house. And it likes to be huge!

- I love the thought of loud and sweaty climaxes that like to be huge! That sounds very pleasing indeed! And not just a new single, but a whole flipping EP! Amazes. Is this a unique release or will some of the songs end up on the album?

Andreas: We love the EP format. Instead of releasing one album a year you can release three EP's plus an album every year. I don't want to reveal so much about the album but there will be a second EP and a third video before the album release.

Alexander: Everybody uses Spotify in Sweden now. Everybody!!! The old formats single and album are dead. The future of music is playlists, and you either have playlists with a favorite artist or with a favorite genre. So the EP is perfect for this new environment. Sure, there will be a Gravitonas debut album before the end of the year, but it should be viewed more as a collection of EP tracks with some additional bonus, rather than a big bounce the way albums used to be regarded. But expect lots of releases from Gravitonas, often centered around the EP format which suits us, and apparently music bloggers and fans, perfectly. Hey, Robyn is doing the same thing!

- How's the video/remixes shaping up (note - though it's been released since I had this chat!)?

Andreas: The video premieres within the next couple of days and the Religious single is released the 25th of August. I just saw the final version of the video and it totally blew me away. The director Josef Andersson and the video crew have done a brilliant job. We had a blast shooting the video, chasing shadowy sexy creatures in the woods in the middle of the night and getting baptized in the sea. I love this job. The Religious remixes are 12 little pieces of art. It's an honor to work with such talented people as Dada Life, Soundfactory, Adam Rickfors etc. And I love the fact that we’re releasing a single that has the length of an album with its 12 tracks. Again.

- What most people have picked up on is the fact that fans and critics alike get to hear and purchase your work at the same time, even before radio play. Maroon 5 have recently copied this with their latest couple of singles. Do you see this as a trend that will grow or was it just something you were passionate about? I mean, the internet is riddled with "hear this 60 second clip of a song" or see our video preview snippet - did you want to purposely avoid that?

Andreas: I really hope this is a trend that will grow and I think more bands and artists will follow. There's no point in being old school and give the songs in advance to reviewers, radio stations etc and then let the fans wait for a couple weeks. Fuck it. Everyone gets the song at the same time. Doesn't matter if you want to download it on iTunes or stream it on Spotify or whatever.

Alexander: The internet democratizes everything. And we love that. We are not only totally devoted about our music but we truly enjoy interacting with fans. We are social monsters as much as we are musicians. We hope this will be appreciated too. Our record labels were very uncomfortable about these demands of ours, this fans-first policy, but the fans really appreciate our uncompromising attitude. And now is the time for artists and fans to take over and relegate record labels to the role they should have: To serve us, not to manipulate us!

- You've both been involved in other projects outside of Gravitonas - is this the absolute focus for the time being? Alexander - if you write a song that you think "hmmm, that's really a BWO song" would you look to have the group back together or rework it so it suits Gravitonas?

Andreas: Gravitonas is the absolute focus. We’re all songwriters and producers in this project so if we wright a song that for some reason doesn’t fit Gravitonas we'll find another artist for it.

Alexander: Totally! Me, Andreas and Henrik will definitely write for and produce other artists, Universal regard us as much as a major future production team as a band, but BWO will not reunite while Gravitonas is going on. Each project has its time. To me, BWO was the perfect radio-friendly 00s pop band. But Gravitonas is for a new scene, a new decade, with new conditions, new means of production, distribution, and performance. I'm very comfortable doing Gravitonas at the moment, thank you!


- That's good to hear :) Andreas you recently did quite a pleasing fashion shoot that gave me the "cosmic horn" :P A) is fashion something you quite like/are interested in and B) are you ready to take over from the genetically engineered Mans Zelmerlow as Sweden's sexiest fella?! (though Alexander, if you bring the ball gag around, I'm sure we could have fun too!!!)

Andreas: A: I’m getting more and more interested in fashion and it was a pleasure modelling at the Julia Koistinen Fashion Show. B: After walking the runway in tights and army boots I already see myself as the sexiest man alive : )

Alexander: I love narcissism! That's why I love working with Andreas. ;-) As for myself, my ambition is to be the Vivienne Westwood of pop. All I can say is: You ain't seen nothing yet. Gerontophilia (google it) needs a new ambassador, I'm happy to accept the role. I will die on a dance floor, you bet!

- I googled it. I am sure you will be a brilliant ambassador, Alexander! Naturally the group attracted international interest from fans of Alexander's previous work, and I loved your interview on Larry Flick's Morning Jolt... do you have plans to market your music internationally or just hope it takes off? Will you be tracking Larry down now you have a new single out?!

Andreas: We have BIG plans but I don't know how much I can say about that right now so I pass the question to Alexander. We'd love to do another interview with Mr. Flick. Last time we even talked about visiting the Morning Jolt studio. That would be lot's of fun.

Alexander: "Religious" is set up as the first single in North America. Expect a push to start in early October. As for plans for other parts of the world, we go with the flow and let the fans decide where to promote first. But since the album is not due until the end of the year, there is no rush as yet to set the exact plans. But do expect a lot more fashion shows, haha!

- Why do you think BWO were never as massive as they should have been in England? And why do you think Gravitonas should be?

Alexander: Well, you not only need great records. You need luck with timing too. Especially if you are non-Anglo-Saxon artist. BWO was signed to EMI globally but unfortunately this happened just when EMI was breaking up and going down the drain. Every time we were ready to go internationally, the people we were set to work with either had just left the company or were forced to leave. Still, BWO was a huge success in the territories where we went outside of EMI, such as Eastern Europe and East Asia, and the last album "Big Science" was an altogether independent release (all main EMI Sweden acts like BWO, Mando Diao, and The Ark had left the company by then). But from the business side of things, the 00s were a nightmare in the music industry. The streaming revolution is the big u-turn. The 10s look much more hopeful for new music and creativity!

- When you are not being Gravitonas what do you do in your down time, or is it really just all about the music?!

Andreas: As I mentioned before the members of Gravitonas are songwriters and music producers so for me it’s pretty much about music and performance in some form all the time. Just the way I like it.

Alexander: Same for me. I have put aside just about everything else I used to do. Making music has never been more exciting than now and with Gravitonas. The future is so bright that I really really need those Chanel shades right now, haha.

- How's the Oracle getting on in twitter land? And how are you embracing all these new types of online media?

Andreas: Right now the Oracle is searching for pearls in the shallow waters off Sri Lanka. She's pretty pissed off that we didn't bring her to yesterday's "Guldknappen" fashion gala so I think she'll keep the twitter posts short for a day or two. There are many good tools online for fans and artists to communicate with each other. After the release of our first single "Kites" we already had about 1,000 fans from 40 different countries on our Facebook page and tons of traffic on our website gravitonas.net. It makes it easy for us to communicate with our fans. Soon we'll also throw in some online remix competitions, just for fans.

Alexander: I believe The Oracle is very determined to remain the only female in the Gravitonas family, haha. She's that kind of bitch.

- I'm thinking of visiting Sweden next year but I've never been before. Should I start learning the language and where are the best places to visit that aren't necessarily on the usual tourist track?

Andreas: No need to learn the language, everyone speaks English here! You should swim naked across a Swedish lake in the midnight sun. And when you're in the middle just turn around and watch the sky for a while.

Alexander: There are two things to know that most visitors are unaware of. The first is that all the best parties in Sweden are after-parties ("efterfest" in Swedish). You go to a club and stay there until closing time at say 4 or 5 in the morning. But the real fun starts when you leave the club and go to somebody's house for the after-party. Then there are after-after-parties, then there are after-after-after-parties. Why else do you think Scandinavians live in huge mansions and often have several of them? The second thing you should know is that people always own a ranch or at least a cottage in the country woods. And a lot of partying is going on there, far away from peeping neighbors and the police. You get the picture! Oh, and if you're gay, forget about gay clubs. All clubs in Sweden are mixed and there are no gay ghettos in Stockholm. Being gay stopped being an issue here decades ago. Nobody cares so we all intermingle and have no idea of who we are going to end up in bed with. Or with what gender for that matter.

- I love that - intermingling sounds my sort of scene! Finally do swing by if you are in England. I make a lovely cup of tea :)

Andreas: Thanks Paul! Hopefully we'll come to England soon. You bring the tea. We bring the vodka.

Alexander: Tea sounds great, but maybe we can spice the tea with some gin?

Good grief, i think i love them even more now :) Next up - it's time. to face. the music. (Week 3!)

It's a great week for artists that I have been following for some time releasing music that everyone can hear and fall in love with as much as I have. First up is the exquisite Elouise who has the limited edition release of her Stardust EP today. You can purchase it here and read my review here. It's very magnificent indeed and fills my days with drama and swooning like you wouldn't believe. I caught up with Elouise on the eve of this exciting development to see how she was feeling...

How does it feel to be releasing your debut EP today?
I’m all smiles! It feels like it’s been a long time coming!!!!!

Firstly though let me say a massive thank you to you. You have been one of the first bloggers to follow me and support me from the start and your love for the music has really given me the drive to make this happen, and the reason i have released the EP. So thank you :)

Oh! You are quite welcome. It's been a lovely journey following you around. You've had quite the musical performance background leading up to this - can you talk me through some of the highlights and lowlights?!
Where to start... it sounds stupid to say i have performed my whole life... but ever since watching the Wizard of Oz when i was four and being completely fascinated by Judy Garland... i have pursued the dream ever since. I am still trying to find the pot at the end of the rainbow, although there have been many highlights along the way, and their fair share of lowlights..... a highlight for me would be playing ‘Little Costette’ in Les Miserables when i was ten years old. I didn’t really know what i was getting myself into back then, I just ended up at the audition after saying I’d go along with a friend... i sang ‘Frosty The Snowman’ ( which is completely ridiculous; my mum let me sing this for a Les Mis audition but there you go!) and the rest is history! It was here for the first time i saw amazing singers, and was completely drawn into the world of music and the passion that a vocal on a song can deliver to the audience. Whilst pursuing the dream there have been many lowlights, I have always got so close and it all falls through, but at the minute they are all highlights..... it’s not a good look to have ‘lowlights eh... ;)

Indeed. Actually one of my highlights was when I first came across you early in 2009 and you had a gorgeous song on your myspace page - was a real 60s girl band vibe to it called Since U Been Gone. Is that - and your other early songs - gone forever, or will they return at some point?
Well as you develop as an artist it’s all about defining your sound, and you go through many changes along the way. My inspiration has always come from the likes of Diana Ross, Dusty Springfield, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey, so it was no surprise I would channel songs from the 60’s and these amazing singers in their prime. I am still very proud of those songs, but it’s all about finding the right team and the right producer, and i think you’ll agree that the songs on the EP now, which have been produced by Steve Anderson, are truly magical. They capture everything about me, the voice, the drama, and for the first time in my career I feel like I’ve arrived!

One of the highlights - and continuing staples - of your live performances is your discotastic cover of One Night Only. Indeed, it forms a large part of my getting ready for a night out with my group of friends on a Saturday. We now know all the dance moves!! Any chance that you will release a studio version one day (I hear Steve Anderson did a magnificent arrangement of it!)?
I love the fact you get ready for your night out whilst doing my ‘One Night Only’ dance moves! The reason I put this song into the live shows is because i love ‘Dreamgirls’ the movie! I can watch it over and over again! I just love the glamour in it, the fabulous dresses, the sequins and the drama behind it all, and of course One Night Only is an amazing song, and a great show piece, although I don’t think i would record a studio version of it.... I think if anything what myself and Steve would like to do is create our own disco suite....!

The big ballads on the EP - Pretender and Another Day - have you channelling Dusty, Shirley, Karen, Agnetha and Cilla. Is that intentional or do the songs just bring it out in you?
I naturally have all of them inside of me if you know what I mean, but it’s the songs that bring it out in me. I just listen to the lyrics and the voice speaks for itself. Steve will tell you that when i record I song, I just close my eyes and do what i feel. For many years I never classed myself as a singer ~ I have never been trained as a singer it just comes out... and I find I can let my emotions out in a song. I am quite a shy person really, i am not someone who likes to talk about it if something has upset me, but the emotion will come out when I sing.

Fireman of My Dreams is quite the saucy little tune and delightful too. How did it come about originally?
Well..... no one believes me when i tell them it’s based on truth!!! I happen to have a certain ‘Firefighter’ in my life, and it inspired me to write the song. Will he turn out to be ‘The Fireman of My Dreams...... who knows.... ;)

That's very coy of you! I love the song - and it has since undergone the most dreamy transformation (live version here)! How did that happen?
Well, this is how i always intended the song to be. We had to take the live version of the song and make it into a record, and who would get this more than Steve Anderson! Steve has the ability to create the most beautiful string lines and guides me through all the harmonies and bv’s to create the most gorgeous dreamy song. I absolutely love it, no one makes songs like this anymore and it’s nice to have a bit of dreamy fun amongst my dramatic torch songs.

What's it like to work with Steve and Terry (Ronald)?
It’s just a complete privilege in every way. Steve is giving me that chance to shine and i am so grateful for everything he is doing. It can be very rare these days that such a huge and influential producer takes someone under their wing and believes in them, so I feel extremely lucky to have this team around me. The song ‘Pretender’ came from Terry, and I think it is such an amazing song, Steve then re-produced the song into the epic that you hear now, and it just shows what the right team of people can achieve.

Where does your imagery come from - it's not just in the dresses, it's sparkling across your EP and in your performances...
I know! It’s just all in my head! I have always had a very strong vision of how this would work and what i want to create. Sometimes my ideas are way off scale right now, but I hope one day I can make it all happen. The imagery does come from the dresses, the shoes, the sequins, but then from all my feelings on heartbreak and love, and it shows in all the colours of the rainbow, that quite rightly are sparkling all over the EP! Of course I bring all this to every performance and try to tell a story through every song, and bring the audience into my world for a short time.

How was the Polly Rae show (Elouise recently performed the opening slot on Miss Polly Rae's burlesque show in the West End of London)? What songs did you perform? Were you ever tempted to get a little bit naughty for it at all?
The show was amazing! I was so thrilled to be the special guest for Polly! The show received rave reviews and I have no doubt she will go on to become a huge star. I tried to link my set so it ran smoothly into Polly’s show, and so I touched on the other side of being a woman... our emotions, as the songs I performed are all based on love and heartbreak. For the show I performed my ‘One Night Only’ , my epic ‘Another Day’’, the dreamy ‘Fireman of My Dreams’ my heartbreaking ‘Pretender’ and then I did a medley of ‘I’m A Rainbow’ into ‘The Runner’, a very discotastic song by the Three Degrees!!!

Love your version of The Runner. Maybe you could duet (trioette?!) with Bananarama on their new single version of it?! Actually, I have a whole albums worth of duets I'd like you to do (including Don't Let Go by En Vogue with Sammy Taylor, So Close from Enchanted with Adam Tyler and As Long As You're Mine from Wicked with Adam Garcia. Plus I have a brillo updated version of Enough Is Enough all dancey and disco in my head with Simon Curtis!) Are there any classics you'd love to do with a dream duet partner?
Oh my goodness! Well I love ‘Enough is Enough’ more than life itself....so any day!

It’s a tough one to pick a song to be honest. I love so many songs, many of them by Barbara Streisand, Dusty, Shirley Bassey and Diana Ross. Although how can you do a cover of their songs because they are so iconic and incredible. I’d love for Shirley to take me under her wing for a duet... then I can go to town on the sequins even more.... and I’d also love to do a duet with Michael Buble. We are both capable of carrying off huge songs, and bringing that true emotion to a song, that I think this could be perfect match... in my dreams! ;)

I love your suggestions here though! I really like Sam Taylor’s music; he has a very warm tone to his voice that I love. I really like his cover of Communication on his myspace, so yes I’d love to do a duet with him, and as for Adam Garcia... who would say no.. ;)

And what's next for Elouise? A debut album?
Well that’s what I’m striving towards. There’s a couple of songs that I’m really excited about, one is called ‘I Owe You Nothing’, which sounds like the next Bond soundtrack, and the other is a cover of a Matt Monroe song which has one of the most beautiful and heartfelt lyrics that I have ever heard. I was completely drained after recording this song.

As for time, I can’t say when or how long the album will take, so this is why I’ve made the limited Edition EP, as a way of saying thank you to the fans, and a taster of what is to come. This EP is very personal to me, for many reasons, I made a promise to someone close to me that I would make this happen, and it is because of him that I was able to make the EP, and I really wanted to make it special which I have. It’s like a story when you open it up, and like you said the imagery is sparkling all over it. There are not many of the EP’s, this really is a very special limited edition, and I hope you all love it as much as I do... x

So there you have it. A peak behind the glitter - now go buy the EP :) And check out "The Elouise Directory" below :)

• My review of Fireman of My Dreams
• Elouise's One Night Only is one of my fave songs of 2009
• Sneak peek of new song I Owe You Nothing
• Pretender review (2)
• Pretender review (1)
• Gay Times intro to Elouise
• My 'A Night Under The Stars' Review
• Puffta interview with Elouise
• Poptrashaddicts Stardust review
• Dontstopthepop Steve Anderson interview (discussing Elouise)
• Dontstopthepop Elouise/Kylie post

Tomorrow: Simon Curtis. It's gonna be mega.

It's absolutely no secret that ever since their first appearance on the X Factor back in 2007 I became a huge fan of the adorable sibling duo, Same Difference. My love for them was sealed when they performed what hereafter will be known as "the greatest X Factor live show song ever" (above) and went all the way to the final 3. From there came a single, an album and enough career ups and downs to last a lifetime. So when I got the opportunity to sit down with Sean and Sarah, I couldn't pass up a chance to discuss their success to date, their future plans and of course the place where it all started - the X Factor. Nervous about meeting them, it's impossible not to be put at ease by them ~ Sean has incredibly kind eyes (and sports a pair of kick ass boots) and Sarah just radiates warmth and enthusiasm. We somehow end up talking about Entourage (Sean claims the Vince character for himself, but generously gives me E - surely better than Drama?!) and settle down backstage of London's Madame JoJo's...

POP - THE ALBUM:

I'm eager to discuss the Pop album (see my review here). I preface the conversation by gushing a little bit (how embarrassing!) about how brilliant I thought the whole project was - almost like a mixtape of great europop both old and new. However, as Popjustice recently pointed out, it was perhaps targeted towards a very specific audience and did receive some criticisms - everything from "cheesier than a marathon runner's trainers", "enough to make anyone the wrong side of 12 cringe" and "bland cash cow pop". Amongst the criticism was an acknowledgement that the songs were relentlessly cheerful and upbeat. So looking back on it, how do Sean and Sarah feel about the album? I'm utterly relieved to find out they are incredibly proud of it. Sean states that Simon (Cowell) had a very specific vision for the album that was based around the huge success of High School Musical....

"It was everywhere at the time. Our video for We R One - we absolutely loved doing it and had a brilliant time in LA, but it was very colourful and people perhaps saw the video and had a preconception of us that was all about the visual rather than our music. "

Sarah is convinced that having to mime when they appeared on the X Factor live shows didn't help their case either...

"It's obviously the biggest show you can perform on and I think a lot of people were put off by us miming. We had these massive ear piece mics on and there was feedback fuzzing through them when we were talking, so it was really obvious that we mimed. We didn't have a choice and I think it cost us some fans"

Sean adds that they also performed the same week as Take That appeared on the show, and acknowledges that it's hard to compete with the biggest comeback pop has ever seen. The duo are also convinced that if they could swap their live GMTV performance with the X Factor one, they may have won some new fans in the process. I remind them that their album actually was quite successful in it's own right and they get all animated about what it achieved: I'm informed by Sean that while it may have "only" peaked at 22, it sold over 125,000 copies and by the end of 2008 had outsold The Saturdays Chasing Lights (though he cheerfully admits that this was before their big Up single). I then suggest that perhaps other songs on the album would have showcased a different side of them to the public and ask what other singles they would have released. They both choose All Roads Lead To Heaven as a favourite from the album and Sarah states that she would have loved a wider audience for Better Love Me as she believes it has a great melody that really showcases their vocals. Sean also talks of a different mix to the track If You Can't Dance...

"There was a very different original mix of this song - it was very English sounding, very funky town. In that format it wouldn't have suited the final album because it stood out too much. Most artists today are very cohesive in their sound and that what was wanted for the album. Similarly I think Turn It Into Love would be huge in Japan as Pete Waterman is a god there and they all love Kylie and Jason. Well, who doesn't?!"

Indeed! One thing is clear though - the duo are clearly grateful to Simon Cowell for giving them to the chance to record such a fun pop album. It's helped them achieve one dream of having a cd in the shops - their next ambition is to get a number one.

THE X FACTOR:

It was a simpler time back then. No audience during the auditions. Just Sharon throwing drinks over people and hopefully not electrocuting them on their own mic. Ah, good times. Before I delve into their illustrious X Factor history, I chat with them about the new format of the show. Sean thinks the audience might not be such a bad thing - positing that it gives people at home a wider reaction to latch onto. In their auditions it was just the judges opinion and that can often sway the public. Sarah thinks though that perhaps they wouldn't have gotten through if that format had been around in their day. We discuss how the quality of the backing tapes people use affected the quality of the performances and how Simon used backing vocalists at the judges houses just in case people didn't sound so amazing without all the theatricals that made up the initial auditions. But we're soon onto the topic of their brilliant outlandish performances on the show, and Sean is happy to discuss riding in on a tricycle!

"Brian just loved throwing everything and anything into our stage shows. I was coming in on trikes and we were off flying throwing glitter over Christmas trees. It's funny because when I worked the cruises I was told I wasn't being camp enough and then there I was doing all that. [Sarah]... We were one of the only acts to do singing and dancing within the show, a whole actual performance. He was really disappointed when we did Nothing's Gonna Stop Us and said he was bored that week!!"

I get a bit distracted reminiscing over these performances, and once again suggest it was a mixtape of brilliant pop magic. We then chat a little bit about whether they made mixtapes for people when they were younger (turns out Sarah was/is a big romantic who would make mixes for her boyfriends - more their musical choice than hers; nowadays her iPod mix is mainly pop and rock-pop such as Avril Lavigne. Sean is also a bit of a pop-rocker at heart and enjoys wigging out to Bon Jovi and Meatloaf) before turning our attention to Louis Walsh!

Now it's fair to say that Louis wasn't a huge fan of Same Difference and soon fell into the pantomime villain role of rolling his eyes at their performances and saying they weren't good enough for the competition. Turns out there are no hard feelings and that his views may have helped them along...

"[Sarah]... It definitely seemed more theatrical as the weeks went on and everyone has their role to play in that show. Actually our votes went up each week he was nasty to us; i mean if the semi-finals had been the final week we would have won! We had something like 44% of the vote! One week, our gran collared him backstage and told him not to be so nasty - and she can be fierce when she's angry! He had to convince her it was just his opinion for the camera!"
It was somewhat of a stressful time for the siblings too - each week the show would air, they would hold their breath just praying to get through to the next week. Then once that pressure was over with it was straight onto choice of song, rehearsing for the next week and starting the process all over again. It's clear they used each other for support during the process and were mature enough to take Louis' comments with a grain of salt. I point out that some of his recent choices aren't really credible (*cough* johnandedward *cough*) and we all have a jolly good chuckle about that :) Despite the ups and downs that the show brings, both Sean and Sarah are adamant that it was a brilliant experience and not one they would ever wish to badmouth.

In the upcoming live shows, Sean in particular is looking forward to is the Robbie Williams performance on this week's show and the conversation goes back to big comeback acts overshadowing X Factor alums performances - in this case Alexandra (who also features on the upcoming show) will have to shine against the biggest pop comeback since, well, Take That. Sarah hopes that Simon is nice to Robbie (I say that he always seems incredibly polite, if a little forthright) as he is quite competitive and will want Alexandra's single (which they both love) to do much better than Robbie. Fair point I suppose, and we're off again on a tangent chatting about upcoming pop music...

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE:

The process of selecting tracks for the "Pop" album was largely done by the record company, which has left Sean and Sarah with a number of tracks that they could still use.I ask about This Is The Night which recently featured on their bebo page...

"[Sean]... There were about 30 tracks in total in the running for the album - one of which was This Is The Night. We were so disappointed that it didn't make the final cut but we have more control now over the songs we can use and what we are recording and are hoping to take the songs to Europe and Asia first, where there is still a huge market for pop music. Then we can come back to England and kind of present ourselves saying 'well look what we've achieved now!'"

I suggest that perhaps This Is The Night is the a cross between a great Dannii Minogue dance track and something Alcazar might record (which reminds me - how brilliant would a Same Diff version of Thank You from the Disco Defenders album be?!) - in essence perfect for the European pop market where acts like Alcazar, Mans Zelmerlow, BWO and Caracola still thrive. And since leaving the Syco stable, they have been busy with everything from Boots suncream commercials to playing holiday camps to appearing at Fresher's Fayres!

"[Sarah] The Boots commercial was fun - but so cheap. Those kids weren't professional actors, it was almost like bring your kid to work day! We had to work like child minders all day trying to get them to dance, playing games and just really making it fun for them to encourage them to interact with us! [Sean] We definitely earned our money from that! And getting to play at Pontins and Butlins has been great because we have been able to meet so many fans and get out there singing live."

Progressing from the family environment of Butlins to doing university gigs must have been a bit nerve wracking for the duo? Sarah, in particular, admits to having reservations and it's nice to see that Sean is still protective of his sis...

"[Sarah]... I was really nervous at first to perform to teenagers because I got bullied by them so much when I was growing up. I think we went down really well though - it's like when you are that age you won't admit to liking S Club's greatest hits, but somehow everyone knows the words and enjoys themselves. I think we were the same. [Sean]... Sarah has definitely had some hard times at school, but one thing this process has done is really give her some confidence."

So with a trail of live performances behind them, and some new songs under their belt (including Souled Out - read more about that here), the focus is firmly on getting that number one record and still delivering solid, melody driven, danceable, fun loving pop music that everyone can enjoy. I can't help but feel that behind the enthusiasm are two very determined individuals who will work incredibly hard to achieve their dreams.

If I were to be a popstar (I wouldn't ever be - it's not something I particularly want to be; I can carry a tune but frankly I'd only get one yes at an X Factor audition and only then because I outrageously flirted with Louis) starting out in this crazy business of show, I think I'd want to be a bit like The DollyRockers. I don't mean a girl in a crazy frock, no not at all you silly sausages. I mean just that if I had not made the X Factor finals, I'd like to step back, re-evaluate and then carry on with a brand new attitude. Which frankly is a bit of fresh air after all the 17 year olds on the show stating how this will be it for them if they don't make it through. The Dollies are proof that there is life after the X Factor - no matter how uphill a struggle that life is.

I was ever so smitten with the tune that more or less introduced the popjustice lovers of the world to the Dolly Rockers - Je Suis Un Dolly. It was fun, quirky, a little bit novelty, a little bit rebellious and with a viral video that most groups when spend a fortune on to get the same wickedly enjoyable impact. I was ever so slightly bamboozled by the fact that the similar but not quite as good Gold Digger was their first single proper - it was very similar to Je Suis, yet didn't quite have the same magic for me. Still, pop from The Dolly Rockers is still massively enjoyable and luckily they have a second shot at the fame game with the ridiculously catchy Boys Will Be Boys. It's ever so slightly reminiscent of Brooke Valentine's I Want you Dead and pogos along to a dynamite chorus, encapsulates a bit of Girls Aloud (the middle eight vaguely reminds me of Models) and yet still retains all the who gives a shit charm that you have come to expect from the girls (lines about trust fund bitches make me want to jump up and down with glee). So getting the chance to ask them a few questions was a chance not to be missed...

The burning question I have to start with is - Gold Digger: why on earth was this not a massive top ten success?!
We would love to know!! No, we kind of always knew it would be a struggle as even though we are a girl band, we have the background of a indie band. Everything has been done from scratch and nothing was ever going to happen for us over night. We weren’t put together by a label who already had a huge tour waiting for us to support on or had our album finished before we were together so were still growing the Dolly Rockers brand and it just wasn’t strong enough when we released our single. We didn’t have radio backing and we didn’t have a tour to go on so in a way it was like no one really knew about it for it to have a chance for people to like or not like the song.

How will Boys Will Be Boys redress the balance?
We’re very lucky it wasn’t all riding on the first single and we have a chance to release a second, we know now that we just need to create more awareness about us with the second single and obviously the most important thing, an amazing song. Boys will be boys isn’t 100% yet but what ever it is needs to be a smash!

To raise more awareness you're doing a campaign with KangaROOS shoes. What's happening with that?
It's sort of Bebo's Got Talent - basically we are launching a talent search where girls can record themselves dancing to Gold Digger and upload it to the My Kangeroos Bebo page. Each week one video entry will be selected to go through to the final and get the chance to be the "KangaROOS - How Do You Rock Your Roos Dance Champion 2009"! And of course they will win a day with us, a makeover and loads of goodies...

Oh sounds brillo except it's only for girls so I can't enter. Curses. I got some nifty moves too :( Oh well - I bet the girls are rocking their Roos for you from all over!
We’ve actually had a few videos of these amazing girls KEG doing ‘je suis’ style videos they are very fun to watch - definitely check out the Bebo page to see what's coming in on a week to week basis! But hurry if you want to enter :)

I'll put the word out! Ok, back to Gold Digger ~ if it wins an award and Kanye West runs on screaming "I'm sorry girls but my Gold Digga is the best Gold Digga/Digger song ever", will he live to autotune another day?!
What do you think!! Ha ha I love how Taylor swift was so composed and didn’t say a word that suits her but if he did that to us....bladdy el! Can u imagine He'll see my backhand!

Feisty! I'm a little bit scared of you already :P Ok, BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge - you SO need to do this. Little Boots did Beat Again, JLS did The Fear; what song would you cover (I'm seeing you doing a brillo version of Love Game by Lady Gaga!)
I actually would love to cover the new Arctic Monkeys song or maybe a Jamie T song could be interesting!!

You should do that anyway. It could be a youtube smash. No one did anything like that on the X Factor this year. Talking of which, the X Factor live auditions - brilliant new reinvention or epic fail and rip off of Britain's Got Talent format?
I actually really don’t like the new audition format its very cringe. I used to love the editing of the x factor I thought it had a very dry British sense of humour to it, which, shows like American Idol and Britain’s got talent didn’t. That’s why I could never watch them.

Why didn't you return to The X Factor like Ricky with the scary eyebrows from last Saturday's show? Everyone is on about this poor kids eyebrows I didn’t actually notice them! I don’t think X-Factor is for us anymore, we couldn’t go on anyway because we have a record deal but were we wouldn’t be able to stand up there singing someone else’s songs being styled by someone else - it wouldn’t be us at all.

Very wise. I think you have your own little niche carved out now :) Ok, I'm gonna leave you be now but lastly - fashion tips please. As an "aging" gentleman (ie, i look on my twenties as my youth!) which KangaROOS should I wear on Saturday night with the classic jeans, shirt/tie and waistcoat look?!
Definitely the shiny gold ones!!

Thanks for the advice girls. And there you have it. Dolly Rockers, KangaROOS, and shiny gold shoes. I'm off shopping :) Come back tomorrow for the latest Fizzypop Chronicles playlist :)