Pixie Lott: 'I'm turning into a one-woman industry'
Fresh from unveiling her fourth fashion collection, pop sensation Pixie Lott has also been making a film, modelling and persuading Stevie Wonder to play on her new album. Here the 20-year-old multitasker explains her work ethic to Stuart Husband
'I'm glad I didn't take the X Factor route. I wanted to have my own voice and do things my way,' says Pixie
Bit of a late night last night, admits Pixie Lott, arriving at the South London house where our photo shoot is about to commence. However, apart from a slight huskiness of voice (which adds to her winningly dirty laugh), Pixie looks as fresh faced and energised as the Bromley-born, Essex-raised teenager who burst on to the scene a couple of years ago with her triple-platinum debut album Turn It Up.
Victoria Lotts elfin charms (her mother Bev, housewife and sometime chaperone to her daughter, apparently nicknamed her Pixie because she was such a tiny baby; her father Steve is a stockbroker) and her bright, polished pop songs have gone on to win her two MTV awards, three Brit nominations, a million Facebook friends, and half a million YouTube followers. Shes done a bit of acting (in a childrens film called Fred: The Movie, a spin-off of the Nickelodeon series, where she plays the lead characters love interest), she designs a fashion range for Lipsy and shes signed a contract with Select the same modelling agency that represents her boyfriend Oliver Cheshire. Now shes returning to her day job with her second album Young Foolish Happy. Pixie gets a plate of fruit and a cup of tea and lowers herself on to a divan to discuss style, success, signifi! cant oth ers and sleep patterns.
I called the new album Young Foolish Happy because its a kind of farewell to my youth.
I know that sounds a bit ridiculous as Im only 20, but Im definitely not the same person I was when
I made my first album, and I think the music reflects that. Its deeper, more soulful the kind of music I grew up listening to (Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are my heroes) and the kind of music I like singing. It stretches my voice more than the pop tracks do, and I get to plumb some emotional depths. Sometimes in pop your voice can get lost. I wanted to clear some space and let my voice show what it could do. Ive grown up a bit, Ive had some experiences, Ive matured and I think my voice has matured with me.
All-rounder Pixie makes time to be with her boyfriend Oliver Cheshire, centre, and mum Bev
Ive got some grade-A guest stars on this album. Stevie Wonder plays harmonica on one track and John Legend plays piano and sings on another. It was just luck that it all happened; we were recording in Los Angeles, and one of the guys said he had a friend coming over he wouldnt say who it was. I was really overwhelmed when Stevie Wonder, my all-time favourite musician, walked through the door. The only other time I felt like that was when I briefly shook Mariah Careys hand. Stevies just lovely; we went out for dinner and I met his family, and he agreed to play on the track. I met John Legend through a songwriter friend who thought we should work together and sent him one of my ballads. I went to meet him at his house in LA and we got on really well. Our schedu! les were crazy, but we found this one day when we were both in New York at the same time, so I got straight off a plane and went to a studio and we got the song done there and then. Ive also just sung with Lionel Richie for an upcoming duets album of his. That only leaves Mariah on my dream collaborators list. Shes always been the one for me.
I knew I wanted to be a singer from the age of five. Ive been lucky to be so single-minded some of my friends still dont know what they want to do, and theyre finding it hard. There are home videos of me singing and taking centre stage at family parties when Im about three.
Id listen to my mums record collection she had all the big singers, including Celine and Whitney and get inspired, listening to them over and over and copying them. I had a passion for it. Id also watch TV programmes on Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, celebrity biography-type shows on their rise to fame, and see how they started so young. Id think, if they can do it, why cant I? Id been going to the Italia Conti Academy stage school since I was five, but I knew I didnt want to do musical theatre; I just wanted to sing. So Id search the internet and the papers for auditions. I answered a looking for the next pop diva ad in The Stage newspaper, but I had to lie about my age I was 14 and they wanted girls from 16 to 21. I got a record deal a year later, but Im still working on the diva bit; it doesnt come naturally to me at all. Id much rather get on with everyone.
I dont think Id be able to do any of this without my mum.Shes the one who took me to auditions and ballet classes, and my dad took me to studios at weekends to record the songs Id been writing. We all like music in my family, but Im the only one whos made it my life.My sisters an insurance broker, and my brother does something in the City Im not quite sure what! Im t! he young est, but theres only threeyears between us and were all ambitious in our own ways.
Im glad I didnt take the X Factor route to fame. I wanted to work my own way up. Sure, The X Factor is a great platform youve instantly got attention from viewers and the media but I wanted to have my own voice and do things my way. I think thats why my music appeals to all kinds of audiences, from teens to Radio 2 listeners and even musos. My love for all kinds of music from retro-soul to my dads Duran Duran and Squeeze albums to the divas such as Mariah comes through in my own recordings.
Im not afraid of hard work. I like it! Its the other bit the not working I find more problematic. If Im not busy, I just get antsy. Ive been this way since I was a child. Sitting still is like torture for me.
I still have a tight set of friends who Ive known since I was at school. We like going out to the cinema, to restaurants and dancing. There was no kind of bump we had to get over when I became famous, because I havent actually changed. Im still the same kind of workaholic music obsessive
I always was. The hardest thing Ive had to adjust to is not seeing them as much as I used to. We were all inseparable, but now theyll ask me to go to their birthday party and I wont be able to because Im in Glasgow or Paris or somewhere. Thats the biggest sacrifice you make.
Ive got a regular bunch of paparazzi following me. Theyre ruthless they try to shove their cameras in my face. There are some really young ones maybe there are pap schools, like stage schools. Theyve ruined nights out with friends, when we havent wanted them following us to clubs and bars but weve not been able to shake them off. Its a bit boring that its always in the back of your mind.
Im sensible and level-headed. Ive been offered drugs, though probably no more so for being in this business than any other young person growing up today, but Ive got strong views on l! ooking a fter myself and Im not easily led. You wont see a picture of me rolling around in a gutter, but I sometimes have a photo taken when Im leaving a club looking tired, and therell be headlines saying shes out of control. You cant prepare yourself for those things; you just have to shrug them off.
Im turning into a one-woman industry. Ive got a modelling contract with Select, Im looking at doing more acting and Im continuing to design fashion ranges for Lipsy autumn/winter is our fourth collection. These are opportunities that have just come along. Music will always be my main focus, but Ive always loved fashion, so I wasnt going to pass up the chance to get directly involved in designing. Its a nice mixture of vintage-inspired evening dresses and casual daywear all the things Im into myself. I like mixing high street and designer, and there are so many great vintage shops where I live in East London, so Im always finding great one-offs. With Select, its a chance to get more heavily involved in the fashion side of things. I love the shows; theyre so much fun. I played for Karl Lagerfeld at a Fendi show and that was great. Well see where it goes.
I met my boyfriend Oliver at a London Fashion Week party. Hes interested in acting, but he also loves photography hes got a good creative head. Hes also a great cook, which is brilliant for me because Im hopeless in the kitchen. My mum doesnt really like cooking, so I had no one to learn from. Its also nice to have someone to share your stories and experiences with.
Ive perfected the art of the power-nap. I can fall asleep anywhere cars, planes, trains and wake refreshed after 20 minutes. It helps keep my energy levels high. Ive been working to get where I am for so long, I want to make sure I miss as little of it as possible now Ive arrived.
Pixies new album Young Fooli! sh Happy will be released on 7 November by Mercury
Comments