How the devil are you today Laura and is the sun shining in your world?
I'm very well thank you - exhausted but pleased after my day of gigging in peoples' offices around London! It was a lovely spring day so it was all very enjoyable. A big cup of tea is imminent. I am a happy lady.
“She Makes War is the gloom-pop solo project of Laura Kidd – multi-instrumentalist, visual artist and digital polymath” How would you actually describe your music?
That's exactly how I'd describe it…I invented the term gloom-pop just before I released my debut album as I was sick of people asking me what I sounded like and trying to fumble for an answer. The full description is grungy dystopian gloom-pop but it's gloom-pop for short - it's bittersweet, melancholy but hopeful indie pop music, basically ;)
Your new album ‘Little Battles’ is out on the 9th April. How does this record differ from last year’s ‘Disarm’ LP?
It's definitely a step on in terms of production values and songwriting - I worked with the same co-producer, the fabulous Myles Clarke, but because the recording costs were funded through my Pledge campaign I could afford to spend about double the amount of time in the studio and therefore add in a lot more detail.
"Little Battles" was also written in a much shorter period of time than "Disarm", so for me the stories and themes are much more strongly focused and coherent. My first album actually came out in September 2010 so it may seem like a very short period of time between the two but it feels right to me and I'm already thinking about the next collection of songs!
‘Little Battles’ was recorded via the pledge Music campaign. What were your experiences of that system to help fund the recording and would you recommend it to other artists?
The Pledge campaign was an overwhelming experience in a number of ways. I was bowled over by the enthusiastic support I received from my existing fans and from a whole bunch of new people who heard about me because of it and kindly got involved. The campaign reached 217% of its target, which was completely unexpected and meant my fans essentially paid for all the recording costs of the new album'
The toughest thing for me has been juggling the fulfillment of the pledges - some of the elements within the more deluxe packages were a lot of work to put together (the album documentary DVD and lyric book in particular, all made by me) and as Pledge don't give you the funds until you've sent everything out - and rightly so - there's a lot of juggling to be done on the financial front. I fund my project entirely from the money I make as a filmmaker and session musician so it's been a difficult process, though wonderfully rewarding.
I would guardedly recommend crowd funding to others but pass on a piece of advice I recently got from fellow artist Kim Boekbinder - "the music is the reward". Knowing myself as I do, even if I'd had that advice earlier on in the process I would have made just as crazy a list of Pledge exclusives because I just like making stuff for people!
You are also described as a ‘visual artist’. Do you think live music has to be more than ‘just the music’ or that it is an aid to project your music to the audience?
I feel that my music is about my personality, and as I naturally work in various mediums - music, video, photography, craft - bringing those other elements in to the process of telling the alternate stories of the songs comes very naturally to me. I think we have the opportunity now as artists to distribute whatever we like to the wider world, and that can be more than the music, but I don't think it's something everyone absolutely has to get involved in. People can tell when you don't mean it.
What was the aim of the Watercooler War Tour (22 March) and how did it turn out?
The main aim of the Watercooler War Tour was to present live music in an unusual setting and encourage people to talk about what the live music experience is really all about - do you need the familiar surroundings of a noisy venue, stage, bar etc to get something from it or can you have a more interesting experience in another environment? As a performer I prefer playing to people who really want to listen and love subverting expectations, so I had a wonderful time! The general feedback I got from my audiences today was that they were excited to have their day disrupted by me and because many of them have families and find it very hard to get out to see bands they really enjoyed the escapism it provided and the convenience that the experience was brought right to them.
What was the inspiration for choosing music as a career and were any other jobs seriously considered?
I never chose music as a career, I just decided at a young age that I was going to perform and write and that side of things has never been about making money. I have had all sorts of jobs from bar work to phone operator to secretarial stuff and now I work as a director, camera operator and editor, photographer and social media reporter, alongside the odd job as a session musician. She Makes War is a massive part of my life but at present I am completely independent and DIY and I have to fund my own activities. I've worked hard to be able to do that with creative work I really love, and She Makes War is a way for me to bring all these different mediums together under one big art project umbrella.
Looking back on your school days, what were the CDs regularly sort after to be exchanged and recorded in the playground?
I've always been pretty retro in my tastes and have a habit of coming across bands long after they released their biggest albums, but key favorites would have to be the entire Blur back catalogue, Kristin Hersh's solo albums, ELO's "Out Of The Blue" and Carina Round's "The Disconnection".
I won’t ask you musical influences but, if you were on stage in another band’s T-shirt, which band or artist would it be?
I've always wanted one of those Zero shirts the Smashing Pumpkins put out. A great simple, effective design.
Any particular instruments, effects, or recording techniques that you would like to share with your fellow musicians’?
Well I'm a looper and am craving a Boss RC30 at the moment - I use the RC20XL but really want to be able to have multiple synched loops. I'm also in love with the Placid Audio Copperphone mic - it has a kind of AM radio effect and I've been using it recently for recording and live. It gives such a lovely alternative vocal sound and I love that they're all handmade and all mechanical.
SHE MAKES WAR releases her second album ’Little Battles’ on April 9th
Pre-order link is on Bandcamp
Laura plays a 'Little Battles' Album Launch at The Half Moon, Herne Hill on 11th April.