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The Interview
How did you come into this career?
We all went to music school. Emma was at The Royal Academy, and Kate and I went to Trinity Laban (where I re-trained after leaving a career in Fashion, working for Vivienne Westwood).
After graduating, I missed singing in the Jazz choir and decided to put together a vocal group.
As I was already performing and working as Musical Director on the underground Cabaret scene, we started getting booked straight away – opening for a Metal band at Pop in Soho, or reimagining Kate Bush at the legendary Duckie, and then we got discovered by Universal.
Tell us about one/some of the most career defining shows you’ve played so far.
It’s a toss up between The Royal Variety Show (after which King Charles told us he had our album and thought it was splendid!), Michael Buble’s Christmas Special, or Vivienne Westwood’s Christmas Party (where we had to perform standing on the bar, with my husband behind us making sure we didn’t fall)
Any pre-show rituals?
Yes, we stand in a circle, hold hands and chant “lightness of heart, lightness of sound”. We started doing it as a bit of a send up of “In Bed with Madonna”, and it stuck.
What was the first show you remember going to?
It was an Italian singer called Renato Zero, in my hometown of Bologna, when I was 12
What was the first show you remember playing?
It was also in my hometown of Bologna, when I was 16. I had a big crush on a boy from my school, and unfortunately, he didn’t reciprocate… but he did ask me to join his band, which was even better.
We did a big concert in a piazza in the centre of town, and I was so nervous I didn’t eat for about a week before the show. It was amazing!!
One thing you wish you knew before your first gig?
I wish I’d learned how to use a microphone! Hearing my disembodied voice for the first time really freaked me out.
Tell us about someone in your team you couldn’t do without.
Everybody! We form very close bonds with everyone we work with, and they become part of our family.
We’re still best friends with our very first tour manager, who left us in 2008 to become a rockstar.
He was a terrible manager (think wrong airports, missing accordions, the full gamut of what could go awry), but he made everyone feel relaxed and happy at all times, which is a gift when you’re on tour.
How do you find working with Midnight Mango?
We absolutely love you guys! It’s a very new relationship, but we are so impressed with your communication, the transparent way in which you work, and how lovely everyone is!
Tell us about something you’d like to promote.
We’re currently working on our 7th studio album, which we start recording in September, so this is a “brewing” year for us. We’re doing a segment called “Can You Puppini That” on our socials, and everyone is welcome to send suggestions of what songs we should arrange in three-part harmony. We’re getting some corkers!
