Latitude Interviews: Polly Scattergood

So having just watched Polly play to packed-out Sunrise Arena at Latitude, we made our way to watch her do a Vogue photoshoot. We then sat with Polly and chatted about her short films, music, etc. I say chat because this was one of the most charming intervews I have had the pleasure to conduct.

Mark: Hi Polly it’s a real pleasure to be sitting here with you by this beautiful lake! Can you give us some background information for our readers?

Polly: Hi,well I’m a singer/songwriter and I have been writing since I was twelve when I found a guitar of my mum’s in a cupboard. I picked it up, learnt how to play it not very well, found I enjoyed it and started writing stuff. I moved up to London when I was sixteen to become a musician.

Mark : So it’s taken off since then?

Polly: Well slowly but surely I’m getting there.

Mark: I think in some ways that’s a good thing that it’s moved slowly, gives you time to grow as an artist. You could not ask for anyone better to be guiding your career than Neil (Ferris)!

Polly: I know I’m really, really lucky to have him as my manager!!!

Mark: I recently put ‘Nitrogen Pink’ in my top five choices of 2008 so far, which of your songs means the most to you on a personal level – if that’s not too deep a question to ask?

Polly: Why thank you very much that’s really kind of you! No, that’s not too deep but it’s a difficult one because they all mean so much to me. “I hate the way” is one of the oldest tracks on the album, it’s been around forever and I still really like it. That is unusual because I’m very fickle, I usually love songs for about three days then forget about them!! I dunno, it kind of comes and goes depending upon what I feel like at the time I guess.

Mark: So Polly your lyrics are extremely deep and very personal, how do you construct your songs? Is it melody first or lyrics?

Polly: I do them both together, I don’t really know how that works but I usually sit on a piano and they happen. I’m quite impatient – if it does not come together in about twenty minutes I tend to discard them.

Mark: Lot’s of people tell me the best songs they write come together really quickly.

Polly: Definitely. I mean people work in all different ways. I’ve tried sitting down with other writers and see how they do it. I write really fast. Some people are really slow and deliberate over every word and I guess it’s just what works for you as an artist.

Mark: With ‘Pollyworld1′ – will the lyrics ever see the light of day as a track on the album at all? It’s got my favourite couple of lines I have heard for a longtime…”In a box in a tower in a city of sin full of fake fuckin people who drink all my gin”.

Polly: Awwwwwwww thank you! I don’t really know, the scattering I did for that I recorded in an evening just onto some little speakers. The song that follows is called ‘Twenty Seven’. I’m hoping that it’s on the album as well as the songs we can include some little snippets and yes, I would like that to be included on there. It was a real late night one but i really love it.

Pollyworld1

Mark: Can you tell us a little bit about Tom your film maker? I love his camera work, we were having a chat earlier.

Polly: Tom is supposed to be the invisible man!!!!!

Mark: Shall we leave him as the invisible man?

Polly: Tom is a very dear friend. He takes lot’s of polaroids and I blog about him. He is one of those people you can tell when you are having a really rubbish day a lot of those photos were taken with me standing on my bed because it’s the only white wall I have in my house!!!!

Mark: We were chatting about detail, like some of my favourite bits from PollyWorld 1 are like the shot of your bangle and your foot on the accelerator.

Polly: Yes I love him to bits.

Mark: So what’s it like to be working with Daniel Miller on the album? (Daniel Miller is legendary founder and owner of Mute Records)

Polly: Yeah, great! Fantastic! He is just a really creative and inspiring person to be around in the studio.

Mark: So you are getting quite a lot of freedom to experiment.

Polly: Yes, complete freedom which is amazing! I’m told it’s quite rare, I have been given like three years to work on this. I have stuff from three years ago that have changed so much…one day we picked up a mandolin, the next a moog. I feel like I have just been allowed to play around in a big toy box. It’s been fun!

Mark: So have you got any idea of when the album is going to be released?

Polly: I think the beginning of February 2009, I have been told that is the cut off date.

Mark: I for one am looking forward to getting hold of a copy.

Polly: Thank you I will make sure you get one.

Mark: So if you were to make a mix for our readers what would the first three songs be?

Polly: Not sure I can make those choices, I totally love Leonard Cohen and I would have to have ‘Hallelujah’ on there. It’s a such a big question that I might have to get back to you on that one.

Mark: We could just have it on loop Polly.

Polly: Yes, I mean my other choices would change from week to week but that song stays constant as my favourite.

Mark: So you have been here at Latitude, who have you seen who you have really enjoyed?

Polly: Wow Sigur Ros were just amazing, they literally blew me away.

Mark: I shot photo’s from the press pit. They were so good I had to stop and sit down.

Polly: I know what you mean, you just dont see that every day. I felt so priviliged to be part of that moment. In front of us was a big black flag waving – it felt like war had broken out!

Mark: Thank you so much for letting us into Polly world, it’s been a real pleasure.

Tags: polly scattergood