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Lily Allen: On the up
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Interview: Chris Salmon
Posted: Fri Apr 28 2006 -
London songster Lily Allen is a bona-fide phenomenon on music website MySpace, where over 100,000 people check out her songs every day (join them at www.myspace.com/lilymusic). Her debut single ’LDN‘ is a twisted, calypso-pop belter that, despite only being released on seven-inch vinyl, has been a mainstay on daytime Radio 1. By the time Allen‘s debut album is released in July, expect her to be massive. Oh, and her dad is called Keith. Yes, that one.
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How would you describe your music to someone who hadn’t heard it?
Ooh. I’d say it was imaginative pop with a narrative.
How did you start making music?
One of my music teachers at school encouraged me to start singing, so I did.
What’s the question everybody asks you?
Apart from, ‘How would you describe your music’? Well, there’s always the questions about my dad. But he’s not involved in what I do at all. In fact, my dad’s never even met my management or my label. If people wanna talk about him, they should probably go and interview him.
The MySpace questions must pop up, too…
Oh yes. I love MySpace , it’s done an amazing job for me and it’s been insane over the past couple of weeks, but I’m not a poster girl for them. And as much as newspapers like to say I got signed because of MySpace, I actually signed my deal in September last year and I set up my MySpace page in November.
Are there questions you’d like to be asked that you haven’t been?
How does it feel to have sold four million albums in your first week of release? Ha!
What is the weirdest record in your collection?
Shaggy, ‘Oh Carolina’. It’s not very cool, but I love it. When I DJ and play that everyone always goes mental.
What’s on your rider?
Well I haven’t played any gigs yet. But what will be on my rider is cider. I’ll have a cider rider!
So what can we expect from your first ever gig?
Well, usually people don’t have this much attention before they’ve done a gig. It’s probably my fault for not having played gigs earlier. So I’m very nervous and excited about it but I don’t want people to come down thinking it’s going to be a perfect show. I’ve only done a week’s rehearsals.
Would the best thing be to go along expecting it to be rubbish?
Yes. Then you might be pleasantly surprised.
Have you always sung with a London accent?
Yes. Well, I did once do a cover of a Galliano song called ‘Jesse’ in an American accent and it sounded really foreign and strange. It’s not an intentional thing the way that I sing, I just can’t sing any other way.
Where in London are you from?
Well, I was born in Hammersmith, then moved to Bloomsbury, then to Shepherd’s Bush and then to Islington where I live now. So all over, except for south London – thank the Lord!
What’s on your iPod?
I listen to a lot of hip hop, but I mostly listen to old stuff like The Specials and all the things that influence my music.
Best piece of advice you’ve received so far?
Be nice to everybody on your way up, cos they’re the ones who’ll be there for you on your way down. That was from my mum.
Lily Allen is the new…
…kid in town. Ha ha! No, that’s rubbish. Lily Allen is the new Bob Dylan. Please could I have that instead?
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56 comments
lily is a the best singer and i have all her songs but my best one is LND AND SMIE
LILLY ALLEN IS HEAVY HER TUNES R ALL ABOUT REAL LIVE SHIT DAT GOES ON AND SHE IS ALL FOR LONDON TOWN .MUCH BETTER DEN ALL DIS FAKE HIP HOP SHIT. SHE HEAVY ALL 4 LILLY AND HER AULBM IS WORTH EVERY PENNY ITS SICK BUY IT. IM LOVEIN LILLY ALLEN AND SHE AS BULLTERRIERS JUST LIKE MEXX GO GIRLXX
are you sure 'LDN' is her debut single, i thought 'smile' was?
Please can you stop this child cruelty and ask her father to take his head out of her arse.
some people are so mean. her songs are catchy. who cares who her parents are. if you like the songs, listen to them. if you don't, no one's forcing you to listen to them or to read about lily allen on this website!
in japan you can buy a spade with lily allen's face on it, it is on the handle, the shovel and the base. gardening and pop music are two of the things the japanese do best, but who whould imagine this spade?
She's not the new Bob Dylan.
She's just not. That's an insane thing to think about oneself. I'm not sure I like her anymore.
lily allen is gr8 luv lcd knock em out nd little things smile alfie basically all ov them xx go u lol
lilly allen amazin singer and your song makes me relaks and you are really ffffffffiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttt xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx i really love you jack h
lilly is an amazin singer, and shes fit, er music is amazin
She's rubbish. Only famous coz she's from a privilaged background with connections - mum's a film director, dad's an actor and she went to posh schools. She's slummed it a bit so she can pretend to be "down to earth." Great marketing ploy. Notice she doesn't talk in that fake mockney accent either!
She is rubbish! Aaaaaaaagh! Mindless drivel, DRIVEL!!! I don't understand wha......why........how......? I can't bel......... ah fuck it
Lilly is a breath of fresh air on an increasingly tired music scene.Excellent songs well sung.
Shell be around for a long time!
agree all the comments...like her music but let's be clear - she's a wealthy kid from west london not some cockney / east londoner who ever had a hard time!
Love you Lilly, but for god's sake leave Kylie alone. It's so transparent that your PR team have concocted a list of controversial people for you to attack. I am a Glasto regular and love the alternative bands, and the new bands, but Kylie deserves and has earned her place as headliner 2007.