Keeping it real: Paloma Faith

Hackney’s chanteuse Paloma Faith has been the queen of retro glam since her debut album dropped in 2009 and she played Tom Waits’s girlfriend in ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’. Now she’s lining up her two platinum-selling albums for headline spots at Hammersmith Apollo and the enormous O2 Arena this year. With such lofty achievements to her name, we want to know how well grounded the 31-year-old is.

Who is the Home Secretary?
Oh my God, this is terrible for me because I live in dreams. If I’m honest with you, I’m not the most political. I’m sociologically aware, but my mother is deeply ashamed of how non-political I am.

Okay, how about travel – how much is a single tube ride?
Isn’t that £2.80 on Oyster?

Bingo! At peak times anyway.
I know because I take the tube all the time. But it’s £4 off Oyster. I’ve got quite a few Oyster cards in my wallet as I’m often with people who forget theirs and they say ‘oh my god it’s £4’, and then I say ‘here’s an Oyster!’.

When you’re not on the move, what’s your favourite TV show?
I don’t watch television. The only thing I actually watch is Jools Holland on playback. When I’m at home I like to read or watch films. I’m a really big film addict.

How much is a first class stamp?
I always buy books of 12 because I write letters constantly, which is £7.60 I think [it’s £7.20]. I love letters.

In that case, who’s the most famous person in your address book?
I’ve got Prince’s manager, does that count? Because I supported Prince and we get on really well. She lives in London, so we do a lot of stuff together. I have Gemma Arterton too, she’s a good friend.

When did you last take a private jet?
It was about two and a half years ago, and it was the first and last time I’ve ever been on one. It was for a private gig for a designer label, but it’s scary to be honest. I just find small aircrafts vulnerable. Usually when I’m on flights I’m in economy or premium economy because my record company won’t fly me better than that. Then when I fly myself, I’m shocked at how much it costs to fly more than economy, so I don’t.

What’s the most expensive dress you’ve ever been given?
I’ve been given a lot of stuff from Dolce & Gabbana. There’s this one dress with a matching headscarf that I love so much, I wear it all the time. It’s a pencil dress, long sleeved and its got dogs and rabbits on it. Lulu Guinness has given me a lot of cool bags in the shape of lips and eyes. I was offered a Range Rover once, but I don’t like driving so I said no.

The result
She might ‘live in dreams’, but Paloma also knows her way around the real world.