Hannah Diamond x Charli XCX for Wonderland
LOGO's Hannah Diamond caught Charli XCX’s attention last winter, when the two swapped a few tweets following the release of Hannah's breakthrough 'Pink and Blue' single on PC Music. In what might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Wonderland asked Diamond to interview Charli as part of their September-October Mean Girls issue.
Hannah Diamond: Hey what's up Charli? You're out in San Francisco at the moment right?
Charli XCX: Yeah I'm out here doing promo and stuff and then off to Sacramento.
HD: And you're going to be coming over to London on the 30th of August for a show right?
CXCX: Yeah, I'm doing a show at Heaven. It's going to be really cool; I feel quite nervous about it because I've not really ever done many shows in the UK, so it’s the place I kind of always freak out about. But in a good way I guess.
HD: I guess because it's home, it feels more real?
CXCX: Yeah, totally. And I also feel like I've never been super successful in the UK before, and I’ve never done a tour here, but it feels very exciting to me.
HD: Everyone is gonna be so pumped for it! It's just ten days after your new album comes out!
CXCX: Yeah, and the day before Halloween as well, which is like my favorite holiday! Yeah I'm really excited for this show and maybe me and my band will dress up as the Adam’s Family.
HD: You have a new song coming out too, what’s it about?
CXCX: Yeah its called ‘Break the Rules’ and it’s coming out on October 5th. I shot the video the other week in L.A and I'm really excited for everyone to see it. It’s inspired by my favorite movies, Jawbreaker and Carrie, and this photograph of Marilyn Manson in front of a school bus that was shot by David LaChapelle, which is like my favorite photograph of all time. There’s a lot of references to all of those things in there. Its the best video I've ever done.
HD: I like how much you consider the imagery and visuals to your music, I think that’s really important.
CXCX: Yeah I feel like when I write my music I see it in colours before I see it as a song. I know I’m really connecting with a song when I begin to get ideas for a music video, and that’s when I know its going to be a great song. I’m way more inspired by music videos and movies that I am by other people's music. I feel like I definitely prefer making music videos to making music. The video I did for fancy with Iggy was crazy!
HD: What’s it like going on tour? Any survival tips?
CXCX: I've always really liked being on tour. A lot of people seem to really hate it but I've always liked it and I’ve done a lot of it. I never get home sick. Going on tour always feels like you're not in reality. There are no real times of day. I don't really like having a routine. Tour always feels a bit like you're stuck with groups of people for like 5 weeks, but my band are really fun and my fans are really cool. Last year when I was on tour, my fans gave me so many pop tarts and they gave me lots of Justin Bieber perfume, like I have 15 bottles. And also lots of Justin Bieber dolls. I always have a really good time.
HD: I love how you are always staying connected with your fans and are always messaging them back and answer their questions online - is that something that’s really important to you?
CXCX: Yeah I feel very much like I am an artist born out of the internet and by fans interacting with each other so if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I am now. So its nice to be able to give something back to them.
HD: Do you have any secret social media accounts?
CXCX: Well if I told you then I guess they wouldn't be secret ; ) I don't know sometimes social media really scares me. It can be such an intense place. So I just stick to the Charli XCX ones. It can be so difficult having this online profile of being Charli XCX, which isn't a character but its definitely revealing certain parts of my self that I wouldn't normally reveal, so I think if I had my own accounts too it would feel like another person to manage. I already feel like I can wake up and be like 7 different people in one day as it is.
HD: Which network was the most supportive and important social network which helped your music to get to be really known?
CXCX: I think it was probably a combination between Tumblr and Twitter. Tumblr is where a lot of the hardcore fans of everything that I do are. Those are the people that really understand everything about me. I see my Tumblr as the inside of my brain, like that’s what I put on there. I feel like a lot of my younger fans are on Twitter and that’s where they connect with me the most. The way that fans connect with me on Twitter always blows my mind, like how they know so much etc, I find it so interesting.
HD: I always see people messaging you calling you their Queen.
CXCX: Yeah I always have people tweeting me "Slay Queen Slay' - that always makes me laugh. I don't know why I think it’s funny. I guess with Twitter it really feels like an instant connection; the way its set up is almost as if you are texting someone. Its funny I always get some crazy funny shit on Twitter. Like sexually graphic fan tweets. I always screen grab them and send them to my friends. They make me laugh so much, it will be like 'slap me with a brick 'til I'm dead and fuck my unconscious body, queen' and it’ll be from someone with a name like @SelenaGomez fan. I dunno it’s so freaky!
HD: When was the point you realised things were starting to get crazy with your music stuff?
CXCX: I think for me it was the beginning of this year. I went through a phase - to be honest I was really close to, giving up isn't the right word, but I began to really not care anymore and I was finding it really difficult to make pop music and I was finding that I was really falling out with the music industry just because of the way that certain things had gone down. Post the song ‘I Love It’ I began to see doors being unlocked that I didn't really know existed before and I was seeing this strange side to the music industry and at a point where I was feeling uncreative. But then after I wrote ‘Fancy’ in January things just started going a bit crazy. I think it was 'cos I was in such a negative place, I went to stay with a friend in Sweden and basically recorded a punk record and sat in Sweden in the dark during winter making these two minute songs in my friends studio. When I wrote ‘Fancy’ I felt like I had got all my aggression out and I felt like I could write pop music again.
HD: I think sometimes you have to experience a real low to be able to come back up again…
CXCX: Definitely! That’s the whole reason why I do love this industry, it’s like so much of a roller coaster. One week you can be so sad and wanna stay in bed and die all week and the next week you can be on such a high.
HD: Are there any things that you feel like you can't do now that you're getting famous?
CXCX: I always get told I have to watch my mouth more and watch what I say, but I'm really bad at that. I never really see my self as being famous. I never see it like that. But I've also just been in my own little world since ‘Fancy’ really in the studio the whole time. I try not to think about that kind of stuff - there was a point when I was younger when I thought about that a lot and like the idea of fame. But I think its really unhealthy.
HD: Definitely! The focus should be on making great stuff
CXCX: Exactly, I feel like if you get caught up in that fame thing - your music could so easily become about that.
HD: Do you have any advice for me starting out in the music industry?
CXCX: I feel like you specifically as an artist have it going so right. One thing I wish people had told me is at the beginning of my career is to totally stick to my own ideas and vision and been myself. I feel like it was difficult for me because when I signed my record deal I had just turned 16 and everything was so confusing for me. I think that’s definitely the best advice. And aside from that I think its really important - don't bite the hand that feeds you - that’s something I've seen happen loads of times and I think its always really important to respect the people you are working with, no matter what level they are working for you or with you at. That’s one thing I really believe.
OK, some quick fire Qs.
HD: Favourite phone app?
CXCX: Iggy showed me a great one called ‘Drake Shake- - you take a photo and shake it and Drake appears
HD: Fave person you follow on twitter?
CXCX: Yung Sherman from Sad Boys
HD: What couldn't you live without?
CXCX: My best friend Twiggy, she’s my oldest friend and she doesn't give a shit about my music career which is the coolest thing.
HD: Has a really unexpected fan ever got in touch with you?
CXCX: Tommy Lee from Motley Crüe hit me up and was like 'Hey I love your music, can I come to your show?’ and he came to my show in LA.
HD: What’s your fave thing to do to chill out?
CXCX: Watch movies, right now I keep watching Arrested Development. And watching music videos and stuff
HD: What was your first MySpace name?
CXCX: I think I went straight in head strong as Charlie XCX.
This interviews appears in Wonderland's September - October 'Mean Girls issue and online at Wonderlands site here
Charli Image Credits: Photographer Frederik Heyman | Fashion Editor Louby McLoughlin | Hair Sam Burnett | Make Up Sonia Bhogal | Manicurist Ami Streets at LMC Worldwide using Chanel A/W 2014 and Body Excellence Hand Cream | Photography assistance Dieter Deswarte | Fashion assistance Georgina Thomas and Charlotte Spice