Attempting to Stalk Ladyhawke
Hayley Adkins and Pip Brown :: Hoxton Bar & Kitchen

So, why the name Ladyhawke?
There was a movie that came out mid-eighties starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick when he was really young. It was really cheesy, kind of fantasy style. The soundtrack was this really good but really bad synth driven mystical music. It was amazing. It was one of those movies that was so bad it was good. I loved it so much I just thought I had to be called Ladyhawke.

You had your own band when you were 16. Did any of get recorded and do you still put it on and dance around?
It never got recorded but there is a video tape with us playing on it! Yeah it was really embarrassing cause it was when I use to play the drums. It’s me banging away on the drums wearing some floral shirt and really long hair with a center parting! (laughs) erm, yeah!

You were about to tour Australia with your band ‘Solo Blacktop’ but split literally days before you were about to get on the plane, can you tell us more about the personal differences that caused the split.
Yeah we split literally a couple of days before the tour. Our personal goals were different. I just wanted to be a musician whereas a couple of the guys in the band had careers, their hearts were in it but their talents were in design and 2 of the band members felt like they had to leave the band but they chose a really bad moment to do it!

I approached one of your crew handing out your cool badges when I came to see you at Camden Crawl and he said you loved cats and old school computer games. Can you elaborate for us?
I have been playing video games since I can remember. I started collecting games consoles when I was 12. I have lots of different game consoles, you know like Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Nintendo DS!

Are you any good?
I wouldn’t say I am good! I play purely for pleasure. I am not like a hardcore games player and have to beat everything. I play purely for the enjoyment. I have a Nintendo Wii at the moment and its so much fun!

Have you got Guitar hero?
No! I wish had it everyone keeps talking about it!

Oh yeah and I love cats!

Have you got one?
No I used to, he died his name was Tiger! I kinda see myself as crazy cat lady in a few years time!

Yeah me too!

You joined the band The Teenagers as the guitarist. Do you think this influenced Ladyhawke at all?
Nick Littlemore who I did Teenager with he is kinda like a tortured musical genius! He has encouraged me and supported me from the first moment we met. Particularly, being in Teenager made me realise I really wanted to do my own thing. Nick really encouraged me to sing. He said I had a voice whereas I have never considered myself a singer, always a songwriter and musician and having someone encourage me like that gave me the confidence to step up to the microphone.

What has been your favourite country so far in all your travels?
Its funny cause it seems that every country I go to becomes my new favourite country! I love Berlin, I love London. I live here in London now.

What is your favourite item of clothing?
I have a Simpsons t-shirt, its an original 1989 when they looked funny! Its just one of those t-shirts!

Book or DVD?
DVD

Tell us about what you have in the pipeline for us?
‘Paris is burning’ my new single is out in June and my debut album is out on September 15th oh and a whole load of summer festivals to look out for!

Which are you looking forward to the most?
Glastonbury, overshadows them all because when you are young that’s the one you want to go to the most and you love to think ‘one day I’ll play Glastonbury’!

Have you been to the festival before?
No! When you are young and living in New Zealand your dream is to be a crowd member let alone play at the festival! It’s amazing!

I’m playing at the Q stage and the Dance Village come and check me out!

Thanks for your time Ladyhawke good luck with your gig tonight.