We all know the story of Charlotte Church; shooting to fame at an early age, troubled teens, pop star reinvention, celebrity marriage… But music has always been at the heart of her tale, and what’s going on with it now? Ahead of her G-A-Y gig this weekend we talk about her new sound, and what to expect on Saturday night when that booming voice takes the stage.
So what have you been up to since we saw you last?
I’ve basically been squirreling myself away to make music! I built a studio in my garage at home and I’ve jumped on the creative bandwagon.
Tell us more about your new direction.
It’s totally different to anything I’ve ever done. Live we’ve got two drummers on stage and a big analogue synth and guitars and the violin and I do lots of funny things with my vocal pedals and create lots of layers. Reviewers have said that it’s somewhere between Florence and the Machine and Kate Bush and Radiohead and Bjork.
Is this the beginning then of the real Charlotte Church as a creative artist?
I think this is the first thing I’ve ever done that is truly artistic and hopefully original and different and exciting and indefinable, which is a word I quite like. I know in G-A-Y there’ll be a lot of people going ‘Oh we wanted you to sing Crazy Chick’, but I think there’s so much drama and intensity to all of the material and the whole of the live set. There’s a lot of dancing to be done, as well, fear not! I hope that people just get swept away with it, and it takes them to a different place.
You’ve played Heaven before. How do you normally find the crowd?
Totally brilliant, I had a great time and I think everyone else there had a great time as well. But you have five songs which is the general thing that you do and this time I said, ‘can I actually do a whole set?’
And this is the only London gig you’re doing?
Yes!
Finally, what can we expect at G-A-Y this weekend?
It will be pretty different to anything that they’re going to be expecting. It will be intense and at times a little tender, at times laughably moody, but dramatic nonetheless, with me singing my ass off like my life depends on it!
• Charlotte Church will be at G-A-Y, Heaven (Villiers St, Charing Cross, WC2N 6NG) on Sat 13th April. £4 wrist bands available from G-A-Y Bar, 10.30pm-5am.
