Little Boots (Interview)

Lancastrian Victoria Hesketh, better known as Little Boots, is slap-bang in the middle of an exciting phase of her career. Freed from the pressure that winning the BBC Sound of 2009 poll brought to the release of her debut album, Hands, she’s been able to spend the time to perfect her well-received follow-up, Nocturnes. Featuring production from James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco), Andy Butler (Hercules And Love Affair) and Ariel Rechtshaid amongst others, Nocturnes is, in Hesketh’s own words, “an album indebted to the night.”

Little Boots’ latest single, Satellite, the fifth taken from Nocturnes, is accompanied by a video co-directed by Hesketh herself, filmed in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom – a venue she frequented in her youth. Before she embarks upon a tour of the USA and Mexico, Little Boots found time to chat to No Ripcord’s Joe Rivers.

Joe: Your album’s been out for four months now – are you pleased with how it’s been received and how it goes down at gigs?

Little Boots: I've been really happy with the critical response, and even more so by the fans. It’s made me realise what an incredibly dedicated core fanbase I have everywhere we go, all over the world, and I'm so grateful to them. The festival gigs over the summer were amazing and our headline shows have felt really special. 

J: How did you come to collaborate with Ariel Rechtshaid on Satellite and what was it like working with him?

LB: I think we had a few mutual friends. I remember turning up at the studio the first day and seeing he had a Barbra Streisand vinyl on the piano and I knew we'd get along. It was a lot of fun – he's crazy talented. 

J: What was the thinking behind opening up a remix competition for Satellites and were you impressed by the standard of the entries?

LB: I remix myself and have always had a reputation for techy stuff and being creative with technology, so it’s great to turn that back to the fans and listeners, and get them involved. There were some really great entries so it was difficult. I got it down to a top three but it was still really hard to pick the winner. 

J: There seem to be a lot of remixes of Little Boots tracks around. Do you commission these and do you get to choose who remixes you?

LB: I get very involved with the process. I have a tight-knit group of friends who are all artists, managers or producers, so there's always someone we know up for being involved. It’s always pretty organic; I always prefer to work with people who want to do it, not just because they're getting a wad of cash.

J: Now you’re an established artist with two albums under your belt as Little Boots, how do you view the time after winning the BBC Sound of 2009 poll? Does everything feel more settled now?

LB: Yeah, I'm definitely a lot more confident in my own skin. I know what kind of artist I am and I don't feel any kind of pressure to compromise on that. I'm really excited for the future and just feeling confident and liberated creatively. 

J: You’ve released three mixtapes. What is it about that format and means of distribution that attracts you to it so much?

LB: I've done way more than that actually; they're something I’ve done since day 1. I don't really use them to showcase new material though like a lot of people do, it’s more just making mixtapes of tunes I've been DJing recently. They're more for fun and people seem to like them; it gives you a glimpse into what I'm listening to and getting inspired by. 

J: You’ve just played some dates in South America – how did you find it there?

LB: AMAZING! All the shows were so much fun and the fans actually made me cry with all their presents and letters. It felt really special. I've been aware we've had a fanbase there for some time but we've only really been able to tour properly now. Hopefully we can build on that and go more often in the future. 

J: You’ve got an American tour coming up at the end of September. After that, what does the future hold for Little Boots?

LB: We have another US tour in November and we're also going to Mexico which I'm looking forward to. There’s also a big European tour at the end of the year with a special show in London where we're going to try make a fully live Nocturnes disco extravaganza! I've blocked the rest of the time off to write new material; I've made a start but I'm really ready to get my teeth into it now. Onwards and upwards!

Nocturnes by Little Boots is available now. Tour dates can be found on www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk, including the “disco extravaganza” headline date at London’s Heaven on 28th November.