³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

A few months ago I was at a gig in London and picked up free mag, Loud And Quiet. While reading it I nearly fell off my chair when a familiar face was beaming back at me. Anika, a friend from Cardiff, was looking fabulous and mysterious, and had made the jump from promoter to singer. I thought I'd find out a bit more about it from her, and see what plans she has with the music this year.

Anika, tell me how this whole project started. Why did you decide to start recording music?

I've been writing lyrics since I was about 14. During my time as a promoter in Cardiff I began to teach myself guitar, in an attempt to put some kind of structure to the poetical ramblings. I used to work very long and unsociable hours and so writing was the only way for me to unwind a little and retain any scrap of sanity. I don't think I really slept in that entire year.

It was around this time that I decided to quit the music industry for good. Then I got a call from a friend in Bristol saying that his mate's band were looking for a singer. This bloke phoned but I was in a meeting so told him to ring back. Luckily he did.

I left work early one day, took a train to Bristol and walked into a room full of bearded men. We didn't really say much to each other and then they started playing. I fished out a stack of crumpled political ramblings and murder mystery stories. Desperately trying not to sound like a mock Patti Smith, I over-pronounced every word, resulting in a curious amalgam of Welsh and Freudian German. I subsequently quit my job and moved to Bristol...

We first met when you were promoting at the Buffalo Bar in Cardiff. You've done quite a few colourful jobs in the past before launching this musical career - did they help you get an idea about the industry?

Definitely. I've worked quite a number of the grimy music industry back-alleys over the years, which has given me a pretty good insight to how it works. I'm more of a behind-the-scenes type and so at first it was odd doing something where I'd be fronting it. I dealt with it by not really thinking about it.

My first ever performance was a cameo at 's Release The Bats show at the Forum [London, 30 October 2010] with Liquid Liquid. Not a bad debut. I just tend to snap out of reality and enter where I go when I write songs. I think DJing in Cardiff helped me combat any form of stage nerves too.

I noticed that you've confirmed for the ATP with Portishead in May. Are any other summer festivals confirmed?

Yes we're playing quite a few all over Europe, the US and in the process of confirming UK ones. Check the for updates, as I can't reveal things yet...

How have the gigs gone so far? Where have you played, and what's been memorable?

They've been really enjoyable actually. I find it a really satisfying release and it's good doing something that will challenge people. One thing that used to annoy me when I booked bands was how little risks people take these days. Crowds like bands to stick to a formula and so do the agents, labels and press, so I decided to confuse people.

It's had some interesting responses. Some people really passionately hate it, which is equally rewarding. It's better than people saying "oh that's nice", while doing the washing up. It's nice to remind people that music can be political and have different uses too.

Memorable-wise, I'd say the fact that in July I will play with PJ Harvey, Beth Gibbons and Nick Cave. Still can't quite get my head around that one.

When will you be playing your first show in Wales?

I'm not sure yet. When somebody emails me to. It would be nice seeing as I wrote a lot of the stuff while living in Cardiff.

What's the release schedule? Do you have an album ready to go?

Well the album was released at the end of last year but because it came out of nowhere, a lot of press are only reviewing it now, like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. We're planning a single release in April.

What's been the most scary/exhilarating thing about becoming a pop star?

Scary is the fact that I had to put the politics on hold for a bit longer. I moved to Berlin after getting a job as a political journalist and was planning on a move to Brussels to work in policy development. Then the album started to get a bit of attention and I had to make a serious decision as to whether to give it a chance or not, which is what I ended up doing. Politics needs more people with life experience, so hopefully they will let me back in in a few years.

Are you still Berlin-based? I've heard the city has such a vibrant music scene. Who are the other artists from Berlin we should check out?

I've just moved back to Bristol for rehearsals but will be moving back to London next month. I miss Berlin so much though and would move back if I got a chance to. The news network I worked for there offered me an amazing job/promotion a few weeks ago and I had to turn it down. I felt like banging my head against a wall.

The scene there is mental. The place is just so liberating and people find any excuse to put on music anywhere and often for free. Vans will just screech past, slam on the breaks, two guys will jump out and remove some decks from the boot and start DJing in the middle of wherever. I mainly listened to punk, hip-hop and techno. A good combination!