Lady Sovereign Won't Rebel Against Herself

05/04/09 12:58pm

by Phil Villeneuve (CHARTattack)

Tiny-bodied, big-mouthed U.K. rapper Lady Sovereign is a new woman. Free from the shackles of her Jay-Z-fronted signing with Def Jam and all of the accompanying major label pressure, the woman born Louise Amanda Harman is back with a new album on her own Midget Records, a new attitude and a new tour.

Sov may have seen Katy Perry's private parts, but she ain't kissing and telling. She's too busy running away from men in suits.

CHARTattack: The last time you toured, you had quite a few nasty exchanges with audience members. Were you reluctant to hit the road this time around?
Lady Sovereign: Not at all! I love touring. It's the best bit about what I do, performing to my fans… It's where I get my kicks. I was just tired last time around. I had spent three years promoting the first album [2006's Public Warning] around the world, playing the same songs over and over, and it got repetitive.

How about the whole launching of a new album process? Did you have to hype yourself up again?
It's different this time. It's on my label with a very small budget, so we cannot afford to do the big hype job. Hopefully, though, I will be around for longer instead of one big bang!

You got a lot of psychiatric help after the whirlwind of the last album. Was that something that was suggested to you or did you seek it out yourself?
I sought it. I knew I needed it. I'm much better now.

Did your latest album, Jigsaw, help in the healing process?
It felt good to say a few things in public, but really, I just needed a rest and to get some perspective.

Has anything changed because you're not with Def Jam anymore?
Smaller budgets! I cannot spend half-a-million dollars being at every event or taking on every opportunity. Just flying to a country to do some interviews costs me money, and I have to consider everything and whether it's worth it. But all in all, it feels better now. I'm in control so, when I do something, I do it better.

Indeed. Like Midget Records, for example. How is it working with your very own label as opposed to a major?
More control and independence. I call the shots and things get done my way. On Def Jam, I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I got given a schedule and was told to do it and if I didn't, I had 100 men in suits pissed off at me. Eventually, I rebelled. On my own label, there's no one to rebel against. I'd be pretty stupid to rebel against myself.

Yes, you would be, Lady Sov. So tell us, did you feel the follow-up pressure with this record?
Yes, but the ambitions are different and the pressure is self-generated. I just want to make music and perform. If I make loads of money — great. And if I make just enough money to carry on making music, that's cool, too. With the debut, the aims were to sell shitloads of records and everyone makes a fortune. The lack of desperation to make money takes the pressure off and again it's just pressure from myself on this record… no men in suits!

Do you feel pressure or even want to work with big producers at this point?
Nope! I've been there and didn't enjoy it.

Did you approach this album differently working with Medasyn, other than being at a different place in your life?
We just went in the studio and made music. That's the way it's always been with him. What came out of the studio was natural. Nothing was that thought-out.

Is "popular loner," a lyric from your song "Loner," an accurate description of yourself?
I like that description, but I haven't always been very popular. At school, the other kids liked me but didn't get too close. I was the funny one but was always shy, too.

"So Human" is a really fun track. Are you a Cure fan at all? How did the "Close To Me" sample come about?
It's a song I loved growing up. My parents played it loads. I've often found myself humming it, so I thought, "Why not?" It's a great hook. I'm not a huge fan of everything The Cure has done, but I love that song.

"Jigsaw" is a pretty dark tune, lyrically and musically. Why did you choose that as the title track?
It sums things up. I'm complicated and working me out is like a puzzle. Also, it represents how things have come together again for me after a long break, like a jigsaw. And it's my fave tune on the album.

You sing a lot more on this album. How did that happen?
I've always sung at home on my own, and I tried singing in the studio with Medasyn one day. I think I was drunk. When we heard it back, it wasn't too bad, so I kept going. I'm not the best singer in the world, but it has a vibe I think [that] works well on a few songs.