The Interview: Eliza Doolittle at Secret Garden Party

We firstly were introduced to Eliza Doolittle at Record Store Day back in April. Eliza performed an acoustic set with her ukulele player on a pavement outside Rough Trade West in Notting Hill and everything about her music made me smile. It was pitch perfect and a great accompliment to Alan Pownall’s previous set. Since then, things have just taken off for this North London musician with her current single, ‘Pack Up’ number 5 in the Singles Chart and Digital Charts as well as her current self titled album grabbing the number 3 spot in the UK charts (currently beating the likes of Lady Gaga and Mumford & Sons). I grabbed a chat with Eliza at the seriously epic Secret Garden Party festival to get to know her just a little.

Hi Eliza, can you tell me some of your musical influences?
I am influenced by a lot of different music and I listen to a lot of different stuff. I love Stevie Wonder, a bit of Steely Dan. For this record I listened to a lot of Beach Boys and The Kinks. I do love so much different music that I hope all of it influences me a little bit then it just comes together and creates something different in my music.

I know your family is quite theatrical, your mum was in Les Miserables, does that influence you at all and would you ever consider going down that route?
No I did a little bit when I was younger and got put off it, the idea of doing the same show every night, I just don’t think I could do it. I’m not really good enough for that, I’d just get bored and start fucking around. I like the idea of doing something different each night so I think that put me off a bit. I want to go down my own route and find my own thing.

Have you been to Secret Garden Party before?
No, I’ve never been before. I love how there’s like a boat in the middle of the lake where you can see music. I really wish I could hang around as all my friends are here.

Have you played many festivals?
I did Glastonbury and Camp Bestival a couple years ago and I’d never ever been to a festival when I did Glastonbury and then I played there and it was amazing. This year I’ve done quite a few too; I actually feel like I should have been a festival child as I love it. I’ve got two more festivals coming up, one in Manchester and one in Leeds.

Will you get to see anyone at SGP or will you be working back to back?
I’m doing a few interviews and inbetween the promo and performing I’m going to try and squeeze in seeing some bands or even just walking round, checking stuff out. Then after the show, there is my secret duet with Gorillaz Sound System, I’m going on for their encore.

That’s really exciting, how did it come about?
I know, I’m so excited! Well my old drummer is their drummer and we always play together now and again anyway and he just said do you want to play with us on Saturday and I said ‘Yeah baby, I’d love to!’.

What’s your favourite venue you’ve ever played so far?
I love the Roundhouse, I got to support Sia there and it was amazing. I played KoKo last night and that’s another one I’ve always loved and been honoured to play as I’m from round there [Camden]. Growing up around these venues and always wanting to play there and then being able to is just a dream really.

Do you have an actual dream world venue, if you could play anywhere?
To be honest, I think mine would be Wembley Stadium. You know you’ve made it when you’ve played Wembley, I don’t know if I’m the type of artist who could ever play the venue, but I’d love to.

Is there a point for you, in your music career when you’ve felt like ‘you’ve made it’?
When I play Wembley! But really, I think I’m going to keep striving to do what I do and to keep being happy. When you’re happy, you’ve made it.

After I saw you at Record Store Day I found out that you are a fellow Arsenal fan [we high five at this point]. Do you have a favourite player?
Cesc! [Cesc Fabregas].

Cesc is my favourite too and I’ll be horrendously sad if he leaves. Do you get to go to games?
Sometimes, yes.

Eliza Doolittle “Pack Up” from Logan Hefflefinger on Vimeo.

Moving on back to music, is there anyone you think in the music industry at the moment that you think is underrated?
There’s this musician I know called Sam McCarthy, he’s really great, he should be getting number ones. I really like Janelle Monae too, I feel like outside of London she’s not as well known, I want more people to tune into her, she’s great.

Getting to know Eliza a bit, what’s the last thing you ate?
Macdonalds.

Do you have a favourite food?
Chips, I love them but I try not to eat them during the week to try and be healthy!

What’s your favourite film?
Anchor Man.

We always try and ask this question, how do you feel about Marmite?
Love it! I have Marmite tea towels I love it so much. [we high five once again, The Ruckus London lot have a particular love of it].

North or South London?
North! It’s way better than the South, WAY better. I’m from Camden Town.

I saw you on a World Cup tv show – how was that, as a football fan?
Fantastic, I think James Corden is hilarious.

If you could duet with anyone who would it be?
I’d love to duet with Stevie Wonder, he’s my favourite artist ever. I love Damon Albarn and everything he creates. I’d love to work with Andre 3000, maybe on my third record, it would be amazing.

When you write your records, does the melody or lyrics come first, how does the process come about?
It used to be more random but I’ve started doing the melodies first and sometimes I’ll just start singing and it might not make sense but then I’ll turn it into something, lyrically. Sometimes I’ll get an idea or theme and feel like I have to sing about it and then go from there. I’m more of a melody person to be honest.

You seem to have taken off very quickly, that’s a huge accomplishment
Well for me, it seems like a long journey but in the last two weeks something has taken off. Yeah, my album has done a lot better than I thought it would.

What’s next for you musically?
Lots of festivals, I’m supporting Paloma Faith in November. I’m going to keep on writing for the next record.

Eliza was a gem to interview, completely laid back and assured in herself and her music, she was very down to earth; you’d really not know this girl has a top 5 album and single. I love that she writes all her own songs and she’s incredibly talented. ‘Pack Up’ is one addictive tune and the album is just as brilliant, both ‘Skinny Genes’ and ‘Pack Up’ really do evoke one of her musical influences, Beach Boys. Later as she performed on The Living Room Stage to a packed audience (and to those of us dancing backstage), I found it easy to see why she’s doing so well; an infectious smile with positively cracking music, adding double bass gives a jazzy edge to her pop sound and makes her stand out. Her album is sure to be a soundtrack to my summer, it fits perfectly. Do go see Eliza perform if you can because it’s one of those live shows which will make you smile start to finish; for tour dates see her website.

Photo credits: The Ruckus