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“I was gonna start munching on a muffin and then thought I probably shouldn’t cos you wont be able to hear me properly” laughs Natasha Khan from the other end of the phone line “I’ll nibble a little bit, but I’ll keep it discreet.”
In 2006 Bat For Lashes arrived like a breath of fresh air with her Mercury nominated debut ‘Fur And Gold’; an album applauded by critics and one that provided a tangible alternative to a growing stagnation of skinny jean clad foppish faux pas. Three years on and the delectable songstress has been busy writing, recording and co-producing ‘Two Suns’, which, as she openly explains is “quite an up and down journey that did document the last couple of years of my life… which have been quite up and down”
The past few years have been a whirlwind of emotional activity for the 29 year old, who in search of professional and personal equilibrium embarked on a journey in search of nostalgic bohemia, by settling, as much as her lifestyle, aspirations and preconceived notions would allow, in New York.
“I have a lot of feelings about New York. I think there was a sadness of the fact that it wasn’t the old New York, like the nostalgic romantic idealized version of New York that we all have from films or Andy Warhol stories, break-dancing on the street, amazing dark subterranean characters and all of that creativity. I gradually realized that New York was changing more and more and becoming a bit more boring, more expensive and more homogenized”
With the reality of living in New York rapidly failing to honour the vivid promise it once held and her personal relationship with Moon And Moon lead vocalist Will Lemon slowly disintegrating alongside her sense of home, identity and belonging, a slow build of isolation and disappoint triggered a move back to the security of Brighton.
“It was quite a frightening time but New York is all sorts of things to me. I have a love hate relationship with it so it’s quite a dichotomy. But it made me feel a lot of things which was good because it inspired a lot of the record”
One recurring inspiration to permeate the record, a garish drag queen with blond wig, fake eyelashes, red lipstick and white face-powder, would go by the name of Pearl; a visually engaging exploration of Natasha’s multifaceted personality and not as she points out an alter ego intended for real-life habitation.
“Pearl is more kind of my art project. I didn’t go out as Pearl and pretend to be anyone different or speak in a funny way or anything like that, I was just dressing up as her and getting my boyfriend to take pictures and it was just fun. I felt a bit in danger psychologically and I think she represented those attributes I was worried about getting lost in, but she also represented that old romantic New York idea as well.”
Recorded in New York, California, London, Brighton and Wales, ‘Two Suns’ signals an expansive departure from the enchantment, purism, intimacy and minimalism of its predecessor, exploring the concept of duality and delighting in layered soundscapes and intricate drum patterns which, as Natasha explains created an experimental opportunity to “really delve into the songs and create this lush landscape”
A fiercely territorial, focused and self-confessed control freak, her protective work ethic extends beyond the sensory representation of her self, but doesn’t stretch to narcissistic inflexibility; ‘Two Suns’ contains several well placed collaborations with Yeasayer as well as a rare and telling contribution from Scott Walker on ‘The Big Sleep’.
“When I first wrote it I actually tried singing it that low myself because it was about this drag queens dying final performance and I really wanted to put across that androgynous male female voice, but it didn’t really work” explains Natasha “I recorded it and demoed it but always felt that something was lacking and I realized in the end that what I’d been singing the whole time was like a Scott Walker style way of singing”
With ‘Two Suns’ all but finished bar ‘The Big Sleep’ which somehow remained incomplete, Natasha overcame unfounded embarrassment and plucked up the courage to contact Scott Walker via email, pleasantly surprised, if not shocked, by the favourable reply she received.
“He was really generous and wanted to know all about the song, the character, the story behind it, the visuals and what I wanted, so it was such a shock but it worked out brilliantly. When it came back I was just like ‘fucking hell it sounds so crazy and different’ and it was really shocking. But if you’re going to collaborate you just have to embrace what they add and the weirder it makes you feel I think the better the collaboration is”
But with her live show formed around a revolving ensemble of friends and like minded musicians, Natasha is no stranger to collaboration. The current Bat For Lashes incarnation includes Ben Christophers, Sarah Jones and Charlotte Hatherley and is described by Natasha as “the best line up so far” and one that have “stepped a gear with the show” in preparation for an extensive three month tour of Europe and America.
Album in hand, excited at the prospect of showcasing her new material and more importantly happy with the stability that a less fragmented life in Brighton offers, Natasha is to all intents and purposes back on track post New York “I just sort of got a bit lost really, but to have a place where I can just shut the door and call home is really healthy for me” explains Natasha, who, after twenty minutes on the phone is still nibbling, albeit discreetly, on that very same muffin.
