Q&A: with Natasha Khan, Bat For Lashes
On karate kid and multiple characters
Natasha, you've made my head spin. In the press release, it states your new album, Two Suns, addresses "the philosophy of the self and duality, examining the need for both chaos and balance, for both love and pain, in addition to touching on metaphysical ideas concerning the connections between all existence". What does that even mean?
The theme of the album is conflict and separation -- the idea of two entities coming together and moving apart, whether that be in terms of relationships, planets or whatever.
But I heard it was about you splitting from your long-term boyfriend.
Yeah, there was a real relationship in there, one that I was experiencing from the end of my last album to the end of this one. It documents that personally for me. But I didn't want it to be a full-on break-up record. There are metaphors and symbols in there to help it be a bit more universal than being just about love.
And you've taken a leaf from Tori Amos's book of quirky fem-pop by adopting an alter-ego named Pearl.
She's not an alter-ego. Pearl is an element of me -- she's a character I was playing with when I was recording in New York. The thing is, she's only one of many characters. She was a personification of New York.
So will you be flitting between personas when you go on tour? Coloured wigs and all that.
No, I'm definitely leaving that on the record. People have got excited about this idea that I'm these other women.
New York was only the start of your adventures. You also recorded in the Joshua Tree desert west of LA. And didn't you rig-up a mini-recording studio so that you could sing in the middle of the woods?
I find recording studios to be quite inhuman, a bit of a void. Studios are made to have nothing sounds, so that you can record very crisply without any interference. Personally, I like to document the sound of an atmosphere and a place. I love the fact that if people listen on headphones, they can get a sense of space, of where the songs live, rather than this dead space.
You also succeeded in tracking down Scott Walker for a duet. Congratulations -- he's rumoured to be quite a recluse.
I didn't meet him face to face, we emailed each other. He was lovely.
There's a childlike aspect to your song-writing -- is it significant that you used to teach pre-school?
I was naturally drawn to working with children. I have a love of childhood and adolescence -- I'm drawn to the concepts and things that happen to you at that age.
Which leads us to your new single Daniel, which chronicles an adolescent crush. Is there a real Daniel out there?
Daniel was the boy in the Karate Kid movie. I used to love that film. I had a huge crush on Daniel. I used his name, but he's more a symbol, really, of adolescence and young love.
You grew up in London, but your father's family is from Pakistan. Did you visit?
I remember getting off the plane in Karachi as a child and being hit by the heat, the smells, the colours, the sounds -- everything is turned up 500 per cent more than it is here.
When I saw you supporting Radiohead, you were wearing a glittering headband. You're reportedly helping spearhead a trend for gold headbands.
I'm drawn to the fashion of the 1920s and Native American culture. I'm fascinated by Native Americans' relationship with nature and their religions and philosophies. It's all very close to my heart.
Speaking of Radiohead, what were they like to tour with? One imagines them being very monastic.
They're very done to earth actually, they're normal family guys. Obviously, they're very creative, thoughtful and intelligent and need their own space. But they were also accommodating.
Two Suns is released today
- Ed Power
