Eliot Sumner

Eliot Sumner’s debut album is finally out! Get ‘Information’ right here and read the very inspiring interview we did with her a few weeks ago.

You’re touring Europe at the moment – how’s it going so far?
It’s going great! It’s really good to be touring back here in Germany again, we’re having a fun time.

Do you have a favourite city to play in Germany?
I love playing in Hamburg. And Munich actually, I’m always having a good time playing here.

Your debut album is finally out – how would you say is it different to the ‘I Blame Coco’ stuff?
It’s very different. It’s a totally new project, but actually it’s the album I was supposed to make originally.
When I started with the I Blame Coco stuff I actually wanted to make THIS kind of music. But I was very young and kinda got into the wrong hands and it just happened that I made the I Blame Coco album. But I learned a lot of stuff and got to tour Europe, so that was very positive for me though. And I started to build a fanbase which was really great.
But now it’s just cool that I’m actually able to play the music I really wanna do.

And the album sounds amazing!
Oh thank you!

Do you have a favourite track?
I do yes, there is a track called ‘Dead Arms & Dead Legs’, which is the first one on the album.

You went on tour with Lykke Li last year… is there any other band or artist you’d like to tour with?
There are quite a few people I’d love to tour with.
I’d love to tour with Tame Impala.
I’d love to tour with The Horrors.
I’d love to tour with Savages.
Or Atoms For Peace, if they ever do an album and tour again… that would be amazing. Or even better with Radiohead.
Yeah, that would be insane.

Is there a question you have always wanted to answer in an interview but no one has ever asked?
Yes! ‘What does your music smell like?’

Okay – what does your music smell like?
I think my music smells like jet fuel. I always find it difficult to describe my music so I’ve been doing this new thing: Asking people ‘What does your band smell like?’ And everyone’s just like ‘Errm excuse me?’ And then I have a listen and I’m like ‘Yeah, your music smells like incense’. It’s always fun, ha!

If you’d have to name one album that has influenced your life the most – which one would it be?
Maybe ‘Kid A’ by Radiohead. I think the album as a whole was the first record that I was really impressed by. This album opened up my mind to so much more. So I think that album for sure.
And Radiohead in particular, they really inspired me to make music.

Who would you have to meet to be completely starstruck?
Well yeah – maybe Thom Yorke, I’ve never met him.
But I’m not sure. I don’t think you’re supposed to meet your heros.
Nick Cave also, I think I would be terrified to meet him. Not because he’s scary, but because he’s very intimidating, you know?

Are there any new artists you’d like to recommend?
Yes, a band called ‘PROM’ – it’s my bandmate Nick’s band and I think they are doing something really different and interesting.
These days it’s so difficult to do something new with guitar-based music, but I feel like at the moment there are a few bands coming that are really breaking the mould. And I think they are one of them.
There is another band called ‘Girl Band’, from Dublin – they also have a real interesting sound.
They are definitely making a difference.

Which advice would you give to young artists who are just about to start with music?
Advice? Just keep experimenting. Stay true to yourself but also keep progressing.
I think the mistake I made was that I didn’t have a record when I was about to sign my first record deal. So I was kind of encouraged to do stuff that they wanted me to do instead of actually having something that belongs to me.
So yeah: always have work pre-prepared before other people influence it.