Lail Arad is a fantastic London-based singer songwriter, whose wonderful, off-kilter poppy folk songs remind me of a mixture of Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson, Feist and Lily Allen. She has a whole ton of tricks and ideas up those long, twisted sleeves you see in the picture above and they're all rather good, as demonstrated by her debut album, Someone New, which came out last year. Whether she's looking with wide eyed wonderment at the universe, exploring notions of identity or attempting to save a relationship, Lail does everything with a spark and such wit as to be instantly endearing and likeable.
As well as all this, her brilliant track Everyone Is Moving To Berlin is available as a free download from Soundcloud (see below), y'know, just in case you needed another reason to like her.
And as I say Lail was nice enough to answer some questions for this here blog, so let's see what she had to say...
TDNMMAJ: Firstly, why and how did you get started with making music?
LAIL ARAD: It's quite easy to re-write the past... If I look back now it's clear to me that I always loved singing when I was growing up, and I became quite good at writing (essays, emails..) as I got older... so to put the two together and start writing songs made a lot of sense. In reality it wasn't that thought out, it just sort of happened.
Who and what would you say are your main influences?
Sesame Street was a big deal for me. And Fawlty Towers - I knew every word of every episode by heart. Then Joni Mitchell got thrown into the mix somewhere along the line, and my first boyfriend introduced me to The Moldy Peaches... 'Feelin' Groovy' by Simon & Garfunkle epitomises by early adolescence and I was big into No Doubt for a while there. Good thing I got out alive.
Which musicians/bands are you really into at the moment? Are there any new acts you think we should be looking out for?
A Human and La Shark are doing a co-headline tour and double A-side release together soon. They're two of the hottest bands in London, I'm very excited about it.
But I'm still pretty stuck on The Band and Lou Reed and The Incredible String Band to be honest...
Many of your songs are great fun (your cover of Let's Talk About Sex for Indie Ghetto being a case in point), do you think that this is down to your general outlook on life and music or because of something else?
I suppose it is my general outlook... if we can find some humour or shared experience in all the crazy, scary, sad things that happen maybe we'll come out the other end. I never set out to write funny songs, but if you don't take life too seriously there's often a funny side. Or at least a sunny side.
You're signed to French label Notify Music, how did that happen and what are they like to work with?
It's a new independent label and I feel very lucky to be working with them. I met them and it rolled very organically. The industry is falling apart so fast, which makes it an exciting time for inventing new ways of doing things - and that we're doing!
And what was it like playing a show with Devendra Banhart?
I didn't exactly play a show with Devendra. I went to see his show a few years ago, as a punter, and somehow I ended up on stage singing a song I'd just written called Winter. It was amazing! And he's so cool for taking risks like that!
If you could invite 5 people, living or dead, round for dinner and to hang out with, who would they be?
Well I won't won't this on the living because there's always a slim chance of meeting anyone in an elevator one day, so I'll take this opportunity to invite some corpses..
Janis Joplin, Kurt Kobain, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Mama Cass
And what does the future hold for you? Any plans for festival appearances in 2011?
I'm starting to work with a band for the first time! We'll be playing some London shows and in March I'm on a great touring festival in France in called Les Femmes S'en Melent - they put together amazing line-ups of female artists! Think I'm going to Memphis, Tennessee for a folk festival in between too! My album is getting it's physical release soon.. should be an interesting year!
I'm sure it will be an interesting year for Lail, with her infectious, clever songs deserving everyone's attention and, indeed, your ears.
Lail is opening for Jeffrey Lewis and Peter Stampfel at The Windmill in Brixton on January 18th, which is now sold out. Lail resides in cyberspace at www.myspace.com/lailarad and her debut album, Someone New, is currently available as a digital release through iTunes and Amazon.
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