With a new single out now, Guildford singer-songwriter Annabel Allum has previously garnered support from the likes of BBC 6Music and Radio X, and is already building quite a reputation for her unique live shows.
Set to play SXSW and Live At Leeds in the upcoming months, we caught up with Annabel to find out more…
Hi Annabel, welcome to Gigslutz! Can you introduce yourself and what you do?
Yo Gigslutz!! Thanks for having me. I make sounds, flail, eat vegetables.
What influenced the name of your single ‘Rich Backgrounds’?
It’s blunt. Like the song. Straight to the point.
You’ve been previously compared to Courtney Barnett – would you say you take influence from her?
For sure, I adore Courtney, and it’s a dream of mine to support her one day. However, my influences rise a lot further back than that. Just because I’m a female singing about real life situations and whacking some distortion on my guitar doesn’t mean nothing. There will be more of us soon enough!!
What other artists inspire you, and influence your sound?
PJ Harvey, Velvet Underground, my friends…
You have quite a heavy sound in places, do you seek any influence from punk?
All about a revolution!
405 and The Line Of Best Fit have supported you. Were you expecting this kind of acclaim?
Not at all – they’ve been absolute dons. Been reading those blogs for years, so to be reading about myself so positively on them is quite surreal!
You’re set to play Live At Leeds, SXSW and many other festivals – which one are you most excited for and why?
Right now, SXSW. I’m writing this from my hostel in Austin – it’s hot, the people are lovely, there’s music everywhere and the beer is cheap. I love this city and have dreamt of playing this festival for years. So grateful to be a part of it.
How would you describe your style in three words?
Probably quite weird.
Can you tell us about your role in the upcoming feature film Spaceship?
Spaceship!! Well, my music’s on the soundtrack, which is pretty mad! Then there’s a scene where I play a song to a load of crashed out party goers, which was so much fun to do. I loved being on set, and am so grateful to Alex Taylor (director) for having me so involved in such an incredible film. He’s a genius, everyone needs to check it out.
How does it feel to finally release your debut single this year?
Bloody brilliant! I’ve been crafting this fresh sound for a while now, and after being in the studio for months with Adrian, it feels so good letting the world hear it. The response has exceeded all my expectations!
And what else do you have in store for us this year?
More noise, more shows, more surprises!
‘Rich Backgrounds’, the new single from Annabel Allum, is out now on Killing Moon Records. And you can catch her live:
10 Mar – Sofar Sounds, Alternative SXSW, Dallas
14 Mar – Discover Showcase, SXSW, Austin
16 Mar – Flatstock Stage, SXSW, Austin
29 Apr – Live At Leeds
9 Jun – Camberley International Festival
Photo Credit: Rob Blackham
