As any fan knows, the best pop music has always been created by outsiders for outsiders. From the early days ofElvis' scandalous hip-swivelling through to theBeatles' long hair and perceived threat to Western civilisation,David Bowie's androgyny andLady Gaga's outrageous outfits, pop creates a whole new vernacular that stands well aside from the blandness of mass produced reactive entertainment.
As displayed by the likes ofPet Shop BoysandMorrissey, pop's ability to be articulate, intelligent and fun displays that it remains a medium to be reckoned with. It's an attitude that's been adopted by 25-year-old Londoner Anita Blay, akaCocknbullkid, whose literate approach to pop is proving to be a refreshing antidote to much of the fluff currently clogging up the charts. By turns witty, incisive and no stranger to the concept of hooks and melody, Cocknbullkid's new album, 'Adulthood,' is set for release in March and was recorded under the auspices of producers Liam Howe, Gonzales and Peter, Bjorn and John's Peter Morén.
Spinner met Anita to find out why it's so important for pop to have something to say.
You've been around for a while now. Why is your time now?
I've been playing and gigging for around two years as an unsigned act and I had the songs but they weren't quite there but from being signed about a year ago, it's taken me that long to make the album that I wanted to make.
Your sound has shifted from its electro roots into a slicker pop sound, hasn't it?
It's not completely stripped of electro as bits of it are still there but it's more song-based; every endeavour is me trying to write a song. And in terms of writing the perfect pop song, sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't. Almost every song on the album is that and largely I think I've succeeded. I'm always searching for that perfect song to write.
How would you describe the learning process that's brought you thus far?
I'm open to so many things now whereas before, I wasn't open to anything. I had so many things that I"didn't do"which I gave up for this album. If you want to move forward you've got to change. I approached each song knowing that it still had to have a lyrical core to it and so everything else came much easier. I've always been lyric-driven but sometimes you have producers who don't nurture that out of you because they're more about sonics. Luckily, {producer} Liam Howe is a lyricist so and he really nurtured that side of me.
So did you plot out the sonic soundscape to colour your lyrics?
Not always. Sometimes the subject matter is quite dark and that would cause some producers to immediately steer the song into dark areas but I've always enjoyed the effort of taking that subject matter into a more poppy territory. That's a lot more effective than putting black and black together; I like mixing shades. A lot of the time I go to the studio with a set of lyrics but I really have no idea of the music that will go with them and I find that that works a lot better.
Pop is seen as a very lightweight medium. Is it a struggle to be allowed to inject it with a sense of intelligence?
Yeah. Some people have described what I do as"wordy"– especially some of the earlier stuff– and maybe it was. Pop is always talked about in terms of how it sounds on the ear but if you take someone like Morrissey, he's never adhered to any of those rules and I've been quite influenced by him. But certainly those kinds of negative attitudes can irk me as a writer. As much as I want a song to translate well musical, I still need to say what I want to say within it.
Is it important for pop music to have something to say?
Oh yeah! I think it's essential. A lot of pop is there just for the sake of it and I can appreciate some acts that take that route but the stuff that stands the test of time is always from people that have something to day. Music is more powerful if there's something behind it and it's a commodity to be used in order for an artist to say what they have to say. It's probably the most effective way to make the world sit up and listen. All the great artists feed from the streets and put the message back onto the street and for many people pop music is the best way to articulate expression.
You've also worked with Peter from Peter, Bjorn& John on the album...
Sweden is very much the home of pop but very interesting pop. Stockholm, in my opinion, is really cool and I really enjoy their take on pop music. I really wanted that feeling on the album. There are some pop albums that feel really American, some feel really British but hopefully you can really feel the Euro influences on mine.
Is there anybody else that you'd like to work with?
I've always wanted to work with theKnifeas well as Nina Hagen. I'm a big fan hers and was immediately captivated when I saw a clip of her doing 'New York New York' on YouTube and I've now listened to everything that she's ever done. She's got a great operatic voice but it's quite heavy metal and it's a bizarre combination. It'd be an interesting project, whatever we did.
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