CHEW LiPS look forward to Southend show

Don Blandford talks to Tigs, singer of CHEW LiPS, who play Chinnery's, Southend next Tuesday...

Don't mess with Tigs. The singer who adds the soul to the synth sound of CHEW LiPS comes on like a combination of Karen O and Florence Welch and can belt out a song quicker than you can say electro-pop ice queen.

Not that anyone would dare compare CHEW LiPS to anyone else, of course!

These Londoners are busy carving their own niche with their debut album Unicorn which is packed with enough soaring songs to lift the cold wintry veil and bring on the spring.

Tigs, Will and James play Southend Chinnery's on Tuesday, March 2.

Don Blandford caught up with Tigs to hear about her diamond ambition and why CHEW LiPS is definitely the party and not the morning after...

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Tigs, the singer from CHEW LiPS. We are a three-piece band based in east London with less of the 'future sailor' connotations than that suggests and a soft spot for proper song writing.

Why should we care?

You don't have to listen to the record or see us live. I get a tremendous amount of pleasure from our musical forays but that's just me, it's all so subjective. Some people don't like good music but then some people don't like music at all…

Excited about the tour?

Very excited yes! We had a really enjoyable couple of weeks when we did the UK in January. It was our second headline tour and the first time people were really coming to see us in numbers - it was sold out and that was a shock.

Every tour now, we have to step it up a gear. So that everyone who's seen you before can enjoy something more or something new. Make it more of a show than just a gig.

The next tour is with Delphic and that'll be awesome. Then we're doing our own in April, which we can't wait for.

What's planned for SXSW?

A lot of whisky and a considerable amount of steak for me… and a lot of whinging at the lack of vegetarian options by James and Will. Oh and eight shows in four days. Yeehaw!

How do you travel and who controls the music choice?

Tour transport is a little bus (a nine-seater splitter) – complete with driver Dan, who comes everywhere with us.

Seeing as we're all in the back whilst he's up front, if there's music on, it's his choice. We're all mainly in the back with headphones on listening to our personal choices or watching something racy on laptops....

Have you been to Southend before?

Never played Southend before, not even been, I don't think!

What can we expect at the gig?

You can expect an expressive captivating romp though the pop highs and introspective depths of our record. We got a live reputation long before we got a chance to make a record and we intend to build on that as much as possible.

Surely female-fronted electro-pop is so last year?!

We're a female-fronted band and actually 2009 was the year of female electro artists not bands. Has anyone ever made the point that there are lots of male fronted bands? Too many – by the way! Female fronted, not an issue. Electro-pop, really? Listen to the record!

Are you the party… or the morning after?

Probably the party, seeing as there is no morning after in my book..... only the evening after!

Does the thumbs-up from Steve Lamacq matter?

All good press and high profile support is amazing and flattering. Steve Lamacq and The Fly magazine have both given us continued support and Lamacq in particular has championed us in more than just intention. He's booked us for sessions and the Electric Proms. He was there before anyone else. He has been unbelievably helpful and enthusiastic.

The 80s or the 90s? Which decade rules in CHEW LiPS world?

Between those two? Definitely the 90s. Love that slacker vibe, grunge kids and bad bleach jobs. But we love the 50s, the 60s the 70s... so much good music, so much good fashion...

What's the best thing that ever happened to CHEW LiPS?

Being in this magazine, right here, right now. That or opening for The Killers.

…and the worst?

Probably when I missed my plane back to London to play Lovebox. Dashing madly from the airport and arriving at the festival an hour too late. The boys had set everything up then had to take everything off the stage – in front of a rammed tent – when they couldn't wait any longer. That was July and I still haven't lived it down.

This time next year CHEW LiPS will be....?

Probably still touring the world and in possession of record number two... and wearing clothes entirely made of diamonds.

Find out more at www.chewlips.co.uk and www.myspace.com/chewlips