We picked her out as one of our ones to watch this time last year – and, boy, were we right!

After a whirlwind summer supporting Coldplay and playing festivals up and down the country, Charli XCX returns to reality with an out-of-this-world new Mixtape– “Super Ultra”. The mixtape consists of eight tales of young love and the brutal sting of heartbroken sorrow. It includes her latest track ‘Cloud Aura ft. Brooke Candy’ along with many new mixes drawing inspiration from her past experiences. It is clear this young artist has no intention of leaving her listener weeping along to this mixtape – quite the opposite. FAULT caught up with Charli to talk about her summer and latest release.

FAULT: Hi Charli XCX!

Charli XCX: Hi, I’m always really worried because I’m always on the loo when someone rings for an interview. So I’m worried someone is going to interview me while I’m weeing. Although its ok with you so who knows…maybe that’s bad.

So… you had an exciting summer supporting Coldplay on tour, how was that?

Yeah it was really cool it was really exciting you know it was massively overwhelming, and it made me feel like I was this crazy superstar “it girl” standing on a huge stage with loads of people watching and having Chris Martin back stage saying,“I like your music” it was really crazy.

Did you get to spend much time with Coldplay while you guys toured?

They came and said hello and they got us 9 bottles of champagne, which was really nice. They were very supportive and said that they liked my music so it was really cool.

We understand you also supported SantiGold?

That was cool, I really admire Santi, she is just really an amazing performer. What was really cool about playing shows with her is that she understands everything; she is so on it as an artist. When it comes to sound checking she knows her shit she’s got it down and I’m like completely not like that, I’m all over the place. I’ll sound shit for like a minute and be like “errgghh!” So it was really cool to see such an organized artist compared to me. But it was amazing and the shows were really good and her band was really funny so it was cool.

You played loads of festivals as well. What would you say was your favourite shows over the summer?

It was definitely Bestival, just because it was really fun and everyone’s really dressed up. I did my show on Sunday and thought everyone would be really hung-over so I went with no expectations thinking everyone would be on a big come down and be depressed but everyone was so up for it and really energetic it was kind of like a pleasant surprise which was really cool.

Had you been to Bestival before as a festival goer?

I did! I think it was one of my first festivals and I was really over excited. I was one of those really embarrassing kids who get really drunk and really really stoned on the ferry over so when I got to the campsite at like 7pm I threw up all over myself. I was that person, like the really embarrassing kid who everyone is like “awhh it must be there first festival, poor them”. That was me at Bestival which was quite funny. I love dressing up so yeah it was really cool.

 Super Ultra came out on the 7^{th  –} congratulations! All you previous work is laced with a blissful chaos from the mega highs to the lows of the morning after. Can we expect the same brutal honesty on ‘Super Ultra’ as we did to your last ‘Heartbreaks and Earthquakes’ mixtape?

Its really hard for me to tell because my heads been in it for so long. I’ve been so into it I’ve sort of forgotten all sense of what its about, its all sound to me now but it is less highs and lows and more dreamy than ‘Heartbreaks and Earthquakes.’ I first started writing the songs when I was in Poland on tour with Coldplay. I was really down at the time of writing them homesick and I never really got like that ever. So I was having loads of breakdowns and crying like a complete crazy person so it was all an emotional blur while I was writing some of it. So it’s mainly more about heartbreak but I found it really emotional, sad and desperate a lot of the songs are desperately yearning to be like this naïve sexy girl.  That’s where my head was at the time.

Would you say your music is maturing as you do? 

I think so, I’m not that old yet. It’s all about stuff that I’ve experienced it never about stuff beyond my years. I always admire artists that can that and write about these deep decaying topics but my experiences of love and loss of love and enjoying love is where I’m at the moment. Everyone is always maturing so I’m sure my songs are too.

You mentioned that the mixtape is very dreamy can you elaborate on this?

The beats I’ve chosen to go over and the beats I’ve split up and worked with people on are very melancholic but also a bit gangster so for me the whole tone of the mixtape is angel pop. Its kind of the music you’d listen to while you’re in the sky-beautiful and whimsical.

Do you listen to any current artists in the chance and whom would you say was your favourite?

I do listen to radio and stuff and love the pop music in the chart but I’d say I really like ‘Rihanna’. I had a massive Rihanna kick a couple of weeks ago and I jut think she is really cool and love all the songs she has written by amazing people. She is just cool I like her vibe and her attitude and love her ‘Diamonds’ track it’s cool. I also really like Justin Bieber but then I balance that by listening to more Internet stuff. I really like Jessie Ware at the moment, she just did a really good track with BenZel its ‘If You Love Me’ and that’s cool. So I do listen to pop music and I want to make a pop album at the end of the day.

You’re a very original artist so who would you say are your musical influences?

Well its always been artists like Björk and Kate Bush so very real and very dramatic and emotional artists but then I also listen to Justice and Sebastian so French electro was definitely my first love and I’ve always loved Kate Bush’s magicalness. Recently people who have been inspiring me are the Outwork, musically and visually they have been so inspirational to be. I love everything they do its so perfect visually its on point, they definitely have their sound down and its really distinctive and I really like that

On November the 21^st you’ll be DJing at Sub-sonic Live organised by Fred Perry and headlined by Tom Vek. How exciting is that?

I LOVE Tom Vek, absolutely love him and when he put out this album I was so psyched because obviously he hasn’t done anything in quite a while so when that came around it was like my jam. All the videos that came out were really great also I actually was meant to go and see him live when he was playing at some Rayban’s thing but I couldn’t go and it was really annoying because I really wanted to see him so I’m really psyched. I’m also DJing and I only just started so it’s kind of scary but cool.

Can we expect to hear an album soon?

Yes you can, I’m not just putting it off for no reason I just want it to be perfect. It’s a debut album in the end of the day if I fuck it up I’ve failed. I wasn’t happy with it so I delayed it I don’t know its like my first baby if its not perfect its just going to be annoying for my whole life. I had to delay it but its coming out early next year and its really in a good place because its something I have to be proud of. Sorry if it annoyed people by me pushing it back, my mixtape’s not like a piece of shit its something I put a lot of work into so hopefully people will recognize that.

What is your FAULT?

Probably I sometimes have word vomit. I talk a lot and say loads of stupid shit and I don’t have a sensor button so maybe that’s my FAULT. I think I sometimes say stuff that makes people really awkward.

 

Charli XCX will be performing with Tom Vek, Coves and Breton at Fred Perry’s Sub-Sonic Live on 21st November at the Garage in Islington, London. Tickets available now from just £5 – www.fredperrysubculture.com/sub-sonic-live

WORDS-MILES HOLDER