Music & Me: Lykke Li

The first record I bought was...

I didn't buy a lot of records growing up, but I do remember the first tape I got; it was Madonna's The Immaculate Collection. Fantastic!

The first gig I went to was...

One of my father's gigs when we lived in Portugal. He played with a Portuguese band that was quite folky and we all had to go. My mum smelled of patchouli and I wore lipstick. I must have been aged six or seven and I did not like it that much. Live gigs made me sleepy as a kid.

My favourite album is...

Myrmidons of Melodrama by The Shangri-Las.

But my parents always liked...

My dad played a lot of Bob Marley and Bob Dylan and some random African music. My mum played Beethoven and Arvo Pärt to calm her nerves.

I couldn't marry someone who liked...

My Chemical Romance.

On stage I like to wear...

Black, black, black. Silky big stuff and lots of mascara and lots and lots of silver jewellery. Either bare feet or really high stripper shoes. And off course my dearest kazoo.

I'd love to perform with...

Someone energetic so we could have a dance battle. Little Richard please come back to life! Or Tina Turner's background singers.

One thing that must change in the music industry is...

How they measure success with album sales. It's really tragic how everything is about the money. Another really annoying thing is that being female is suddenly a genre and that we're all compared to each other. It couldn't be more boring!

A great album cover is...

I love the random vinyls with naked women on them from the Seventies. Unfortunately I can't remember any names, but they're everywhere and they have a lot of soul.

On my iPod I listen most to...

I listen to a playlist my friend made for me. It includes some Talking Heads, Arthur Russell, Dionne Warwick and The Cure. Fantastic!

If I could have written any song it would have been... If you ask me another day I might give you another answer but today I would say "Love is a Losing Game" by Amy Winehouse. Been listening to the demo version a lot lately and it makes me speechless. Such a beautiful song.

The worst song I've heard is...

Oh lord, too many to mention, but that bloody Frog Song gets on my nerves, as well as any song by My Chemical Romance.

Lykke Li's next single "Breaking It Up" will be released on 25 August. The album "Youth Novels" is out now on LL Recordings. She will be touring the UK in October.

www.lykkeli.com

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