Cityscape chats with Welsh songstress Cate Le Bon ahead of her performance at Blue Smoke on February 21.

Your February show will be the first time you’re performing in Christchurch, what can the audience expect? It's something a bit different from how I usually tour. It will be myself and a piano with some background tinkerings from my buddy and band mate, JT. Songs old and new, maybe a cover here and there. We recently did a small run in the UK and it was an intimate and warm affair.

How did you establish your unique style of music? The Gorky's and SFA taught a generation, in Wales especially, how to ignore scenes and do what your heart desires.

Where has been your favourite place to perform? There is an old pornographic cinema in St Gallen, Switzerland which makes for a spectacular and eerie show. It feels like nowhere else in the world exists other than the town and the cinema. All interactions feel like movie scenes.

How is/was it working alongside American rock band Deerhunter?
It was both completely normal and utterly surreal. Bradford and I have been communicating and bonding via email and long telephone calls for the past 4 or 5 years and so it felt special to finally be working on music together and putting all the things we've spoken about over the years into practise.

How do you source inspiration for your songs? I let it happen naturally, let the cat come to me otherwise it feels unauthentic and restrictive.

You’re currently based in California, what drew you to The Golden State? Not anymore but I was drawn there firstly by music and then it was the ocean and mountains that kept me there for so long. I was very fortunate to be welcomed into a very generous scene there which led to many wonderful projects, collaborations and friendships. I left in 2017 and moved to the Lake District which is the opposite of LA and made furniture for a year which is the opposite of music. I always look forward to returning to and spending time in LA but I don't feel like it’s a city I could live comfortably in anymore.

Do you have any music projects on-the-go at the moment? Mostly concentrating on the new album and working out how to play it live.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing? After school I was on a physics trip for a little while with one eye on marine biology but really just wanted to play music. Now I dream of being a recluse architect designing houses for other recluses.

Artist you’d love to collaborate with? I've been very lucky to have drummer extraordinaire, Stella Mozgawa, play on my albums but I would love to collaborate with her on a project. I love her so and she is an insane musician.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I try not to look ahead too much; things change so quickly that it’s best not to fix a spot on the horizon. I'd be equally happy to know that in 5 years my life would be exactly as it is now or completely unrecognisable.

Cate Le Bon, February 21
Blue Smoke, susiesays.co.nz

Image: Ivana Klickovic