A Life of Grimes: The Avant-Pop Pixie Does it Herself

Canadian pop witch Grimes had a fantastic 2012 with her third album Visions making many "best of" year-end lists. Her upcoming performance at JUE is one of the highlights of the schedule. We got her thoughts on musical journalism, what she's currently listening to, and inadvertently found her to be a fan of Taylor Swift.

What are the most flattering and most annoying descriptions of your sound that you’ve heard?
Flattering: was something like, the voice of an angel with the heartbeat of a machine or something like that. Or avant-pop. I really like both of those. Annoying: dream pop, or "sounds like Kate bush."

What questions do you wish you were asked in interviews?
I wish people asked me more about my art, or literary influences, or writing, or political opinions. Or like, went deeper into things basically. Things tend to be very "surface" in music journalism.

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Well, I just found out about this group BLKKATHY a minute ago. I’m listening to them right now, and they're blowing my mind. I also love Doldrums, Majical Cloudz and Blue Hawaii right now.

What are the strangest lengths you’ve gone to when producing music, excepting the nine-day writing session?
Umm, I don’t know. I have a weird thing about candles, I can’t really write without candles. Sometimes I do weird things like yell a bunch.

Does insomnia help or hinder the recovery from jet lag?
It helps a lot. The fact that I have such an irregular schedule sleep wise means that jet lag is just sort of a normal state of mind so I don’t get as messed up as most people.

If you could make a name for yourself in any other musical genre, which would you choose?
Probably rap or classical composition.

Which artist’s imagination are you a figment of?
I feel like I’m Beth Gibbons and Marilyn Manson’s daughter.

How much is your music an extension of your art, or vice versa?
I guess I feel like everything creative stems from the same place kind of. Well, that’s not true, I guess my brain either goes "science creative" or "art creative" but music and drawing are interesting cause they're kind of both. Whereas like fashion or acting or directing don't really access the science side of my brain, so in that regard they are connected probably more deeply than other art forms. But I don’t know, I think my visual art is very influenced by music but I'm not sure about the other way.

How DIY are you?
I do everything myself. Well, I don’t personally print the T-shirts or anything. But no one gets paid to do anything even remotely artistic concerning Grimes. I’m pro-DIY. I want to be at professional levels using DIY means.

Do you ever make your own furniture?
Haha – no. Actually that’s not true. I’ve made my desk and a bed before. Also a basketball hoop.

Who or what is currently influencing your work?
Portishead, Lauryn Hill and Taylor Swift.

Visions has been critically lauded, were you expecting that? Do you care? Does it change anything about who you are or what you do as a musician?
I wasn't expecting it but I was happy about it. I mean, I kind of need to not care because if I care too much it ruins my process. But I do care a little bit and it makes me happy I guess.

Tickets are now available for Grimes' Beijing show at MAO Livehouse on Mar 21.

Photo: Grimeshrine.tumblr.com