After sweeping the net with her ethereal lo-fi offering ‘Station’ (which had Annie Mac gushing), Liverpool’s soulful stirring vocalist Holly Fletcher, aka Låpsley (it’s her middle name), is the 19-year-old still on everyone’s minds, radiating an inner warmth with her teary and introspective lyrics, achingly beautiful harmonies and haunting minimalism.

A multi-instrumentalist with a classical background, her non-traditional route into the industry as a bedroom producer (via Soundcloud), saw her tipped for big things, and later as a studio producer, her debut EP followed as XL’s latest signing, the label that brought us ground-breaking and innovative records from the likes of FKA Twigs and M.I.A.

Låpsley’s self-motivated vision and creative control continues the uprising of women in electronic music – a traditionally male-dominated genre – with the internet providing a platform and voice to be heard.

We caught up with the singer / songwriter to talk musical heroes, owning a loch one day, and why she’s already broken one of her new years resolutions.

Hello, so how are the New Years resolutions going – did you make any?
I am trying to be vegan for January. It was going well until I went to Italy and they force fed me Parmesan!

And what about NYE, do you remember anything past midnight?
I stopped drinking at midnight but somehow can’t remember anything between then and 8 in the morning so must have drunk my bodyweight in Prosecco.

Haha! So you probably missed London’s NYE music-a-thon fireworks on the TV then, I reckon David Bowie’s going to feature on that playlist quite heavily this year – who are your musical heroes?
Arthur Russell is a genius, his work is so honest. Joni Mitchell as a songwriter and of course Bowie as someone who was such a creative innovator and set an example for generations to come to not be afraid to go against the perceived norm.

What about the first record you bought, embarrassing or a good’un?
I think it was Kings Of Leon ‘Only By The Night’ – that’s a good’un to me, wouldn’t really listen to them now however as a 12 year old emotional wreck I clung onto the words.

I bet you made emotional mix tapes for yourself and your loves right?
Yes. I made loads. For boys that I fancied, for best friends, for parties, for promiscuous year 11 times, for everything really.

And what else did you listen to growing up?
My parents music. From my Dad it was Joy Division, The Smiths and Depeche Mode. From my Mum it was Fleetwood Mac, Bjork and Kate Bush.

Did you have pop poster crushes on your walls?
Mum wouldn’t let me put blu tac on the wall so I had lots of framed art of things like squirrels and other wildlife (British wildlife) ha!

And if you could choose a song that completely sums you up now, what would it be?
For January it’s that Internet sensation ‘Peel the Avocado (guacamole)’.

Oh that song! Dr. Jean should officially be on the NHS as an anti-depressant. So tell me more about Låpsley – what’s the story behind that name?
It’s my middle name so no exciting story there. It’s Scottish, it actually means keeper of the loch, hopefully one day I’ll own a loch #buymyalbumpayformyloch (#bmapfml)

Nice hashtag! And you went from bedroom producer, gaining fans like DJ Annie Mac, to being signed to a label really quickly – are you still in control of your overall soundscape, so it’s still a personal and natural growth?
Yes I’m totally in control of my own sound but also take advice and am open to help developing my sound.

You’re experimenting more with new genres too, how would you describe your sound?
Experimental [laughs]

Ha! And how are you evolving, do you know where you’re going to, as Diana Ross once sang?
I think with every new song I finish I learn something new. Fuck knows where I’m going though.

And what about your impact on the electro music genre, it’s still very much a male dominated scene – how do you bring a female perspective to it?
Hopefully lyrically women will be able to relate to my lyrics because men are heartless bastards (fuck my ex, #fme)

Well that told him. So from where you’re sitting, apart from the heartless ex, what does it mean to be a woman in 2016?
It’s sick, Tom Ford has a new make up range that just came out, what could be better? Still pissed that tampons are classed as a luxury item by the government though.

The ‘Understudy’ EP is out now. Låpsley’s debut album will follow later this year.

musiclapsley.com

Tags: Annie Mac, Lapsley, new music, Understudy EP