She's the 24 year old from Southampton who quietly made it to the big time singing on tracks with Rudimental, Sub Focus and Fall Out Boy. Her most recent collaboration with German DJ Zedd – a punchy dance tune called Clarity – only went and won the two an actual real life Grammy for Best Dance Recording last week. So NDB then. As she gets ready to release the second single from her upcoming album, we caught up with Foxes (real name Louisa) to talk meeting Taylor Swift and nearly missing her Grammys category while she went on a beer run with Disclosure.
The Debrief: So you just won an actual Grammy. Did you manage to stay cool, calm and collected?
Foxes: I literally threw my purse in the air and I just ran on stage with nothing prepared. I turned round to Zedd and was like, 'Have you got anything prepared?' and he was like, ‘NO! We weren't supposed to win this!’ Then I had gum in my mouth and went, ‘SHIT I’ve got chewing gum in my mouth.’ In the microphone.
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DB: Haha, amazing. Was it really scary going on stage?
F: It was ridiculous. I really didn’t want to trip. But I’d read this article on Jennifer Lawrence the day before and she said when she tripped at The Oscars – she said just before her name got called she had, ‘Cake walk cake walk,’ going round in her head and she didn’t know why. And they called her name and she started walking and tripped and then she remembered; it was actually her stylist who’d been saying, ‘kick walk, kick walk, kick walk’ so you kick the dress and then you walk. But she’d remembered ‘cake walk’ so she fell over. Best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
DB: Could you see Taylor Swift in the front row?
F: Oh my god. Taylor Swift came up to me – I can’t believe this actually happened – when we were backstage and I was holding this Grammy and she ran over looking incredible and said, ‘I just want to tell you I love your dress. Congratulations. I’m a big fan.’ and I was like, ‘Errrrr.’ and then she ran off! I don’t think I said anything. I just went, ‘Errrr.’
DB: Did you meet any other celebs?
F: I met quite a few. I was quite pissed. I sang Bump N' Grind with R Kelly.
DB: No. Fricking. Way.
F: Yeah! I went up to him and drunkenly was like, ‘Can you just do me this one thing – sing Bump N' Grind with me?’ Now my life is made. What is wrong with me?
DB: Was he nice? Or was he terrified of the crazy drunk English girl?
F: No! He was actually a proper joker and just totally went along with it!
DB: Did you meet any other celebs?
F: I met Daft Punk without their masks on but you’re not supposed to recognize them. They apparently don’t like it when you say that you know who they are so I stupidly told them I was a massive fan. I think they were a bit like, ‘You’re a freak.' Oh god, I was just fangirling over absolutely everyone.
DB: Does everyone get really pissed afterwards?
F: OH YES. You can’t drink during the Grammys ceremony – it’s completely dry. Me and the Disclosure boys and Sam Smith went out to get beers just before our category was called. I was honestly in the local diner in a dress in a full-length Vivienne Westwood gown with a beer in my hand and then my manager rang me and was like, “Get your arse back here now! They’re about to call your category.”
DB: Imagine if you’d missed it!
F: In such a mental situation you kind of do have to go, ‘OK I need to go and get a beer now.’
DB: What after-parties did you go to?
F: Daft Punk was quite fun, then we went to the Sony after-party and the Universal one. Then we went to one at the Chateau Marmont, I walked in and Julia Roberts was like, straight in front of me. Just there. I was like, ‘Oh that’s Julia Roberts, I watched Notting Hill on the way over here on the plane.’
DB: Ermaghard. Is she beautiful?
F: She doesn’t look real, she just looks amazing. I was like, ‘Oh my god, you’re Julia Roberts.’ I think everyone was like that though – if Julia Roberts is in a room - everyone’s shitting themselves.
DB: So what was the red carpet like? Totally mental?
F: Yeah I got there and you just basically don’t really breathe until it’s over. I did an interview with Jack Osbourne and it was just quite mad because you’re like, ‘Why are you interviewing me, I should be interviewing you! You’re the star!’ I was starstruck on the red carpet by the people who were interviewing me.
DB: So your dress was Vivienne Westwood – how did you get hold of it?
F: I heard Vivienne Westwood was interested in dressing me and I went, ‘I don’t care what it is, I’ll just wear it, it’s Vivienne Westwood – that’s amazing.’ She’s one of my favourite designers ever. She sent over lots of options and I got a little card that said, ‘From Vivienne Westwood, with compliments,’ and I was like, ‘OH MY GOD!’ That was my highlight, I was like, ‘Vivienne Westwood’s dressing me and I’m nominated for a Grammy,' and then you win it and you’re like, ‘Oh my God!’
DB: Are you excited for the Brits now?
F: The Brits’ll be really fun! I’m going to go and support all my friends.
DB: Who are your pals?
F: John Newman, Ella Eyre, Chloe Howl, Sam Smith and the Disclosure boys, it’s really nice actually 'cos it feels like a little British music family.
DB: Have you started getting recognised now?
F: I get recognized a lot more in America than I do here. I’ve kind of had a few moments here, I was in Sainsburys the other day, in the vegetable aisle, and someone came up to me and went, ‘I’ve got all your music on my phone. I love you!’ And they held their phone up in the middle of the vegetable section and I turned round and everyone was looking at me. I was like, ‘I’m just buying carrots here.’
DB: What are the most mental moments you’ve had over the past year?
F: Katy Perry saying she was a fan was quite mad. Oh! And someone chased me down the street on Hollywood Boulevard shouting, ‘Clarity girl!’ When someone chases you have to run away because you don’t know what they’re going to do!
DB: Recently we’ve had people like Lorde speaking out about the lecherous gaze of the media towards female popstars – what’s your take on this?
F: There’s always going to be a sexual side to pop music. But I really hope we don’t get into a habit of giving this message out to young people. Pop artists have such a big responsibility about what they’re putting out. It really makes sense to just be a little bit aware of who you’re talking to and that these people are really listening to everything you’re saying. I think when you realise that you do actually have a voice and there are people listening, you kind of need to try and give the best message possible. I want to try and get away from that stereotype of people thinking it’s about showing skin because it doesn’t have to be – it can totally be about the music! People like Lorde are really showing that. She’s so young! And she’s just absolutely killing it.
Let Go For Tonight is out on 23 February
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
Pictures: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.