Sophierazzi

Official Catch Up (Dec, 2011)

2011-12-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the December instalment of the Official Catch Up

SOURCE: www.sophieellisbextor.net

Hi Sophie, how are you?

I’m not too bad, thanks.

What have you been up to?

Well, I’ve had some nice trips. Richard and I have done a couple of DJ gigs abroad, which has been quite fun. We went to Kiev and Moscow, which was a giggle. And we went to Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1, because I did a couple of shows around that.

How was that?

It was cool, actually. I think if Richard hadn’t come with me it would’ve all been a bit lost on me. Not that he’s particularly into Formula 1, but because we were there together and being shown around garages and stuff it made it more fun. And seeing everything up close does make it more exciting.

Did you meet any drivers?

We did, actually. We met Lewis Hamilton really briefly before the race, and he was such a sweetheart - really friendly and smiley. It was good, because it meant I was really rooting for him and then he won.

How was the show?

Well, it was at this club thing called the Amber Lounge which travels around with Formula 1 doing all the after-show parties. I sung a couple of songs there on two of the nights. It was really fun. And it was nice to get some sunshine out there too. It’s a pretty amazing place, where pretty much everything seems to be new. We went to this hotel which cost $3.5 billion and it’s actually done pretty nicely, but they’ve got fresh flowers everywhere that are flown in from 10 different countries and replaced every 6-7 hours!

Crikey. That seems a bit wasteful.

Yeah, we were like, "Where do the old ones go?!" And they said they just throw them away. We were all really dismayed about that. I’m not sure that’s the reaction they were expecting.

What else have you been doing?

Yesterday I was at St Thomas’s hospital, because I do quite a lot of work with Tommy’s, the charity. I went along to meet the scientists and consultants who work for them, to see the work they’re doing for complications in pregnancy. It was really fascinating. It makes you feel so lucky to have been born in a country where you have access to treatment. I met a girl there who’s just come back from Somalia where they’re trying to find a way to get solar-powered blood pressure monitors, because people aren’t trained to use the old-fashioned ones and batteries get stolen. You just don’t think about things like that if you live somewhere like the UK.

That sounds like a worthwhile visit.

It really was. It was nice of them to give me their time, because I had loads of questions!

Sticking with charity initiatives, you read stories to a bunch of children at Ikea recently.

I did indeed. It was really sweet, actually. That was with Unicef and Save The Children. Ikea have been working with them for a while, I think. They’re trying to raise something like £12m, by giving a percentage of the money from all the books and toys they sell. So I just popped along and read a couple of stories for the kids.

Quite a few kids!

I know! When I got there, I asked how many children there would be, thinking they’d say 8 to 12, or something. And the lady was like, "Oh, maybe 50"! But they were actually very sweet. I thought I’d get kids wandering off and heckling, but they were very good. And they did that thing that kids do where they start off really spaced apart, and then gradually creep really close to you! I really enjoyed it.

Of course, you also currently have an unborn child inside you!

Haha! Yes I do.

How’s that all going?

Yeah, I’m in the good bit now - the middle section where you feel pretty happy and you’re enjoying it. The first 12 or 14 weeks were quite hard work. That was when I was doing Australia and Jakarta and Istanbul and Beirut. I just didn’t really stop. I think from the time I found I was pregnant until the point I could tell people I went to over 20 different cities. And also in the beginning bit I was feeling quite icky. It makes you feel like you’re hungover.

Oh dear.

Exactly. And, as when you’re hungover, you’re craving things like toast and baked potatoes and all the carbohydrates and comfort food. But you can’t really get toast and Marmite in Jakarta! But now I’m in the middle bit, I feel like myself again.

And it’s all going well?

Yep, at the moment. All good. I think I’m in safe hands.

So your unborn child is certainly a very well travelled baby.

It certainly is! And I’m travelling right up to New Year’s Eve, which is my last booked gig. I’m going to Thailand, which is amazing. I’m so excited about that.

You’ve had such a year of travelling to amazing places.

I know. I’ve been really lucky. Every year you start off the year wondering what it will bring, but it’s been as good now as ever.

What are you doing in Thailand?

A fully live show with my band in Phuket. I’ve got three nights there, which should be quite cool. I’ve only been to Bangkok, but I’ve looked online and Phuket looks incredibly beautiful.

You were also in Barcelona recently.

Yes, with a DJ called Brian Cross that I’ve been working with a bit. He’s lovely. I think that was my fourth show with him.

So you sing during his set?

Exactly. He does a show called Popstars - in fact he’s bringing out an album next year - and he’s recorded a song with me. So he does this big show and then halfway through I pop out and do a few songs. He’s a really nice guy.

The other big news is that you’re singing on a new song by Bob Sinclar - with the somewhat sweary title of 'Fuck With You'.

Haha! Yes. The perfect song for someone who’s about to have their third baby, I think.

How did that come about?

Well, I was obviously already aware of Bob Sinclar, and when I got sent the email about that track my first thought was that I wasn’t going to sing a song called that! But when I heard it I actually thought it was really playful and fun. So I thought, why not? And I take the view that the girl isn’t doing it in a sexy way. It’s more like, I want to mess with you, sort of thing. She’s kind of making fun of the guy. And I think the track is very upbeat and skippy. rather than a Love To Love You Baby sensual sort of song. The rap is pretty filthy, though!

And it’ll be on Bob Sinclar’s album?

Exactly. I’ve got no idea what’ll happen with it. I thought it wasn’t coming out until next summer, but then it popped up online recently. I think it’s in an Italian film, or something.

Are you making a video? That could be interesting.

Ha! There’s talk of doing it in the spring, after I’ve had my baby.

So what we need you to do Sophie is just leave your clothes there...

Haha! I won’t do anything that I don’t feel comfortable with. But I think Bob has some ideas.

But the plan is to promote it?

Yeah, I think so, although the plans are pretty vague. At the moment I’ve got January and February down for songwriting - I just want to knuckle down and try and get the album as shipshape as I can so that I can come back in the summer time and do some summer shows and bring out some new material. That’s about the shape of it.

So you’re still working on new stuff?

Yeah, although it’s been quite hard because I’ve been away so much. But I’ve got lots of lovely people lined up to work with in the new year, so I’m just going to knuckle down. Songwriting is the perfect thing to do in new year in any case, let alone if you can’t really be travelling. I think it’s going to be pretty ideal.

You’ve also done a cameo in Ricky Gervais’s new show.

Oh yes. I filmed that a while ago. It’s in the last episode of the series, I think.

Was that fun to do?

It was actually. It was very easy. I’m just playing myself, so it wasn’t too big a stretch. But it was a nice part and it’s just fun to be involved in something a bit different like that. The main guy - Warwick Davies - was really nice, so he put me at ease.

Do you have acting ambitions?

Well I think there’s always been a big crossover between performing on stage and in videos and acting. I think a lot of singers do a bit of both. So it’s not something I’m actively chasing, but I’m open-minded. If you’d asked me when I was 14 or 15, then acting was what I wanted to do. But singing is definitely my day job.

And with The Stone Roses getting back together, presumably discussions have begun for the big theaudience reunion?

Yeah, that’s very similar! Golly. No. I don’t think so.

Some day you’ll bow to the inevitable.

Hahaha! I’ll wait for the petition.

And are you all set for Christmas?

Pretty much. I think I’ve done 80% of my shopping. I’ve had to be really organised because I’m not really here in December that much. And I’ve ordered my turkey, because we’ve got everyone coming here again.

How many people are you cooking for?

I think there’ll be about 15 of us, with my mum and family, plus Richard’s folks. Actually my mum has ordered me some pre-peeled potatoes to make it a bit easier for me. I peeled about 60 last year and it really did my head in, so that was very sweet of her. But I like having it at home. I’m really looking forward to it.

Bob Sinclar feat. Pregnancy Hormones - Fuck With You

2011-11-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

1. What you're going to hear might make you extremely happy, and at the same time really sad. You're going to be very embarrassed when the song is done, but you'll press-play again, cos lets face it, this is the catchiest thing Sophie has done since Catch You.

2. I'm going to quote dsdlovespop's post from PopJustice, "This song is a groundbreaking genre-defining MASTERPIECE." Yes. It's over the top amazing, and if it was a random somebody on this song, I'd play the shit out of it. Oh that chorus and bridge! If she used a tune like this on Make A Scene, it wouldn't have flopped like it did. But I wouldn't change a thing about her album. It's perfect the way it is.

3. Am I embarrassed because Sophie used the F word? Not at all. She's done it before in theaudience. It's actually funny because she seems sort of embarrassed to say the word, so she's using her falsetto for it.

4. She's really trying to be a big thing on the commercial scene, isn't she? Fair enough, everyone wants to make it big. The sad thing is, Sophie Ellis-Bextor just went from that classy-but-slightly-eccentric-posh-diva on Starlight to this trashy man-stealing-Ho. What really confuses me is that she was just singing about girls like this on her own album, and she's now playing that character. Explain yourself Bextor, NOW.

5. By now, you'd have reached the middle-8. Brace yourself, you might have a stroke. Surely she couldn't have been in her right senses when this decision was taken, don't you agree? Maybe, like ansintheboy said on PopJustice "she's taking the piss out of 'rent-a-rapper'", or maybe she's just FUCKING wit her fans...we know she loves to do that anyway.

6. To sum up:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor just achieved the newest low in the world.
Bob Sinclar took the purest thing in pop and turned it into the next Britney Spears. Shame on you man.
I blame Sophie's pregnancy hormones for this (sorry love, I'm extremely happy for you and the baby, but clearly you weren't in the right mind when you sang this song.)
The cover is rather lovely though.

Here's the song: Bob Sinclar feat. Pregnancy Hormones - Fuck With You. Apparently the song is going to be the soundtrack to some movie.

Fifth album, Bob Sinclar collaboration and more

2011-11-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

So, SMEB's busy working on her fifth record. But here are the recent updates:

1. Not so long ago, Sophie mentioned that she had worked with Bob Sinclar. Well, the collaboration is included on his album "Disco Crash" which will be out in January. We still don't know what the song-title is and who the co-writers are. Let's hope it's a melancholic disco song...

2. I have already mentioned a new song title that surfaced recently. For those of you who don't remember, its "Love Is A Camera", co-written with Ed Harcourt. It seems like she has written a new song called "My Hearts Desire" with Fred Ball.

3. Also, Fred Ball mentioned Sophie on his Logbook saying. "Writing more tunes with lovely Sophie. Taking inspiration from She-Ra, Thundercats and Marshall Bravestarr. 'Speed of the puma, eyes of the hawk, ears of the wolf....'"

Here's hoping for another out-of-this-world song! (Right, picture from Fred's blog)

4. Bex is also going to perform at Abu Dhabi again. She is performing at two events this time. More details here - http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/celebrity/sophie-ellis-bextor-back-in-the-uae-1.925478

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Baby No. 3, Album No. 5)

2011-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

There's a very clear trend. Baby-Album-Baby-Album. I joke.

I'm very happy for Sophie and Richard. There's going to be another little Ellis-Bextor-Jones in the photographs next Christmas. I'm hoping it's a girl this time. Afterall, someone's gotta carry on those amazing cheekbones and those neverending legs to the next generation.

Also, Sophie had already started working on the fifth album this year, and she will continue working on the fifth album. Sophie mentioned recently that she wants to write and record an album faster this time. So lets hope she doesn't take too long...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get a really personal album - like Shoot From The Hip.

Her tweets:
"I have something to tell you..."

"I am having another baby. Due in Spring. A little brother or sister for Sonny and Kit. Family e-b-jones are happy and excited. Xx"

"Thanks guys. It's a lovely thing. By the way, work on album 5 continues as usual. In fact, I now have a deadline! In the studio as we speak."

In other news, you can buy Starlight CD right here - http://www.self.it/ita/details.php?nb=8033712126562&tc=c

Jakatra, Australia, new album, Rebellion and more...

2011-10-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've been very busy with work. I've been working more than 18 hours on some days. So I apologise for the lack of updates. Moving on to the important stuff.

First of all, have you all bought Rebellion (Lies)? If you haven't, buy it now. It is 4:42 minutes of pure brilliance. Its definitely up there with her best covers to date. Sophie sounds absolutely gorgeous on the track, and the "Lies, lies" bit is fabulous. Right now, the track is sitting as track #15 on Make a scene for me. I will move it into my list of Sophie b-sides and side releases after a few months. It's a very good song. So buy it. Don't download free mp3s, buy the song off iTunes. It's for a good cause. Here's a link to the album on UK iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/songs-to-save-life-in-aid/id454729655
Please buy the song.

Second. Sophie was in Jakarta, Indonesia recently. She hadn't been there since 9 years, but the crowd gathered at the Java Soul Nation festival seemed to know and like her new songs. The best part of the show was when the entire crowd sang along to Murder On The Dancefloor...not just the chorus, but the ENTIRE song. Sophie must have been over the world to hear the crowd's response to that song. She even mentioned this in her recent official catch-up, but more on that later.

You can also download the audio from the entire show right here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vrsmqy8jqaw67ys
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UMQWDSWE
Thanks to Paul for the recording. You've done a fabulous job as usual.

Third. Sophie is in Australia promoting her new album. She had two club-shows - one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. She also had some TV appearances where she performed her new single Starlight and Murder On The Dancefloor.

Murder On The Dancefloor - http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/watch/26771578/sophie-ellis-bextor-performs-live/

Starlight - http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-morning-show/video/-/watch/26773107/sophie-ellis-bextor-makes-a-scene/

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/sophie-ellis-bextor-scene-and-heard/story-e6frfn09-1226154480951

IT must be murder juggling motherhood with a career filling dance floors but Sophie Ellis-Bextor makes it seem effortless. Here she tells JACQUI SWIFT about her new record that features Calvin Harris, Roisin Murphy and Metronomy.

Your new album Make a Scene is your career high. Do you agree?
When I finished it, I was so pleased. I'm always wary of reviews as you only ever remember the nasty ones but, without blowing my own trumpet, I can say it's my best album yet because of the people I worked with Calvin Harris, Roisin Murphy, Metronomy, Richard X, Cathy Dennis, Greg Kurstin, I was very spoiled.

Tell us about the big-name producers and co-writers on the record.
I had a wish list and they're all on there. They're all perennial talents who have either been around for ages, or are going from strength to strength. It was great. There will always be a core of six to eight tracks which define what the record is about and then I pick and choose from the rest, which add to the colour of the album.

So what's the process when you have so many different people to work with?
Hopefully, whatever I bring to the table when I'm writing helps give it cohesion. I'm someone who has always been quite clear about what I like. In the studio, I'm not a control freak but I know what I want. It's an arms-in-the-air dance album.

Does it take you back to your Groovejet days?
Yes, a little bit. I think it's all about the rise of the DJ again. When Groovejet came out, people knew a few of the names but then they went back to being a bit more niche and underground. Now you have people like David Guetta and Martin Solveig who are on the radio as well as in the clubs and I think that's a really good thing.

Dial My Number is about a stalker. What's the story behind it?
Someone had my number and they started text-stalking me. I've never replied to them. It was tempting to write back, but I resisted. It's funny how intimate it feels to get a text. I got one on the way to the studio, so we ended up writing that song.

So what's next for you?
I want to make something different, take myself out of my comfort zone, but then I want to do four-to-the-floor as well and I want to work with Deadmau5.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor plays Home the Venue, Darling Harbour, on October 2. Make a Scene (Shock) is out now.

Fifth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor never misses the beat

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/confidential/sophie-ellis-bextor-never-misses-the-beat/story-e6fredq3-1226156472856

A MOTHER of two and celebrating album No. 4, Sophie Ellis-Bextor whirled into town last week to reintroduce herself to her dance constituency.
It has been a decade since Ellis-Bextor fired up the charts with the inescapable hit Groovejet (If This Ain't Love), backing that up with Murder On The Dancefloor and last year's single Bittersweet.
Her new record Make A Scene features a who's who of hitmakers including Calvin Harris, Freemasons, Richard X, Armin Van Buuren and Metronomy.
"I have always been rubbish at predicting what will make the charts so I play to my strengths and do what I like," she said before her performance at Home last night.
"If you're making music to dance to, if the song doesn't finish with me standing up out of my seat and dancing around the studio, it's not going to work."
Ellis-Bextor hinted her next album, already underway, will be a departure from clubland to something more "reflective".
Rumour has it she is being courted to return to Sydney next March for Mardi Gras.

Sixth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Still killing it on and off the dancefloor

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2011/09/sophie-ellis-bextor-still-killing-it-on-and-off-the-dancefloor.html

Sophie Ellis-Bextor hasn't been to Australia in about nine or ten years, so she has been long overdue for a visit to our shores!

The last time Sophie was here her song "Murder on the Dancefloor" was riding high in the charts and the dance song "Groovejet" that she recorded with the Italian DJ Spiller was pumping out of clubs.

Now she is back with a new album called "Make A Scene" that features collaborations with some of the biggest DJ's in the world at the moment including Calvin Harris and Armin Van Buuren.

So today on the program we wanted to find out what Sophie had been up to in the last nine or so years.

Bernie Hobbs found out all about Sophie's family, running club nights, performing in Jakarta, growing up in the UK, and some the charity work that she has done.

It was a lovely chat and if you are are a fan of Sophie, you'll enjoy hearing the chat again below.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://blogs.abc.net.au/files/sophie-ellis-bextor-interview.mp3

Seventh. Official Catch-up with Sophie.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=375&msg=1#comments

Hi Sophie. How are you?
Not too bad, thanks.

You're speaking from the future.
Haha! I am, it's evening here in Sydney, so it must be morning there?

That is correct. What's going to happen today?
It will be quite cold. And it will rain a little bit.

Not in London, it won't. It's gorgeous here.
Yeah, I heard. But it was actually quite good weather for wandering around Sydney, which is what I've been doing today. It's like spring weather. Nice to walk around in. I've had a lovely day pottering about on my own.

Are you literally out there on your own?
My sound guy, Duncan has here, but I haven't actually seen that much of him. He's been doing his own thing. We got here yesterday morning from Jakarta. And Kat is arriving from the UK any minute now. Then the promo really starts in earnest tomorrow.

Kat, of course, is becoming familiar to the readers of your website as the person who does the photoblogs.
I know! I'm so glad she does that, because I'm so rubbish at taking pictures. I've never really been a good documenter. But she's really good at it.

For those readers who don't know Kat, what does she do?
She works with Derek, who's my manager. She's brilliant. She's his assistant, but she's often the one that comes with me on my trips. She's a very good travel companion. Even though she's only 24, some people say we're like two old women who go off and holiday together. We always make sure we do things during the downtime, like go for a walk or a swim or something.

So, how was Jakarta?
It was actually really impressive. I hadn't been there for ten years. In fact, the last time I went to Jakarta was the same trip I last went to Sydney, around the time Read My Lips came out, when we were away for a month, going all round Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. So it tied in quite nicely to have these two club shows in Australia and a big festival show in Jakarta before that.

How did it go?
Well, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I had like 5,000 people in this arena, and they were a really brilliant crowd. It was a very satisfying gig. They really seemed to know and like a lot of my stuff.

That's nice.
It really is. I'm always a bit trepidatious about who'll remember and who'll come, but it's amazing how many do. Jakarta was great and both of the Australian shows have sold out. And on my day out today, I kept bumping into people that recognised me, which was really nice. Sydney is such a friendly city. I bought a dress and the guy was like, "I hope you're looking forward to Sunday, it's going to be really good". It was really sweet.

Do people tend to say the same kind of things when they spot you in the street?
The number one thing is "Do you know you really look like that singer?" I get that more than anything else. I think it's because when I'm on stage I've got the full glam thing done, and I don't do that when I'm walking around. I'm quite low-key. So I think people think I can't be the same person.

Do you ever deny it's you?
Occasionally. But only very rarely. Only if I'm feeling a bit rubbish. But usually it's really nice. Like a guy I met on the street last night was so sweet and excited that I put him on the guest list for Sunday.

So you've only been to Sydney once before?
That's right. And last time I came I spent more time in Melbourne. So today I went out for about four or five hours just wandering around. And my step-cousin Kate is working and living here at the moment, so I met up with her yesterday afternoon. It's a lovely place to hang out. And it's a really easy city to walk around in, which is my favourite kind of city.

Did you go and see all the big sights?
I guess I did, really. I went to the Sydney Opera House. And I went on the train. They have double decker trains, so I obviously went upstairs! And we walked around this area called the Rocks, which is really pretty. And today I went around Surrey Hills and down Crown Street because there's loads of vintage shops around there. Then I walked more into the commercial area for a couple of basic things I needed - so I went to where Westfield is. Although our Westfield in Shepherd's Bush is certainly a lot nicer!

Are the two gigs just club shows then?
Yeah, exactly. The band aren't here, but I'll be doing a good half hour of greatest hits. They're part of two big party nights - I'm on pretty late at both - and it's a holiday weekend here, so there should be a good atmosphere. I'm just going to try and keep people dancing.

Are they a bit like Australian versions of G-A-Y?
I think so, yes. Particularly the one in Sydney, because it's apparently the biggest club in Sydney. They should be fun.

Has the new album been released in Australia?
Yes, it's out this week, and Starlight is at radio now.

It is quite amazing to go to the other side of the world after a decade and find people still listen to your music.
Absolutely. That sort of thing never fails to impress me. Like when I was in Jakarta, even checking into my flight there the woman behind the desk was telling me I was a trending topic on Twitter there. It's crazy. I never get jaded about that sort of thing. I think it's incredible. Actually, I couldn't sleep last night because of jet lag and I was working out how many cities I travelled to in the last two months, and I've performed in 18. Everywhere from Beirut to Istanbul to Moscow to Barcelona. It's amazing.

And it does sort of show how well Polydor did in the early days to get your music out there.
Oh completely. Groovejet was successful, but it was Murder on the Dancefloor that I think made people put a face to the voice, so to speak. That song really changed things, I think. And I'm still realising that now. At the time it was all part of a snowball.

Are you stopping off anywhere on the way back from Australia?
No, only for the plane to refuel. I leave on Monday then land back on Tuesday. Then I've got a couple of shows in Moscow at the end of next week. And then hopefully after that I'm not travelling anywhere for a while! And The Feeling are playing Shepherd's Bush Empire, so I'm going to do my duet with them there. I'm looking forward to that.

Talking of flying to Russia, some of your male fans were no doubt impressed by the Aeroflot outfit you modelled on Twitter recently!
Hahaha! I think it's so cool they gave me a uniform.

How did that happen?
I went on one of their flights and they had these really cool uniforms. Really 60s in this red/orange colour with big white lapels. I think they're very stylish. So I said on Twitter that I loved them and they spotted it and asked if I'd like one. Then they met me in the hotel foyer. And not only did they give me the dress - but the heels, the hat, the gloves and a scarf! So I can use it for a multitude of things. I could perform in it at something like G-A-Y, or wear it for fancy dress. Or just wear it for a night out. And if I wear it when I'm going through an airport, I might be able to go in the fast-track lane! It's funny the things you get excited about, but I'm really chuffed about it.

And where are you at with work on your next album?
I've been doing a bit of work in the studio at home with Richard, but the plan is really to try and gig as much as I can between now and Christmas, and then maybe January, February, March and April are blocked out with songwriting. I don't want to dawdle on this one. I want to knuckle down and get the album done in the spring. Because in the past I've been so bad at letting an album go, but I really like the idea of just really getting on with it. I think that might make me make a slightly different style of record, which I feel like I need to do. I'm really excited about getting into it.

What do you have planned for this evening?
I think Kat and I are going out for supper. But I've got a horribly early start tomorrow. I've got people coming to my room at 5am to start getting me ready for breakfast TV. But if last night's sleep is anything to go by I'll probably be awake then anyway! It was so crappy. I went to bed at like half 11 then woke up 3 and just couldn't get back to sleep.

Oh dear.
I know. I have had a really lovely trip, but I am looking forward to coming home. This has been the longest I've been away from the kids, so that's not been the easiest. That's why I've not been to Australia for a while. Skype has been a life saver. We've been putting it on in the morning before school. But I can't wait to get home and see them for real.

Eighth. A must listen. Stefano Mattara Extended Remix of Starlight. Its definitely better than the other two that we have heard so far.
http://soundcloud.com/mattara/sophie-ellis-bextor-starlight
SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR - STARLIGHT [STEFANO MATTARA RMX EXT] by MATTARA

Ninth. Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Live in Sydney, review by Mike from Pop Trash Addicts

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://poptrashaddicts.blogspot.com/2011/10/sophie-ellis-bextor-live-in-sydney.html

Read Mike's review on Pop Trash Addicts (link above). It sums up why we're all such ardent fans of Sophie. I'm going to post the pictures from the gig here.

Thanks for the pictures Mike.

Off & On at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards

2011-09-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sophie performed her new single, "Off & On" at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.

Download the performance here
Megaupload - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LV5REQCM
Mediafire - http://www.mediafire.com/?3ebwvb8n7k58sp0
Recording and uploading - thanks to Paul

Sophie’s ready for a big gay weekend

2011-09-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

For the average Australian music fan, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s career might as well have begun and ended a decade ago with her multi-hit-spawning debut album Read My Lips.

But, as with many of the best pop stars (see also: Annie, Robyn, Nicola Roberts), Bextor’s music has remained a slightly underground, cult proposition ever since, relished by forward-thinking pop lovers.

She’s currently on album four, the outstanding Make A Scene, and will mark it with her first Australian shows since her brief run as a chart-troubling rival to Britney, Christina et al all those years ago.

“I feel like I have little pockets of fans all over the world, which is brilliant, but I’m quite embarrassed it’s taken me so long to get to places like Australia again,” Ellis-Bextor told the Star Observer during a snatched phone conversation at Gatwick Airport earlier this month.

“Hopefully I’ll deliver a good show by means of an apology.”

She’ll be in the country for a week, leaving her two young children and husband (Richard Jones, bassist for fellow cultish Brit popsters The Feeling) in the UK.

While her shows will be relatively brief — 40-minute sets for queer crowds at Sydney’s Homesexual and Melbourne’s GH — she said fans could expect to hear much-loved tracks like Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) and, of course, Murder on the Dancefloor.

“I’m doing club shows because I haven’t got my band with me, but don’t worry, it’ll be a real party set, with all the greatest hits,” she said.

As well as the more pop-driven highlights of her first three albums, Ellis-Bextor will showcase the eclectic dancefloor sounds of Make A Scene — an album littered with big-name DJ collaborations.

The album finally saw the light of day in April after an agonising four-year wait for fans who waited patiently as release dates came and went. But Ellis-Bextor, glamorously aloof as ever, wasn’t about to apologise for the delays.

“It wasn’t frustrating for me. It’d been four years since the last record, and in that time I’d toured that album, then had a baby, then taken my time to work on Make A Scene.”

“I’m often the reason things take a long time, because I really enjoy the process of writing and recording. You’ve got to spend a long time with those songs once they’re out there, so I don’t rush them. I’m not really in any hurry.”

It’s this attitude that perhaps best explains why she’s very much a cult pop star — and happy to stay that way.

“Sometimes I think it’s a case of ‘careful what you wish for’, because the way things are at the moment, I work a lot, I travel the world, but I also manage to have a family life and raise my kids. I don’t want to wish for anything that would upset the balance of what makes me happy. So I’ll settle for cult — that sounds good to me.”

Aside from the expected commercial dance collaborations with Calvin Harris and handbag house mavens the Freemasons, Make A Scene (which will be released locally via Shock Records to coincide with her visit) sees Ellis-Bextor team up with indie dance hipsters Metronomy and folk gloomster Ed Harcourt.

It’s this refusal to be pigeonholed that’s defined her career thus far — after all, who would’ve predicted the frontwoman for arch Britpop also-rans theaudience would’ve emerged from their 1999 split to voice the biggest house song of 2000, Spiller’s Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)?

“I’m still intrigued by the whole dance scene — Deadmau5, Chase & Status — or I could do something a bit more alternative. I haven’t got a clear idea of who I want to work with next, but I love working with unexpected people,” she mused.

“Dance music is such a big part of what I do, and I love it. If I could, I’d do two projects simultaneously — something dance, then something different. I am particularly interested in the ‘something different’, because I feel like I need to challenge myself a little bit.”

Testing her musical boundaries has always been important for Ellis-Bextor, who once memorably said “there’s nothing more unsexy than a jaded pop star”. More than a decade into the occupation, does she still have the passion to continue?

“Probably now more than ever, really. The longer it keeps going, the more I realise I’m one of the lucky ones, doing what I do. I’ve never had to get a proper job — brilliant!”

INFO: Sophie Ellis-Bextor plays Melbourne’s GH Hotel on October 1 (sold out) and Sydney’s Homesexual White on October 2. Tickets via www.inthedark.com.au

Synchronised (Pre-Finished demo)

2011-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Reember that Cut Straight To The Heart demo?
http://soundcloud.com/140dbmanagement/sophie-ellis-bextor-cut

Well, here's the pre-finished demo version of Synchronised
http://soundcloud.com/fredballmusic/synchronised/s-nYF50

Bits from here and there.

2011-09-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

1. Here's a 2+ minute snippet of Sophie's cover of Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)". Pre-order from iTunes, Amazon, Play, Amazon, 7Digital

http://www.songstosavealife.com/buy-it-now/

SEB - Reb. Lies 2 minute by SOPHIERAZZI

2. Vote for Sophie at the Inspiration Awards for Women. Sophie is in the Style & Elegance category.

http://www.inspirationawards.com/voting/index.php

3. Sophie performed at the Ukraine Independence Day Celebration at Kharkiv. Watch the entire show here.

4. Sophie was in Lebanon recently. She sang in front of a huge gathering. Thanks to Renzo for all the pictures.

Sophie, Richard & Dan on Something For The Weekend, BBC 2

2011-08-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Sophie with Richard and Dan from The Feeling on a cookery-cum-chat show. Pleasures include an acoustic performance of Leave Me Out Of It, and footage of the infant Sophie modelling a snood on Blue Peter.

PART ONE - Sophie, Richard & Dan are interviewed. Sophie & Dan sing a part of Leave Me Out Of It.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ON1SIAQC

PART TWO - Sophie and Richard make a dessert. It's their first interview together.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B0XY66ZV

thanks to Paul for the links

Sophie in Amnesia mag

2011-08-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

A few updates

2011-08-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I've been working 13 hours a day because we have audit season going on right now, and I'm really busy. Anyway, lots of things are happening in Sophie world. Here's the news, for those who don't know it already.

1. OFF AND ON WILL BE THE NEXT SINGLE

As bizarre as it sounds, Off And On will be the sixth overall single from this campaign. I'm really pleased that the song is finally being released as a single. Sophie mentioned in the past that she did want to release this song...methinks she had to release those other collaboration-singles just so she could buy some time to setup her own label and get things back on track. It is tragic that Starlight didn't get a good charting, but the song was given A LOT of airplay. I had posted the stats a few weeks ago.

Will we get a video, along with a physical release? We're not sure of any details right now. The Calvin Harris tag could help the song chart well, but we're not sure if this is going to be a solo release or a collaborative one. I wouldn't mind it either way really, as long as we get a b-side, preferably "Calling It Love" (that other song she did with Calvin) or one of the Kish Mauve tracks.

Sophie performed the new single on Tonight's The Night. Her performance was flawless. I never thought she could reach those high notes, but she sang so well. Well done Miss E-B. You always give me so many reasons to love you even more.

You can download the performance right here -
(thanks to Paul for the recording, and Renzo for the link)

Sophie also performed a duet-cover of Dream A Little Dream Of Me with Bobbie Watt on Tonight's The Night.
You can download the duet right here - http://www.filesonic.in/file/1572125664/seb.oao.ttn.073011.rar
(thanks to Paul for the recording, and Renzo for the link)

2. MAKE A SCENE WENT GOLD IN RUSSIA

Make a scene was recently certified Gold in Russia, after peaking at #12 in the albums charts. This is Sophie's second album to go Gold in Russia. Its good to see Sophie getting a lot of attention from Russia. I sincerely hope her Russian fans support her when she changes her direction - from dance-pop to stripped live sounding songs.

Here's hoping that the album is certified Gold eventually in the UK as well.

3. REBELLION (LIES) WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN OCTOBER

Rebellion, the Arcade Fire song, that Sophie covered during her tour, will be available for download from the 3rd of October. You can listen to a 1 minute snippet of the song here.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150741674760650&oid=140234786046296&comments

4. THE FEELING HAVE CANCELLED THE NEW SINGLE IN FAVOUR OF ANOTHER SONG

I'm not sure why they decided to release another song instead of Leave Me Out Of It, especially after all those performances. Leave Me Out Of It is absolutely gorgeous, and they should release the song as a single sometime.

5. SOPHIE WAS ON RADIO KENT RECENTLY.

Here's the interview.
Thanks to Paul for the recording and Renzo for the upload.

Interview on BBC Radio Kent by RenzoEB

6. PERFORMANCES AT EUROPA PLUS 2011

She performed 5 songs - Bittersweet, Can't Fight This Feeling, Murder On The Dancefloor, Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) and Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer

Official Catch-up, July 2011 - Part Two

2011-07-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=357&msg=1#comments

Did you meet the Erasure chaps on that tour?
Yeah, they were very nice. They've got such diehard fans. There was one gig where it was raining and hailing - it was just horrendous - but the crowd just stayed there and watched. I felt a bit bad actually, cos it was totally dry for my bit and then the heavens just opened shortly after I finished my last song.

Were they responsive to your sets?
Yeah, they really were. Without wanting to sound smug, I think me and the band feel quite confident in the set now. It does a lot of the work for you, really. And I think if you're performing at a show like that, you just have to be sympathetic to the fact that people haven't come to see you. As long as you're aware of that and you keep your role very clear in your mind, I think you can't help but enjoy it. You have to remember you're a support act who's there to get everybody worked up before the main act comes on.

And you've supported some big 'uns. Take That and George Michael spring to mind.
Exactly. I'm like a professional support act! Hahaha! But I actually think it's been the making of me live, in many ways. It just forces you to go out there in front of people who maybe don't want to be listening to you at that precise moment and try to win them over. I think it's made me improve a lot.

What have you got coming up in the next couple of months?
There's talk of doing Off And On as the next single from my album. And then I've got some club shows in August and I'm still looking at some dates in September and October in South America and Australia. That's still coming together.

What do you do with the kids if you have to go somewhere as far as Australia?
It's not something I've really had to deal with yet, but I don't think it would be very fair to take them. Big time difference, long flights and all that. So I'd probably leave them here and only be away for a maximum of maybe 10 days. Actually, at the end of the month I'm going to Moscow and I'm going to take my eldest boy with me.

Oh, cool.
Yeah, I always thought in my mind that when he was 7 he could come somewhere with me. I thought then he would actually take it in properly and remember it when he was older. The Russians are quite sticklers on paperwork, so I had to get copies of his birth certificate to prove I'm his mother, because we've got different surnames - cos he's Jones. And then I had to get a letter from Richard saying, "Yes, I know that my wife is taking our son out of the country and I give permission".

What are you actually out there for?
It's just a 20 minute outdoor show for radio, rather than a whole gig. So we'll leave on the Saturday morning, get there for Saturday afternoon and do the show. Then the next day we're not getting a flight until about 9 o'clock at night, so we'll be able to go and have a wander around Red Square and that kind of thing. It should be really fun.

Is he excited?
I think so, yeah. Although he really just wants to know whether he can play on my iPhone on the way!

Have you been going out much?
I'm actually going out on Wednesday to see Adam Buxton do his thing at the BFI about music videos. It's really funny, so I'm looking forward to that. But I haven't really had much time off. I still haven't seen Bridesmaids, which I'd really like to see.

Is there any more press coming up?
Well, I did a photoshoot for the Sunday Times Style Magazine which was an at-home thing. And now a German magazine called Brigitte - which is apparently the biggest women's monthly in Germany - is coming here next week to take some pictures. So I need to get the house tidied up and organised for that!

It looked very tidy in the Sunday Times one.
Yeah, but they were really sweet, with moving stuff about and angling things the right way. I bought about three copies because it said something on the front cover like "Inside the coolest house in Britain".

Wow. You should put a sign on the front door.
Exactly! "Are you aware you're entering the coolest house in Britain?!" Hahaha!

Disney and GOSH team up with Sophie

2011-07-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL POST: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/203182/Sophie-Ellis-Bextor-asks-us-to-recall-our-top-Disney-moments/

CRADLING little Charlie in her arms, gorgeous Sophie Ellis-Bextor gently rocks him to sleep.

It's a world away from her life on tour as a pop star, but one close to her heart as a mum.

Next month she will play to thousands of clubbers at party-lovers' paradise Amnesia in Ibiza, before going home to her two little ones.

But like tiny tot Charlie Hewson, both of her children have needed medical attention in the past.

The 17-month old from Lee, south London, is a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and has spent the last nine months fighting Ewing's sarcoma, a deadly tumour in his leg.

Mum to seven-year-old Sonny and Kit, two, Sophie says: "My little boys spent time in hospital when they were younger and I know what a horrible time it can be.

"Sonny was born nine weeks early and Kit two months early."

In fact, little Kit was born weighing just 2lb 10z and was immediately placed in an incubator.

"When you have a sick child you are incredibly grateful that places like GOSH exist, " Sophie continues.

"As a parent your instinct is to provide the best for your children and when they get ill it goes outside your realm of care and you need that extra support.

"You feel helpless and I know it can be a stressful time.

"Luckily, thanks to the hard work of the staff, they didn't feel scared and there were lots of toys so I know what great work hospitals like GOSH do."

Sophie hears Charlie's story from mum Kate, who says: "It's devastating to find out your child is sick.

"Charlie's tumour means unfortunately he has lost his leg and it has been a long journey.

"Thankfully the road to recovery has been helped by the amazing staff at GOSH, who have achieved miracles, meaning we can soon take our little boy home."

She might be a celebrity in demand but 32-year-old Sophie, who is married to The Feeling's bassist Richard Jones, is dedicating her time to helping charities and families like Charlie's through her work with Disney and GOSH.

"I love being a mum, " she says.

"It's the start of the summer holidays and like many other families we are off to the beach for a week, away from all the craziness of our lives in London.

"It will be just the four of us and sometimes I think that's when everything makes the most sense.

"As you can see, GOSH is an amazing place and it desperately needs donations from the public.

"These little people are too young to understand what's happening to them so it's about giving them a quality of life and remembering they are still children."

Which is why Sophie is teaming up with new pre-school channel Disney Junior to launch an incredible bid to collect a million Disney memories in aid of GOSH.

Families across Britain are being asked to donate not money but memories to the campaign, which Disney will turn into ?million for the hospital when they hit the magic number of a million memories on their Facebook site.

A host of stars including Thandie Newton, 38, Sir Michael Caine, 78, Dame Judi Dench, 76, Lewis Hamilton, 26, and Spice Girls Emma Bunton, 35, and Mel C, 37, have already joined Sophie in donating a memory to the Million Disney Memories campaign.

During her visit to the hospital, Sophie tells families on Lion ward of her own first Disney memory: "I remember watching Mary Poppins over and over and over when I was five or six.

"Even now I could probably turn down the sound and recite all the songs."

And Boel Ferguson, from Disney Junior UK and Ireland, adds: "This campaign is all about encouraging families to share these fond memories with each other, as well as with us, to help GOSH."

Another Disney fan is five-year old Chian?Cloete from Southgate, north London.

She arrived at the hospital last month after being diagnosed with a very rare cancer of the brain.

Dad Chris says: "We're frightened but we have to believe that she will be OK.

"The doctors and nurses here are some of the best in the world so we know we are in the best place.

Chian?isn't frightened and has a play specialist to make sure she can still have fun."

Across the hall, New Yorker Tara Kar, mum to 19-month-old Luca, says she is thankful that her little boy is being treated here: "We've been so well looked after.

"Every penny here makes a huge difference. Miracles happen every day at GOSH."

Little Harash Bhadenegar, five, shows Sophie his painting in the playroom and then she goes to meet cheeky Vincent Oenning, age four.

His mum Sophie, from Upminster, Essex, says: "He was diagnosed three years ago but never feels scared coming back here. He sees it as a safe place full of fun."

Other children excited to meet Sophie are music fan Rose-Anne Ofori, eight, from Dagenham in east London and nine-year-old Ciaran Monohan from Longford in Ireland.

His mum Adel tells us: "GOSH goes above and beyond to make things as easy as they can for you.

"I can stay with him in his room and his brother Patrick can come and visit too.

"At first he couldn't even come out of his room but he's been really responsive to treatment.

"GOSH is a great place and anything that anyone can do to help it stay that way is appreciated."

The Disney Junior Million Memories campaign builds on Disney's long-standing relationship with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, which is aiming to raise £10million. Share your first Disney memory at facebook.com/disneyjunioruk.

For more info on Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity see gosh.org

Official Catch-up, July 2011 - Part One

2011-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL POST: http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=355

Hi Sophie, how are you?
Not too bad. But a bit rough. I've got tonsillitis.

Oh no!
Yeah. Which is pretty crappy. So it hurts when I swallow and I'm a bit fevery and achey. But I'm on penicillin and I should be better soon.

This is not good news.
No, it's a bit of a pain.

Tonsillitis tends to come when one's tired, right?
Yeah, well it has been quite full-on and relentless over the last few weeks. Doing lots of really nice things, but a bit non-stop. I think maybe I overdid it a little. At the weekend I did Kings Lynn on the Friday, then supported Bryan Ferry at Kew on the Saturday and got straight in the car after that because I'd been booked to sing at someone's birthday. So I got home at like 4am on Sunday morning. That probably didn't do me any favours! But never mind.

It sounds like your body is perhaps trying to tell you something.
That's what my mum said! But it can be hard to totally take time off when you have two children!

Do you have much coming up?
Well, I go on holiday at the beginning of August, but the diary is still looking pretty busy. It'll be nice to have a little break, though.

And it sounds like you've been having fun.
Yeah, I've been busy, but doing some lovely stuff. Richard and I did some DJing last week at the Chiswick House festival, which was fun. We got to watch Tinie Tempah and Noah & The Whale and bands like that.

Is that the event famed for its amazing food?
Exactly. I didn't do too badly, but I think Richard had at least two lobsters!

You also sang with The Feeling last week at Kew.
Yeah, that was really nice. I thought their gig was brilliant. And I really enjoyed my gig there on the Saturday night too. It's really beautiful, and we were lucky with the weather for both shows.

And the song you performed with The Feeling, Leave Me Out Of It, is their new single.
That's right.

You've already done a couple of TV things with them for that. Will you be doing more?
I think so, yes. I'll do whatever they need me to do. There's been talk of doing a video for it, too. We're going to Abbey Road this week actually, to film an acoustic performance of Leave Me Out Of It.

Is it strange working with your husband?
Well, that's how we met, so it's not completely bizarre. But I suppose I find it hard to stay focused. I feel a bit mischievous - like it's work but not really work.

And it's a great song too.
I think so. I really like it. It's all atmospheric and dramatic. And it tugs your heart strings a little bit.

And were you pleased with the response to Make A Scene?
I was really happy. I think it was quite a big achievement to get an album on my own label into the Top 40. I think the people who worked on it were all great, I love my new PR team and my new TV people. It was all quite exciting - and more so because it was all our own venture. You can really see the fruits of your labour much more easily without the smoke and mirrors of a big label.

What else have you been up to?
Well, I haven't been abroad for about six weeks now, which is quite unusual for me. There was lots of it in May, but since then I've mainly been here, doing things like the Erasure dates.

Ah yes, how was that tour?
It was a really sweet thing to be part of - but it's a shame the weather wasn't better. The crowds were amazing, though. They were just so resilient and determined to have a good time, even when they're standing there in their ponchos in the pouring rain. The weather's actually been better for the ones I've done recently. Cornbury was really nice and Kings Lynn was great too. It does make a difference.

Ellis-Bextor talks about her family

2011-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL POST: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/16/sophie-ellis-bextor-family-values

The fact that my mother [Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis] was on television every week while I was young was occasionally awkward, and often frustrating. My school friends were quite wowed by it, and it had a pretty potent currency, I suppose, because they watched it, and her, every week. But certain people would accuse me of saying things, or acting in a particular way, simply because she was on TV. It made me feel quite impotent.

By the time I was a teenager, my mother was no longer on Blue Peter. Teenagers tend to live very much in the day, and so I was hardly ever reminded of it, fortunately. The subject only came up again when I started dating boys. They would tell me how they used to fancy my mum back then, or, worse, still fancy her today. It's not really something a daughter wants to hear about her mother.

My parents separated when I was four. It wasn't the smoothest of divorces, but then as my mother always says, you can't have a passionate marriage without a passionate divorce. But it's to their credit that it never affected me too badly, because whatever they were going through themselves, it didn't affect their parenting of me.
I was an only child, but then my parents resettled with different partners, and I am now one of six. We are all very different, but I love having such a big family. We don't do too many collective gatherings – I'll very often celebrate Christmas twice, with both sets of families – but it is nice when a whole bunch of us gets together. Last Christmas, there were 18 of us round the table. And, no, it wasn't a disaster.

My mother had three children, but she wanted a fourth. It never happened, though: she had 10 miscarriages. She kept them from me at the time, because she thought I was too young. We sat down and talked about it much later, and I felt so very sorry for her. It was all so breathtakingly sad.

Towards the end of my first pregnancy with my son Sonny [now seven], I developed pre-eclampsia, that really glamorous condition where you get puffy ankles and a puffy face. It's not much fun. He was born two months prematurely, and was absolutely tiny. We spent a lot of time in hospital.

Sonny had meningitis at four months old. I remember that morning vividly. I woke up at 6am on a Saturday, aware that he was late for his feed. I went to him, and he was the hottest thing ever, his feet blocks of ice. I didn't have a clue what to do. We rushed him to the hospital, they pumped him full of Calpol, and then took him off for a lumbar puncture, which I wasn't allowed to attend. It was my very worst experience as a mother.

My second son, Kit [now two], was also very premature, so we had to get used to even more time in hospitals. It's very sobering.

Two premature babies was not a genetic thing; we were just unlucky. Hopefully we won't be next time, and we definitely want more children. How many? Well, if another pregnancy ends prematurely, then maybe we'll have to draw a line under it, but we always did like the idea, perhaps, of four. But don't get me started on that just now. Let me get through the next one first, and then we'll see.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's new album, Make a Scene, is out now

Pop Dash meets Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2011-07-13T20:14:00.001-07:00

ORIGINAL POST: http://popdash.com/news/5897/popdash-meets-sophie-ellis-bextor

Sophie Ellis-Bextor recently released her latest album 'Make A Scene'. It's one of our favourite albums of the year so we thought we'd give Sophie a ring and chat to her about her music, style and performing in shopping centres!

So the new album’s out now, what was the thinking before you made it? Did you have idea of what you wanted to achieve with it?
Not really, I just knew about the people that I wanted to work with so I recorded ‘Heartbreak’ with the Freemasons and then I went into the studio with people like Calvin Harris and Joe from Metronomy.

It was quite a while in the making, was it a difficult album to make?
No, it was quite fun actually. I didn’t really want to stop writing and working with people. It was very enjoyable actually. I like writing anyway and I had maybe 40 or 50 songs for the album, I had to make a decision to stop!

As you mentioned you worked with some really great people, how does that come about? Did you have a list of people that you’d like to collaborate with?
Yeah, pretty much. It’s a bit of a mix really. I’ve worked with people in the past so I knew I wanted to work with them, and then I ask my friends if there’s anything that they’ve been listening to and is there anyone that they think I should know about? I keep my ear to the ground so it's a really mixed bag.

Do you think that four albums in now that there’s a distinctive Sophie Ellis-Bextor sound?
I think I’ve got a distinctive voice. Nobody has ever said anything about my sound but I like to think my voice is one of my strongest assets.

The one thing that I noticed listening to the new album especially is that you have incredibly clear diction, is that something that you practise?
One thing is that when I listen to it I just try to have a look, I think it’s imperative actually because I’ve found thatI like to tell a story so it is important that people can understand me.

Just the way it pierces through above everything else, you hear it above all the other things, it’s a nice quality.
Aw, thank you. I don’t really think too much about it anymore.

And talking about your style, have you ever considered trying different styles or different genres at all?
Yeah absolutely, and in fact I’ve got to do something a bit different, just because I’ve felt like recently it’s been a lot of disco and pop and I completely adore that, definitely, and its my natural habitat, but I'm thinking of making more stripped back stuff in the future. I’m always going to make dance music though, because it’s what I love.

You've mentioned the band Phoenix as an influence, which other current artists and bands do you listen to for inspiration?
Yeah, I really liked Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I’ve really gone a bit backwards with music actually, a lot of Fleetwood Mac and Dolly Parton, I really love old school disco too.

Is there a track on the album that you’re particularly proud of? One that you see as being your favourite track ?
I do really love Starlight, because I just think it’s really gritty and it has a flawless production.

Are you still DJing a lot with your husband (Richard from The Feeling)?
Yeah, well its not for our day jobs, but we love to do that together. Last week we went to Milan, which was fun.

Do you ever play your own songs when you’re DJing?
I think not, I think that’s quite embarrassing. Generally we get up and put some of our own stuff in there but I always make Richard press play and I just hide under the table when it comes on, I just find it a bit cringey. One day I got asked to play Groovejet and I didn’t have it anywhere.

So what are your guaranteed life-saving floor filler tracks for you when you’re DJing?
Just like classic party tunes that if you’re trying to warm a crowd up but you’re not going to get anything out of them. Some old Michael Jackson, Dizzee Rascal, or play some classic Madonna……something that keeps them on their toes.

Looking back on your career are there any strange gigs that stand out to you?
There are hundreds!

Such as?
I recently performed at Westfield Shopping Centre in London.

Did you take in some window shopping from the stage?
Yeah, pretty much. Performing was the only thing keeping me from temptation and Topshop. That was a bit unusual but I don’t mind, I am an entertainer after all so if you want me to do that, I shall do that.

Very professional...
The thing is to jump about, have a little dance.

Talking about fashion and shopping, have you ever thought, or even been approached to do your own clothing line?
It hasn’t happened yet, but sure I would love to. I’ve got tons and tons of dresses that I could use for inspiration that could make it happen. So yeah, I’d love to, it would be lots of fun.

Do you fell more relaxed in what you’re doing now, like there’s less pressure, and everyone’s just accepted that ‘I enjoy what I do now so it doesn’t matter what happens?
Yeah 100% actually, it’s more relaxed now and because I don’t think you should ever get to a point where you feel that you’ve got to chart at a certain position. You either like it or you don’t and people just let me do what I do now.
By the time I got to the third album really, and people were going “Okay, we know roughly who you are and what you’re about.

You’re part of the family now...
Yes, I hope so.

Interview with Marie Claire and The Fly.

2011-07-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Marie Claire meets Sophie Ellis-Bextor

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/529172/marie-claire-meets-sophie-ellis-bextor.html

Spiller singer and dancing queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor tells Martha Hayes all about getting her groove on again, being a young mum and how to cope when you've got two rock stars in the house... You’ve been off the radar for a while, how do you feel coming back into the spotlight with your fourth album?
'This record was the most fun to make. I was always dancing around the studio - half the time I didn’t even realise I was working!'

How has your fan base changed since you stormed the charts with Groove Jet (If This Ain’t Love)?
'Someone showed me my Facebook fan page with the age-breakdown of my supporters - it’s fascinating because a quarter of them were age 18 – 24, which means that most of them were only seven or eight when Groove Jet came out!'

If you were starting out in 2011, is there anything you’d do differently?
'I’ve got better at listening to other peoples’ advice. Sometimes I could be very bull headed about what I wanted to do so although I'm not particularly proud of them, all the mistakes I've made are my own! I watched one of my old videos recently and I thought, 'Oh my gosh what was I thinking?' It was really cringe.

You’ve got two young sons (Sonny, seven and Kit, two). How has motherhood changed you?
'In some ways I think it helped me - there’s a part of me that will always stay the same. I first got pregnant at 24 and I still think of myself as that! I think having kids relatively young was nice because I liked being a young mum.'

Is it difficult to stay normal with your husband Richard (bassist with The Feeling) also in the music industry?
'It is quite chaotic at times! We just try to really live in the moment whether we’re working or at home.
If we’ve got a day at home then we’ll make sure we really get the most out of it even if we’ve just flown back from somewhere. We’ll take the kids out, go to a park, or get all the ingredients for a roast. It’s always important for me to claim back that time and make it my own again.'

Do you want more children? A little girl would be nice...
'People say that but I don’t really mind. I think my two sons are both gorgeous and very different from one another, so I’ve always been a little bit confused by people who say they would really love a girl or really love a boy because I think the gender is like the tip of the iceberg. I’m still finding out who they are.'

Stop 'n Chat with Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Stylist interviews Sophie

2011-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

When Stylist was offered the opportunity of a catch-up with pop sensation Sophie Ellis-Bextor, we jumped at the chance. Ever since the 32-year-old stormed onto the scene with retro dance track Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) in 2000 she has gone from strength to strength, effortlessly combining motherhood (Sophie has two young children with her husband, The Feeling bassist Richard Jones) with co-writing and performing a series of chart-topping albums. Her fourth album, Make a Scene, was released in June, soon after Groovejet was named "the decade's most played track on radio."

Read what Sophie had to say on the topic of musical inspiration, style, motherhood and more in our interview below...

You’ve been hugely successful in the music industry, how do you get inspiration for song-writing? And do you ever get writer’s block?
I work with lots of different people to keep me stimulated and I find the pressure of being in a room with someone having to come up with ideas keeps me from getting writer's block. The times I get that are the times when I work alone. I get paralysed by the amount of options available to write about.

You’re well-known for your quirky, offbeat style; who are your style icons? And would you ever consider launching your own clothes line?
My style icons are Julie Andrews and my first doll, Sindy. Sindy had the curvy body, the red lips and the black eyeliner. Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins had the tailoring, in The Sound of Music the dresses made from old curtains. I would love to design my own clothes. What girl wouldn't?!

Who do you look to in the music industry as someone to aspire to?
I love the fact there's so many wonderful female artists around but I can say hand on heart I am very comfortable with my own destiny and I've never seen someone else's career and thought 'I want that for me'. I think that's part of the reason I'm still here, doing what I do.

If you could name any big singer of tomorrow, who would it be? There seems to be a shortage of big-name UK female artists equivalent to Rihanna, Gaga, etc. Do you think there’s any particular reason for this?
I don’t quite agree with you. I think we've got an amazing history of producing big female artists from Dusty Springfield to Annie Lennox to Kate Bush to Adele. We just have a different approach. We don't strive to be the same all-singing, all-dancing type of pop star that the Americans do so well. I think both have their merits.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming songwriter trying to get a break in today’s industry?
Just keep at it and don't think of a record deal as the holy grail. It’s the years spent getting there that you learn the most about yourself without a load of other people sticking their oar in about how you should be doing things!

How do you juggle being a mum with handling your career – how much do you rely on your husband to help you out with this?
I rely on my husband, our brilliant nanny, my dad, my mum, my sister, my brother! One thing I learnt early on is if someone offers to help, accept it. My children are happy and have a supportive extended family. I'm very lucky but obviously sometimes I get it wrong. I'm trying to do my best.

You’ve fronted campaigns for Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in the past; why do you believe in their message and would you ever consider going naked for one of their campaigns?
I saw the supermodels in the eighties say 'we'd rather go naked than wear fur' and saw it as a moral statement, not a fashion statement. For me it's a no brainer. Fur as fashion is avoidable and in bad taste. I don’t see the need to do another campaign. I see it more that I've put my name down on their petition.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
My friends and family obviously but I'd add in Nigel Slater, Dolly Parton, Adam and Joe, Katherine Heigl and Derren Brown.

You’re launching a Emmi Caffe Latte pop-up store in support of bringing back lunch breaks; do you ever get time for a lunch break – and if so, what do you eat?
Anything! sushi maybe? I'll have whatever you're having. I'm just happy to be eating...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/interview-sophie-ellis-bextor#image-rotator-1

Sophie wishes to work with Tinie Tempah, Deadmau5, Chase & Status and Calvin Harris

2011-07-07T02:18:00.000-07:00

In her defence (cos I know everyone will be against this idea), she did mention that she wanted to do something diametrically opposite to what she does now. So if that means rapping alongside Tinie on one (ONE) song, then why not. It would help her get some commercial exposure. Plus, she has mentioned before (at the Brits) that she likes Tinie. If she has to do a rap duet, she should rap alongside Dizzee in my opinion. They would go great together.

Hopefully people who hate Sophie for absolutely no reason will begin to like her. Deadmau5 is a little too meh for me, but he has a huge following. The only Deadmau5 song I've liked is Ghosts 'n Stuff. Chase & Status are dubstep, which I think will suit Sophie's voice. So why not? They'll all be one time collaborations (if they happen) and will just give her more exposure. I think she should also offer to do a duet with Kaiser Chiefs. She had to turn them down the last time, because of recording commitments.

I really want her to release 2 EPs. One with the Freemasons and the other with Richard X. Those collaborations will go down in pop history has the best things ever - there's no doubt about it.

Anyway here's the article from Metro.co.uk...

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Sophie said it would be 'fun' to try something.

"It might be fun to work with someone quite different to me, someone like Tinie Tempah, just to do something of a different genre. Rapping with Tinie Tempah would be fun." The pop star also listed dance acts Deadmau5 and Chase & Status as her favourite acts. "I’d like to work with someone like Deadmau5 and I enjoy Chase and Status. I have both their albums and they're really great."

The Heartbreak singer said she enjoyed programmes like the X Factor, calling it "really good telly". "We always watch it in our house. It's good because it's an option and a way into the [music] industry. There’s pros and cons for every way you get into music and get out there and get performing, but I think people are a lot more open-minded now to the format. It’s a not a widely new concept though – there was Popstars a few years before that and I used to watch that."

The 32-year-old mum, whose fourth album Make A Scene is out now, hopes to collaborate with DJ Calvin Harris for a second time - hopefully on his new album. "I’d work with him again whenever, I’m a big fan," she said. "He was one of the first people I worked with on the new album. He’s funny, talented and bright, he’s gonna be around for a long time. He was a big influence on the new album."

The singer will be launching a pop up coffee shop on Maddox Street in London for one week next week to give hard-working Londoners a better lunch break. "It’s on two floors, you can get yourself an ice cold latte, which I think when you’ve got weather like this it’s quite a welcome idea. You can have manicures, pedicures, style advice, financial advice - all those things you want to be doing but you’ve kind of left off for ages."

Sophie Ellis Bextor today launches the Emmi Caffe Latte Pop Up Shop in London open from the 4th – 9th July. Go to www.facebook.com/EmmiUKLtd for more information.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.metro.co.uk/music/868028-sophie-ellis-bextor-id-like-to-work-with-tinie-tempah-and-try-rapping#ixzz1RPVJHxfh

Sophie in HeatWorld

2011-07-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL POST: http://www.heatworld.com/Celeb-News/2011/07/Exclusive-Sophie-Ellis-Bextor-talks-celeb-gossip/

Right, so, on Friday heat went off to meet Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Being a super pop star type, we wanted to get her views on the things that really matter in the world. Cheryl Cole’s new hair, should she get back with Ashley and who is fitter – Ryan Reynolds or Justin Timberlake?

First of all, it's probably important to set the scene and tell you what a lovely lady Sophie is. As well as being really beautiful, she is tiny, and made heat feel like quite the heffalump as we bumbled through our questions.

On the subject of Cheryl’s new ‘do, Soph reckons that people would have something to say whatever ‘do she decided on.

"She’s a gorgeous girl; I think it’s good that she’s been adventurous. If she had the same hair day in, day out, people would criticise her just the same, so it’s good that she tries things." We also asked her what she made of the whole Nicole Scherzinger rivalry and which side she's on. ‘I like Cheryl – she’s cool. Cheryl Cole, definitely, over Nicole Scherzinger."

With that, we would most certainly have to agree! However, unlike us, Sophie was just too darn nice to say anything on the whole "Cheryl and Ashley getting back together" hoo-hah, and just wouldn’t blab, instead saying, "I would hate it if Cheryl Cole was in a room talking about me and my husband, so I am not going to say, sorry heat people. I have no opinion, I don’t know them well enough."

However, she would answer our most probing question – who is fitter: Ryan Reynolds or Justin Timberlake? "Oof, God… Ryan Reynolds, because if he was good enough for Scarlett Johansson he must be a nice man. But, then again, Justin Timberlake can dance, and every girl likes a man who can dance." Diplomatic, we like it.

Sophie was crazy positive about just about everyone, she even admitted she "admired Jedward". Yep, that’s right, now Sophie joins the ranks of Liam Gallagher and Katy Perry in being a self-proclaimed Jedward fan!

"I admire them for their enthusiasm and spirit," she says. "I would say keep on Jedward!" Hooray!

ORIGINAL POST: http://www.heatworld.com/Celeb-News/2011/07/Sophie-Ellis-Bextor-talks-touring-with-Take-That-and-George-Michael/

As we told you earlier, heat was lucky enough to be invited for a chat with the very lovely Sophie Ellis-Bextor last week.

In case you didn’t know, Soph has a new album out, and it’s totally "dance around in your pyjamas with a hairbrush" great and features top collaborations with cool dancey types Freemasons and Calvin Harris.

As soon as she told us she had worked with Calvin, we knew it was our duty to shed some light on the whole Katy Perry vs Mr Harris beef (they fell out after he pulled out of supporting her during her UK tour). Sophie was her usual nicer-than-us self and, after assuring us Calvin was NOT grumpy, tactfully said,

“They wanted him to not really DJ, just mock DJ, and he’s not going to want to do that. I mean, taking it public is up to individuals.”

Sophie Ellis-Bextor talks touring with Take That!
She then talked to us about how much she loves performing live at gigs and, oh, that time she casually toured with Take That AND George Michael! The lucky thing said the two tours couldn’t have been more different from each other. Touring with the Take That chaps was like being in a big family, while she never even met George during his tour.

“Take That are just as nice as you would imagine; it was really like a family on that tour. They would come along to sound check and we had a few amazing parties that they put on. They used to put notes in the dressing room saying, ‘Thanks for joining us,' and were very good people – a good indicator of how you should put on a tour – because it was a happy tour, they got the best out of everyone, I think.”

On George Michael, she had this to say, “George Michael I didn’t meet – but it was fun to do. With people who have toured loads, they don’t have to come to everything, they can just turn up and perform. That’s always an option – I didn’t take it personally."

Sophie admits to selling her mum's old Blue Peter badges!
Sophie, whose mum is ex Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, also admitted that when she was younger she used to nick her mum's badges to make a few quid in the school playground:

“I charged 50p for a badge or £1 for a badge and my mum's autograph. Quite well pitched for a five or six year old. My mum would roll her eyes at me when I would come home with orders. It was quite odd, really.”

Er, Celebrity Apprentice anyone? Amazing!

Finally, allow us to explain the picture, You see, Sophie is very busy today launching the Emmi Caffe Latte Pop Up Shop in London, which is open from the 4 – 9 July. Go to www.facebook.com/EmmiUKLtd for more information.

Sophie in Culture Mag (feature)

2011-06-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

I will post scans if i get my hands on them, but you can read the mag right here

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=4St1Gj02y8Y0&PBID=938e5831-8887-495c-a022-d5bab7513065&skip=

Sophie in Mail Online

2011-06-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2007416/Bill-Gatess-dancing-The-world-according-Sophie-Ellis-Bextor.html

'I did a disco for Bill Gates. His dance style is surreal': The world according to Sophie Ellis-Bextor

The singer on the Microsoft billionaire's skills on the dancefloor and travelling the world - but sometimes just for six minutes

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s solo career is now entering its second decade, after she first emerged as a chart-topping singer in the Noughties. Since then she has gone from pop star to 32-year-old mother of two with a rock-star husband. But it hasn’t always been an easy ride.

‘I tasted huge success with my first album, and when it’s happening it feels like a roller coaster you can’t get off,’ she says. ‘You should be very careful about wishing for success on that scale.’

The daughter of Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, she started out with indie band Theaudience in the late Nineties aged 18, before hitting the big time with the single Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), a collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller. It was released in 2000 and became a huge summer anthem.

Her debut album Read My Lips followed a year later, and sold two million copies worldwide. In addition to singing, Ellis-Bextor is also a model and DJs regularly with husband Richard Jones, bassist with The Feeling.

The couple live in London and have two sons, Sonny, seven, and Kit, two.

The iPod wouldn’t have existed without me.
I’ve heard from reliable Apple sources that my first single with Spiller was used to demo the iPod. It’s quite cool imagining Steve Jobs listening to it and thinking, ‘This white box will work – it sounds great!’ No one’s ever recognised my contribution to it in any way over at Apple. In fact, it’s only ever cost me money, because the whole house is full of Apple gear as a result. A musician can’t live without it now.

Bill Gates’s dance style is very surreal.
I have a nice sideline with my husband, as we DJ as Mr and Mrs Jones. It was a bit of fun that blossomed into a business. We get asked to do some very flash gigs, too. Perhaps the best we’ve ever done was a private gig at a mansion in Antibes for a Russian oligarch. It was hugely lavish affair that included Bill Gates on the guest list. His dancing is unique. He does a kind of clap to the front and a clap to the back, and a shuffle. We were taking golf-buggy rides in the grounds later on when we crashed one into the manicured flower beds. About six plain-clothes security men appeared from nowhere. We thought we were going to be thrown out, but they just took the buggy away and brought us another one.

The Royal Wedding made me very proud to be British.
I hired a pub in east London with the boys from The Feeling. We made a real effort. We all had to wear wedding gear – nice dresses, big hats, buttonholes – and the music was classic wedding cover tunes. I wouldn’t say I’m a staunch royalist, but to turn my nose up at the big day would have been ridiculous. In fact, as a toddler I was at a street party for Charles and Diana’s. There’s a picture of me holding a balloon and a little Union Jack in our street. I think that a bit of pomp and circumstance is no bad thing, and who doesn’t like a good wedding?

I’m big in Russia, but no one’s quite sure why.
The theory I keep hearing is that apparently I look rather Russian. Whatever the reason, I love going there. Richard and I took an overnight train last year from Moscow to St Petersburg, which felt really exotic and romantic in a very old-fashioned way. We spent most of the journey getting drunk in the dining car on vodka and looking out of the window. Later on, I fell out of the top bunk as I was trying to get into bed and gave myself a huge bruise on my leg.

My work takes me all over the world – but sometimes just for six minutes.
I did one gig in Beirut that involved a six-hour flight. I had a shower at the hotel, changed, spent six minutes on stage, turned round and came back. It was a blur. I did another in Vladivostok that involved a 15-hour flight. I jumped on stage for a couple of numbers, turned around and came back. There was another in Azerbaijan when I had no one to go with, two tickets and a hotel room, so I took my eldest son. He went into school on the Monday and they asked, ‘What did you do at the weekend?’ He said, ‘I went to Baku for the day.’

The X Factor is great entertainment, but it doesn’t prepare people for getting chewed up and spat out by the music industry.
If you’ve come out of the other side of that machine and been dropped, it can feel like a very lonely place. The contestants have no experience of it, whereas most regular musicians start with nothing and plug away for a long time on lots of projects that don’t go anywhere, so they’re prepared for the knocks.

My addiction to eBay scares me.
I used to trawl round charity shops and vintage stores, but eBay changed all that. I’m an addict. I’ll sit there with a glass of wine and my laptop while the TV’s on in the evening and surf away. The possibilities are endless. There’s always something that catches your eye.

I have a one-armed bandit and a pinball machine in my kitchen.
I use them when I’m waiting for pans to boil – they give me genuine pleasure to look at each day. Our house is full of retro stuff. I collect a lot of vintage bric-a-brac from the Fifties and Sixties; jigsaw puzzles of the Royal Family, holiday-camp postcards, that sort of thing. The house could pass for a film set. My husband and I are big kids really, but you have to ask yourself if your obsession is going too far when your seven-year-old is given a nice toy for his birthday and says, ‘Is it OK to open it, Mum, or shall we keep it for display?’

The NHS saved my son’s life.
When Sonny was four months old he contracted meningitis. It was incredibly worrying and so dangerous for him. It was horrible, but the doctors spotted it straight away and the transformation when he was treated was incredible. The NHS is a bit iffy when you sprain an ankle, but when it’s a high-priority issue, it’s fantastic. They don’t mess about. They’re incredibly efficient when things go wrong. I feel really distressed that it might not always be there.

Everyone deserves a second chance.
I toured with Take That and ended up doing over 35 dates with them – they’d come and watch me soundcheck and we’d chat all the time. You could see how much they appreciated a second chance. They put on a fantastic show with lasers, set changes and dancers.

I’m known for being glamorous, but I don’t go to parents’ evening in a ball gown.
I love the idea of a bit of glamour, but I’m not obsessed with my image. You should make an effort on stage because it’s a performance. The stage should be glittery and camp, but I don’t go down the shops in full stage gear.

The album ‘Make A Scene’ is out now.

Sophie: I struggle with sad tunes

2011-06-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

She may be the daughter of a former children’s TV presenter, but Sophie Ellis-Bextor's latest album continues the neat line in the sophisticated, grown-up disco she's been crafting for herself since bursting onto the music scene a decade ago with modern classics like Murder On The Dancefloor and Take Me Home.

Make A Scene, her fourth album, was released earlier this month although it was actually finished more than a year ago.

While the album deals with its fair share of heartbreak and failed romance, in reality Ellis-Bextor is married with two children to Feeling bassist Richard Jones and freely admits to being happier than ever.

“It's tough because the unhappy times in your life can be really creative,” she says.

“When I'm writing now I try to revisit times when I wasn't so content and that can help."

“I haven't shied away from writing happy songs, because I am happy, plus they're quite hard to write and I like that challenge."

“It's sometimes easier to be angry, frustrated, heartbroken or blue than it is to be happy, and it can be tough to be chipper in a song without sounding twee. People do know a bit about me, so I can't really hide and pretend things are different. That said, I want my songs to be like diary entries, so I don't think I can avoid writing happy songs. Luckily disco music is quite hedonistic, and dancing can be euphoric.”

Four albums into her career, the daughter of former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis and TV producer Robin Bextor counts herself incredibly lucky.

She explains: “There is a lot of luck involved, which has only dawned on me in the past three or four years."

“I think when you start out you think you're in control of everything and it's all your choice, but as I've gotten older I've realised that's not the case, and that's how it should be."

“I'm never going to grumble about anything, and I never want to feel like I'm owed anything."

“I think you should always be careful what you wish for, too, because you just might get it. I just want to preserve things as they are.”

There has plenty to keep the 32-year-old busy, as Ellis-Bextor left her record label Universal after a decade and set up her own enterprise EBGB (which stands for Ellis-Bextor Great Britain).

“It's a big thing to have done, leaving a major label, but exciting, and I'm feeling very good about things,” she beams.

“Starting my own label is something I've wanted to do for a little while but the timing had to be right."

“Things have changed so much in the record industry since I started, and things are a lot more immediate now. I felt I wanted to have that spontaneity and you can't really have that when you're signed to a major label.”

Early signs point to her decision being a good one. Make a Scene went in at No 32 — more impressive than it might sound considering Take That released Progress on the same day, which flew to the top of the charts, while the Adele juggernaut shows no signs of slowing.

“I was a little bit nervous but the album's been doing much better than I expected,” she admits.

“It feels like a relief and an achievement, and the team I've got around me I think is the best I've had. I'm very proud.”

Recorded in fits and starts, Make A Scene sees the singer collaborate with the likes of Freemasons, Calvin Harris, Cathy Dennis, Metronomy, Richard X and Armin Van Buuren.

“I've not really stopped touring and recording for the past few years, so recording was sporadic,” she says.

“Writing the song with Calvin, Off & On, was great, and it's really crucial to the album. I think that track and the stuff I did with Freemasons — Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer), which is now a huge hit in Russia, and Bittersweet — are the real pivotal moments on the album.

“Both Calvin and Freemasons make such great, shiny dance music, I just loved working with them."

“The studio is somewhere that's shrouded in a little mystery, I think. There's nothing you can do to prepare for it."

“As a singer I have to be very visible on stage, but in the studio I can be more anonymous.”

Certainly her stunning looks have made her one of British pop’s most recognisable faces, and one might almost say she has hardly aged since entering her thirties.

“Well, I was quite little when I started, I was 21, and I think as well that I wore a lot of make-up so I didn't look like a 21-year-old girl. I've caught up with myself a bit now, I think.”

Make A Scene is out now

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/why-did-sophie-find-it-hard-to-make-a-scene-16015739.html#ixzz1QO6xMM6W

The Feeling & Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Leave Me Out Of It (live)

2011-06-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Feeling with Sophie performed Leave Me Out Of It on Lee Mack's all Star Cast, BBC One, 25 June 2011.

Leave Me Out Of It (Live @ Lee Mack)
FORMAT: avi
FILE SIZE: 115mb
DOWNLOAD: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NF9ZA4SX

Bits from here and there.

2011-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Sophie's album peaked at #33 in the midweeks on the charts. That is higher than what a lot of her fans were expecting from this album, especially after a series of failed singles. Nonetheless, the album is amazing, and will be this year's BEST ALBUM, and possibly Sophie's best album yet.

The album peaked at #8 on the UK Indie Albums chart. The album and the new single Starlight are available for download on iTunes.

Sophie recently recorded a song with Bob Sinclar. Remember World Hold On? Its crazy how this entire era has been so full of dance music. The fifth album will be a breath of fresh air. Anyway, here's hoping that the Bob Sinclar collaboration has more success than the rest of her singles.

Sophie signed up as a guest judge on the new series of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model. The pop star is joining host and executive producer Elle Macpherson, who said "We had Sophie Ellis-Bextor and she was really interesting, because she is successful and unusual. She is not a stereotypical beauty. She gave great feedback."

Sophie revealed to DigitalSpy that she is filming a cameo for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new comedy series Life's Too Short. Writing on Twitter, singer Ellis-Bextor said: "Filming today w Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant & Sting for series 'life's too short'. cameo for me, playing myself. Testing. (sic)."

PurplePR are doing a fabulous job with Sophie.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: NEXT TOP MODEL - http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/259354-sophie-ellis-bextor-joins-up-to-britain-irelands-next-top-model/

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: LIFE'S TOO SHORT - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a326008/sophie-ellis-bextor-confirms-lifes-too-short-cameo.html

Sophie in Go Mag

2011-06-17T07:28:00.001-07:00

Sophie with Steve Allen, LBC

2011-06-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sophie was on Steve Allen's In Conversation With... programme, broadcast on LBC Radio, 12 June 2011. It is more like listening in to a conversation than an interview. They talk about Sophie's life, opinions, and work.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=29OZJEKZ
thanks to Paul for the recording

Make a scene: Review

2011-06-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

MAKE A SCENE (2011, EBGB RECORDS)

Three albums, four years of recording and delays, and five singles later, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has returned with one of the most anticipated albums of the year - "Make a scene"; collaborating with the cream of pop-dance producers including voted #1 DJ of the world Armin Van Buuren, chart toppers Calvin Harris and Freemasons, that incredibly talented Joe Mount of Metronomy and God himself - Richard X. Of course, there are a few regulars here - Greg Kurstin, Liam Howe of Sneaker Pimps and Dimitri Tikovoi; and a surprise collaboration with Fred Ball... So does this make the album a generic and manufactured one - NO!

The album opens with a bang (literally - "bang, bang, it’s a hold up"). Revolution, the album opener, has Sophie attempting a monotone delivery for the second time in her career (check the middle-8 from "Making Music", Shoot from the Hip). The chorus is simple, repetitive and arresting; the "army" hook is catchy. Cathy Dennis, who worked with Sophie on her last top 10 hit Catch You (which was also a Denis/Kurstin collaboration), co-wrote the song - and in fact, came up with the self-referencing line in the song (the line in the bridge - "face to face its murder on the dancefloor"). Revolution is highly energetic and frenetic, but is very short. It feels like the song is in a hurry to be done and introduce what seems to be Sophie's best album yet. (9/10)

All those cymbal crashes in Revolution lead to this big crash in the very beginning of track two. Bittersweet is a song produced by Freemasons and Biffco. The song was Sophie's second single off the album, but failed to set the charts on fire. Nonetheless, it received an overwhelmingly good response from her fan-base and went on to become the Song of the Day on PopJustice. It even kept Sophie on top of the PJ Almighty for what seemed like an eternity. Bittersweet is enthralling - with flawless production sampling bits from "Fade to Grey" by Visage and "Blue Monday" by New Order; the song even draws influences from "You Spin Me Around (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. Sophie effortlessly mews over the production. The meandering melody in the chorus, the cut-up vocals in the middle-8, the whispering bits and that incredible close to the chorus (the heavenly "oh-oh-oh-so here I am" bit) - all these make Bittersweet the ultimate pop/dance song that most solo female acts would kill for. To sum up, the song is a modern classic. (10/10)

Off And On, the planned-to be-sixth single off the album, is the first of the two songs with no lyrical contribution by La Bex. Originally written and demo-ed for Roisin Murphy's 2007 album, 'Overpowered', the song was handed over to Sophie to promote the then-planned Greatest Hits compilation. Fortunately, recording sessions proved fruitful and now we have the 4th album instead. Off And On is a commercial electro-pop number, which has been edited since its original premiere on Sophie's MySpace several years ago. Could this be the first top ten single from the album - I sincerely hope so, but only commercial radio can give this song the exposure it deserves. (9/10)

Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) was also made to promote the GH compilation. The original demo is significantly different from the final mix that was released as a mutual single by Freemasons and Sophie back in 2009. The song charted just outside the top 10, but stands as the highest charted single from the album (in the UK) and has become one of her most popular songs since Murder on the Dancefloor. Described as electro-dance monster, the song will have you moving along to the loud synths and the big beats. This song, along with Bittersweet, proves that the Bex Monster and Freemasons are a match made in pop heaven. The Freemasons have always had brilliant and glittery production on their songs; their two songs on this album are no different. Their production brings out the emotion and drama in Sophie's voice - something that is absent in your regular commercial dance songs (yes Guetta, I'm talking about you) (9.5/10)

Not Giving Up On Love, the fourth single off the album, is a trance song, with a simple piano loop, great synths, some live drums thrown in here and there and, of course, Sophie's ever-so lush vocals. Miss E.B. is no stranger to melancholic melodies - what some fans consider her forte. The song is a collaboration with Armin Van Buuren, who is the voted #1 DJ of the world. The song was a big success in several countries across Europe but had no impact on the UK Charts. Vocal trance is a new field for Sophie, and I look forward to more trance DJ-collaborations in the future. The full length club edit is so much better than the hurriedly edited radio version, but you simply cannot have a 6+ minute trance track in the middle a pop album - still, it is worth listening to. (10/10)

The next song, Can't Fight This Feeling, is a collaboration with upcoming French DJ Junior Caldera. This is his biggest success across Europe, and in fact the song got a lot of attention from Sophie's fanbase in Russia and some other countries across Europe. On my first listen, both track 5 and 6 stuck out like a sore thumb. The song isn't bad at all. It is very commercial sounding, very 2009-10. Its weird because her songs almost never sound 'current'. Its very hit or miss really. I liked the song a lot when it was released as a single before Bittersweet, but the shine has worn off now. Sophie has recently written another track with Junior Caldera. Lets hope that song sees the light of the day in some form. (7/10)

If I have to sum up the next song in one word, I would only say "heavenly". Starlight, produced by Richard X *screams* is straight out of the 80's. Starlight is released as the 5th (overall) single from the album, the 4th in the UK. You can watch the video, directed by her father, Robin Bextor, right here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDlkxDu06OU
The song has a melancholic feeling, and is slightly ethereal and lush. This is definitely one of the best songs on the album. I'd love for Sophie to work with Richard X *screams* again. Starlight is positioned in the perfect place - and feels refreshing to listen to after 6 dance songs that play back-to-back! You don't know what heaven feels like until you have heard this song. Everything from the slick production and the poetic lyrics to the lush vocals are perfect. One thing that will really grab your attention is the almost-Madonna-esque middle-8; "We are one". (10/10)

Sophie performed Under Your Touch last year on the Album Charts Show and I was really looking forward to listening to the studio version of the song. It is produced by long time collaborator Liam Howe of the Sneaker pimps. The song begins with eeire strings, which brings to mind Madonna's "Sorry". The song has a very busy production, with loads of sounds building up as the song progresses. Sophie sounds fantastic. The mechanised vocals in the song were a nice surprise. It might sound slightly filler-ish on the first listen, but after a couple of listens, the song grows on you, and you tend to put this into a long list of songs that should be singles. (8.5/10)

The title track, Make A Scene, is unlike anything that she has ever done before. The song begins with some clunky notes and a strange beat, and soon builds into this really bouncy jam. The chorus is phenomenal and has Sophie screaming "come on now" as she makes a scene. The almost spoken verses, the saxophone, the really weird drum sequence that sounds a little off-track in the first few seconds, Sophie screaming in some places - in theory this will seem like one of the worst ideas ever. But it all comes together so well - everything feels so disjoint, but at the same time, its all very 'together'. One must give sufficient credit to Joseph Mount, of Metronomy, who helped co-write and co-produce this song. You can definitely hear some 'Nights Out' influences in this song. You might even say that this song sounds like something off Roisin Murphy's 'Ruby Blue' album, crossed with production by Basement Jaxx (now that is a collaboration that should happen!). I'd love to see more Sophie-Metronomy songs in the future.(10/10)

Magic is the second of the two Richard X *screams* songs on the album. The song is, as the title suggests, magical. It begins with simple "ooh ooh"s and builds up into this 80's influenced, scratch that, 80's epic. A simple-but-massive chorus takes centre stage; the production really brings out the best in Sophie's voice. I'm a sucker for anything Richard X *screams*, but this has to be one of his best productions. Lyrically, the song is very poetic, much like Starlight. The middle-8 contains whispers again. Sophie brought whispers back in fashion - I'm not even sure if whispers went out of fashion, but I'd love to give Sophie credit for putting whispers on two (thats right, TWO) songs on the album. Well done Sophie. Well done Hannah. Richard X *screams*, I salute you! (10/10)

The next song is a historic moment in pop music (or so I think, don't burst my bubble). Sophie is probably the only popstar in the world to have used the word "politicise" in a song. And as a fan from PopJustice once said, she is also, probably, the only popstar in the world to have written an electro-pop number about a text stalker. Now THIS is your quirky pop song. The almost story-like lyrics describe Sophie's attitude toward her text stalker. One line in particular - "when you're lost at sea, I'm on land" - is like a slap-in-the-face-get-a-life type of situation. I love the general bitchy-ness about the song. Dial My Number is produced by Liam Howe and co-written with Hannah Robinson. The song, like the other Howe production, is very busy sounding, and quite loud. This was probably the most anticipated song on the album - and it could end up becoming a fan-favourite. (9/10)

Homewrecker is such an amazing-title for a pop song. You'd expect swearing and cursing on this song - but surprisingly, there's no swearing or cursing... or is there? The lyrics of the song are intentionally blunt, but also very witty. The “ho..ho..homewrecker” bit caught everyone by surprise. Its right there, she’s actually swearing, but its so wonderfully hidden beneath the apparent hook. Only Sophie Ellis-Bextor could swear and still sound so posh, take notes Ke$ha. The song is produced by Greg Kurstin, and has some similar production gimmics. The organ in the beginning of the song make this song seem almost-demented in some ways. Well done, Sophie, well done! (8.5/10)

Now is that point in the album when you're pretty much done with dancing and jumping around, and you just want to sit down and listen to some good pop music. And Sophie knows that. Synchronised, is the first of the two ballads on the album; the second song with no lyrical contribution by Sophie, and is truly immense. The song sounds very commercial - kinda like "If You Go"'s moody little sister. The song focuses on Sophie's vocal power, and that is, essentially, what makes this song a masterpiece. Sophie's vocals have never sounded this good and emotive. Here is solid proof against all those people who claim that Sophie cannot breathe life and emotion into a song - IN YOUR FACE, HATERS! (10/10)

Cut Straight To The Heart is the perfect close to a perfect album. The song features lyrical contribution by the infamous Ed Harcourt. Sophie sounds very vulnerable, and the general feeling and production of the song can be compared to one of her older songs from her second album - "I Am Not Good At Not Getting What I Want". The track has beautiful instrumentation, and also samples the drum sequence from Placebo's cover of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)", which is also, not so surprisingly, produced by Dimitri. The song might be slightly over-shadowed by the amazing-ness of its predecessor, but is no less brilliant. Sophie finishes the album in style. (10/10)

If you haven't heard this album yet, you haven't really heard what good pop music sounds like. Sophie has once again proved that she truly deserves the title "Pop Goddess". Well done.

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS:
Bittersweet
Not Giving Up On Love
Starlight
Make A Scene
Magic
Synchronised
Cut Straight To The Heart

OVERALL RATING: 9.3/10. Plus, additional 0.7 for the brilliant artwork and photographs in the album, all the effort that has gone behind getting it finally out there. A solid 10/10 effort overall!

...yes, this is exactly how I feel about the release. Its finally here, and it is flawless. Make sure you legally purchase a copy (or two) of Make a scene.

Link to online sites where you can buy the album:
iTunes UK
Amazon
7Digital

Buy the CD from here:
Amazon
HMV
Play
Tesco

Lots of promo.

2011-06-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

PurplePR and the rest of Sophie's team are doing a fabulous job promoting her. Kudos to you guys.

KEEP VOTING FOR SOPHIE ON GAYDAR. She is #2 now - http://gaydarradio.com/UserPortal/YourChoice/YourChoice.aspx

Sophie Ellis-Bextor interviewed on This Morning

Recording thanks to Paul. Upload thanks to Renzo

Sophie performing Starlight on This Morning

Recording thanks to Paul. Upload thanks to Renzo

Sophie Ellis-Bextor on BBC Breakfast

Recording thanks to Paul. Upload thanks to Renzo

Sophie was Victoria Derbyshire's guest on Monday Music Review, broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, 13 June 2011. Other guests were Colin Patterson (BBC Radio 5 Live's Entertainment Correspondent), Kate Mossman (from The Word - a music magazine) and Kevin Rutkiewicz (Professional footballer and musician).

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HAD4RRBB

thanks to Paul for the upload

Sophie was the guest of Paul Rees on The Q Show, Q Radio, broadcast on 6 June 2011.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D9TITF97

thanks to Paul for the upload

Digital Spy caught up with Sophie

2011-06-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it when you read a good interview? Thank you DigitalSpy for this.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/interviews/a324829/sophie-ellis-bextor-interview-im-a-sucker-for-sad-pop.html

The last time we spoke to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, she was on the cusp of releasing her fourth studio album Make A Scene. Fast-forward more than a year and, well, she's finally got around to putting out the record. Before we all accuse her of being a lady of too much leisure, the last 12 months have seen her part ways with her record label and set up her own, as well as putting out a pair of successful chart hits across Europe. Intrigued, we phoned Mademoiselle E-B herself to find out how it's all going.

Your new album was delayed for almost a year. How does it feel to finally get it out?
"It feels really good thanks! I'm actually very happy with what we've achieved behind the scenes with establishing the new label and getting such a fantastic team around me. I know to the outside world it seems like this record has taken forever, but from leaving Universal to bringing out the album independently has actually been quite a quick process."

Things seemed to go quiet last year after the release of 'Bittersweet'. What happened?
"Peter Lorraine, who was the head of the sub-label I was on called Fascination, decided to leave and go into management instead. He's a lovely guy, and we're still close, but he was the reason I was with that label, so instead of negotiating a new deal with Universal I thought I'd go it alone."

Did you have to buy the album back from the label?
"No they just gave me the album, which was great, because we'd already made a music video and shot the artwork for it. They were really good about it - the whole thing was very smooth and easy."

Did you ever worry that your music career was over?
"I was excited more than anything else! I'd been talking about the idea of releasing independently with my manager a few years before anyway. I could have signed a deal with a different label, but I was keen to try doing it by myself first. One day I might want to return to that world, but at the moment I can't see myself going back to that structure."

Does releasing music independently put the pressure on?
"I'd say it takes the pressure off - you don't need to sell as many records for the project to be deemed a success, and there are no worries about how much of a priority you are to your label. It also means I can release EPs instead of albums if I want to, which is something I'm considering."

You co-wrote most of the album; was that important to you?
"I don't think writing or co-writing my songs makes me a better singer, but I haven't really got an excuse not to do it as I've got too many opinions! For example I wrote my new single 'Starlight' with Richard X and a girl called Hannah, and the process usually starts with Richard setting up a drum loop, then we add some chords over it, then we put the lyrics to the melody. I think Richard X did a great job with it. I'm a sucker for sad disco pop."

How would you describe the sound of the rest of the LP?
"It's very dancey, very electro, disco, and very confident. I feel like I enjoyed making this record more than any other. Hopefully people find it quite uplifting too. 'Starlight' is a favourite of mine and I love the title track 'Make A Scene' - it's a bit bonkers! I made it with Metronomy and I loved their approach to producing."

Will there be any more singles from the album?
"I'd like to release 'Off & On' next. I think it's about time I got on with it - it's the song that I keep putting back but really want to release."

You've had a lot of success in Russia; was that planned?
"It sort just happened. I started playing the odd gig and kept getting called back more and more and the events got bigger. It was great because it felt like the hard work paid off. I've had a couple of top three hits there now and the album performed well, which is fantastic."

We've heard some of the Russian corporate gigs can be, erm, interesting...
"I know what you're talking about, but I've always made sure to form friendships with whoever I'm working with. I've never experienced anything that's made me uncomfortable, but I have heard stories. You have to keep your wits about you!"

You feature on The Feeling's new album with Roisin Murphy, who also wrote 'Off & On' for your album. Would you ever collaborate with her?
"That's weird connection, isn't it!? When I recorded 'Off & On' I hadn't ever met her, but I really get on with her now and she's the perfect fit for the Feeling track. The Freemasons also worked on that particular song, and they're an act I'd collaborate with any time they wanted me! I love their approach to dance while still remaining sensitive to pop music."

We hear you've started work on your next album; how's it going?
"I've actually gone completely the opposite way to Make A Scene. It's a lot more live-sounding, with drum kits and real instruments. I'm not sure if I'll continue with it, but that's where I wanted to start - I wanted go outside my comfort zone. Dance music is great, but it's not a time to be reflective or particularly wistful. Lyrically I can do some different stuff too - there's more to life than dancing in the clubs!"

Sophie on BBC Radio 2

2011-06-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Interview + performance on Weekend Wogan (BBC Radio 2) by RenzoEB
recording thanks to Paul, upload thanks to Renzo

Full Show - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FA0W06RQ
Starlight - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W8IXVMVY
Rebellion (Lies) - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HT9JE05B

Radio Interviews

2011-06-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

Interview on BBC Berkshire, Kent, Oxford, Solent, Surrey and Sussex by SOPHIERAZZI

My Perfect Weekend: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2011-06-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/my-perfect-weekend/8566627/My-perfect-weekend-Sophie-Ellis-Bextor.html

On Friday evenings I love to go dancing with my husband [Richard Jones, bassist with band the Feeling] and a group of our friends. We run an occasional club night at the Café de Paris in Soho called Love to Love and I usually get on the decks at some stage. It all started because I couldn’t find the perfect club night in London – one that played all the tunes I wanted to dance to – so I thought we’d better start one ourselves. It’s revived my love of dance and disco music; they sound so phenomenal belting out through big speakers. And dancing to your favourite tracks is a great way to shake off the stresses of the week.

Richard will dance with me at the beginning of the evening, when he’s in the mood, and then when he gets bored of dancing (which is always long before I do) I’ll prance around with my girlfriends. We’ll do silly, pretend-sexy moves to songs by Rihanna.

We usually get back to our home in Hammersmith quite late and if we’re very lucky our lovely nanny Claire will let us have a bit of a lie in on Saturday morning. It’s always a treat when she stays over and makes breakfast for our boys, Sonny, seven, and Kit, two – who wakes up at 6am on a good day and likes to be busy.

I recently bought him a little broom and mop so he can make himself useful. Unfortunately he took the broom and hit a cupboard door which had a glass window in it. Sadly it doesn’t have a glass window in it any more. I think he was a bit shocked.

I really love being in London at weekends – there’s always so much to do. If it’s lovely weather we’ll go for a walk down along the river with my mother (the former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis) who lives nearby, or meet friends at a pub for a shandy and some lunch.

We’re spoilt for choice in terms of good pubs near us: I’d recommend the Raven, the Black Lion and the Dove. Then in the afternoon I’ll wander around Portobello Market with Richard and the boys, and will invariably end up buying something tacky that nobody else wants.

Our house is so filled with kitsch objects that it looks like a bric-a-brac store. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to tatty old furniture, and wonky tapestry pictures but luckily Richard shares my enthusiasm. He once bought a bass that’s shaped like an axe. It’s mounted on the wall along with all the other tat.

In the coming weeks we’ll be escaping the city on a few Saturdays. I’m appearing at several of the smaller, less cliquey festivals including the Forest Tour 2011 with Erasure and the Cornbury Festival at the beginning of July. I’m afraid I’m not much of a camper so we’ll just go for the day.

Sometimes we’ll drive to my dad’s (Robin Bextor, the film and television producer) house in East Sussex, an hour and a half away. For for a couple of years now he’s been running a restaurant called Moonrakers in the village of Alfriston. It is ridiculously pretty around there. The back terrace of the restaurant overlooks the Tye, a big village green, and there’s a really old church called St Andrews, where Morning Has Broken was written.

The Bextor side of my family – my parents separated when I was four – are all very food motivated. We’ll sit outside in the sun with a glass of wine and order from the menu – spring lamb, fresh fish, ham hock – it’s all locally produced and very tasty.

We never go out on Saturday night. We’ll get takeaway fish ’n’ chips and eat it on our knees in front of some silly Saturday night television such as You’ve Been Framed. I’m sorry but I enjoy watching people fall over.

Richard and I will have friends over for a barbecue on Sunday. We’ve got loads of toys out in the garden – we’re like big kids really. There’s ping pong, a climbing frame and a trampoline. We’ve even got one of those amusement arcade slot machines where you put a coin in and it almost pushes all the other coins off a ledge. My birthday present last year was an inflatable hot tub so I guess that will be getting a second airing this summer.

On Sunday evening I’ll get on with all the admin waiting for me inside. I’ve recently started my own record label called EBGB’s and am enjoying being the boss lady. I think this is something we’ll see more acts doing in the future – Mumford & Sons made their album on their own label, then licensed it to Island. You have to sell a lot fewer albums to make a living when you do it this way.

My fourth album Making a Scene came out earlier this month so I’ve also been doing promotion work for that. It’s great fun although tiring at times; particularly when you’re doing interviews and all the questions are, “Oh, you must be tired?!” and “Aw, do you miss your kids”.

I try my hardest not to read reviews. I’ll have a look if my friends say it’s a good one. But even then I tend only to take on board the disapproving bits. If I get 4 out of 5, I’ll think, “Ah, it could’ve been 5 out of 5, where did I go wrong?”

I’ve been so focused on getting this latest album out to the people who want to buy it that I’d forgotten that there would be critics going, “Well we don’t know if we actually want to own it, but we’re going to tell you what we think of it anyway”.

I never manage to get to bed early on Sunday night but this doesn’t matter as I don’t know one level of exhaustion from another. I don’t dread the arrival of Monday, because I love doing what I do. But I will go to the gym first thing to work off all those fish ’n’ chips.

In short

Herbal tea or stiff drink?
If it’s past six o’clock, a caipiroska

Do you believe in the spirit world?
I like the influence of the macabre but I don’t believe in ghosts

What’s your favourite restaurant – apart from you father’s?
The bar on the beach at Santa Maria di Castellabate in southern Italy

Your inspiration?
Julie Andrews. I grew up watching The Sound of Music

Last music you bought?
Metronomy’s new album

How do you relax?
I jump around, play with the kids or go dancing

What irritates you most?
Bad manners

If you could live in another era when would it be?
The Fifties

What would you eat for your last supper?
Fish ’n’ chips with as much mayo and ketchup as I wanted

My favourite things
London
Music
Food
Bright colours
Spring

Sophie launched Evian’s new Let’s Baby Dance campaign: a new advert and a new global online app to make the world’s longest user-generated music video. www.facebook.com/evianUK

Vote for Starlight on Gaydar Radio

2011-06-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

http://gaydarradio.com/UserPortal/YourChoice/YourChoice.aspx

You can vote every half an hour or so, or clear you cookies and vote even sooner. Please keep voting for the single. Hopefully this song will get more airplay than any of her other singles.

So far, local radio stations are supporting her well.
57 plays - Ministry of Sound Radio (Carl Hanaghan Remix)
45 plays - Real Radio Yorkshire, Real Radio Wales, Real Radio North West
43 plays - Real Radio North East
42 plays - Real Radio Scotland, TFM
39 plays - Metro Radio
28 plays - Atlantic FM
26 plays - CFM
24 plays - Touch FM
18 plays - Rugby FM
13 plays - MFR FM, Gaydio
11 plays - Downtown Radio
09 plays - BBC Radio 2
07 plays - 97.4 Rock FM
06 plays - Isle of Wight Radio
05 plays - Cool FM
02 plays - Q Radio
01 plays - Viking FM, Smash Hits! Radio, Radio City, Radio Aire, Key 103, Hallam FM

Sophie Q&A: Official Catch-Up (June 2011)

2011-06-08T20:12:00.001-07:00

ORIGINAL POSTS:
http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=341
http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=342

Hello Sophie, how are you?
Very good thanks. How are you?

We’ve just eaten a packet of Monster Munch, which reminded us of the tweet you sent recently regarding a TV show about a woman who *only* ate Monster Munch.
Well, she was featured in a programme. She’s been on telly a couple of times, from what I hear. But, yeah, she was in a really good programme all about the human body. It was using her as an example of how well the human body can survive on a diet that doesn’t really have in it what it needs. It was interesting.

Anyway, we're here to talk about you, not crisps. And you seem to have been very busy of late.
Yeah, it’s been really good. But also quite full-on.

Which is presumably better than if you were sitting at home in your stage outfit, waiting for the phone to ring.
Exactly. And I do keep reminding myself of that. I’m trying not to be one of these people who complains about working. But it is a bit hard when you’re doing interviews and all the questions are, “Oh you must be tired?” and “Aw, do you miss your kids?” Although I’m not missing the kids too much, because very thoughtfully they have been waking up very early, so I’m actually seeing them. Kit got me up this morning at 5am.

Oh dear.
Indeed. My car for Lorraine was coming at just gone 6am, so we had an hour of quality time.

How did you use it?
Had breakfast together, mainly. And pottered about. As soon as he wakes up, he’s generally pretty busy. He doesn’t want to just sit and watch TV, unlike his brother. He always wants to be a bit busy.

Teach him how to use a duster, then you can start making use of him.
Well he has got a little broom and a little mop, actually. And the other day he took his little broom and hit it on the cupboard door which had a glass window in it.

Had?
Yes, it doesn’t have a glass window in it any more. Hahaha! I think he was a bit shocked.

So, it seems like things are going well with the album campaign. Life as an independent artist appears to be treating you well.
Yeah, I have to say the people around me have been fantastic. They’re doing a really, really good job. And they’re thoroughly nice people.

And the reviews for the album seem to be splendid. Are they something you read?
Not really, no. I’ll have a look if people say it’s a good one. But even then you tend to just take on board the bits where they’re disapproving. If you get 4 out of 5, you’ll think, “Ah, it could’ve been 5 out of 5, what did I do wrong?” And I sort of forgot about the fact this album was going to be reviewed, I think because for me it was so much about getting it out to the people that wanted to own it. The people that had kept saying, “When’s the album coming out?” So I’d kind of forgotten that there would be other people going, “Well we don’t know if we want to own it, but we’re going to tell you what we think of it anyway”. Haha!

Well, Attitude gave it 4.5 out of 5. You’ve got to be happy with that?
Yeah, that’s OK. I think I can deal with that.

And where’s the video for the single got to?
Watch this space. Everyone should be able to see it very soon.

You’ve got the Erasure tour starting soon. Are you all set for that?
I think so, yeah. It’s going to be a really nice June, I think. It’ll feel nice to get out there. I hope the weather’s going to be as nice as it is today.

Have you got more dates to be announced? Lots of the fans are asking.
We’re still trying to work in a South American tour for September, yeah. I’m hoping we’ll be doing about seven or eight dates while we’re there. So, watch that space too!

So, does it only get more hectic between now and the release?
Yes, more of the same really. I’ve got a gig in the Ukraine, then I’ve got more promo in the UK including things like pressing the button for the Lottery.

Wow! Have you done that before?
I have actually, yeah. It’s quite strange. There’s a lot of security, as you’d imagine. It all feels a bit shrouded in mystery. And then the weekend after that...

Hang on, we want to hear more about the Lottery. It’s live, presumably?
It is indeed.

So what would happen if you shouted, “It’s a fix!” just before you pressed the button?
I think I’d be arrested or something. It’s funny you should say that, though, because there’s always that side of me when I’m doing live TV that thinks, “I could really just say anything”. I’ve been doing quite a lot of live TV recently, and I always think, “This could be the moment where I lose the plot!” Hahahaha!

You’d go out in a blaze of glory. Not that we’re suggesting you do it.
Oh I’m worried I’m going to do it by mistake now. I was one of those people at school that, in assembly, almost had to hold my limbs down because I thought I’d suddenly stand up and shout obscenities. I think it’s that same reason that people get vertigo, cos they’re worried they’re going to jump off the edge. It’s that same feeling.

Are you allowed to buy a lottery ticket that week?
I don’t know - I’ve never bought a ticket in my life.

Oh, it’s got to be worth a Lucky Dip when you’re pressing the button.
No. I don’t want to start. I think if you start then you can’t stop. Sorry, one second. [To man in background] “What number is it, please? OK, no problem. I’ll get out and walk".

What’s happening?
I’m off to do a load of regional radio interviews, down the ISDN line. I don’t really like doing that.

Hey now.
Oh, I mean I love doing radio, it’s just so impersonal doing the ISDNs where you can’t see the presenters. Some are great, though. It’s just quite hard to get the rapport going. But I did a regional radio tour last week where I visited lots of stations and that was really fun.

Ah yes, it mentioned that in your interview in the NME this week.
Oh, that came out did it? Was he kind to me?

Absolutely.
Good old Peter.

In other press news, we noticed something saying you’d been to the St Pancras hotel opening. How was that?
Nice, actually. There’s quite a cool bar which has a big glass window looking into the station. That was very nice. There’s always a romance for me about railway stations. And that one’s a lovely one.

And you’ve been on Lorraine a lot recently.
That’s right, doing the High Street fashion awards. That’s been really fun. Really nice people. And I filmed a Rob Brydon show last week with Bruce Forsyth.

When will that be on telly?
I think in July or August. I sang 'Of And On', and I got to do a little bit of singing with Rob Brydon. We sang ‘Stand By Your Man’ and ‘The Wheels On The Bus”. Harmonising. He’s lovely. And it was pretty extraordinary to meet someone like Bruce Forsyth that you feel like you’ve grown up with. He was very nice.

And do you have any holiday plans for this year? You’re working hard, you’re husband’s working hard, it’s important to take a break.
Yes, we’ve put in some time for August. We’re going back to my friend’s house in Ibiza, where we went last year and which is also where we filmed the Not Giving Up On Love video. I’ve realised that nobody congratulates you for not taking a holiday, and we are very bad at it generally, so last year I made the decision that I’m always going to put one in the diary now.

Well this is good news. And you must be pleased with how well things are going for you at the moment?
I am actually. And I feel very chilled out about what happens with the single and album. I’m just enjoying myself. I don’t really feel too much pressure. My hopes for the album are pretty realistic, I think. But at the same time, I’m really pleased with the response it's all getting. Life feels really good.

Sophie in NME

2011-06-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

scans thanks to Paul

PETER ROBINSON VS. SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR

The pop queen on going indie and why she'd give Tyler, The Creator a piece of her mind

Hello, Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Where are you?
I'm in the car, going from Hull - yes, you heard me right, Hull - to Leeds! And then on to Preston where I am staying the night.

That's living the dream right there, that is.
It certainly is! I like doing radio tours like this, it's all very English and you can just appear, have a chit chat and a cup of tea and it's all very nice.

'Chit chat and a cup of tea'. That's a good stage to be at in a pop career.
Well, the last 10 days have been a bit of a whirlwind. I've been to Portugal, Africa, Singapore, Ireland, Scotland, and now Hull. I've been around a bit.

You are allowed back into NME now as you are, officially, an 'indie artiste' again.
I am!

Talk me through how this came about.
I now have my own label. I suppose it's something I've been working towards for the last few years. I had a wonderful time with Universal but I feel like it's OK to go it alone now.

Have you sorted out your letterheads and business cards yet?
I've still got to do that. I've been sent over a few suggestions of logos....

I was actually joking about that. What do you look for in a logo?
Something simple. The label's called EBGB, and we were thinking of imitating the famous CBGB logo, but I don't think we're allowed to for copyright reasons.

Would you like me to draw it for you?
With a felt pen? Or a stencil set.

If i get some coloured pencils I can do some blending for extra realism.
Let's do that.

Imagine I'm in a band. A very good band. What do i need to sound like to be signed to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's record label?
It wasn't until someone asked me who I was signing that I realised signing other acts was something I could do! I think i'd want something quite different to what I do. I want a casually dressed man with a guitar.

Where next?
I've actually been successful as ever in other countries - I'm as busy as I've ever been. And i suppose I've got the right outlook - I'm ever the optimist!

You recently announced that your album after this one would have proper instruments on it. What's going on?
My new album is electro that I want to do something completely different next, but I've thought that in the past too and I always end up putting beats on.

Is there an indie act you'd like to put a shout-out to?
Deadmau5

But he makes dance music! I see your problem now.
Well, I've started working with Ed Harcourt and Bernard Butler already for the next album, so...

Would you like to work with Odd Future?
I'd find it hard to hold my tongue because they use some fairly offensive language in everyday casual speak.

Imagine I'm Tyler now. What would you like to say to me?
I'd say , "Context is everything but I struggle to see that word as anything other than a nasty word to say".

If i were Tyler I'd say "Thank you Sophie for pointing that out, I will watch my language in future and I will also reassess my views of the gay community".
(Extended Bextochortle) Great!

The Review:
The sheer breadth of music covered on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s fourth album is, frankly, incredible. Still only 32, and with “the most memorable chart scuffle since Britpop” under her belt (both accolades proudly mentioned in her latest press release, although we barely remembered that ‘Groovejet…’ was out at the same time as Victoria Beckham’s first single), ‘Make A Scene’ sees her straddle a multitude of different genres.

“Pop, disco, nu-disco and 1980s electronica,” cries the accompanying written bumpf. Except… all the songs here sound pretty much the same, like ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ put through a Calvin Harris filter. Needless to say, it’s totally fucking rubbish.

"Worst sleeve of the week"
Yes, you have a pretty face. Well done you. But really, four albums in, you couldn't think of anything more interesting?

Sophie on Gaydio

2011-06-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

Gaydio Interview by SOPHIERAZZI

Interview in Odessa (Ukraine)

2011-06-04T23:14:00.001-07:00

Sophie on The Style Nation T4

2011-06-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Sophie performed Starlight on The Style Nation.

youtube upload thanks to Renzo.

download the performance here - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K93C73PI

upload thanks to Paul.

Sophie on Britain's got more talent.

2011-06-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Watch the video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byDIa55xUAM

upload thanks to Renzo.

Or download the video - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RN6WAMQN

upload thanks to Paul.

Sophie on the radio.

2011-05-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's good to see that Starlight is getting some airplay. I'm trying so hard not to expect anything out of this. But i sincerely hope it sells a good number of copies on iTunes. I'm not sure if a physical release is planned.

Also, let's not forget the Carl Hanaghan Remix. The song was recently made available for free download on Sophie's official website. All you need to do is register your name and email address, and the download will automatically start. The good thing about the Carl Hanaghan Radio Edit is that it doesn't ruin the structure of the song. I am warming up to it, but it still doesn't beat the amazing-ness of the original. Well done Sophie, well done Richard X, well done Hannah.

I just noticed that some radio stations are still playing Sophie's songs. This made me happy. Sophie stated in a recent interview that she plans to release Off And On as the next single, but i guess that will only happen if this single does well. Or maybe its a mutual single between Calvin and Sophie. Lets hope we get a b-side (because they have done another song together, Calling It Love).... it feels weird that we have ONE b-side but five singles. So un-Sophie-like.

"Make a scene" is available for pre-order on iTunes. Those of you who live in the UK and who haven't pre-ordered the physical yet, there is good news, because just for ₤7.99 you can now download the entire album and all 5 music videos from this era (Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer, Can't Fight This Feeling, Bittersweet, Not Giving Up On Love and Starlight). Hurry, pre-order your copy today.

Pre-order from iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/make-a-scene/id440540653
Pre-order from Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004WJBE96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=essemusiandma-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004WJBE96
Pre-order exclusive signed slipcase from HMV - http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=4600;0;-1;-1;-1&sku=718255

Sophie & Dan G. Sells in Attitude Mag

2011-05-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

thanks to Paul once again, sorry i made you buy this twice

BRITISH TO A TEA
Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Dan Gillespie Sells talk about their own self-effacing approach to pop stardom.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is reminiscing about the first time she clocked Dan Gillespie Sells, circa 2002. "I know that when I met you, you had that boyfriend with the woodstock t-shirt and a lot of curly hair. The one who danced..."

“His name was Julian." thinks Dan. "What happened to Julian?" Over cups of tea and coffee and walnut cake in an East London tearoom, top pop veterans and good mates Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Dan Gillespie Sells are chewing the cud over his exes, her hubby (his best friend and band-mate Richard Jones) and the many charms of tea itself. "The first cup of tea in the morning cannot be beaten," announces Sophie with her stock-like elegance. "After that, you're just chasing the dragon."

They make for a terrifically British twosome, rattling through the news agenda and discussing the job in hand. That job would be their new albums. Sophie works her glacial dance-queen manoeuvre on the long-in-development, Make a scene, while Dan's band, The Feeling, are back with a third album, Together We Were Made. They're both at interesting junctures. Sophie can claim a loyal following drawn to her sophisto pop and her knack for pulling a summer holiday hit out of the bag. The Feeling have settled into their role as purveyors of a particularly British strand of jaunt pop, fittingly the soundtrack for the BBC's Cricket World Cup Coverage. They share an English reserve about flogging records, a trail that may undermine their chart position but defines their type of pop-stardom.

The two have had a hand in each other's destiny since meeting in 2002. Dan's friend, Richard Jones, was Sophie's bass player, who went on to be in The Feeling and marry into the Ellis-Bextor’s. Sophie and he have two boys together. As a result of all this intermingling Dan and Sophie are a tight unit. Sophie cameos on the track Leave Me Out Of It on The Feeling's new record; Dan has previously written for her and played guitar when Sophie serenaded her husband at their wedding with the song God Only Knows. When they were having their first child, Richard and Sophie told Dan the news first.

A: Let’s start at the beginning of your friendship. So Dan was living with Richard when Sophie was going out with him.

D: Richard was living in my house in North London. We were housemates, Richard and I.

S: You were the first person we told we were having a baby (to Dan). You reacted brilliantly.

D: I nearly fell off my stool.

S: Basically, Richard and I started going out and then within two months we found out we were having a baby. Because he'd been my bass player we tried not to tell anyone that we were dating, and then when we found out we were having a baby we had to go around to everybody saying, "We've been dating for quite a while...for six weeks...but you know, it's all fine." (Laughs)

S: But that's OK

D: Yeah, but it's a bit scary really. The funny thing was that when Sonny came along, all that stuff went out the window. It was just like, 'Wow'.

A: Do you think that's a gay man's defensiveness?

D: I think some gay men do that, and some gay men go the other way

S: You could say it's a 26-year-old-man's defensiveness.

D: That's true

S: Richard was 25 when we had Sonny and it was the first baby he'd really held.

D: With all of us, there was this hormone rush.

S: (to Dan) you’re being very slow to get on with anything. Other friends of ours have had a new baby. We've had two, what are you doing?

D: But the way we all felt about babies suddenly changed. Suddenly it was like "Gosh, it's a real family here" and it's exciting.

A: Dan, would you like to have kids?

D: I would. It's come a long way for me to say I would.

S: I can totally agree with that.

D: I think eventually, yeah. I might not wait quite as long as David and Elton have. But maybe they've paved the way, made it easier for us. It's scary but I was raised in a gay house. There's no reason it can't work and there's no reason, especially now in the modern age, why it can't be accepted by everyone.

S: (archly) I think some of your beautiful objects d'art might have to be put up a couple of shelves...

A: Dan, you've been with your boyfriend Ryan for four years now. Any sign of you getting hitched?

D: It's a strange one for me. Maybe one day. I'm not against the idea but I'm not very excited by it, either. Only I think because my parents weren't... my mum and her partner and my dad wasn't either. I never grew up with marriage as a part of any of the families that I knew.

A: How does your boyfriend feel about it?

D: I'm sure he'd love to...

S: I have the feeling you'll get married when you've been together for about 20 years.

D: He might want something a bit sooner.

S: Yeah, OK, but will he ask you? I picture him wanting you to ask him

D: I think he'd want me to ask him

********

A: Sophie's very good on Twitter

D: I don't even know how to work it.

S: It's very easy.

A: (to Sophie) Are you doing it all yourself?

S: Yeah. Except for the one that says Sophie HQ. I don't like using it for promotion.

A: That's clever - not trying too hard.

S: It's not really a tactic, that's a bit naff. I'm just not very good at that any more. I'm too British for self-promotion in that way.

D: I'm quite dyslexic and I'm not very good with writing and staying in touch with people. I'm slightly, mildly, verging on... illiterate.

S: That doesn't matter, actually.

A: That's an advantage. All you need is a few LOLs.

S: Exactly. And a smiley face.

A: You both have a certain British reserve about things, especially promotion.

S: I think what's always made British pop starts charming is that we don't celebrate that level of finesse where there's that veneer of everything being perfect. Misfits. We celebrate that more, I think.

D: I never thought I would be able to fit in. With the family I came from, I never thought that I would fit in with the society generally. It still comes as a surprise to me that we have a following, because I couldn't manage at school.

S: That's good; I think that's a benefit. I'm always really grateful that I wasn't one of the popular girls at school

D: School is this weird thing, isn't it? Because there is a different switch when you come out of school and go into the real world and it seems like lots of things flip. Think about the way lesbian and gay kids are treated in schools and you think that actually most of these are in middle-class areas. It seems perfectly acceptable for the worst insult to be gay or the worst kind of bullying to happen to children there.

S: I just never felt defined by school, and towards the end of it I started taking myself further and further out. First, I wasn't in the class picture and then I wasn't in the year picture. I just started having a life outside of it, and that's when I was in a band and I got a boyfriend, and then you just start doing other things. Luckily, I signed my record deal before I sat my A-levels.

D: My self-image was bizarre. I tried so hard to wear the right kind of cool indie clothes when that was the thing; they didn't fit me properly and I seemed to be the wrong shape and my head was all the wrong shape.

S: Your head is not the wrong shape

******

A: Do you talk about your work when you hang out?

D: Only in a very natural way. We've never planned anything. Sophie sang on 'Leave Me Out Of It' and it needed that feminine touch. It was just lovely.

A: Sophie's already working on a new record. What's the ambition for you both?

S: Nothing ever happens when you force it, anyway, ever. The nice thing about the position we're both in is that we're not trying to prove anything or reinvent. This is what we do and I don't think that either of us have ever felt like we've been part of a fashion movement or spearheading change. I would hope by now that people would trust that my motives are quite pure. If it was purely a vehicle for advertising myself, there are a lot of things I would’ve done quite differently over the years. I probably say "No" to as many things as I say "Yes" to. That, for me, is what keeps me same. It's a nice feeling because you can relax a bit more.

A: But the flip side to that is whether you really want to be a popstar?

S: Sometimes those things burn out quicker. Maybe I'd have burned out quicker if I'd have been, "Here are my children, and this is my house and will you now buy more records?" I actually don't think it makes any difference, anyway.

A: How do you feel about fame?

S: I still get to walk my kids to school and get the Tube, and I don't know if I really want anything to change. That said, if I wasn't ambitious, then I wouldn't always be trying to raise the bar with my music and my performing. And I actually think I'm much better live than I have ever been, really, mainly because I want to be.

D: As long as you're ambitions remain artistic ambitions. The other kind of ambition is odd, as you start questioning what success is.

S: And you feel a bit grubby, too.

Sophie in Herald Magazine

2011-05-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

scans thanks to Paul

...as requested

2011-05-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Interviews and Performances from the radio tour, for download:

Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4, 21st May 2011
INTERVIEW
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L7002HVM
STARLIGHT (Performance)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AOW0E0LG

The Evening Takeover, Juice FM, 19th May 2011
INTERVIEW
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HYO5E7J0

Telephone Interview, Gaydar Radio, 18th May 2011
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W51L01HM

Evening Show, Real Radio, 18th May
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUCG0IBN

Night Owls, Metro Radio, 16th May 2011
INTERVIEW
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I3MSQ47R
STARLIGHT (Performance)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F9FT1Y9B

Evening Show, Wave 105.2 FM, 16th May 2011
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OW7T8239

Sophie on Lorainne, performance + interview

2011-05-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sophie was on Lorainne today. There was a little chit chat about the new label, Sophie's personal life and the new single Starlight. Also, there were scenes from the concert, which i assume are going to form a part of the music video for Starlight.

You can download the interview and performance right here:
INTERVIEW - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TH6JG8M2
PERFORMANCE - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GNVCJ8SK
(recording and upload thanks to Paul)

Starlight + Make A Scene radio tour

2011-05-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

Sophie was interviewed on some Radio Stations and she also performed an acoutic version of Starlight. Beautiful.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor May 2011 Interviews by SOPHIERAZZI

TodayOnline interviews Sophie

2011-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

HOW time flies: It seemed like only yesterday Sophie Ellis-Bextor released her big hit Murder On The Dancefloor. But that song turns 10 years old this year. And Ellis-Bextor would be the first to admit she won't win any productivity awards: In the decade since her solo debut, she's only released four albums. Her latest, Make A Scene, was released in Russia earlier this year where it peaked at No 2. (It will be released to the rest of the world later this year.)

"I'm always so slow with my records!" said Ellis-Bextor, who was in town for the Audi Fashion Festival. "I can't write albums quickly. I don't know how people do it. I spend ages making records."

Why so long? Well, she toured for Trip The Light Fantastic (2007) for "about two years" and then started work on Make A Scene, but then she had her second child, and then toured some more and ended up just releasing singles "here and there".

"So actually in (the UK), I'm on the fourth single from this album now," said the 32-year-old singer.

The album features 14 songs, with work done by The Freemasons, Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Richard X and Cathy Dennis, among others. So yes, it's perfect for the dancefloor. "It's a very dance-y record," said Ellis-Bextor. "It's quite varied but all very dance-based. I'm really happy with it."

You've been churning out dance music since Day One. What's the big deal with dance music?
It feels like dance music is still as big as ever. Everybody can now name a DJ on the charts. That definitely went out of vogue some time ago. I supposed the nice thing is that there's a lot of cross-pollination. You get a lot of people you didn't think would make dance music making dance music - like Nelly Furtado's done a track with Tiesto. There's a lot of people crossing over and experimenting. I think that's quite fun. I enjoy it a lot.

Aren't you bored with it now that you're older?
I love performing songs like Murder On The Dancefloor, and the band is young, enthusiastic boys, so it's infectious.

Have you had any embarrassing things that have happened onstage?
Oh, loads. Silly high heels falling through cracks on stage, mics not working, tracks not starting - sometimes on live TV which is fun… As yet, I've not fallen off the stage, touch wood! (But) doing the gigs is one of my favourite things to do. Particularly when I have my band and we play live. I think part of it is because we always have new material so that keeps it fresh.

So why…
Why do I want to keep doing it? Considering the consequences? Because it's a passion and its part of who I am. I don't really question it, I just do it. There might come a point where I've had enough. But I find it really stimulating and exciting. I'm quite lucky really.

Did you ever think to do anything else other than music?
I'm not really sure there's much else I can do. I'm not very good at very many things really. I can't even play the piano really very well! But if I'm not performing it'd be nice to write songs for other people. I still feel I've got a lot to give yet. I definitely won't be giving it up any time in the near future. It's not a boring job, it's a brilliant job. I'm still a very optimistic person and I think all music finds its rightful place in the world. Not everybody needs to be on the Top 10 charts. There are many ways to be a musician, so just get on with it, really.

Andy Jackson Interviews Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2011-05-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

DOWNLOAD THE INTERVIEW - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OW7T8239
(thanks to Paul for the recording + upload)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor! [applause] Hello. In fact it should be "Welcome back to Wave 105" because you're no stranger to us, I think it's fair to say.
When was I last here - a year ago, do you think?

You seem to pop in and out throughout your long and illustrious career - that's the best way to describe it, isn't it?
Yeah, OK, I'll go along with that!

There's a bit of everything going on. You've got the new single out, you've got the new album which is due to come out on the 6th June according to my dates here...
Exactly

...and I'm just trying to get a feel of what direction you're trying to go in with this, Sophie.
The first two songs I did for this album were a song called Heartbreak which I did with The Freemasons, and a song called Off and On, which is a Calvin Harris track. Those two set the tone, really. So the album's very synthy, very dancy, a lot of four-in-the-floor; it's kind of a party record.

Is that where you're at at the moment, because you're still doing bits and bobs of DJ-ing; weren't you at Cape Verde the other day?
That's right.

How exciting!
It's been lots of fun, and it's something I do with my husband Richard. I guess it has informed a little bit of the record because when you're in a club and you play something by The Freemasons for example, it just sounds so phenomenal that you think, "Ahh! I want to do something like this". It's really exciting. So yes, it definitely influenced the album being as dancy as it is.

One of the other people you've been working with - a 'blast from the past' if I may put it that way - is Cathy Dennis. Is she co-writing with you on this?
Yes, we did a couple of tracks on this record. She's a lovely woman, hugely talented, and I think she is an example of someone who has had a successful solo career in her own right, and has now written some of the biggest pop records of the last decade. The writers that I tend to really enjoy working with have been artists themselves, so they understand that side of things as well. They write a song for you, and not for anyone else - and she's one of the best.

And the fact that such people have already done it themselves means they won't be wishing it was them instead of you going on - is that fair to say?
Oh she's very generous, very 'in the moment' with you. I think she's one of those people who is a marvel to watch when she's on form, in her zone. There's a song we did called Revolution, and we started work at about 12:30 in the studio. By 4:30 the song was all done! There was myself and a guy called Greg Kurstin also working there, but Cathy was just incredible. She had loads of ideas - yeah, she's lovely.

Talk us through the process of when you're in the studio. Obviously there must be some kind of a framework - but how does it work when you're all in there and you're jelling together. How does it happen in practice?
There are lots of different ways to write a song, but my favourite way is to start off by getting a bit of music up and going. So if I'm working with, say, someone like The Freemasons they'll play me a couple of instrumental things - little ideas - and then maybe shift the chords around if I think it could work better a different way, or if they have some different ideas. Then I'll start noodling around little folk-melody ideas and recording them in. They're really embarrassing and you wouldn't want anyone to hear them [laughs]. They're kind of like this [sings] "da-da-di-da, di-da-de-da". Yes, just like doodles. And then you start picking up the best bits, and try to work out the chorus bit, and putting the lyric to it. There is a bit of a practice to it, but you do have to shut off that little voice in your head which is saying [speaking sotto voce] "You look really silly!". [Laughs]

That's the thing, isn't it. Not only looking silly. There's also the video and things - a whole different aspect.
Yes. And I guess the thing with song-writing is, you can't really pretend you're doing it. You're either coming up with ideas or you're not, and sometimes that can be really intimidating. I've done song-writing trips abroad, and then you're walking into a room with someone you've never met before, and immediately you have to start trying to share with them these little creative ideas, and it can feel very... I don't know, I suppose it's not the British way. Normally we're more reserved, instead of just singing out loud what ever comes into our head!

We were talking about the song-writing process, and it's very similar to how comedians write. I was speaking to Frankie Vaughan* the other day, and he said it was weird when he goes into a room and sits down for the first time to do some writing with other writers.
But that's really hard, because then you've got to be funny. And then you've got to say "I think this is funny". I mean I think I can be funny, but the reactions I get mean that sometimes I'm not! I'm normally the only only who's laughing, and I suspect in my writers' meetings that would happen a lot.

Does that apply to music as well? You think, "Oh this is great, I love this", and you're sort of getting blank looks from the people around you?
It happens sometimes, but generally people are pretty encouraging of each other, you know. I think we're all aware that it can be a bit awkward. Besides I've worked with a lot of these people for many years, so we're well over that by now. And you do get the giggles about some things, and some of it is daft and is funny; but you need to go through that to get the stuff that really works.

It all works fine in the end.
It does.

Not that I'm stalking or anything, but I'm on your twitter as we speak at the moment. Are you actually a fan of dim sum for breakfast? This is one of the things that piques my interest because I love a bit of dim sum.
It was really good. I went to Singapore during the week for a total of 26 hours. It was a pretty hard-core trip because we landed in the morning at Singapore while it was actually midnight here. And then I had to hit the ground running and work until about half-eleven that night. So I'd had no sleep. But one of the perks was we got up really early the next day to get our flight home, and there was loads of dim sum everywhere, and it was delicious!

It's a good job that you are young enough so that you can have that hard-core life style, where you can be on a 26-hour trip, have dim sum for breakfast, then come home and still be fresh and wonderful.
Yes... I do sometimes wonder whether I'm going to pay the price for it at some point. The thing I really sacrifice is sleep. I'm very bad at going, "Right, I'm going to get my head down now". And if I'm at home I want to get up in the morning with the kids, and then I want to have my evenings... so sometimes it means I don't have very much sleep.

That is the next thing I was going to ask. How does it work being a mum, how do you combine the family life and the professional life?
It can be a bit chaotic. Every week is a different shape. I guess one of the amazing thing about kids is they're completely 'in the moment'; they don't think about what happened last week, they don't think about what's happening next week. They're very much about the here and now. I suppose I adopt a very similar mind-frame when I'm travelling or when I'm with them, of trying to get the most out of wherever I am at that time. So when I'm at home I will just play with them, and read stories, and go out for walks, and do the maximum amount we can. Then I can do my trips and feel I've had my family time too. Sometimes it doesn't work so well if I've got too much work, but then I know that if I didn't work I wouldn't be a very good mum because then I'd feel that I needed to be doing my music too.

Are you having more kids - any more planned for the future? It's two you've got at the moment, isn't it?
I have two, yes. I would like more, but not right now. My youngest is only two. I know people do have kids that are only two years apart, but I still feel he's the baby and I want to feel he's the youngest for a little bit longer. At some point I'd like more.

I tried to keep all mine together because my theory is the closer they are together, the more they would be likely to play together, and the less effort there would be in bringing them up. But it doesn't ever work out like that, does it.
Well, I guess you take from what you know, and I'm eight years older than my nearest sibling - that's my little brother, Jack. And he's someone who's in my band (he's my drummer). I see him all the time and I used to look after him when I was little. I don't know if subconsciously that helped me. Sonny and Kit have quite a big age gap; they're nearly five years apart. I'm training Sonny to change nappies and he can entertain kids. He's helpful. Yes, they do play together. I have to know how many children you've got!

I've got five.
You have not!

I've got five, yes.
You've got five babies.... Wow!

They range in ages. I've got seven and eight, and I've also got 20, 22, and 25-year-olds. So Busy-Busy! But there you go!
That's amazing! Five kids! You're putting me to shame. That is encouraging. I quite like the idea of four, you see.

There's always time.
Yes, Yes, I like them.

I'll tell you what, it's fantastic. I absolutely love it. The more the merrier!
Are they a mixture of genders?

I've got three girls, two boys.
You are cool! Clever you! [laughter]

Well all I can say is, Thank you very much for popping in and having a chat with us. Best of luck with the new album, best of luck with the new single.
Thank you.

Sophie performs Starlight on The Hour

2011-05-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

She may still be an internationally renowned dance vocalist, but Sophie Ellis-Bextor has other priorities in her life now, with her two sons Sonny and Kit. While speaking to STV’s The Hour, she said that sleep has had to take a back seat while she balances her family life and career, but that the lifestyle still remains “seductive”.

“It’s just meant it’s a bit more chaotic,” she explained to presenters Michelle McManus and Stephen Jardine. “It means that I often sacrifice sleep, so if I have trips away I’ll take the latest possible flight out and the first one back. I try to do it when [the children] don’t really notice, like I’ll often fly through the night.”

Last Christmas she managed this quite literally when she flew to Beirut for just eight hours. Arriving on the 11pm flight and taking off at 7am the following morning, it was dark the entire time she was there.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor rejects sleep for family life

Although Kit is only two years old, seven-year-old Sonny is beginning to realise that his parents’ jobs are very different from the other mums and dads. As well as her own international music career, Sophie’s husband Richard is the bass player for pop-rock band The Feeling.

Sophie said: “[Sonny] knows that his parents are both musicians and I think he’s worked out now that other people’s parents don’t do silly jobs like us. I try not to dwell on it if anyone does ever say anything when we’re out, because I just want him to think of me as his mum.”

Sophie herself is the daughter of Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis and producer-director Robin Bextor so is used to a life in the limelight, and she admits herself that her sons will likely move into show business.

“It’s quite likely really… We’re lucky enough to do jobs that are our passion, something we adore doing and a lot of it is having fun. Richard’s band mates in The Feeling, he went to school with them, so that’s him and his friends getting up on stage, playing songs they love, loud, running about, it’s quite a seductive lifestyle really. What’s not to like?”

As well as parenthood, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is also spending her days paving the way for the release of her new album Make A Scene. Due out on June 13, this is her fourth studio record as a solo artist and includes collaborations with Calvin Harris and dance band Freemasons.

Watch the interview here - http://entertainment.stv.tv/music/249939-sophie-ellis-bextor-rejects-sleep-for-family-life/

Ahead of the release of her fourth album, Make A Scene, Sophie Ellis-Bextor performed new single Starlight live on The Hour. The song, a follow up to recent single Not Giving Up On Love and last year’s Bittersweet, is due to be released on June 13.

Sophie has been a regular fixture on the UK Singles Chart for ten years now, since her collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller on Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) snatched the number one spot from former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.

Her debut album, Read My Lips, then went double platinum and reached number two in the UK Albums Chart, followed two years later by Shoot from the Hip which produced two top ten singles.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor performs Starlight live on The Hour

Her third album, Trip the Light Fantastic, reached number seven in the UK in 2007.

Starlight and album Make A Scene are both released on June 13, 2011.

Starlight (Live, Acoustic) - http://entertainment.stv.tv/music/249895-sophie-ellis-bextor-performs-starlight-live-on-the-hour/

Or download the interview and the performance right here:
Interview (avi file, 92mb) - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4UFWFAIJ
Starlight (avi file, 71mb) - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XO2B0AJQ
(thanks to Paul for the uploads)

Sophie performs in Singapore

2011-05-17T01:28:00.000-07:00

HerWorld caught up with Sophie in Singapore, before the Audio Fashion Festival.

This British singer-songwriter with her trademark alabaster skin and gorgeous cheekbones is back with her fourth album. Plus, she’s coming to town, all thanks to a private closed-door event by Audi Singapore, where she’s set to get the 400 guests on their feet with her electrifying electro-pop performance for the Audi Red Carpet Night, part of Audi’s Fashion Festival, happening on May 11.

After a long hiatus, Sophie Ellis-Bextor presents her latest album, “Make a Scene”, collaborating with renowned and talented producers like The Freemasons, Calvin Harris, Meteronomy and more.

The talented songstress tells herworld.com about her new album and how motherhood has changed her.

hw.com: “Make A Scene” is album number four now. Can you tell us a little about it and what was your main inspiration for this album?
Sophie: I started DJ-ing with my husband, Richard, a couple of years ago and that was part of the reason my fourth album is so dance-centric. Playing songs produced by people like Calvin Harris and The Freemasons that are really loud just sounded so brilliant. Luckily for me, I was also able to collaborate with them on this record and that really set the tone.

hw.com: You’ve worked with the renowned Freemasons. What was it like working with them?
S: It was a bit of a dream come true. I’d been a fan of theirs for a while. Happily, I can now call them my friends, too. They are lovely talented folk.

hw.com: You’re a mother of two. How has motherhood changed you since?
S:Massively in many ways I’m sure but when it comes to my work the main change is that I am overall more focused. I feel that if work means time away from the children then I want it all to count more. I think I’ve upped my game.

hw.com: Has it influenced any of your music?
S: Well mainly it has made me a happier girl and I think that comes across on this album, and the last.

hw.com: You’ll also be touring the UK this summer with Erasure and Bryan Ferry. How excited are you about this? Can you give us a little teaser of anything special that you’ll be doing on the tour?
S: The tours will be lots of fun. All those shows are outdoors so the crowd is always in kind of a holiday mode. I’ll try to create a little party atmosphere for them.

hw.com: This isn’t your first time in Singapore, what do you remember or like about our city?
S: I remember the lovely, welcoming people and I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing how brilliantly clean the city is. Gorgeous. Plus, the shopping is incredible!

hw.com: Is there anything you’re looking forward to seeing, doing or even eating here?
S: I hope I can get to experience some authentic local cuisine. I do love my food and I know there are some fantastic restaurants in Singapore.

hw.com: You’ll be performing at the Audi Red Carpet Night, which is like a precursor to our very own version of Fashion week. How would you describe your personal style and how has it evolved over the years?
S: I think my style has stayed pretty much in the same vicinity over the years - I’ve never been a particular follower of fashion - but that being said, I hope I make slightly less mistakes now than I used to. I’m sure I get it right sometimes (fingers crossed). I’ve learnt a bit more about what suits me. I love anything slightly retro, feminine or fun dresses with strong silhouettes. I love getting dressed up.

hw.com: Any favourite designers or any particular items you’re currently lusting over?
S: I adore many designers but Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel are some of my all-time favourites. They both have a very clear idea of what their aesthetic is and if money is no object, I’d own more of it!

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.herworld.com/women-now/people/sophie-ellis-bextor-pre-aff-show

Bex performed 6 songs before the AFF show.

SET-LIST:
01 - Get Over You
02 - Me And My Imagination
03 - Bittersweet
04 - Murder On The Dancefloor
05 - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
06 - Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)

This is the second time that Sophie has been to Singapore. The last time she was there was to promote her first album, Read My Lips. You can watch the interview and the performances right here. (thanks to Paul for the video clips, thanks to Renzo for the uploads)

The Interview

Get Over You - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

Me And My Imagination - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

Bittersweet - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

Murder On The Dancefloor - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) - Live, pre-AFF, Singapore, 2011

You can also download the performances right here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MOJVVY1Q (avi files, 320mb)
(thanks to Paul for the links)

Starlight (JRMX Club Mix)

2011-05-10T11:12:00.001-07:00

PurplePR uploaded a new mix of Starlight. It's miles better than that other remix...
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight [JRMX Club Mix] by PurplePR

But nothing beats the original! Nonetheless, well done JRMX. There's a little too much happening in the chorus, but that sounds pretty good on the second listen.

The big interview: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2011-05-09T03:39:00.001-07:00

ORIGINAL ARTICLE - http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/health-and-family/the_big_interview_sophie_ellis_bextor_1_3352300

SINGER, model and mother Sophie Ellis-Bextor appears to have it all. She tells Chris Bond why she’s enjoying life right now.

SOPHIE Ellis-Bextor is up to her eyes at the minute.

As well as being a mother to two young boys, she has to juggle this with a successful music career, international tours, and being “the face” of cosmetics giant Rimmel.

Next month, her latest album – her first since Trip the Light Fantastic four years ago – Make A Scene, comes out along with a new single, Starlight, before she joins 1980s pop heroes Erasure for a UK summer tour that takes in the stunning surroundings of Dalby Forest, in North Yorkshire. The likes of Paul Weller, The Beautiful South and Keane have all performed there in recent years and she is happy to be joining the growing list of stars who have taken their music to this picturesque corner of the county.

“I went there to watch my husband’s band The Feeling a couple of years ago.People took their kids along and it was a great atmosphere because everyone was in holiday mode, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m up for playing anywhere, so doing a concert in the middle of the beautiful English countryside is fantastic,” she says, taking time out from the studio where she’s been recording a cover version of an Arcade Fire song for a forthcoming charity record.

It’s now more than a decade since she burst on to the music scene with her glamorous blend of pop, disco and dance, during which time she has become a multi-platinum selling artist enjoying a career that has taken her to some far flung corners of the world.

“I’m fortunate in that I’m still doing gigs in all kinds of new places like Beirut, Istanbul and Singapore.” She also has a loyal following in Eastern Europe, of all places, particularly in Russia.

“I made about eight trips to Moscow a couple of years ago but the strangest trip was to Vladivostok. I was literally there less than 24 hours which is only a little bit longer than the time it took to actually get there.”

Back in the late 1990s, Melody Maker voted her number one in their rundown of the “most sexy people in rock”. Flattering, certainly, but it’s the music which counts for Sophie and she says, it is something has been part of her life for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve always loved music ever since I was a kid dancing around in my bedroom. I played in a band when I was a teenager but at the time I never thought about make a living from it,” she says.

The band in question was The Audience and after they split up in 1998, Sophie took a year out from music before returning in 2000 to provide the vocals for Italian DJ Spiller’s dance track Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love).

But what started out as a low-key collaboration quickly became an international smash hit, scooping a host of awards and entering the UK charts at number one – beating former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham’s first solo outing to the top spot for good measure. As breaks go, it was about as big as they come.

“It was the most played song of the last decade in Britain and I still continue to be surprised and delighted by its success because we had no idea it was going to be so popular.”

She followed this up with her debut album which yielded four top 20 singles, including a cover version of Cher’s Take Me Home and Murder on the Dancefloor, which became her biggest solo hit. The single spent 23 weeks in the charts and earned Sophie even more fans across Europe. But despite becoming an overnight sensation, she didn’t fall into the trap that many divas have done in the past and let success go to her head.

“I always took that kind of thing with a pinch of salt. I’ve never been bothered with the whole celebrity thing, I’ve always just focused on getting on with whatever I’m doing.”

The fact that her parents are both in the entertainment business possibly helped. Her father, Robin Bextor, is a TV producer and director, while those of you of a certain vintage will remember her mother, Janet Ellis, from her days as a Blue Peter presenter back in the 1980s. But parents, of course, are a constant source of embarrassment to their children as they grow up, so did it make her cringe seeing her mum on TV every week?

“I was still in single digits when she was doing Blue Peter so I was very little, but I never found it embarrassing. It was really nice to have kids my own age who recognised her from the telly. She’s good at what she does and I’m very proud of her.”

As well as enjoying a successful music career, Sophie has also forged a name for herself in the fashion world, winning a lucrative contract and replacing supermodel Kate Moss as the “face” of cosmetic giant Rimmel in 2008.

“They sponsored my tour years back, so there was already a seed there, plus I genuinely like what they do,” she says. It must have been daunting following such a famous face?

“I can’t deny that the first day on set for the Rimmel ads I was very conscious of the fact Kate Moss is a modern icon. I just focused on the thought that I was adding to it, rather than carrying on from where she left off, because I’m not daft, I know that’s not happening.”

She remains best known for her music and her singing career has coincided with a renaissance among female solo artists that has seen the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Duffy and Adele all taking the charts by storm. But Sophie believes nothing has really changed.

“It’s always been that way. From Debbie Harry to Madonna and Bjork, there’s always been room for strong women to make names for themselves. We’re just lucky to have so many talented singer-songwriters in this country at the moment.”

Her new album, her fifth since her debut Read My Lips reached number two in the charts a decade ago, features collaborations with an eclectic group of artists including The Hoosiers, Cathy Dennis and Groove Armada.

“In the past there’s been a mixture of musical styles, like pop and disco, but with this I was committed to doing a dance-orientated album and I’m really pleased the way it’s turned out,” she says.

As well as being a successful singer in her own right Sophie is also married to Richard Jones, guitarist with pop band The Feeling, and although she scoffs at the idea of starting their own musical dynasty, would she encourage her own children to follow them into what can be a notoriously fickle business?

“Music has always been a big part of my life and I suppose there’s a chance they will follow in our footsteps. I think seeing their mum and dad on stage doing something they love for a living will be appealing. Although having said that one of them is really into science and technology, so who knows?”

From the outside, Sophie appears to live a charmed life, but it hasn’t been without its trials and tribulations. Both her children were born prematurely and spent their first few weeks in an incubator at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which is why she gave her support earlier this year to a campaign for a new children’s treatment centre at the hospital. Life as a working mother can certainly be tough but it’s what she’s used to.

“It’s definitely chaotic, but when I had the boys the idea of not working didn’t occur to me and I’m lucky to have a job that I can shape around my kids. I take them to school and I can always take them to work if I have to during the holidays – you can’t really do that in an office.”

But does she feel pressure as a high-profile example of the have-it-all woman? “My problem is that I’m not very good at saying ‘no’ and sometimes I feel I’m spreading myself too thin but that’s the worst it gets.

“I’m pretty jammy and I feel very lucky. I’m someone who wants to tick every box and I think every person who does something creative for a living has moments where they wish they could do this, or that, and whenever I do I take a step back and remind myself how fortunate I am, because you have to be careful what you wish for.”

To her fans, Sophie is the epitome of glamour but she says the reality doesn’t always live up to the image. Like every other mother of two young children knows, you rarely, if ever, get to put yourself first.

“I’m not very well put together. I’m messy, I go out without doing my hair and buttons missing on my jacket. I’m seen as this very precise woman and that’s definitely not the case,” she says.

“I wouldn’t say what I do is necessarily glamorous but it is a lot of fun and in years to come I’ll probably look back at this period of my life and say, ‘that was nice.’”

* Sophie Ellis-Bextor supports Erasure at Dalby Forest on June 25. For ticket information call 03000 680 400. Her new album, Make A Scene, is out on June 6.

My Stylish Life: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2011-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2011/05/07/my-stylish-life-sophie-ellis-bextor/

Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be back on our summer playlists this year, with the release of her fourth album in June. MyDaily caught up with the singer at the launch of Evian's viral ad campaign to talk music, fashion and an unexpected style inspiration.

Your latest album is due to be released soon, what can we expect to hear this time?
It's my fourth record and it's been a long time coming, the last one came out about four years ago, so I'm very excited that people are finally going to hear it! It's a very dancey record, which I've always focused on with my solo work, but in the past I've diversified a little bit so I've done a bit of indie and a bit of pop, but this time it's definitely more dance. I worked with Metronomy, Freemasons and Calvin Harris; it's the most genre specific I've ever been.

What inspires you creatively?
Lyrically, it's the things that happen in my life, particularly with dance music. I think affairs of the heart work well as dance music has that immediacy to it. Sonically, my husband and I have been djing for a little while now and that has really influenced my sound. It's made me want to go down the dance route.

Who is your style icon?
It's a combined answer: I've recently worked out that my style influence comes from Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music and my Sindy doll. I had a Sindy when she had a big head, black eyeliner, red lips, dark hair, white skin with a little blush and a curvy figure. That, mixed with the tailoring of Julie Andrews when she made those dresses out of curtains, is an amalgamation of what I think I look like most of the time.

Do you have any favourite designers?
For a stage performance, I think D&G is great. Their designs have this wonderful silhouette with amazing sparkle and detailing, it's beautiful stuff. The dream of effortless chic is Chanel, but in reality, the high street is brilliant!

Is there a look that you love that can't pull off?
Trousers; trouser suits, jeans and heels. I think they look great on other people but they never suit me. I predominately wear dresses and skirts.

What's your most treasured item in your wardrobe?
I travel a lot so things get left behind, but I've never managed to shed tears over a piece of clothing. I tried once when a coat got taken but coundn't cry about it. I loved it but it was just a coat.

What has been your most extravagant purchase to date?
A dress that I bought seven years ago but I never wore it. It was an £1000 dress, but I never took the tags off, it just sat there. I think I was freaked out by how much it was but I just wanted to know what it felt like to own it.

Which is the most stylish city in the world?
Probably London, I love London. There are definitely places you go to to get inspired, Parisian chic or Italy and there's a real look in California, but London is so diverse and so eclectic.

What's your best piece of fashion advice?
I'd rather take risks and get it wrong than play it safe all the time. Sometimes people aren't bold enough; I don't feel defined by what I wore yesterday, it's just what I wore yesterday.

Official Catch Up Part 2

2011-05-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

So, you've got some shows coming up in some exotic places, like Ukraine and Lebanon.
Yeah, I love the fact that even after ten years I'm still going to new countries and singing to new fans. That's pretty cool, I think. I went to Beirut for a show last year, actually and I was literally only in the country for about 8 hours. Hopefully this time I'll be able to stay a little bit longer and have a look around!

Are there more show announcements to come?
Yeah, we've got quite a few TBC dates around the world to add, I think. And I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that we get to play in South America. I seem to have so many fans on Facebook from there, and I'm absolutely desperate to go. I've only managed to be there once before, but I'm always nagging my agent and manager to get me out there again. Hopefully soon.

So, Starlight is the new single, how would you describe it?
Well it's a kind of mid-tempo, '80s electro ballad. I think of it as the kind of song you hear in a club when the play a few slowies and you're maybe snogging someone.

Ah, what they used to call "the erection section".
Hahaha! That's classy! But, yeah, I made it with Richard X and Hannah Robinson. Richard is very, very talented - his production is lush. And I've done loads of stuff with Hannah. I think we've got a very similar approach to top line melodies. We work really well together.

Will there be a video?
Yes, I filmed the last show of the tour I did before Christmas - the one in London. My dad actually filmed it with his crew, so we've been editing that together with some other bits of footage. It's looking good. It should be out within the next week or two.

Did you enjoy the UK tour?
I absolutely loved it. It's something I'd been meaning to do for a long time. And without wanting to blow my own trumpet too much, I think the band, the lighting, the sound and everything was really great. I felt so secure on stage. I'd just like to keep gigging. We're in such a brilliant position as a live band.

You're certainly still working hard.
I don't think I have an alternate setting, really. If anything, the time when I maybe got a bit blase was at the beginning when everything was coming really easily. But now, I adore it and I've got a passion for it and I understand what it all means. For the last five years I've tried to do everything to the best of my ability, rather than coming out thinking, "Oh I wish I'd tried a bit harder".

And you still enjoy it?
Totally. Probably more now than ever.

You've got a duet on the new Feeling album.
Yes, which I sang the other night at their Heaven show. That was a really good night. Roisin Murphy came along and sang her song with Dan. And I really enjoyed doing the song I've done with Dan. I think it's a very classy, atmospheric and, again, slightly sad-sounding song. It's funny because the mood of the song is quite intense, and I have to get myself in a certain frame of mind when I'm singing it.

It also means you're singing a love song to another man while your husband watches.
Yeah! We're just all kind of kinky like that. Hahahahaha! Singing a love song to a gay man while my straight husband looks on. That's the way we roll! Hahaha!

We also hear you've started on album five.
I have made a start, yeah. I've probably written about four or five songs. It's quite a different direction, which has been quite good for my head. There's nothing dancey about it.

Wowser.
Yeah, so I've been working with Ed Harcourt and Bernard Butler. It's all a bit more songwriter-y, stripped back and live sounding. There's not a synth in sight. I think that's why this fourth album is so dancey, because I've always had a bit of an idea that the one after it should be diametrically opposed. So that's where I'm at right now.

That sounds very intriguing.
Mmm. The dream would be to release it with a remix album of the same songs. That would be amazing. But, yeah, everything feels quite exciting at the moment. It's great.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=333

Radio Creme Brulee gives starlight High-Rotation airplay

2011-05-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Radio Creme Brulee, an American internet Radio station has given Starlight (Sophie's 5th single from her 4th album Make A Scene) high-rotation airplay. They are actually playing the song 4-5 times a day, thanks to support from Sophie's management. You can listen to their online radio here.

http://www.radiocremebrulee.com

"Radio Creme Brulee" (www.radiocremebrulee.com) - an American internet radio station that features an eclectic blend of current pop/rock music from both sides of the Atlantic alongside guilty pleasures, forgotten tracks, and radio hits from the last 3 decades. The format is like that of a typical American "top 40" station with the older stuff blended in. While their audience is predominantly American, they have a growing number of listeners from the France, Israel, Spain, and Mexico.

Starlight (Carl Hanaghan Remix)

2011-05-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, apparently its official.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight (Carl Hanaghan Remix) by carlhanaghan

I know many people will like it. I'm not very fond of it. It ruined a gorgeous track.

Sophie: My day on a plate

2011-05-01T01:43:00.001-07:00

6.30am I'm not naturally an early riser but my two-year-old has changed that. One slice of toast with Marmite and one with peanut butter, cup of tea (white, two sugars) and a handful of almonds.

8am Walk my two boys to school, feeding the ducks on the way. Song ideas often come to me while I'm pushing the buggy.

12pm Start late in the studio once my voice is warmed up. I'm working on a fifth album at the moment.

12.30pm A fancy sandwich – chorizo, chicken and avocado – and more almonds.

4pm Dairy Milk bar with a cup of builder's tea. I need the sugar and caffeine while writing.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: THE TELEGRAPH - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/8473612/My-Day-on-a-Plate-Sophie-Ellis-Bextor.html

Koko Pop: Interview + performances of Starlight and Heartbreak

2011-04-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

HEARTBREAK (MAKE ME A DANCER) (Live at Koko Pop)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N9SB9GW3

INTERVIEW (Sophie talks about her upcoming album and the new single, Starlight)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XJJI044K

STARLIGHT (Live at Koko Pop)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GV71N4YA

thanks Paul for the links

thanks to Renzo for the YouTube uploads

Official Catch-up, and a few other things

2011-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

So..Sophie HQ caught up with her. And they had a little chat about the current situation, the album and tour plans:

Hi Sophie, how are you?
I'm good thanks. I'm at Koko filming Koko Pops and the Album Chart Show. I'm doing a couple of songs in a bit.

So, the new album is announced! That's pretty exciting.
Yeah, the whole thing is exciting. I'm the boss lady this time around.

What's your label called?
It's called EBGB's. A bit like CBGB's in New York, but as in Ellis-Bextor Great Britain.

Ah, very clever!
Why thank you. I actually used it as the production company name when I did my live DVD way back in 2002.

So, you're a businesswoman now.
I guess I am, yes! But only my own business. People have been asking if I'm going to sign other acts, but it's all about getting my record out at the moment.

And, from a fan's point of view, they won't really notice the difference?
Not at all. But I get to be involved in everything. Don't get me wrong, I had a wonderful 10 years with Universal, but doing it this way does feel like the reward for the hard work, because there's a lot of things about the traditional record company model that don't really work that well for an artist. It's great to be able to get your own team and do it yourself.

Does it mean you're taking a financial risk?
Well, in a lot of ways it's financially beneficial. You have to sell a lot less albums to make a living when you do it this way.

That all sounds great.
Yeah, it's really cool. And a lot of people have been doing it this way for a while. Eminem apparently does it this way, and Mumford & Sons made their album on their own label, then licensed it to Island. So it's not a new phenomenon, but I do think we'll see it happening more and more.

Will there be EBGB's merchandise?
Well, I am in the process of setting up an online shop, cos I haven't really done anything like that for a while. So there could be.
And the album is out in a matter of weeks.
Yeah, it's all coming together now. I can understand why some of the fans were occasionally a little disgruntled that it felt like I wasn't just getting on with putting my album out, but really what we've managed to achieve in the last 12 months is pretty good.

And you're happy with the album itself?
Really happy. I got it mastered recently and it's great just hearing it all together. I think it's really cohesive and consistent, and I'm really proud of all the songs. But then I'm probably a bit biased!

Do you have a current favourite track?
Well Starlight, which is the single, has always been one I love, just because it's got that wistful, melancholy mood, which I always love in pop music. It's that sort of happy sad feeling. I'm a big fan of that.

That song's about halfway into the album - how hard do you think about the tracklisting?
Oh you definitely have to get the whole dynamic of the record so that it works. Some songs just don't work next to each other.

Why did you pick Cut Straight To The Heart as the final song?
Because it's epic and dramatic and it's got a really long outro. That's the mood you should be left with.

You've got a whole bunch of shows lined up for the summer. Are you looking forward to them?
Very much so. I think the forest tour with Erasure should be really fun. The Feeling did the same tour a couple of years ago and I went along to some of those. It was really idyllic and everyone was in holiday mode.

Have you met Erasure before?
I haven't actually. But I'm definitely a fan. It should be really fun.

Will you play some new stuff at those shows?
Oh absolutely. I always try to do a good cross-section of the contemporary stuff and then the singles. I try and think what I would want to hear if I was going to the show.

Sophie and Mr. PopJustice had a little Twittersation:

PopJustice: Song Of The Day: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - 'Synchronised' http://bit.ly/mUsQHC
@Popjustice are you working your way through my album?
@SophieEB That is a secret I am afraid.
@Popjustice I need to know if they'll be more before I get 'a 1/3 of this album has been SOTD on Popjustice' stickers printed up for the CD.
@SophieEB Is this any help http://t.co/DUxKEhZ
@Popjustice ok will change sticker to : '10/14 songs rated 4* or higher by Popjustice (this information was correct at time of printing)'

Unfortunately, i also came across this:

@SophieEB doll will we get a b-side for the Starlight single? :) xx
@UltimateDisco wonderful remixes

Sigh! WE WANT A B-SIDE!

Oh, and Mr. PJ also rated all the songs on the album. He's got most of it right. Except, Make A Scene deserves 5 Stars and Cut Straight To The Heart deserves 4.5 stars.

LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST WITH MR. PJ'S SCREENSHOT: http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5417&Itemid=206
LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST WITH THE SOPHIE HQ INTERVIEW: http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/news?id=333

Not Sophie news...but...

2011-04-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of Sophie's album in Russia, Carson and I have come up with a song, dedicating it to the lovely lady herself. I hope you guys like it....

Here's the song:
Her Name Is Sophie (Carson vs. Kaushik) by kaushikchakravarthy

HER NAME IS SOPHIE.
Vocals & Lyrics by Kaushik
Production by Carson

She's almost six feet
Strutting in high heels
She gets all the men to go down on their knees

My heart goes boom-boom
When she sets foot in the room
She'll have drooling all over, pretty soon

I can't help but picture the two of us together
But i know that's not what she really needs
But then my brain ceases function
I'm in juxtaposition with this guy that she smiles at
(oh me, oh my!)

Her name is Sophie
She drives me crazy
I'm not a singer in the band
But i'll lead you by the hand, lady
Her name is Sophie
I could be her baby
Wish you'd give me an itty-bitty
Piece of your lovey-dovey, lady

I'd call her "sexy"
But then she'd look at me
And then i'd fumble for words, how embarrassing

I can't help but I am jealous, I won't say that in the chorus
There's this fella, i really wanna beat
But then my brain ceases function
I'm in juxtaposition with this guy that she smiles at
(oh me, oh my!)

It's not like he'd be NOWHERE WITHOUT YOU
And I can't stand THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US
I know I'll win you one day, cos I BELIEVE
((READ MY LIPS))
You've got me spinning round round in CIRCLES
I'm DOWN WITH LOVE and CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING
You, my dear, CUT STRAIGHT TO THE HEART of me
((Don't MAKE A SCENE))
((Don't SHOOT FROM THE HIP))
((Lets TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC))

The ((...)) bits are whispered, so you might want to turn up the volume a tiny bit.

Sophie with ILA Group

2011-04-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

ILA Group, maker of personal alarms for women, plans to raise £20 million for acquisitions and is in talks to enter the US market.

The Aim-listed company, which sells its products at M&S, Asda, House of Fraser and Sainsbury's, numbers singer Sophie Ellis- Bextor and actress Jaime Winstone among the celebrities who carry its alarms.

The company is looking to acquire firms that offer new products – and hopes to raise cash via debt or equity funding. ILA has expanded its sales into 30 countries and it is now in talks with major retailers in the US.

The group has appointed Gordon Black, former chairman of retailers Peter Black Holdings, to advise on takeover targets.

Original Article: Daily Mail

Booklet Scans + pictures of the CD

2011-04-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

thanks to those wonderul Sophiesticaters, we have scans of the booklet now.
Thanks for the heads-up Paul.

Make A Scene - fan responses

2011-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Have you pre-ordered the album yet? No? Here are so many reasons why you should!

dominic spez
It's way fucking better than Loud, Femme Fatale, and Teenage Dream combined.

In Denial?
Album of 2011 so far and I say that as a major Britney fan. The woman just knows how to make brilliant pop music.

Itty Bitty Piggy
The strange thing is, there would be so many potential singles on here. It's not just good pop, it's actually really commercial and marketable. Disco-fantastic but still sounds as modern as Femme Fatale. And this is coming from someone who didn't give a shit about her before today!
How bizarre. I'd quite happily welcome her back into the pop diva fold.

17days
wow. I can't believe we can say this and truly mean it after the debacle that this album cycle has turned out to be but...WORTH THE WAIT.
What a fantastic, totally satisfying dance-pop album. Not one duff track, not one unnecessary song.

MrStyles
I knew this would be worth it. Gaga's gonna have to go some to top this absolute pop tour-de-force.

elear
Under Your Touch, Make a Scene, and Synchronised are on repeat right now - all the tracks are wonderful, but these three I just can't help but keep coming back to. Synchronised is just so incredibly emotive, with very late '90s production overtones. It takes me back to another time and I'm just captivated by it all right now.
But Make a Scene is still shockingly perfect.

Makke
I have never.. Never. Ever. Liked all of the songs on a single album on first listen. Never. Until now. Disregarding the ones we've heard before this, all the 7 unheard ones hit me on first listen. I'd cry if I were emotionally able to do so.
I hate Hate HATE making comparisons between entirely different artists but.. Gaga can't top this with Born This Way. I'm sure she'll come up with a brilliant album as well and that I'll love it. But Make a Scene is better. I can tell it already.

euphoria.
This definitely is a 10/10 album. 'Homewrecker' I could probably do without but it's still a nice song that I won't have to skip over. The last 2 tracks in particular, 'Synchronised' and 'Cut Straight To The Heart' gave me shivers. I'm also in love with... well... every track.
I'd probably say the dreamier sounding songs are my favorites. Just beautiful. This is Sophie's strength.
I'm worried about being accused of hyperbole, but this album is making me really excited about pop again. Everything on it is so flawless. It's deep but it's fun, it's speedy but chilled out. I love that the moody artwork can be debated as to whether it fits the album's sound or not.
She worked with some of my favorite producers and regardless if it's a success (like it absolutely DESERVES to be), it's definitely going to be one of my top albums of the year.

Dial-999
Bold statement, but I'm certain that Make a Scene will be better than Born This Way.
Sophie Goddess-Bextor.

flynnick
Even though I love most of Sophie's singles, I've never really felt the urge to buy any of her albums. This is tremendous though, as many have said - no filler whatsoever. I'm kinda shocked.

lindsayblowhan
I'm listening to the new tracks. I've literally got that thick saliva in my mouth you get before you're going to vomit I'm that excited. It's so good. Magic is so fucking pretty. OH SOPHIE YOU ULTIMATE GODDESS OF ALL THINGS AMAZING AND TOP SHELF. THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING YOU ARE JUST A MAJESTIC BEAST THAT POOPS AMAZING POP SONGS. Best pop album in the last few years. This is Fame Monster level of amazing. These songs are over a year old yet they sound more forward then anything Rihanna/Britney/My cousin Vinny have released.

stevewinter
I completely LOVE this album already... All the obsessing was worth it after all...

blaketat
I've never really listened to Sophie, except for her singles and I find this album quite amazing and quite what everyone is saying (I won't mention as it could possibly be quite trite.)
I feel as if she's the beacon of light left of sophistication with a tinge of fun elements also. Glad to see that it's been done so so well by someone I considered as relevant as Dannii Minogue.

garmobozia2
Synchronized really is amazing. There's so much layering in the production towards the end and Sophie's voice just completely makes the song for me.

brad_co
I'm in heaven with Under Your Touch !!!
The studio version of Dial My Number is incredible !
I really like "Homewrecker", so clever !
Make a Scene will be my summer Anthem ! Not only the song but full album !

Ruben D.G.
It's a 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999/10 album!!!!!!!!!!

alxx
Great album! Will be buying this when it's eventually released here.

Cactuar
This is really Sophie's "Come And Get It", an amazing pop album destined to reach the lower rungs of the Top 40. The album is brilliant, in fact my only complaint is that it seems to have too many singles and not enough new songs.
My favourites are Make A Scene (love the production!) and Synchronized (her adlibbing near the end is stunning). And my, my how much has her vocals improved! She sounds utterly amazing.

Teedus
"Magic" is a dream come true.

D_ni
Under You Touch IS noisy, but in a good way. And I totally adore the chord progression in the chorus.
Make a Scene is crazy, definately Sophie at her most experimental. And it works!
Magic started out a bit mediocre and boring, but as it progressed it started to make sense. The last minute is just pure synth heaven.
I gotta to sleep but I don't want to stop listening to this album. It's just perfect, it's like I'm in heaven surrounded by lush synths, great melodies and gorgeous vocals.
Make a Scene actually reminds me of Read My Lips a lot, it sounds like a modern, updated version of it. Some of the tracks wouldn't feel out of place on Read My Lips and vice versa, but it still manages to sound fresh and current. I've not idea how she accomplished such a thing, but it's quite impressive.

Tommie
Make A Scene (the track) is all kinds of amazing.

MachineGun
Songs like "Make a Scene" become next level shit, 11/10 songs,

Banhurt
It's the best pop album I've EVER heard.
I'm not going to sleep.

xondus
Speechless. I can't believe I'm actually finally listening to this album!
Make A Scene... It's like Read My Lips Sophie on some weird drug. It's the only way I can describe it. So utterly weird and wonky but awesome.
Magic just made every single hair on my body stand up, I swear. What a song!
Dial My Number is everything I hoped for and more. So good. The little breakdown before the last chorus - perfection.

lecarlos
I'm sorry, but this album is freaking A-mazing.
love this woman soooo much!

heartmightmelt
Album is awesome from start to finish. I honestly thought I'd be sitting here disappointed (It took me aaaaaages to get into Trip, and I cherry picked the songs I liked from the first two albums even though I could've gave them more attention at the time)

Lof
So so good!... Dial My Number and Make a Scene are my favourites righ now but Bittersweet continues being my top favourite.
Best album of the year

NunyaB
Finally listened to it straight through – like a good child I even listened to 1-7!
I don't know what else to say other than I'm so happy to be a Sophie Ellis-Bextor fan right now, and to be able to say that she has improved with each album she's released. This album is her finest moment yet, and I think it really promises great things for her future.

ID
Wow, Synchronised was worth the wait.

popknark
Best album of the year. Not one bad track, although "Revolution" seems a bit odd next to the rest of the tracks. I see it as a small firecracker which prepares for the big disco terrorist attack which follows.
I absolutely love the '80s love affair "Dial My Number", the 8-bit Abba amazingness of "Off & On" and, last but not least, "Make A Scene" which ironically pisses over anything on the latest Metronomy album. I overlooked "Not Giving Up On Love" last year, but now it's one of my favourite Ellis-Bextor songs ever. Such a lovely - and heartbreaking - chorus. "Synchronised" is absolutely amazing too. The new "Today The Sun's On Us"? (I suppose it's quite different, but I love it in a similar way.)
Considering how much I love this album after just one listen, I'll probably put this on the top of my end of the year list.

DirtyPornStar
I am blown away.
And oh my god. The album version of Under Your Touch is everything I could have ever wanted from an album version of a song I listened to 100x in live form. The violins at the end....
Amazing, amazing, amazing.
Revolution is fucking mental, by the way.
Such an improvement from the demo.

Baby Jane
The only thing that needs to be said about this album is short and simple:
best pop album of the year so far.

roverchan2
It's so fantastically retro, but in this bizarre, Oriental, space-agey way. It's a fantastic album.

digitalkaiser
THIS. ALBUM.
No words, I'm stoned and I'm in like another world. Aliens and sex goddess' , dancing to some weird orgasmic insanity.
I cant. Best album of the year.

Mr Telephone Man
Not Giving Up On Love is heaven on earth, why could it not be longer?!?!
I just, this song, it's beautiful. I cried, it's perfect.

aOblivious
Flawless.

Aester
This really is fantastic. I was worried that it wouldn't be cohesive, but somehow all the songs work together perfectly. I agree with everyone who's said "Make A Scene" is the album highlight.
"Cut Straight to the Heart" uses the same melody as The Rapture's "No Sex for Ben." I wonder if that was intentional. It really surprised me at first.
I still prefer the longer version of "Revolution" with the extra "arm me/army/own me" (the best bit!), but I think I can get used to the album version.

AndrewX
I love how this is supposed to be a "dance album" because it totally isn't. The only dance numbers really are Bittersweet and Heartbreak in my opinion. I don't care though, i didn't really want a dance album. I still cannot believe how fantastic it is. Great job Ms. Sophie!

The Johnster
Listening to this is just such a relief, to hear the tracks finally! The quality is great - my favourites (apart from those we've already heard) are the title track, Dial My Number and Starlight (I'm counting it as a new track).
So with the overwhelmingly positive reaction to this, do we think there's any chance of some chart success? I'm still holding out a glimmer of hope - I'll hope for 4 weeks in the Top 40 but I think we'll probably see more like 2 in the top 75. Who knows though!
Sophie should be so proud.

believeagain
All I can say is: what a release.
Brilliant.

Mogwellian
Magic has completely stolen my heart and sums up the album for me. The sentiment and delivery is absolutely on target. This and Synchronised are career highlights (when Sophie belts, it's an unexpected delight - more of that please).
I feel like this album could achieve legendary status (even more) on these boards, along the lines of Come and Get It. Much like that album, this is a once in 5 years event. I am going to be living my summer to this soundtrack.

hidesebastian!
My god this album is epic, isn't it? Magic is just stunning, utterly perfect, Make a Scene the song makes so much sense when you listen to the album, and it is by far the best song Sophie has done in years. I can't get enough of Under Your Touch and Dial My Number, and the singles (especially Not Giving Up On Love) are flawless. A five out of five, hands down. Absolute perfection. The closing of the album is beautiful

Effleurescence
This album is absolutly amazing, her best album, I'm in love with "Under your touch"

New Flame
It's a massive album! I hope the praise doesn't only come from us, but also from the critics. Perez Hilton has already send his love on Twitter! I love how single handedly Sophie can knock out the shallow, talentless, but immensely popular, Britney Spears and the forced, commercial Lady Gaga! There's no way Born this Way will be better with those already mediocre singles. Sophie has always been more 'human' anyway. At this point, it doesn't really matter any more where Sophie will end up on the charts. How great would it be if Make a Scene ended up on 'Best albums'-lists at the end of year?

Wuming01
This album is one of the most magical I've listened to in years.

Hermit
I'm blown away!
I liked (some songs on) her first three albums - even won a signed copy of the second album and I wasn't really a fan.
However, this album is brilliant and flows perfectly. The best tracks have to be Synchronised and Cut Straight to The Heart.

SockMonkey
This thread is a shining example of how a thread should be on Popjustice.
This album is a shining example of how you can make great pop music without a load of pretentious nonsense hanging out the back end of it.
Result: Sophie is the queen.

W2K
Whilst I wasn't impressed by the album sampler, the full album itself is proving to be a really pleasant listen. It's a shame this didn't come out earlier when my interest was at a higher peak but I'll definitely be buying it when it arrives in the UK regardless. Good work Sophie!

burzacott
I adore this album from start to finish. Would anyone get pissed off if I compared it to Rachel Stevens "Come & Get It", in terms of an excellent pop album which gets criminally ignored (well we don't know that for sure but at a good guess).

laterdanish
It's by far her best and most "party" album! Whilst still retaining that cool, sophisticated edge she has over other pop artists.
Really like the last track "Straight To The Heart" - the perfect end to the party.

Robbietoxic
Without taking anything away from her in terms of what she has achieved with this album it won't stop it from flopping. If it goes in the UK top 40 then it's actually done ok after how much of a mess it's all been. However, the songs are so amazing that it makes it such a crime. Listening to the album in full is such an incredible experience which I can't even truly put into words. It's such a work of art and something which she should be more than proud to be associated with.

mystikal_Love
Just finished listening to the album and all I can say is... WOW. It's so refreshing to listen to an album that is so cohesive without becoming repetitive and with an air of sophistication that comes from not relying on any "of-the-moment" gimmicks. I don't think Sophie's voices has ever sounded so strong or effortless and the production is generally pristine. The only negative is the title track is a dud unfortunately, but the rest of the album more than makes up for it.
Coming into the album with rather low expectations has definitely benefitted my listening experience and there is no way I am not buying this, I want a physical copy as soon as possible.

China_Heart
The album is amazing! Absolutely brilliant! Exactly what I was expecting from my Sophie: classy, clever, tasteful, catchy, adult pop with 80s influences and modern beats.
It shits all over Aphrodite, sorry Kylie, since, unlike that, it does really seem to have a soul!!! AND the lyrics are brilliant! This is what I mean when I say you can still make GREAT dance music with GOOD, ADULT, CLEVER lyrics and not inanely silly rhymes.
Thank God for Sophie, her beauty, her poshness, her Britishness, her stubborness in releasing slightly off-the-centre, quirky, clever pop in an age when popstars are as disposable and cheap as tissues.
"Make A Scene" is THE BEST pop album of the year, full stop.
Long Hail Queen Sophie! (Or maybe Goddess Sophie?)

OneCharmingBastard
Normally this record would merit a score in the A minus range; that she has gone to hell and back to get it out moves it straight to an A, with the back seven tracks outflanking GaGa's "Monster" EP in terms of quality and tone. NOT A CLINKER AMONG THE NEW TRACKS.
The low points come from two of the familiars - The Calderra track and The Armin track. Swap either for "Sophia Loren" and you've got an all-star platter. The Metornomy track is bonkers, "Magic" is as good as "Starlight", but "Under Your Touch" and "Dial My Number" are singles-worthy in the almost-a-must kind of way.

citoig
I wasn't the biggest fan of her last two albums to be honest (though I did really like Read My Lips), but my mate played this on the drive home, and it's amazing. Genuinely delighted for her.

Lost in Japan.
I love Can't Fight This Feeling! In fact it might be one of my favourite tracks on the album, I am in love with the entire first half + Synchronised right now though.

Not convinced? This will surely convince you then.

So pre-order the album now.
AMAZON
HMV
PLAY