(Photo: Finlay MacKay)

What kind of singer are you?
It’s a mix—but in a good way!—between Edith Piaf and electro, with some drum machines and some Jeff Buckley. I suppose that sounds quite cuckoo, but it does work! I do other things, too.

Like what?
I write my own magazine with a friend. It’s called Knobocks and Twunt, which is really quite rude, but it’s poetry and it’s about society and stuff.

What are you up to tonight?
I’m going to a guest-list party, but I can’t afford £7 drinks, so I’ve brought my own. Vincent Vincent and the Villains are playing.

Tell me about your outfit.
I just want to look like spring incarnate! It’s the first night you can go outside and be warm.

Where did you find it all?
My mother had a vintage shop for a while, so I have tutus and roses and all sorts of things from her.

Do you have any style icons?
Björk! And David Bowie and Marlene Dietrich. But I never think about a specific person when I’m getting dressed. I think more about a clown, say, or a ballerina. I like being in fancy dress almost, because then I’m not part of any look and it’s harder to judge.

What part of London are you from?
Harlesden, in the northwest. Some grime bands are from there, and there’s loads of shootings and stuff, so I kind of get laughed at, living there.

Is there anything in New York you’re dying to see?
Isn’t there a Jewish part with lots of old jazz? Jewish New Yorkers make all this great music, I’ve heard.

Related:

• Archive: “Travel Column”
• Articles by Amy Larocca
• Table of Contents: April 10, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!