Some People Have Real Talent

With a brand new album out on 15th January 2008 Sia Furler (former voice of Zero 7) was in fine spine tingling voice during a recent promotional tour of the UK.

Critics predict that Some People Have Real Problems is the album which will see Sia hit the big time and, frankly, few artists deserve it more. Since singing with her own band Crisp back in her home town of Adelaide, to releasing two previous solo albums; Healing is Difficult and the magnificently haunting Colour the Small One, plus stunning live album Lady Croissant – to working with award winning artists Zero 7 and Beck, Sia continues to amaze and delight with her startlingly heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies and, in the words of outnorthwest’s very own editor, “mad as a box of frogs” attitude to life.

outnorthwest jumped on Sia’s tour bus moments before her sold out Manchester gig in November, to get the latest from the soon-to-be superstar. Just as we sit down Sia gets a text from her new squeeze. “This one’s a girl, I’ve turned, sort of. She’s good, I like her a lot! As I’ve always said, I’ve never let gender get in the way of a good conversation!” With that exclusive under our belt – you read it here first – we ask Sia what’s she’s been up to since she last toured the UK with Zero 7 back in June 2006.

Sia: I’ve written and recorded a whole new album and tried to have a couple of relationships, and now I’m trying again!

ONW: And how’s that going?

Sia: It seems to be going very well!

ONW: We’re very pleased to hear it! So what’s your inspiration for the album this time?

Sia: Things that are happening in my life, things that are happening in my friends’ lives. I made some stuff up too. Day Too Soon was a pop song I was writing for Jamelia but she didn’t pick it up so I ended up recording it, 'cos my producer said, “You should do that song.”, and I said “OK! You’re the boss!”

ONW: So, what are you loving? What’s your favourite track on the new album?

Sia: Academia.

ONW: We love that one too! Where’s the inspiration from?

Sia: It was one of those vomits! I was in the studio in LA with my friend Dan who I did Breathe Me with, and he just started playing this melody and I went “Bleurgh” and wrote it in about 5 minutes. Then I had to call people up and make sure I’d got all the mathematical terms right! But it was just channelling – those songs are the best.

ONW: It’s a love song for geeks...

Sia: I know – it totally is! And also, for me, my step dad was cold, but also really supportive academically – so I guess it’s saying people don’t touch each other enough, and sometimes people use the intellect to protect themselves from emotions and I think that can be dangerous.

ONW: And how hard is it to sing with all those complicated words in it?

Sia: It’s really hard! But now I’ve gotten better – I run out of breath on one word – "graph"!

ONW: So do you see potential for songs every day Sia?

Sia: Yesterday, I was like “I’ve run out of power on my phone and I need it, 'cos this is my only lifeline to love” And David, my manager said “Lifeline to Love!! Write that! Write that!”

ONW: So what have you been listening to in 2007? What’s been your album of the year?

Sia: Radiohead – 'cos we were listening to that last night. I dunno – who do I love? I know – Yo Majesty. They are three big black lesbian hardcore topless rappers. They’ll blow your mind.

ONW: We must give them a try. So, have we seen the last of you working with Zero 7?

Sia: Maybe it will happen again, I don’t know. I’m just really busy, and it’s hard to fit it in to my schedule now that I have to concentrate on my solo career.

ONW: A lot of the critics are saying this is the album that’s gonna make you a superstar – how do you feel about that?

Sia: I feel comfortable now for the first time in yonks. I feel relaxed, and it’s good fun going on stage now, I feel I can just have a little “Hello, how’s it going, how’s your uncle?” you know. I’m not so nervous anymore, I’m not anxious about surviving. I think it probably is gonna be this album – I just know now I have to work really hard. I know if I eat well I won’t feel ugly or ill, if I’m honest about who I am and what I want, I think I can just be comfortable with that. I just have to work hard - it’s just a job like any other job – and my management company have worked so hard for the last seven years without making any money out of me, and have just signed me to this huge record deal, so finally they’ll start getting paid!

ONW: Some of the lyrics in Buttons are very interesting. “Yes, I can see that your carpet is animated.” Discuss.

Sia: OK, OK, I gotta tell you, I was at the end of the rope! There are four cycles for the process of doing my job; there’s writing, recording, promo and touring, and I was at the end of my writing cycle, which can sometimes, between albums, and in this case, can be up to three years! I was writing with all sorts of different writers and I wasn’t really having any experiences, I was just going into work every day and writing one or two songs a day, like accumulating songs, for me, for other pop stars – 'cos at one point I thought it wasn’t going to happen for me so I should just start writing for other people if I can. So it was like the last session I did, and I had literally nothing, and I was so bored of myself and I hadn’t done anything or had any experiences for like a year, and so I wrote nonsense!

ONW: So we shouldn’t over-analyse the lyrics then?

Sia: No, it’s a complete nonsense song!

ONW: You've asked fans to design the artwork for your new album – what was the idea behind that?

Sia: Well I was doing it all myself and I did a whole bunch on my computer and then there were three that I didn’t do cos I was too busy or lazy to do them or something and I said “can’t someone else do them?” and then I was like “I know! Let’s get the fans to do them!” 'cos I thought that might be fun and they might like to do it, and my management were like “Great idea Sia” and I was like “Thanks!” 'cos it was all born totally from laziness so we did it, and the results are tons better than mine. We ended up only using mine for the front cover and Day Too Soon.

ONW: Some of them are amazing.

Sia: Yep, they are so good. Their names are all on the credits and everything. Isn’t it exciting?

Some People Have Real Problems
is released on 15th January 2008