She's probably best-known for appearing in the Nina Ricci campaign singing Blondie's Sunday Girl but Florrie Arnold's got far more up her sleeve than just that. The 25-year-old singer/songwriter from Bristol started out her career as the in-house drummer at production company Xenomania, performing on tracks for Girls Aloud and Kylie, but since 2010 she's been focussing on her solo career. Now, as her new single Too Young To Remember is released and with her debut album very nearly finished we spoke to her about ghosts, Punkyfish trousers and why she's much cooler than we'll ever be.**
**
The Debrief: Hi Florrie! Are you at your studio? We've heard it's haunted.
F: Yeah, well there’s been some weird stories, people seeing stuff and hearing things. I never have actually, I don’t believe in that kind of thing. But the studio used to be the house that Alice Liddell used to live in. She was the little girl that Alice in Wonderland was based on. So maybe its her and her dog?
DB: Yeah, that sounds like the logical solution. So how come you started playing the drums?
F: Well I got a drum kit for my seventh birthday. I just saw some guy playing drums when I was on holiday with my family in a little restaurant and then I watched him every night. The guy let me play and when I got home I drew this whole picture of a drum kit and from that day on I was obsessed.
DB: You were clearly much cooler than us as a child. We chose the flute.
F: I did have a little spell of playing the clarinet actually.
DB: All right then, we’ll let you off. Tell us about your band you had when you were a teenager. It sounds spectacular.
F: We did Avril Lavigne covers. It was in the whole Busted era. Very pop punk. Then we got into The Clash and started writing our own songs as well.
DB: Was it all Punkyfish trousers and dyed hair?
F: Definitely! Massive flares and lots and lots of eyeliner. I remember I was obsessed with Green Flashes too, I didn’t wear any other shoes for about 4 years.
DB: They were the best. We had red polka dot ones, it was an early noughties right of teenage passage. So what have you been up to since your last EP in 2012?
F: I’ve been mostly in the studio and just working on my album which is almost finished, I’m pretty much there! I’ve got a shortlist of about 18 songs to pick from. That’s a good position to be in and I’m really pleased that I took the time to get it exactly how I want it.
DB: You’ve obviously dabbled in modeling over the past few years too, I think everyone's see the Nina Ricci campaign...
F: Yeah, they were looking for a new artist to be in their campaign and sing this Blondie song. The process went on for about three months narrowing it down. I didn’t know it was actually to be in the campaign, I just thought it was for the song until they picked me and said, ‘Look, this what we want to do’. But it was an amazing experience and it also allowed me to stay independent. The money from it allowed me to live and make my records without a major label.
DB: Did you ever worry that people might think less of your musical talents because of the modelling?
F: I’m sure some people would think like that. But most of the people who saw the campaign and discovered me through it then looked back at everything I’ve done previously and delved into it a tiny bit more, so they got to see what I’m all about. There wasn’t anything bad that came out of it.
DB: Tell me about playing drums for Girls Aloud
I played drums on The Promise, but it was weird because I kind of got the job as the in-house drummer at Xenomania (the production company that made the track) on the Friday, started on the Monday and played on the track on Wednesday and it was just mental. Then it went to Number One and won a Brit Award and everything. It was just a massive whirlwind of excitement.
DB: When it comes to your style, do you choose all your own looks?
F: I love that simple chic look, nothing too fussy. I always pick all my outfits for things but I work with my friend Phoebe who has a good eye for picking stuff out. But I always go for something that I feel comfortable in.
DB: Is there any one outfit that you’ve had to give back that you’ve had separation issues with?
F: There was an amazing green Christopher Kane dress I wore on one of the first shoots I did. (We think she means this one). It was an amazing dark green emerald silk dress, very structured. I love that tailored look. There’s probably endless lists of things I wanted to keep!
**DB: Thanks Florrie!
**
Florrie's new EP Sirens is out now.
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.