She's the alternative pop singer who quit her band to make music she could dance to. Hailing from LA via Brooklyn, Conway popped over to London last week to unleash her own brand of catchy tunes on an unsuspecting public. Fresh off Ellie Goulding's North American tour with a growing fan base to boot, this girl is about to be very big news indeed.
We talked her about her dog, struggling to pee in her outlandish costumes and curing stage fright with camel noises.
Hi Conway. Are you enjoying the UK?
Yeah I really appreciate being around people that are sarcastic. I also don’t really mind the less-excitable audiences which apparently you guys are even if you like something. I was told it was a huge deal that people didn’t leave during my sets so I feel like I did good. I got people to move and dance and scream.
Well done. We don’t like to do any of that stuff.
I think I made people nervous. I tent to look deeply at one person. They couldn’t handle looking back at me.
Yeah, we need to be drunk to do that stuff
Yeah it was quite early in the night. Later on they probably would make out with me right?
Oh yeah. How come you’ve gone out on your own? You were in a band before right?
I’d really much rather dance. want to dance to my music. When you’re playing the bass and singing there’s not much dancing going on. You can do the occasional nod or whatever but meh.
So now you're making fun pop tunes?
I want to make really really catchy tunes and not do this pop formula bullshit so I’ll have to play my version of what a really catchy song is. Let's see if people give a shit. Ususally what’s on the radio in America is stuff with lyrics a first grader would use.
Well good luck bringing that to an end
It’s a quest! Figure out how to be myself and still get people to like it.
Yes! Your mission is to end formulaic pop
No pressure! Not from an ego standpoint but I’ve worked very hard on my songwriting and this is the first time I hear these songs back and I’m just so proud of them and I feel like they’re solid. Like I don’t cringe at any one word or part. I didn’t half-ass any of them. I would just love it if the radio would be so kind as to let me get in there.
You've got some pretty bonkers costumes in your videos. Who styles you?
Nobody dresses me. I’m a big fan of something old and something new put together and probably an obnoxious accessory. I end up making a lot of the outfits I wear. I very rarely buy something as is. In the *Hustler *video I worked with a great designer so when I was like, 'I want rabbit pants,' she was like, 'great I know where to get the furry white stuff from.'
You wear a snazzy gold jumpsuit in that video too. Was it tough to pee in?
Ha ha yeah. I have got to figure out how to dress a little less confining. I will pick something that I’m like, 'Oh my God this is amazing,' but I always forget I might have to get it off and go pee at some point. It’s the worst. I need zips.
So what's it been like on tour with Ellie Goulding?
We found out six days before so it was like, 'OMG amazing. Oh shit now we have to play Madison Square Garden in six days.' Really terrifying. Mostly because my bass player was doing a show and my tour manager was doing a gig and I literally had to make 15 outfits because I refuse to wear the same things twice and get my shit together and go.
That sounds rather stressful
Yeah but her fans really embraced us which was very cool.
How the hell do you deal with stage fright in front of 30,000 people?
Ironically I get more nervous for a smaller show because I can see every single face. I get insane nerves about 10 minutes before and I just start breathing out these hard deep breaths like an exorcism just trying to force all the air out of you and make this werid sound like a camel. And just tell myself, ‘It’s a miracle that you’re here’. I really like the live bit of it.
That’s handy. Considering what your job is
Ha yes.
Who is the dog that's always on your Instagram?
That is not only my dog but my spiritual leader. Her name is Hazel.
Sorry I called her a him
Everyone thinks dogs are boys and cats are girls.
That is very true
Hazel is the love of my life. She’s a little Boston terrier. My moments of calm and fun and being an idiot are all sponsored by Hazel for the most part. She’s super crazy happy looking gremlin of a dog. I’m obsessed with her. Animals are definitely better than a lot of people.
Wiser words have never been spoken.
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
Conway's EP Big Talk is available as a free download from her website.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.