CityLife

Interview: Shingai Shoniwa (The Noisettes)

The Noisettes

What's in a name? For The Noisettes’ frontwoman and beautiful bassist, it’s more than just a word on her birth certificate.

Because for Shingai Shoniwa, her name has defined her life. Shingai means perseverance in Shona, the first language of her Zimbabwean parents.

When she tells you her twin sister’s name means courage, you can’t help but think she probably got the best deal.

“It really did have an effect on me,” says Shingai when she and CityLife catch up in snowy Cambridge.

“I think there was extra pressure growing up in London in a first generation migrant family and trying to get into a good school when I did my 11-plus.

“My mum worked three jobs, she wanted us to have the things that she hadn’t had.

“If I ever failed anything, my mum would be like, ‘Your name means perseverance, you’ve got no choice’. I was never allowed to forget what it meant and I thank my mum for that.”

If you’ve ever caught The Noisettes live, you’ll know that Shingai is impossible to take your eyes off. Always sharply dressed in couture fashions (a skill she also owes to her mother and her attempts to make the best of hand-me-downs), Shingai usually performs barefoot and often finishes a show dangling from the rafters.

But she says showmanship wasn’t a trait she was born with. It’s hard to believe when you talk to her; open, eloquent and self assured, she’s an ingratiating character with dazzling good looks.

Putting herself on stage with the band (completed by guitarist Dan Smith and The Noisettes’ one-named drummer Toby) back in 2004 was the moment it all changed.

“Until I was about 14, I was quite reserved, then I joined every club I could join at that point: drama, circus lessons, even gym club.

“I’m from a huge African family; they’re so flamboyant that I tried to rebel against it,” she laughs.

“My mum was so loud: ‘What? Is that your boyfriend?’,” she howls in a Zimbabwean patois.

“All the colour and the headscarves... going to church was such a drama!

“For the first 10 years, I was drowned in my family. I found my voice on stage – until then, I was quiet and into my Enid Blyton books.”

'Vision'

The group’s live shows cemented their reputation (a number of publications proudly dubbed them Britain’s best live band), but it also recommended them to their contemporaries: Babyshambles, Bloc Party, Maximo Park, even Muse took them out on world tours.

But back on home turf, the going was tough. Their debut album, What’s The Time, Mr Wolf?, only just dented the Top 75. The venues remained decidedly pokey, despite 300,000 friends on My Space.

Then last year, along came a car advert. It used their song Don’t Upset The Rhythm – the massive, standout track from their second record, Wild Young Hearts – and resulted in a No.2 single and a Top 10 album.

A pop-infused, punk-funk band was born and the garage rock grit was put behind them. Was Shingai ever scared the old school fans would turn their nose up at their new shiny sound?

“I really don’t believe that there is a shiny pop side to our music,” she dismisses. “You can have these manufactured records with the same manufactured sound and that’s shiny pop.

“What’s made this record better and more popular is that we had a producer who could see our vision straight away.

“Don’t Upset The Rhythm has this Earth, Wind & Fire, disco-funk feel, Atticus is like this lullaby more reminiscent of Joan Armatrading or Tracy Chapman and Saturday Night is just Ultravox-style, electro madness.

“In America it’s all about a good song, whereas here it seems to be about the promotion machine around you.

“That’s what takes it to the next level and determines how many people you can reach.

“When I was going out to loads of gigs when I was 14, if it was a band with guitars I was the only black girl there,” she remembers. It’s nice to go out there with a record that has the support of the rocker and the indie kids – and the guys in their 50s and nine-year-olds on their dads’ shoulders.

“There’s not a lot of bands who can bring those people together and I think that’s what pop music was at the height of its power.

“David Bowie, Queen, Kate Bush, Grace Jones: they wouldn’t make the same album twice, so why the hell should we?”

The resulting whirlwind of attention has chucked The Noisettes into bigger and better venues at home.

'Glitz'

On Tuesday, they play at the Academy as part of a nearly sold out national tour.

“It’s been a whirlwind more for our friends and families more than us,” she explains.

“We first got our record deal four years ago, which was a big deal cos we’d only been together for a year at that point. For us, it’s been a whirlwind that hasn’t stopped since then.

“You miss your family and your friends but sometimes life flies at you like a bullet out of a gun. There’s relentless promo to do and touring, but the pay off is making your family proud and people happy. It’s nice to be part of such an exciting time in music, to be part of the pop renaissance.”

This year, they’re hoping to spend more time back at home – particularly if anything big happens.

Popping the champagne when your album goes Gold is good, says Shingai, but when there’s 6,000 miles between you and your old mates, it doesn’t taste quite so sweet.

“It won’t happen any time soon, though,” she smiles. “Our label are killing three birds with one stone at the moment, keeping us on the road in the UK, Europe and America at once.

“It’s not something I’d complain about – we’ve had some amazing experiences.”

They come to Manchester with plenty of rehearsals behind them, then. How is the live show shaping up? “I’ve always been up for a bit of glitz,” laughs Shingai, “but I have to take my shoes off so I don’t break my ankles.

“You can sing beautifully but the music shouldn’t be so tight that the crowd can’t relax.

“We’ve got quite a few covers planned. I can’t tell you what, but I’ll give you a clue. When Dan and I first met, he roped me into a Diana Ross covers band with his dad,” she laughs.

“I’ve also got a couple of costume changes and we’ve got a couple of incredible backing singers and dancers with us for Manchester.”

And true to her name, Shingai has a few essential skills up her sleeve in the event of a crisis. “I fancy myself as a bit of a Mary Poppins character on tour – I’d bring the kitchen sink if I could,” she laughs.

“Aptitude is one of my strongest traits – I like to use my imagination. Safety pins, extra tights for those knee skids, gaffer tape and a good sense of humour: there’s what you need on stage. If you have those, you can’t go far wrong.”

Academy - March 2, 2010 - £14.30.