“I think we shocked ourselves a lot of the time making this album.” Kate begins. “But you know, it started out as a passion project, just us two, and the thought of anyone else hearing it didn’t really cross our minds.” She adds, “I was singing a lot in the shower and getting comfortable with a lower range to what I’m used to, which is why I don’t really sound like ‘me’ on the record,” she laughs, “and I said to Keir, ‘What do you think of my funny voice?’ and that kind of got us thinking about having this album be a completely anonymous thing without our names attached to it at all.”
The project’s name, chosen to keep an air of anonymity, Keir explains, is not so much about the ‘make-over myth’ as may be expected. “The idea was to use a name that tells a story; a la Frankie Goes To Hollywood, who got their name from a newspaper headline, but then I guess it is crudely in line with current reality TV obsessions with weight and appearance.” While Frankie suggested we all should relax, Fatty Gets A Stylist go one further with references to Zen Buddhism and pre-religious spirituality. Kate picks up the thread: “Even though some of the songs are very silly, I guess there’s also some obvious spiritual references like on The Tiger Inside Will Eat The Child, which had to do with the Buddhist belief that you only really grow through completely letting go of your past systems.” In Wiccan lore, it’s taught that people possess power animals which they have to get to grips with – the intention being, it makes you awesome. After discovering this, Keir shares some concerns over what his animal might be.
“I dream about dogs a lot, but not cool ones like wolves or dingos, its always garden variety spaniels.” Kate, cracking up, adds, “Maybe you’ll graduate to a poodle.” While Keir contemplates his K9 dilemma, Kate maintains that the dream animal concept in songs has become an indie band staple; therefore best avoided. “I’ve got a natural resistance to this dream-strength-animal-thing, but I do relate to the inner child as a way of helping me creatively. You have to get to that place in your head which is unaffected by day-to-day crap and allow yourself to be playful and fearless.”
Keir adds, “The tiger is more the self-conscious side of your mind – like the battle between the left and right brain that happens when you write or create music.”
Although much of Fatty Gets A Stylist was written on a laptop while Kate and Keir were on tour, its liner notes boast a long, impressive guest list of session players. The album was still in its demo form when while supporting Ben Folds Kate played it to him. Ben persuaded her to record it with a full band and release it.
With the Folds tick of approval, all that was left was to find the right artists for the job. As Keir explains: “Ben Folds called it ‘lower chakra music’, which basically meant it was more rhythmic, or more animal so we wanted players who came from that side of the spectrum.
“We,” he adds,” ended up going with Pete McNeal, (ex-Cake drummer) who plays in a band called Z-Trip, who has this strong, crazy improv style. Then you have Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who played bass with Beck, Air and Nine Inch Nails, bringing this really huge range of experience. I think those guys are what Ben was talking about when he said ‘lower chakra’ music.”
Kate simplifies, “It’s about listening with your hips and not your head.”
When Heidke’s solo albums, Curiouser and Little Eve, established her as a spirited and clearly gifted singer/songwriter, she was probably seen as a safe bet in the industry – especially once the awards began rolling in. So to drop the psychedelic bubblegum pop of Fatty Gets A Stylist close on the heels of such plaudits, surely a few men in grey towers were pulling out their hair. Kate responds, “Our management were really supportive of us putting it out, but there is a slight scary element to how fans will react to me doing something so different, for sure.
“I’ve heard people say they don’t like the name and that they think its offensive, but as I said before, we went into this with no fear and I accept that not everyone is going to get into it, or see why I’m doing this now, but as I get older, I feel I’m gradually taking more and more control creatively of what I want to do.”
Keir adds, “The reaction has been really interesting so far. Before anyone knew we were doing this, I played some of the songs to our band [Transport], and they didn’t spot it was Kate – I just told them it was this new band I’d met in London,” he laughs. “Usually whenever you play something new to friends, it’s a pretty loaded atmosphere and you know they don’t want to hurt your feelings, so this was the best way to get a completely honest reaction from them.”
As Kate recalls, “They didn’t think it was me, so I said, ‘What do you think of her voice?’ and one of them said, ‘Oh she’s nowhere near as good a singer as you.’ So after that, I didn’t want to let anyone know it was me!”
