Pretty Addicted
Interview conducted on December 18, 2020
By Dan Locke
Pretty Addicted is an English electronic music group formed in London, England, in 2011. The project is the brainchild of Vicious Precious with a live band and a live drummer.
What is your upbringing?
I’m born and bred in London and I’m very much a Londoner at heart but I’ve lived in Yorkshire for the last 4 years and I have to say I love it! Northerners have been very good to me. It’s a whole different world up here! London is very busy and people are often rude but I feel like I was so used to that because that’s the way the hustle and bustle of life there is but seeing how polite people are in the north, I think I’m enjoying this a bit more haha! At least for now 🙂
How did you discover music?
My dad got me into music when I was a very small child. I have always been in love with music. All kinds, all genres. I’m first and foremost a music FAN before I am an artist. I think you really do have to be in love with music to be a musician. I remember the days of watching MTV & VH1 at 6 or 7 and being in love with music videos. Anything with high energy or dancing or something. I remember one of the first music videos I loved being Paula Abdul- Straight Up because she did this amazing tap dancing and it was all in black and white and really aesthetically interesting. I always wanted to be a pop star!
How did you start to write music?
I’ve always written lyrics, even as a youth, but writing music itself was kind of sprung upon me. When I first started Pretty Addicted it was with another person and he wrote the music (with some of my input) but then when we parted wats in 2013 and it became a solo writing project, I was essentially forced into writing music myself so that’s when it all starts to take shape!
Describe your music
It’s so many different genres!! I like to think if Marilyn Manson made 90s dance music it’s sound like Pretty Addicted!
How did your band get its name?
We called it that for a few reasons, one being that it really punches hard. It’s obviously got the “Addicted” word because hopefully we’re addicting! There’s another reason I won’t say haha
What was your first performance at like?
It was at Slimelight at Electrowerkz, supporting a band called Modulate, and it was one of the funniest shows of my career so far! All my friends came. I spent weeks attending the club night with tickets in my hand, making people buy them when they were drunk and getting everyone hyped, so by the time the show came around there were hundreds of people including shit tons of my friends and family and we all had an absolute blast! We packed that room out and it was the best feeling I’d ever had up to that moment in my life!
Why do you call your fans crackheads?
It’s a term of endearment. It’s a very British thing to call your friends things like “Dickhead” or “Cunt” and this is like saying that! It’s really caught on and people really attach themselves to the term. It’s also a good way to separate people who only kinda like PA with the really loyal fans and I like that. Self-confessed Crackheads are really supportive and are really ON this journey with me. We have a Facebook group called “Pretty Addicted *Crackheads*” and it’s become such a wonderful place for me. I see the same faces year in, year out, in the group, at shows, buying merch, sharing my music, showing their love for me, and I feel really touched. I feel like I’ve created this mad little Weirdo Clown world for all the oddballs and outcasts (the real outcasts, not just people who say they are because it’s “cute”) and we all really show love for each other. I feel like they’re my family.
What makes a good songwriter?
You gotta have a hook! For real. The best songs all have a hook. It doesn’t have to be “pop”y but you gotta have a lyric or a riff or a beat that comes back to really catch someone’s attention. It makes them remember the song and get it stuck in their heads. If you overthink it and make it too complex for sake of looking complex, you’ll ruin it. That’s just my opinion. For me, you also ALWAYS have to write meaningful lyrics. There are too many songs with meaningless lyrics. Goth buzz words thrown around doesn’t make it good. I wanna know your story; where have you been and what message are you trying to convey? Can I relate? I think the best songwriting comes from the heart. Don’t write something in hope it’ll go viral and you’ll become famous. Write songs that mean something to you and that you ENJOY. You should always enjoy your own music! Imagine writing something just for other people? I feel like other people’s opinions should always be secondary to your own. Write for YOU. People get honesty.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
I don’t. I probably should to be honest. It’s all on my very long list of things I need to be doing.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first original song for Pretty Addicted was called Slut Junkie. We did record it. It’s on our very first album “Filth” that I don’t really talk about much because, as I said before, that was a two-person effort and I feel like that was a whole other band. I also don’t feel comfortable pushing music written by someone else under my name Pretty Addicted and the music for that song was written by my former band mate. I did write the lyrics though and they were mostly stupid haha. Written about being fucked up at a club for people fucked up at a club. Not meaningful at all haha.
My first original song EVER was when I was probably 9 or 10 but I didn’t record it!
Choice of drink?
JACK DANIELS ALWAYS. And any bourbon whiskey. On one Tour I was given SEVEN 1litre bottles of Jack as presents from Crackheads over a 5-day period. Can I be the new Lemmy? HAHA.
How is it to manage your own career?
It is VERY difficult. It’s time consuming. It’s energy consuming. It’s soul destroying. It’s disappointing. It’s strenuous. It’s draining. It’s a lot of admin. It’s keeping on top of stuff (which I’m not always great at because of my mental health). It’s keeping spreadsheets and books. It’s running 10 different socials, emails and online platforms. It’s using every penny you earn outside of the band ON the band and never having any personal money to treat yourself ever. It’s sacrifice. It’s emotional as fuck.
I would advise anyone who wants to start a band or musical project to realize all of this before you start. Hobby bands that don’t really take it that seriously but enjoy playing the odd show, I’m not talking to them. But the ones who really want to do this as a career for their whole lives, they need to ask themselves “Can I commit to this 100%?” because it’s all day, every day. You have to run everything ALL the time because no one else is going to.
There are of course so many benefits to this life and so many rewards, but they’re all emotional and feeling-based. There isn’t real money in this. There is a sacrifice. It’s a labor of love. But it is TRUE LOVE.
Tell me about your latest song “Too Much” (90 Days of Cycles)?
I wrote this at a time in my life where men kept telling me I was too much. And using those words. “Too emotional”, ” Too intense”, “Too sensitive”. I felt like I kept being told just being ME was wrong in a way. I felt wrong. I felt so stuck because how can you lessen yourself? How can you even do that? It’s impossible to change who you are because that’s who you are. You don’t even know you’re being the way you are. I felt like I’d never be loved because I was just too much for people. I kept having these cycles where men would fall hard for me for around 3 months (90 days) and then they’d tell me I was too much for them and they couldn’t see me anymore. But by then I was already sucked in to the romance and it was like I kept falling in love with love over and over with a devastating and abrupt end, with no warning. All I could do was write about it. It was the first song I wrote from the new album and it paved the way for how the album would sound, I think.
People have been telling me they identify with the lyrics which makes me so happy but so sass that there are so many people out there being told they’re too much. I wish “over-sensitive” and “over-emotional” could be seen as ok because, honestly, I don’t know why it’s a bad thing to feel things so deeply. It means I’m more in touch with the raw human experience, I think.
Are you still planning to release your LP “Soul for Sale” in the spring of 2021?
Absolutely! I plan to release it on my birthday April 8th as a present to myself!! This is not announced yet but I’m pretty certain that’s when I’m going to release it and it’s all ready to go! It’s about time people had this album in their hands.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Probably the title track “Soul For Sale”. I feel like technically, it’s my best work to date. It’s got that hook I mentioned, it’s got progression in the arrangement, the lyrics are very emotional and raw and I really loved the video that went with it. That’s also my favourite video so far! Loki Films and I did something special with that. Shout out to Shaun!
How do you stay healthy while touring?
I really don’t hahahaha. Bands tend to live off food you get at the service stations on motorways and I consume a lot of whiskey after I get off stage every night. I’m definitely not one to copy haha but it’s fun as hell! I liken it to festival diets. You eat what you can, when you can. It’s always overpriced. And lots of booze and lack of sleep. It’s part of the adventure!
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Ooft. I actually did a video about this. It’s on both my Facebook page and Instagram page. I won’t repeat myself here as that video was 10 mins long but I would encourage people to please watch that for my opinion on Spotify and streaming. In short, I’ll say we need it. The system is broken but unfortunately, we need it. Please watch the video for a thorough dive into my opinion but PLEADE continue to stream your favourite bands on Spotify and to buy downloads on Bandcamp. We need it all.
How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score?
I actually don’t read music, I’m afraid haha. To be honest I know a lot of musicians who can’t. I “unlearned” all the stuff they taught me in performing arts school on purpose because for me it was all too “perfect”. I write music by ear, sing by ear and perform by ear. So, I guess I have also not used said hashtag haha. Sorry!
Digital vs. vinyl?
My dad was a DJ when I was growing up so I have watched him spin a lot of vinyl and he was also a wicked scratcher so it was all really cool to me growing up! I guess now I’m just a product of the modern world where I just don’t have the personal need for it anymore. Of course, vinyl sounds better for some genres, especially songs that were written at the time of vinyl. The new digital remastered versions can be “too perfect” and not have that raw original sound. But I just guess I just don’t have the personal need for them anymore. So, for me, digital.
Your Kitty “Velvet the precious cat” how did you get her?
Aww I love talking about Velvet! Velvet is the love of my life. I got her when she was 2 months old, 7 years ago, and she came into my life for a random reason and I just fell in absolute love with her instantly. She latched onto me from the first day and she sleeps in bed with me every night, as my little spoon, purring away and feeling like home. We’ve moved houses a good few time but for me, a house is only “home” because of her. Wherever she is, that’s home.
I absolutely love animals! My boyfriend and I have a second cat now who was abandoned by her previous “owner” so we rescued her from the streets. I can’t believe anyone would do that to an animal. Just move house and leave it. On purpose. We chased them up and they had left her purposely. Disgusting. She is very loved now, although she and Velvet do not get on! It’s still early days though. I’m hoping they’ll become buzziest!!
What is the mental health situation of the world?
Ooft. I think discussing our mental health issues openly is slowly being normalized but it’s very slowly. And different countries are going at different speeds. I can really only speak for the UK but I think it’s positive over here. It’s becoming more and more ok for older generations who once weren’t able to speak out, to speak out. This is a wonderful thing. We, of course, have a long way to go, and parts of the world like Asia, the Middle East and even America to be honest from what I know about it having some family live over there, have the farthest road to travel. From what I’ve seen. We have to realize we’re all human beings doing the exact same thing, waking up every day and existing. None of us are special in the big scheme of the universe. We’re all special in our own little corners of the world and every feeling we have is valid; every experience lived important to our corner, but that’s it. We’re but a blip in time and wasting your one life hating others, judging others, not being truly yourself and/or suffering in silence, it feels like the opposite of what we should be doing. Be kind to others, be kind to yourself. That’s all there is. Free yourself from burden and guilt. If you have a problem you or those close to you can’t fix, ask a doctor for help. It doesn’t make you less than or weak to seek help. Some don’t seek help in time and they give up the fight. That’s the saddest thing of all.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
I’m always listening to songs from the past! The 90s was my favourite era! One example is The Pretenders- Stand By You because I was learning that song recently so I could record and send it to my dad as a birthday treat because he loves that song. The meaning of the song was fitting as well because I wanted him to know that I was by his side through all the things he was going through. It’s such a powerful, beautiful song. I actually uploaded a video of me singing the track to my socials and one of my best friends sent me a message saying that it had really touched her which made me feel so good. It’s always a vulnerable thing to share covers as you’re scared; you’ll fuck it up!
Both Pfizer and BioNTech have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the vaccine it takes two shots. How soon before the whole world will be getting the vaccine?
I think this is a question for a more qualified person. I have absolutely no valid input on this because I’m not someone in this field. All I’ll say is that I think people should stop spreading conspiracy shit about the government sneakily putting things into our bodies through the vaccines. The government aren’t trying to kill you. Get a grip.
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Oh, without a shadow of a doubt. We’ll take fuckin YEARS to recover from this! Smaller artists like myself, smaller venues, smaller producers/promoters/sound engineers/crew/etc etc, we’ll all take ages to get our shit back together. The labels will be able to take care of the signed folk and big tours will happen. But the little guys, we’ll take the brunt. That’s why it’s SO IMPORTANT for people to continue to support us! You know how pre-COVID-19 we were all moaning about how the same big bands headline festivals every year and the fests aren’t letting the little guys get a chance and therefore we’ll keep seeing these older big bands with no wiggle room to see newer bands become the new big bands? Yeah, that problem still exists, but now multiply it by 10. KEEP supporting your favourite independent bands, we NEED you more than ever!
Do you think Dark Malta Fest will happen?
Oh god. You’ve put me in it now! I mean, it might. I can’t see it personally but I could be (and hope I’m) wrong. Brexit is also an issue for bands like me coming from the UK to an EU country. We’ll have to see what 2021 brings and the new Brexit rules. I can’t really comment conclusively til we all entre 2021 COVID-19-world and Brexit hits.
How are your video sessions coming with your female guest? Can you give me a hint of some of your guest you will be having for your podcast?
Thank you for asking about this! This is an amazing project I’m doing; interviewing female (/non binary) artists in the goth/electronica/industrial subgenres about their experiences in the industry. It had been a very rewarding but time-consuming project so far. I have as of today conducted 10 interviews and wanting to do 10 more for a really comprehensive view. I want to present thoughts from women in all parts of the industry. So, I’ve had female artists, a female bass player, female DJs & a female festival owner so far. I want to really put forward a thought out, well researched & genuine presentation from a good number of women to hit home the message that women are treated differently in this industry. It has been discussed in the metal, rock and punk genres but no one has discussed the goth/electronica/industrial/sort of darker more underground side of music yet and I thought, fuck it, I want to do it. Because it NEEDS to be discussed. I’m hoping to put this out around Summer 2021 because there’s still a lot of work to do on it. I still have to get through another 10 interviews and getting busy women, in different time zones, to set aside time in their schedules, is no easy task. I also have to edit each interview. They’ve all been 1-3 hours long on zoom! I need to make each one an hour. That’s going to take time and I have lot of PA stuff to do too so realistically Summer is a more reasonable goal to aim for. I hope people watch this because it’s such an important topic and these women all deserve to be heard. Myself included. I’ve had so much fun doing these interviews; chatted to some awesome women and made new friends so I’m really glad I started on this journey!I don’t want to give away any names, I’m afraid! I want it all to be a surprise!
How do you think the Me-Too Movement has helped female musicians to get their music heard?
It hasn’t. Not in my opinion. Women are still seen as less than in the industry.
Francis and the dead hoes? You have a collection of porcelain dolls. Have you had the chance to see Vampire novelist Anne Rice’s doll collection? She has a collection of one of kind dolls, which filled a three-story former orphanage in New Orleans. Her collection are some 1,000 rare and unique dolls?
I haven’t seen her collection but I will definitely check it out” I love creepy dolls! Francis & The Dead Hoes were bought from a charity shop and I painted them all up in corpse paint ready to be used for my next music video “Phobia”. They’re nice and creepy!
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I have discovered that I really enjoy video editing! I’ve always kind of made cute little videos for loved ones in the past but when I made my music video “Puppet” it was the first time I’d edited a music video and it was actually really fun! I greatly enjoyed it. I have since been enjoying making these DIY music videos and you’ll be getting 5 in total from me, including “Too Much (90 Days a Cycle)” before the “Soul For Sale” album drops next year!
They’re not perfect. I don’t have a fancy camera. My lighting isn’t always great. But I spent nearly £1000 on props, backdrops, outfits and equipment for these 5 videos and I’m trying to be as creative as possible to make up for the lack of good camera. In lockdown what else can we do? I’ve found so much joy in being creative in the comfort of my own home in spite of the awful Covid-world outside.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I don’t have a TV so you’re right. Well, I have one but not with normal channels. I sue it for streaming, yeah. I use the usual platforms everyone uses and I’m into YouTube a lot lately. In lockdown I’ve discovered lots of cool YouTube channels and I usually start my day with a coffee and a YouTube video 🙂
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I mean I did a live show back in September through YouTube and I was ok. I think doing it through YouTube is your best bet right now. I think as long as you live stream your own songs it’s mostly going to be ok.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
You HAVE to be active on social media! I have seen so many bands not do ANYTHING on their socials and I don’t know how they expect to continue to be on peoples’ radars and just magically play packed out shows post-COVID-19 or whenever we gop back to live shows. You have to continue to post content across all your socials and platforms. You don’t have to be on all of them, I don’t use my Twitter for example, but you have to really be active on the ones you do use. Interact with your fans on a weekly or even daily basis. Invest whatever money you have in merch and sell merch online. I have actually sold loads of merch this year and not done a single show! That’s because I invested in artists creating loads of new designs for me, paying out of my own pocket for the orders then pushing the merch to death. You have to reiterate to your friends and fans that the ONLY way artists are making money in lockdown is from merch sales. If they see you’re there and still taking your music seriously; creating content, making new videos or songs, doing regular posts, caring about them and still being passionate about that you’re doing, they shouldn’t mind you promoting and pushing your merch; asking them to buy a T-shirt to keep you afloat. People WANT to invest in bands but they want to invest in bands that they see potential in. If you’re not seeming to care about what you’re doing, no one else is going to care.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet?
It is. It’s bullshit. I could go into a whole rant but I won’t. I’ll just say its bullshit.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
HAHA that sounds amazing!!!! I’m down for that!
What is a demonic Mickey Mouse?
Me 😉 It’s making something that’s all cute, creepy and dark. Like me 😉 Haha
Inappropriate Nursery Rhymes- What are your feelings about how Disney has treated Grimm’s (Jacob and Wilhelm) fairy tales like i.e. The Princess and the Frog (The Frog Prince), Tangled (Rapunzel), Frozen (The Snow Queen), Cinderella, Babes in the Woods (Hansel and Gretel), Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
That’s a loaded question! A lot to unpack! I love Disney movies but of course there’s some stuff about Walt Disney being a cunt and horror stories about various aspects of the company but I’m not knowledgeable enough to comment on that. I love all those movies you listed and I love that they made Tiana in The Princess & The Frog black. I can’t really say on how they’ve “treated” those listed films because I think they’re all great. The world of film is becoming more and more diverse and it’s great! Still a long way to go, of course, but on the right track 🙂
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I’m always “doing” music! It’s on my mind constantly. My own. Other people. My plans. My ideas. Lyrics. Song ideas. Riffs, beats or melodies from songs I love. Music is one of the two top things in my life. You got music and you got animals. My life revolves around both. So, I guess you could say when I’m not thinking about music, I’m thinking about animals!
I also absolutely LOVE films. I’m a big film buff. I’m also a sucker for crime dramas, true crime and criminal investigation docs. SVU is my fave! I love nature. I love my friends. I love writing. I love cuddling my cat. I love lots of things really. The beauty of an overactive, hyper-feeling soul is wanting to do loads! It’s never a dull moment in my head but the curse is never being able to shut it off!!
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I think I’ve said so much in this interview it could fill a book! Haha! I guess just to everyone reading I’d say STAY SAFE. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Stay at home as much as you can. Wear a fucking mask. Stick to the social distance rules. Hug those in your home and bubble as much as you can, even if that’s just your animals because you have no people there, because physical touch is so important when we’re all so isolated. Hugs are so therapeutic in this current state. If you’re suffering with your mental health, call a friend. Call a family member. Call a hotline. Call a doctor. But talk to someone. Don’t suffer alone. You CAN and WILL get through this. Life is hard. But it’s also beautiful. Life is short. We don’t even know just how short. Check in on your friends but understand when they want space. And finally, be kind to yourself. It’s a really weird and fucked up time. None of us are excelling. We’re all doing our best with the situation we’re in. If your best that day is to get out of bed, take a shower and change your pajamas, then that’s your best that day. Don’t feel guilty for feeling bad. Some days are bad. But good days will come too! Lots of love
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