THIS IS HER KIT

Kate Stables on five key inspirations

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

“It wasn’t just their energy, but also the way Lou Reed used gender interchangeably, playing with who he was in his songs, or who was telling the story. I hadn’t come across that before and it really appealed.”

P.J. HARVEY

“She has this crucial ability to create a physical sound with just her voice and her guitar. And I don’t think people realise how witty her lyrics can be. She’s a brilliant example of a woman not getting funnelled into what other people think she should look or sound like.”

JONATHAN RICHMAN

“I’m excited and inspired by his decency, how he’s stuck to his principles and how eccentric and weird he is but emotionally open and so clever and witty. He’s also a complete punk without being a dick.”

RICHARD DAWSON

“I’m just so blown away by his singing and guitar playing, and the language he uses is so nutritious, it’s something like Under Milk Wood. You get such a good sense of the people in his stories, or the places, or the smells.”

JESSE MAE HEMPHILL

“A brilliant blues guitarist and singer with a natural rhythm, plus she plays the tambourine with her foot. I play a foot tambourine too, but not in stilettos!”