Anna Meredith

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC COMPOSER

What music are you currently grooving to?

I’m finishing off my second album at the moment. When I’m writing I go out of my way to not listen to any music, as it freaks me out. If audio books count, just now I’m listening to David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet. It’s set in 18th century Japan and is part historical blunders between the Japanese and a Dutch trading station, part supernatural love story.

What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album?

A horrendously hard question! I’m gonna plump for Björk’s Debut, which I love because of the perfect storm of nostalgia, amazing bold and varied tracks, and Björk.

What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it?

It was either the singles off Elton John’s The One, purchased with secret excitement, or Inspiral Carpets’ Dragging Me Down, purchased with wannabe nonchalant teenage coolness, in HMV in Princes Street, Edinburgh.

Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be?

Maybe Philip ‘Spike’ Edney, who got to sing all the live Queen backing vocals. Who wouldn’t want to sing backing vocals for Queen, whilst not giving yourself the inevitable crushing disappointment of not being Freddie Mercury…? I’m a huge fan.

What do you sing in the shower?

I like to squeak my way through the Destiny’s Child back catalogue. Recently I’ve found showering conducive to crooning a spot of Girl as I lather.

What is your favourite Saturday night record?

There’s a nine-minute version of Pet Shop Boys’ Always On My Mind I’ve been known to play on repeat of a Saturday.

And your Sunday morning record?

Sunday mornings are about attempting to somehow dehangoverise oneself through music, so it would be something crisp and energising, like some Philip Glass or Teleman or Purcell or Owen Pallett.

Find Anna Meredith’s soundtrack for Eighth Grade at annameredith.com