Interview with Sam Sparro (Part 2)

In this second and final part of my exclusive interview with Sam Sparro, we talk about his style and fashion, his ambition to become an icon, his take on Madonna's new album and his love Beth Ditto who he calls a "punk rock Aretha Franklin." He also shares a few more details about his collaboration with Miz Lindsay Lohan. (Read Part 1 here.)

How important is the visual aspect of your music? The fashion? The style?
It is only important because I love dressing up. I love clothes. I love style. I really appreciate artists that not only have great music, but have a really interesting visual aspect that correlates well with their sound. I always, growing up, wanted to be an icon. And I think part of that includes being iconic. You have to be unique and be outstanding.

That is very ambitious to want to be an icon...
I am ambitious! [laughter]

Who do you think is the biggest icon in music these days?
It is probably Madonna, isn't it?

Yeah, probably.
Unfortunately. [laughs, indicating he's only kidding]

What's your take on Madonna's new album?
Uuuh. It's not something I have been listening to. I do like that new track with Pharrell actually. I think it is much better than "Four Minutes."

It is quite a different style for her isn't it?
Yeah.

Is reinventing yourself one of the ways to continue to be an icon you think?
Not necessarily. I mean, Prince has kind of maintained his sound throughout the years. But I think that is because he does the music himself.

So what does it take, you think, to be an icon?
I think you have to be original and distinct, whether or not you have a consistency throughout your career or you are a chameleon and you change a lot, that you just have to be bold. You have to be magnetic and just distinct. I mean, Frank Sinatra was an icon and he wore a suit everyday. But he was distinct and he was bold.

If you could translate your music into a fashion style, what would this style be?
Mmm. Good question. It would probably be just the things that I wear. I am very influenced by a lot of geeky kind of sophistication in men's fashion at the moment. I really, really love kind of late 80's early 90's New York dance wear. I love oversized things. But I also love a lot of tailored sophistication and things. But, I don't know. It is just fun to play around. Who knows what I will be wearing next year.

Do you have a favorite fashion accessory?
Glasses! I love wearing glasses.

The big nerdy glasses that I have seen you in? Those are cool. It is sort of that American
Apparel look.
Yeah. I live in a very hipster neighborhood and everybody likes to look like a nerd.

When you come to the States in September what can people expect from you show?
Well it is definitely a dance party. There is eight of us on stage. There is a full band, a laptop, three backing singers. It is kind of like a Las Vegas gospel rave. [laughter]

I actually heard you perform live on BBC Radio One in Ibiza...
Oh really? Did you? It was an acoustic set, wasn't it? I didn't think you could get that in the States.

It sounded like you had a blast with the crowd. It was broadcasted here on Sirius satellite radio.
Oh, wow! Nice.

What are some of your favorite artists right now? What new stuff are your listening to yourself?
I have been listening to a lot of Australian kind of electro stuff, like the new Presets album. I also love Santogold's album. I listen to a lot of old stuff. You know, I listen to a lot of old electro and funk and stuff like that. I am trying to think what new stuff. Mmm. I mean, I love Hot Chip and I love Amy Winehouse.

Do you read blogs when you go online to see what people write about you?
No, I don't really like reading about myself.It's not that I don't care. It's just I don't want to care. I'd rather just do what I do instinctively and naturally rather than think too much about what other people think about what I am doing. So I intentionally avoid reading things about myself.

So there have been a lot of rumors about a collaboration between you and Lindsey Lohan. Is that true?
She really likes "Black and Gold" apparently and was interested in seeing if we could work together. Opportunities like that don't come around very often. I really like Lindsey Lohan and I think it would be an interesting and exciting thing to try out.

Are there any other artists you'd like to team up with in the studio?
I really want to collaborate with Beth Ditto from the Gossip.

She's an animal on stage. Incredible.
Yeah, she is amazing on stage. I'd love to work with her. She is a punk rock Aretha Franklin.
[laughter]