Aimée Interview By Cece
We sat down with Aimée to talk about the 3 most important things in life: music, dancing and skateboarding.
Cece and Aimée are 2 big talkers tho so the interview was longer than we thought, even after a cut down. You can skip to bits you wanna read but If you can’t be bothered to read any of it here’s a summary: Aimée loves to sing. She’s dancing more. She took about 6 years to pick 6 albums (and ended up with 7). She’s in a band called Cherry and wants a cherry-red mustang to match. She’s dressing 60s and prefers ass over titties. Enjoy xx
Cece: Sooo Aimée, how did you start your new year? How did you end your last year?
Aimée: How did I start the year … you can't type this… , thats exactly how I how I started the new year. I can't talk about drugs on this, can I?
Daphne: nahh its fine
A: Okay, haha but actually, in a nice way, I started off my new year with dancing. I never used to dance that much, and then I realised I love it. Obviously, it helps, because you get a bit on it at new years.
CC: Dancing? To what?
A: Oh, just like classics, like classics. Like Supertramp, the Rolling Stones, Petshop boys, obviously. I was lucky to spend new years with friends who love to dance as well. Yeah recently, I've just been dancing loads I just love it.
CC: me too I’ve been dancing around my room bare
A: its so fun
CC: I don't know why, but it feels good, you know.
A: Its So good for you. Mentally and physically, I think it's amazing.
CC: Nice, nice. Do you have any new years resolutions? Do you make them?
A: I always try. I never used to. It was actually Savannah who got me into making new years resolutions, or like goals. I feel like last year my goals were very focused around what I wanted to do with the fashion. And this year, they're very focused on music.
CC: What's been making you happy recently?
A: Gigs. I saw an amazing band the other night called Cardboard. And then another band called Warren's House which was also great. And then also making more friends with other musicians because I never had that when I was younger and I always wanted it. I’ve really enjoyed that.
MUSIC
CC: Sick yeah, let's talk about some music. How long have you been making music for?
A: I mean, I've always sung, since I can remember. I wrote my first song at like 11, 12. And then, just, yeah, it's coming up to like over 10 years now, 12 years. Dozen years.
CC: Cool. So what's like one big dream that you have for it? and one small one?
A: Oh my god, I would love to make a song that's like people's karaoke go to. You know what I mean?
CC: Yeah!
A: I'm not saying I think I'm going to make it to this level obviously. You never know what's going to happen in the world…
CC: Yeah, but speak good about it!
A: … Yeah, like if I could manifest something, I would love to make a track that almost feels like ABBA. You know when ABBA comes on and it's so good, you just want to dance? I would love to do a track like that! or I would love…. Hmmmm.... I don't know, I just I just want to make music that makes people feel really happy. so that's kind of my aim.
CC: do you listen to happy music?
A: Yeah, I used to listen to extremely sad music, and now I listen to all sorts. I'm definitely a sucker for a love song. I think that's because it's easier to write about the shit stuff than the good stuff.
CC: Yeah?
A: but just because you're writing about something sad doesn't mean it has to sound sad. ABBA taught me that.
CC: Haha Nice. yeah, what are you listening to right now, what artists, what kind of genres have you been into recently?
A: I’ve been listening to loads of Fleetwood Mac, because my dad loves Fleetwood Mac. I go through phases. It’s classical one day, soul the next, blues and then whatever you know?
CC: Yeah
A: But like some staples for me are always the pet shop boys (West end Girls) classic. Been listening to a lot of like jazz as well, a lot of like Chet Baker (Born to be blue) But then I listen to a lot of punk as well. So it always varies.
CC: hmmm Okay, well I'm gonna give you a sec to think about this next one
[this sentence was a big mistake cos it took Aimée forever to decide]
A: Okay,
CC: picture this. The Apocalypse is happening. The world is literally burning before your eyes, for whatever reason you’re in front of a record shop. You're the only one around. And the only task in this apocalypse is to pick six albums.
A: Oh my god. No,
CC: These six albums are what the whole world will listen to. Thats it from there, thats what music is gonna be for the whole world after this apocalypse.
A: Okay, well I know the first one straight out is going to be Led Zeppelin. I feel like it has to be Mothership as well. Let me think about this one second.
Val: anyone want anything from the shop
CC: Nah I'm okay, thank you.
A: I’m Okay … Led Zeppelin Mothership. Then... Okay, then it kind of also has to be The Clash. Rock the Casper? Wait, I say you could do The Clash self-titled album ….but then Combat Rock is just so good! and also London calling!… I'm going to say London calling because there's White Man in Hammersmith Palais, but also I want….hmm…It will be a clash album…Clash Best Of?
CC: Hahhaha. No.
A: Clash greatest hits? I cant choose [hahah] After that… sorry I'm having a quick look at my albums because I cant think of something else off the top of my head.
Daphne [narration voice]: Aimée is furiously looking through her albums …
CC [narration voice]: sweat drips from her forehead, the weight of the world is on her shoulders.
A:fuuuuck
Daphne: What will she decide?
A: hmmmm I feel like a Nina Simone is going to be on there as well. Oh! In Utero by Nirvana. And I put a spell on you Nina Simone.
[Daphne sings a couple bars of Nina Simone in an angelic voice that brings tears to our eyes, a crowd gathers in the street to listen]
CC: you're on four.
A: Really? I'm on four already? Okay, then I feel like Frank Sinatra's got to be on there. I mean, my like, you'd ask me this tomorrow and it would change completely.
CC: same!
A: Okay, well, if I have to choose two… fuck.. okay… I would need like 10 years to answer this question efficiently
CC:… you don’t have 10 years, the world is burning right now. Someone is on food supplies, they’ve done their bit, the truck is waiting for you. You've got two more albums to pick.
A: Okayyy…. Frank Sinatra’s… hmmmm
Daphne: how bout Britney’s hit me baby one more time **Daphne interview coming soon**
A:That's in your list thats not on my list. Oh, fuck. Hang on, I'm nearly there.
Daphne: how bout Britney Crazy?
[More signing from Daphne, Hold tight Britney]
CC: Oh, random one. Does it piss you off when people spell your name wrong?
A: Yeah. It's pretty frustrating. Not that bad, but yes.
[I spelt her name wrong so many times]
A:. Oh, actually. Okay. Nancy Sinatra, I'm sorry Frank, I'm going for Nancy. Nancy and Lee. This is so fantastic. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. I got one more yeah?
CC: yeah but the world's kind of already burnt now. So this album isn’t really making it anywhere…
A: haha Okay. And then finally, Rubber Soul, the Beatles.
CC: Cool. And you'd be okay with this? Like from this point, every single other song and album on the planet is gone.
A: I mean, I'll be very sad, but … oh, fuck, …. Louis Armstrong. Alright I would sneakily take a seventh, which would be Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald. It's called Louis and Ella.
CC: That's a good one.
A: yeah its got the song thats like “you say potato, I say potato”
CC: Would you say that those albums are pretty inspirational for you then?
A:Yeah, big time. There's so many more but I've listened to those since I was really young. Etta James as well, like she was definitely one of my main singing influences. For me, Nina Simone and Etta James are the fucking the best. incomparable.
CC: Yeah word. Have you seen that documentary? What happened Miss Simone?
A: Yesss I love it.
CC: I didn't know half the shit that she'd been through. I really had no idea.
A: Also, I always thought after watching the documentary, that her name was so fitting for her and her music. I believe it was a Hispanic boyfriend that gave her the nickname Nina after Niña [translates to little girl] and then she chose Simone after French actress Simone Signoret. But I always thought Nina encompassed her innocence and youthful side, then Simone represents the dark and seriousness in her from the trauma that she experienced.
CC: Shes got a one of a kind voice.
Daphne: [being 100% serious,
A: I think Daphne wants to have a physical fight. OVERRATED?
Daphne: Im jooooking
CC: you’re out.
***for obvious reasons Daphne’s interview is now cancelled SMH***
CC: you said one thing that you've been making you happy is like connecting with other musicians, can you talk about that more?
A: Yeah, like, I've always been very lucky to be in skateboarding. Obviously, skateboarding has such a tight knit community. And you learn new tricks in skating by skating with other people. I feel like it pushes you. I feel like it's the same in music. And hanging out with other musicians has allowed me to push myself in different areas in music that I wouldn't have thought of naturally on my own.
CC: Cool!
A: that's been really wonderful for me. And also, just getting inspiration. I found it really hard to make music in lockdown, like damn near impossible. So, I really take inspiration from shit that's going on around me. And if nothing's going on around me, I'm basically, like … empty. There's no inspiration there for me. So, it's been great now, I feel like since last year, January Shits come back into action. Yeah, it's been good.
CC: You got a good relationship with your band?
A: Yeah great. I’m very blessed, at the moment there’s four of us. Myself, Layla, Ava and Johnny and they're all a bunch of fucking amazing people. Very blessed to have them with me in this.
CC: how did it come about?
A: Cherry kinda got born by accident, because I used to do a solo project and I had to do a gig. I used to work in a vintage shop in Notting Hill Gate [called Retro], I met some of my bandmates there, and they basically helped me out for this gig. And then we realised we liked playing together. And so it didn’t make sense for it to just be under my name, because we're in this together. So that's how Cherry was born.
CC: Who picked the name?
A: I mean, kind of me, but we all decided on it. I weirdly already had this cute cherry tattoo by my friend Natalia, and so it just felt right.
CC: Yeah, yeah. little cherry nails now too.
A: And I think my favourite colour in the world is like dark cherry red.
CC: Yeah?
A: Yeah like my future vintage car will be dark cherry red. Dark cherry red mustang.
CC: Hmm. I think that might be it for music.. wait what is your like least favourite kind of music?
A: Dubstep
CC:Oh why?
A: Dunno, just don’t vibe with it
FASHION
CC: Fair enough. Okay, fashion now. Talk us through today's look. What's going on?
A: today is giving 60s. 60s classic. I have an obsession with safety pins recently. I have a massive one on my jacket. I went to liberty’s and they have a haberdashery at the top where I found these fuck off giant safety pins. So I mean like I take influences from random things I love.
CC: Oh yeah. What are some of your style inspirations and influences?
I love the 60s, and I adore vintage. I just love classic shapes. A big style inspiration for me is Audrey Hepburn and Hubert Givenchy which definitely comes from my mum. And… yeah, I'm definitely someone who's more likely to wear heeled loafers and a turtleneck than like baggy jeans and trainers…. Except converse.
CC: Talk us through how your style has like changed over the years. Have you always dressed like this?
A: When I was younger I went straight into work at 16. I worked in an office and I dressed very 60s inspired there. And then I started skateboarding and started getting really into it when I was about 17 so I would say it was then I started dressing more kind of skater.
CC: I was going to say how did they collide I guess?
A: Well they kind of didn't at first for me, when I got into skating there weren’t very many women and I feel I found it easier to dress like a skater to feel accepted in that community. It was also difficult because I would go to the skate park after work where I would wear makeup because I was a receptionist and PA, so I had to look a certain way. Then people at the skatepark would come to me and say:
“why are you wearing makeup… and why are you here like this?”
I'd just say well… because I have a job so yeah that's why. Funny I was always ostracised by men for trying to dress appropriately in the male eye. Then for years I kind of rejected this feminine side of myself that I guess I've always had. I realised it’s always been there and then when I got to 21/22 that was when I was thought you know what fuck this I feel like I had my years of dressing like a stereotypical skater, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that if it makes you happy you should do it - and it made me happy at the time - but then I just wanted to dress like this 60s hot girl yeah and so I went for it.
CC: nice nice nice. what else have I got on here about fashion? um yeah any people that inspire your style other than Daphne?
Daphne: what did you say?
CC: I saiiiid are there any people that inspire style other than Daphne?
Daphne: you know you don’t have to keep putting inside joke about me in here… don’t tell them I said Nina Simone is overrated
CC: no it’s 100% going in here. This shop is done. My first and last interview.
A: Audrey Hepburn, and Jane Birkin definitely
CC: like Birkin bag Birkin?
A: yeah she is the Birkin bag. I love it because she customises her bags, she ties ribbons to them, sticks things on, attaches charms, and she fills them to the fucking brim and they are so battered and it's just amazing because they're so expensive and people treat them like pieces of art and then hers is just… a bag
CC: have you seen that LV is doing like a collab with Yayoi Kusama? yeah, what do you think about it?
A: I think it's great she's a fantastic artist and I like the fact that they celebrate artists like that. I love Takashi Murakami and the cherry Murakami LV bags are my favourite. So I think it's brilliant that they celebrate artists and they don't just collaborate with only brands.
CC: yeah
A: Helmut Newton too, the way he photographed women is so empowering, it showed women in a different light for the time, that's definitely inspired how I look at femininity and how I view myself as a woman in a very male dominated world
CC: what are your least favourite style trends?
A: fast fashion you know I think it's literally the destroyer of the planet. I hate the fact that it's all shit quality, it's all gonna die after a year of wearing it and it just goes to landfill. It's definitely a big one for me. I love finding clothes that I know I'll keep forever or pass on to my kids or something. Alot of my clothing, even like this [Aimee’s turtleneck] is my mum’s from when she was my age. I love freedom of expression though so I don't really like to shit on anyone's style but fast fashion gets me. I try and make things last a long time. Like getting shoes repaired instead of getting new ones. Oh actually I tried some up cycling. I jumped on the big boy wave in 2020 and everyone was going fucking nuts and I enjoyed them for about three minutes and then I was had this moment right, looking in the mirror I was like holy shit I have no ass in these.
CC: you were saying about like dressing feminine as well
A: yeah I love like the shape of my body, I used to be very insecure and used to hate my body but now I love it. I think part of the reasons I was cos I kind of wanted this physique that was more male end less feminine like I didn't like the fact that I had big hips or boobs
CC: ahhh, the way my boobs are in a t-shirt..
A: yeah!! T-shirts oh my god all I wanted was like small boobs for a T-shirt to hang a certain way on me and it would just never do that. Anyway I had this moment being like fuck this and then I took my big boys and I unstitched them and turned them into a skirt, a nice long skirt.
CC: I wanna see them
A: yeah I'll start to wearing them out they're pretty sick, my big boys have become big girls.
SKATEBOARDING + DRUGS
CC: So from like when you started skating to now a lot has gone on, a lot has changed, what's your relationship with skating like right now, how do you feel about it?
A: it's a difficult thing to sum up. I would say that for a long time I was paying a lot more attention to skateboarding than I was music, even though music has always been my passion. I think that's cause I was surrounded by a lot of skateboarders who were doing their thing and it inspired me but then I always struggled with the fact that femininity wasn't as celebrated in skateboarding at the time, especially when I was younger. I found it weird as I grew up with only brothers and male cousins, I was always the only girl but had never experienced this weirdness before.
CC: yeah same
A: so yeah I feel like when I was younger like I loved doing girl stuff but I also fucking loved power rangers and like you know cool stuff, you know what mean? I wanted to do everything the boys could do because I didn’t see myself as different.
CC: but you you wanted to do it in terms of it being fun, not just because like boys were doing it, just because you saw it it's cool?
A: yeah! it was just something I wanted to do, like I loved rock climbing but then I also loved ice skating.. i wanted the best of both worlds haha
CC: I feel like when we were younger a lot of like active stuff was seen as for boys
A: yeah big time. Also I'm quite confident and headstrong I know I want and I found that a lot of the boys that I was around… I don't know… I felt like their mindset was quite outdated especially when it came to like viewing women and how you treat women in sports or in any industry where there's more men. Well we're all very lucky to have Valentine at the shop because he is a very conscious man with that kind of stuff
Val: hahha
A: you actually are it's very rare you know. I’ve been very lucky to travel around the world and experience skateboarding in other countries and I would say the UK was actually one of the worst
CC:yeah?
A: Surprising me for me but you know I think it's really starting to change now and that makes me very happy. I love being part of skateboarding I love all my friends I skate with and it brings me a lot of pleasure but I also realised I was dedicating more time to skating than music which didn’t make me sense. And then I dislocated my elbow and I couldn't play any instruments. But now, now I’m in a healthy place with dedicating my time to the right stuff and I feel like I'm better at giving more attention to music and then still allowing time for skating - whereas before you know you go out all day and don’t have much time for anything else.
CC: oh skating can take over your life so easily, you can just spend like day in day out, especially in summer just skating
A: yeah and then you're like oh my god I've been out for nine hours skating and then when you get home you don't want to do music, you’re just so tired. Also to see my friends, like Savannah making it in skating and having a career doing what she loves has made me be like oh okay I want to have a career in what I love. You know? I wanna go for it, I think she really inspired me to push myself. [hold tight Savannah]
CC: so what do you think like with you and skating and music for the future?
A: Just riding the wave my friend. Whenever I’ve had ideas of what I think is going to happen it just NEVER works out that way, so I’ve stopped trying to predict it and just see what happens. Like we [Aimée + Cece] went skating yesterday, it was so much fun, which was great after I got long covid in 2021 which gave me constant fatigue and made it really hard for me to go skating. I would just have no energy.
CC: but you cured it with…
A: ….. hahah …. I’m someone who doesn’t really like party drugs but … mushrooms …
CC: too late I’m already typing about how much you love coke
A: honestly, crystal meth is how I wind down. (A joke)
CC: hahaha
A: …I did [party drugs] when I was younger but they’re not for me now. But… then occasionally I enjoy a mushroom and I feel like they’ve actually helped me quite a lot with my chronic fatigue recently. I’ve also dealt with depression I since I was a kid, for a very long time you know, it's a constant journey trying to find what’s going to make you feel better or what gets you in the right frame of mind. I feel like skateboarding used to be that for me and then it started going away after I had long covid. Then recently I had a little mushroom, you know power of nature haha, and it really helped me. I would never tell someone do mushrooms every day because that's stupid and everyone should do everything in moderation. But I think it really helped me kind of just bring myself into a different headspace you know? I'm on an NHS waiting list to help sort out my ADHD and that's a year and a half long.
CC:mad!
A: it's really difficult to get help as a young person you know or any person I think in the UK if you need help with mental health. So yeah you're just trying to figure out what makes you feel good - can be music, skating or the odd mushroom…
CC: yeah I feel like its good to have different angles to deal with things
CC: uh I don't really have any more questions do you guys?
Val: how are you involved with the shop?
A: I just come to annoy them you know. and luckily they enjoy being annoyed by me I think. How do I answer? I'm moral support yeah I do moral support
Daphne: and you do skate…
A: I do skate for the shop and now Im skating again I can say that… so yeah I skate for the shop - I’ll say it anyway! They're also my family.
CC: oh.. wait.. tits or ass?
A: oh shit… Ass! I always wanted itty bitty titties but I love my ass
We hope all her dreams come true xx
thanks for reading <3
