The musician on painting, parenthood and the joys of lazing around
What time are you up? At 7.30am. We’ve trained our lovely nearly-three-year-old daughter to be cool about waiting until then. Honestly, I’m a morning person. Over breakfast I might try to sneak last night’s Match of the Day on. My daughter used to be into it, but she’s off TV now. She prefers fishing for paperclips with a magnet on a string.
Sundays growing up? Lots of activities: sports, mostly, then muddy baths. Or going to cubs at church. I’m not a religious person; I’ve a distinct memory of standing on the kitchen chair once yelling ‘I DON’T WANT TO GO’ at my dad. Now, I indulge in the laziness of the day.
Sunday jobs? I worked at Sainsbury’s in my teens to pay for guitar strings. I taught myself to whistle while being the trolley guy. I was lanky with long hair. A supervisor once came up to me during a shift to say a customer had complained about me: ‘That young woman needs to cheer up.’
A dream day to yourself? I want to say I’d be playing guitar and piano at home, be creative without expectation. Honestly, though, I’d shove the PlayStation on and play Fifa. Beers, maybe some music, too. Indulge in the things that take a back seat in the early years of parenthood.
Extracurriculars? I got back into skateboarding recently, after a 17-year hiatus. Being a 30-something has worked to my advantage. I’m up early with our daughter so I can steal an hour at the skatepark at 10am when it’s totally empty. I’ve got all sorts of bumps and bruises.
Sunday night? Once the kid’s asleep I’ve got a few hours to be creative. I watch documentaries and listen to music. I’ve recently started painting again, too. Before bed my head needs tiring out.
