Q: WERE YOU CLASSICALLY TRAINED IN VOICE OR MUSIC? A: Not at all, until June 2017, which I had two voice lessons from Ben Roseberry. As of June 2018, I've been taking classical/ opera voice lessons with Charlotte Martin. Anything before "Go and Stay" was before training with CharMar, and anything before the Ven a Mi single was before my two lessons with Ben. Up until last year, I was 99% self-taught.
Q: DID YOU GO TO ART SCHOOL? A: No. I found art classes very discouraging. I honed my skills through practice and self-teaching. I didn't have very many friends as a child, so I drew friends and made up my own comic book adventures. (sad, I know).
Q: YOUR TWITTER PROFILE USED TO SAY THAT YOU'RE A SYNESTHETE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? A: I have a neurological condition known as synæsthesia, where I associate sound and number with colours and tastes. Wikipedia has a great article about it that is better than any way I could explain it. So, when I am composing electronic music, I approach it like "painting" with sound. The best example I can think of is describing different voices, and their colours. Example: Earl Carpenter's voice sounds and tastes like coffee. E sharp is bright yellow. Etc.
Q: ARE YOU PERSIAN/ LEBANESE/ ARMENIAN/JEWISH/ ITALIAN? A: NO. I am none of these lovely people. I am Eastern Abenaki(Donald Pelotte is my Great-Uncle)*/ German (paternal) and Indigenous Mexican/Northern English (Scottish) (maternal). Best part is when folks come up to me thinking I can speak their language and I can't help them.
*Our last names are spelled different because there was a misspelling on my Grandfather's birth certificate (meaning all of his brothers and the rest of the family is "Pelotte," not "Pilotte,") and NO ONE EVER THOUGHT TO CORRECT OR CHANGE IT.
Q: WHAT DOES "LE BAS-FOND" MEAN? A: "Le bas-fond" is a French expression that means "the lowest level," and it's taken from the "Patron-Minette" chapter Vicor Hugo's Les Misérables. It discusses poverty and crime, and those who commit crime out of necessity, not evil. I was looking for a name for my music project, and it just fit the kind of music I was making. It was mysterious and acted as a thick piece of red tape between myself and my work. I wanted something sexy, mysterious and anonymous for my music, because I am not a mysterious or glamourous person in real life. I love cute animal videos and am frequently late because of dogs. I sleep with stuffed animals and have to wear kids shoes because I have tiny kid feet. My work space is covered in Tsum Tsums.
But: If I could never be associated with Les Miz ever again, I'd be a happy lady.