We are bits of energy floating about in various guises, and when we die we rejoin the big cosmic soup of the universe. Bat for Lashes bigbitcosmic Change image and share on social
Mentorship is really important. I really like to talk to people who have been in the music industry much longer than me about artists' block, things I'm struggling with, or the music business. It's really important for artists to have a community. Sometimes you can feel quite isolated. Bat for Lashes artistblockbusiness share on social
Each album takes two or two-and-a-half years to finish between recording and touring. It's like being with an old boyfriend every single night watching the same things on TV. There is a world out there going on that I'm missing. Bat for Lashes albumboyfriendfinish share on social
When I was little, I grew up in a place called Hertfordshire, which is just near London, but out in the country, and I visited Pakistan in the summers to go and see my family on my dad's side. Bat for Lashes callcountrydad Change image and share on social
I was a nursery school teacher, and I worked with youth groups. I loved that job. It was exhausting, but you got a lot back - all their purity and insight and innocence is so on the surface, and they're so unrepressed; they'd really scream at you and then give you a massive kiss. Bat for Lashes backexhaustgive share on social
An album is a whole universe, and the recording studio is a three-dimensional kind of art space that I can fill with sound. Just as the album art and videos are ways of adding more dimensions to the words and music. I like to be involved in all of it because it's all of a piece. Bat for Lashes addalbumart share on social
When I was little, people like Talking Heads were on the radio. There was something geeky yet groundbreaking about them. Bat for Lashes geekygroundbreakhead Change image and share on social
It can be frightening to turn your back on what others think is right. But I'm not the same as a lot of people - I'm quite artistic and quite eccentric sometimes. If you honour that, you fit into yourself better - and people accept you for what you are. Bat for Lashes acceptartisticback share on social
I've hidden behind my hair more than clothes. Sometimes having long hair with a fringe is very useful when you don't want to look at people. I used to have very short hair, but long hair is my thing - a black nocturnal shield. Bat for Lashes blackclothefringe share on social
When I finally finished the 'Two Suns' tour, which went on for quite a long time, I felt like a bit of a husk. And I remember thinking, 'I need to spend some time in one place, and just be at home.' So I guess the first year of that three and a half years was spent just trying to kind of get back to normal again. Bat for Lashes backbitefelt share on social