Here at Tangent, we were lucky enough to get to share some drinks with Australian music icon Sarah McLeod, to discuss what she’s been doing and where she’s going next. Having lived in London and New York, Sarah now returns to Australia with a new sound, a new image, and some amazing musical collaborations under her stylish belt.

What has inspired your style revamp?

Just living abroad for years. I never used to really care about fashion. When I lived in London, I lived in South Hampstead – which was a really cool area – and in New York I was in Soho, the East Village. Everywhere I went, everyone just looked super cool … It’s inspiring. It’s really eclectic, and people are putting together things that you wouldn’t think if – it’s not like they’ve all got the new Sportsgirl catalogue, or just following a trend. I picked up heaps of ideas – I’d take a camera with me in the street sometimes. So it was just my environment, really.

How have the cities of London and New York influenced you in other ways?

Especially in New York, the whole city has this full-on rhythm to it. Everything’s really quick, and because of all the subways that are going underneath all the time, you always hear this [beat], and you tend to walk along to it in your head. It’s just this constant, moving beat that everyone seems to all be working to, and it’s all really quick and hectic, but really calm and controlled at the same time.

I found I also tend to look at music differently, from living in those cities, than I would being at home. You just walk around singing in your head more. You just walk into random clubs and you see amazing singers who you’ve never even heard of, and you’ll never hear of again …. But it’s not an anomaly – you’ll walk into a club five doors down and see something equally as cool. It’s just all this underground action that’s quite exceptional, and it’s just at your doorstep, every day. So you start thinking that’s normal, and it’s really inspiring. You just get heaps of ideas all the time.

New York was more underground; the part of London I was in was slightly more highbrow [though] I guess that’s just London in general. It’s a little bit more twee, whereas when I was in [New York] it had a more downtown vibe. Equally as inspiring, [but] I prefer New York; I really related to that part of town.

We hear you’ve collaborated with Missy Elliot. Could you fill us in on that?

I was doing songs for a lot of people. Once I finished my record I started producing with the guy who I made my record with … and then after that we realised that we were doing quite good work, so he was like “come down and help me with this other act.” … I was a bit, “I dunno man; what kind of style is this, anyway?” and they’d just pull up beats and say “Play something really rad now!” and you just have to think on the spot and just come up with something straight away.

So I did some songs for [Missy Elliot], I did some songs for 3OH!3, and The Game, and a whole lot of other rap dudes I’d never heard of. I just looked at it as a really good songwriting exercise and a really good confidence exercise … I’m glad I did it.

Tell us more about the new sound of Sarah McLeod.

I don’t even look at is as that different, but I never do. I guess the main thing is that it’s the first record I’ve ever done that doesn’t have a band playing on it. It’s got me playing live guitar, and I’ve got a live bass player, but the rest of it I’ve just programmed it all. So I got quite good at programming. A lot of it’s programming; a lot of electronic sounds; a lot of dirty beats. Still rock singing – I haven’t changed the way I sing that much.

Mostly I just think my songs are better! When you talk about it being more pop, mostly to me that just means it’s better, y’know? More accessible; because they’re just better lyrics, better melodies.

Your new single is about to bust – could you explain the subject matter of ‘Tell Your Story Walking’?

I wrote that song for me, but I tried to make it have a meaning that everyone else could understand. When you listen to it it kinda sounds like a break up song, like “hey, fuck you – I’m fine… I don’t need you anymore, I’m cool,” but it’s actually me talking to the negative side of myself that sits in my ear everywhere I go and says “who do you think you are, you idiot? You can’t do that.” And it plagues me all night, just when I think I can achieve something, I have this thing in my ear. It’s like the good and bad side of my character – the constant wrestle between the two is what holds you back from being great. So it’s me talking to myself, saying “who do you think you are? Get out of here and let me be the best that I can be without your negativity,” but I masquerade it as a love song, so I think everyone can relate to it.

‘Tell Your Story Walking’ is out through Roustabout Records on November 6th.

www.sarahmcleod.com.au