Daisy Lowe

Clash recently caught up with Daisy Lowe at the Sony Ericsson FanWalk, a 400km journey for 100 music fans from across Europe.

Walking from London to Liverpool for the MTV European Music Awards, the FanWalk started today adn we were keen to ask Daisy about it all...

Clash:  How are you doing?
Daisy:  Gosh, sorry, I was just doing a bit of a stretch.  I’m quite fine.  I got off a flight at 11 last night so I’m feeling the burn this morning.

In New York, I walk absolutely everywhere

Clash:  So is today your first day of walking?
Daisy:  Uh huh, yes.

Clash:  How much walking do you have ahead of you today?
Daisy:  Well, I don’t think I’m necessarily doing walking.  I’m just keeping the morale up for all of the fan walkers.  I’m running around and making sure they’re in high spirits and enjoying themselves.  I don’t think I’m actually doing the full trek.

Clash:  How do you raise morale while everyone is walking?
Daisy:  I might make them all sing some songs or do some dances while walking in the streets.

Clash:  What songs would you choose?
Daisy:  Oh, I don’t know, maybe like the ones you used to sing on the coach?  What are the ones we used to sing?  Motivational songs.  Or maybe some good old rock ‘n’ roll songs.  Just some good, happy tunes.

Clash:  Will you also be interviewing them?
Daisy:  Yeah yeah yeah I’ll be interviewing them along to way to see how they’re holding up.

Clash:  What kinds of things will you ask?
Daisy:  Well I’d quite like to just find out quite why they are doing what they’re doing.  Like, why do they want to go on this rock ‘n’ roll pilgrimage?  What led them to walk for nine days?  What their favourite bands are, what their interests are, the music, what kind of background they come from.  What makes them tick?  What do they do for fun?  What’s their favorite school subject?

Clash:  Will you be able to get to know them?  Will you be able to party with them at the hostel?
Daisy:  Yeah, I hope so.

Clash:  Would you have ever been interested in doing something like this?
Daisy:  The only reason why I got involved with this was because I thought that it was a really cool little project.  I’m a huge walker.  In New York, I walk absolutely everywhere.  I refuse to take cabs.  And, it’s like, you know, making people interested in exercise as well, which I guess is a good thing.  Good for the environment, which is nice.  I think it is a rock ‘n’ roll pilgrimage.  The whole thing seems pretty interesting and cool.  I’m sure I’d do it if I didn’t have to work in-between days.

Clash:  How do you prepare for FanWalk?
Daisy:  In this weather, dress up really warm.  Make sure you have lots of water with you, and I guess you have to do some sort of mental training to suit you up for walking that long.  But, I think, generally, just making sure you’re in high spirits, really.  There’s nothing worse than walking with a bad mood.

Clash:  What do you think of the EMAs being in Liverpool?  You keep referring to the Fan Walk as a music pilgrimage.
Daisy:  It’s a huge music hub.  The Beatles are from there.  (laughs)  I think it’s really cool MTV are kind of recognizing that it is quite a good cultural place in the country.

Clash:  Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
Daisy:  I’m in love with Laura Marling at the moment.  I think she’s got such a beautiful voice and such a great songwriter.  I love Adele at the moment as well.  She’s brilliant.  Another singer who I love is this girl called Thalia, who is just incredible.  She has the most beautiful voice.  All three of the have outstanding voices and songwriting abilities.  But Laura Marling is a bit more indie, and Thalia is more amazing balladry.  I love the Mystery Jets and Kid Harpoon.  I saw Late of the Pier play this year in New York in January.  They’re cool sounding, and have an interesting direction.  I’m really into the Mars Volta.

Clash:  Do all of the fanwalkers get to go to the EMAs as well?
Daisy:  Yes, all of them do, and one of them gets to present an award.

I really enjoy it because it’s a cool thing to be involved in.

Clash:  How do they decide which one? 
Daisy:  There’s various tasks en route, and then whoever wins the most or does the best in these tasks wins.  Who proves themselves to be the ultimate fan.

Clash:  So after the show, are you looking forward to the after party?
Daisy:  I’m DJing at it.  It should be good.  It will be fun.

Clash:  How did you get into DJing?
Daisy:  I started about three years ago, but just with CDs, pushing play and pause and fading between the tracks.  I started doing it in small little pubs and clubs so me and my friends could listen to what we wanted to listen to when we were out.  And that’s what it started as, but then I was then asked to DJ loads of things.  I really enjoy it because it’s a cool thing to be involved in.

Clash:  What are some of your favorite tracks to use when Djing?
Daisy:  Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” always get the crowd going.  The Specials.  I love playing The Cure.  “Eaton Rifles.”  Um, what else?  “Crosstown Traffic,” Jimi Hendrix.  Is that list long enough?

Clash:  When the fan walkers are walking, will anyone be playing music?
Daisy:  Oh sure, there will be music playing.  If there isn’t, I’ll bring my boom box for them.

Clash:  What sorts of music would you choose to build morale?
Daisy:  Anything with a good beat, really.  I, myself, would (mumbled), but I think these are a lot of rockers, so we might have to take requests (laughs).  Because I think some of them are quite into Metallica and stuff, so that’s what we would have to comply with.

Clash:  How do you deal with the language barrier when you’re interviewing people?
Daisy:  Well, I’m only supposed to be interviewing the English fan walkers, but I can speak a tiny bit of French and a tiny bit of Spanish.  So, I’ll just have to feel my way.  I’d like to interview the others as well.  Some of them have to speak a little bit of English.

Clash:  What are these interviews for?
Daisy:  They’re all for fanwalking.tv.  That’s the site, it’s for the Sony Ericsson fan walk.

Clash:  How do you choose what to wear?
Daisy:  I am… I have no idea what I’m going to wear.  I’m basically going to go to a few of my favorite designer places and go through some stuff and borrow some things for there, but I really have no clue what I’m going to end up wearing.

Clash:  Do you want to do more things like this?  Would you like to continue presenting awards and doing interviews with people in the future?
Daisy:  I don’t know.  My philosophy in my career has always been to go where the wind takes me.  It’s taken me here, and I’m enjoying it.  I never plan where I want to go.  If more things come my way that I think is a great project then of course I’ll get involved.  Never say never, but that doesn’t mean that I enjoy modeling any less, or any of the other stuff I’m involved with.  By following that philosophy, I’ve been enjoying my career thus far.

Clash:  With this experience, what are you most excited for?
Daisy:  I’m most excited to see how people manage it.  And to see, kind of, friendships building and fun little bickers.  Just see what goes on.  It’s going to be really, really hard and they’re going to get exhausted, and I just think seeing that stamina come out will be really interesting.