Naturally one of this year’s biggest exports, Adele is certainly one of the only chart toppers making the trans-Atlantic trip this month, but that wasn’t the case last year, when the songstress went unnoticed on the streets of Austin.
“My manager and XL were like, ‘We’ll do it next year’,” she says, “so I flew out anyway and just had a holiday.” Adele was spotted at Clash’s showcase, alongside Jamie T, cheering on their mate Jack Penate However this year she finds herself performing, joining in the festival fun, but not the frolics: “Obviously I can’t really join in because I’m 19 – you have to be 21 to even breathe there, and they’re really, really strict.”
Adele’s debut album, ‘19’, cemented her reputation as a distinctly soulful talent, a dreamy excursion that flows straight from the heart, and as such consequently flew off the shelves into the CD collection of many a discerning listener. Touted by tastemakers and drawing attention from all corners of the UK, she is deliciously glib when asked of any buzz that has emanated from the States. “Paris Hilton has been going on about me,” she laughs, “plus Kanye West and Beyonce and them lot.” So Adele in Austin: less barbecue, beer and burritos, more bling, booty and blondes? Time will tell…
