Dido
Blueblack. It actually looked sort of cool. Maybe I'll do it again one day. Smile I also used to dye it what I thought was blonde but in fact, looking back, was bright orange. We all used to use a product called Sun-In which gave this hideous orange colour.

Answered July 24, 2007

Dido
Yes I do!

Answered July 24, 2007

Dido
Spiders, apparently.

Answered July 24, 2007

Dido
Love it. My dad was a historian and would tell us amazing stories when I was young. My brother is still constantly buried in a history book. I'm fascinated by anything from the history of a place (I've just finished watching a great PBS eight-part documentary on New York) to the history of music and architecture. There are several periods of history that are constantly fascinating to me; the second world war (a lot of my family lived through it and fought in it and history comes to life when you're grandma or grandpa is telling you as they remember it), I still can't get my head round how recent that is; the Russian revolution; Greek and Roman history (I studied it as a teenager) and most of it inbetween. Anytime I can find well-written/well-presented information on the reality of a period in history I'll read/watch it. It helps makes more sense of what's going on around us now. A lot of things just don't change which makes us feel even more connected to any period in time.

Answered July 24, 2007

Dido
Most of the drums on the album have been done already by the most amazing drummers and they're fantastic, so I'm not going to mess with that. But, yes, there might be something with me drumming on the record and if not, I can't imagine not doing it live. I just enjoy it too much not to want to drum in the show. So, my ultimate drumming hero is Al Jackson. I didn't realise at first but I'd be playing drums along with my iPod and every song I homed in on happened to have him drumming on it. I'd keep asking Jon Ð who's this drumming? - and it was always Al Jackson. So he's definitely the reason I started in the first place. But, since then, having now become obsessed, there's others that I love. James Gatson, ?uestlove, Jim Keltner, John Bonham (it's a lot fun playing along with Led Zeppelin... Smile and I'm very bad at it), Larry Mullen. And has anyone seen the footage of Chaka Khan drumming way back when? It's pretty amazing. And my favourite sketch of all time is this one on YouTube of Animal from the Muppets and Rita Moreno doing Fever...
But... most excitingly I'm actually getting to work with a couple of these drummers on this album. Matt Chamberlain has done a lot of drums on this record, ?uestlove has worked on it and this week I'm working with the incredible Jim Keltner, who is a total inspiration. He has this beautiful feel which is really melodic and just transforms the songs. Anyway, I could go on for days. All I can say, is drumming makes me happy. I recommend it.

Answered July 04, 2007

Dido
Yes totally. I'm addicted to it. I used to eat toast and Marmite after the show every night when I got on the tour bus. Bev, my assistant, is one of those people (freaks) that thinks it's the most disgusting thing she's ever come across and it makes her gag. So, I was pretty impressed by the strength of her friendship when she'd make it for me after the show... She'd stand about five feet away to spread it. I just don't get how you can hate it. It's actually the only thing I can eat if I get sick. White bread and marmite. Mmmmmm.

Answered July 04, 2007

Dido
I think the media have a lot to answer for. If you pick up a magazine on one page it'll have pictures of 'skinny celebrities' and how they're too thin and then on the next page some more diet tips and tips to look like the aforementioned celebrities. It's just a messed up message and It makes me angry. I tend not to read any of it because I think it can affect you at any age. Not just young girls. When I was younger it was about being cool, doing something different, having a passion, using your imagination, following through on crazy ideas regardless of what people said, trying not to be painfully self conscious, being an individual, being innovative (it's still all of these things...). When did it change to being about being painfully thin?? I can't stand it. Don't even get me started on the wasted hours that we could all spend being made to worry about things that just don't matter in the grand scheme of things. We all get affected by it though and for some it can turn into serious eating disorders at that point. And don't get me started on the damage it can do to one's health to think of eating as a bad thing. Food is fuel for our brains and bodies so we can do anything we want, learn as much as possible, pass it on, make our mark, and enjoy our short lives to the maximum. Human beings are meant to eat.

Answered July 04, 2007

Dido
I think the adrenalin before going on stage probably stops them. I've actually wondered that myself sometimes as I've had them just before I went on stage a couple of times. You never need to go to the bathroom when you're on stage either! It's like all bodily functions stop and you just have an amazing time for a couple of hours. Too much information?

Answered June 19, 2007

Dido
Flower Ð yellow and orange ones (I'm so crap I don't know the names). Fruit - white peaches. Or bananas Ð frozen. Trees Ð my favourite tree is the one that used to be at the bottom of my grandma's garden and I used to hide in it for long periods of time. I actually used to sleep in it sometimes. It had an amazing wide branch about half way up that I'd climb up to and lie down. I miss that tree. Smile

Answered June 19, 2007

Dido
Definitely a bar of chocolate. Every time. Dairy Milk. Easy. It's hard to get the real ones in LA so every time someone comes from England they've started bringing them to me. Also plain chocolate digestives.

Answered June 12, 2007

Dido
Mangoes. This morning. Smile I'm a big fan of the supermarket. It puts me in a really good mood for some reason. Just lots of food everywhere... Smile

Answered June 12, 2007

Dido
I'm not brilliantly patient with stuff like that. I'm patient with musical equipment and good at fixing and trouble shooting with it, but I guess I care about that more than most things. If the turn it off, turn it on again method doesn't work with any other piece of machinery I just walk away and hope that it magically sorts itself out.

Answered June 12, 2007

Dido
No! A few people I know have done it and I'm in total admiration. Running is definitely not my thing. I can run for about 2 minutes and then I can't stand it, get itchy and bored and have to go and do something else instead. Walking and swimming and cycling I can do for days. Running no.

Answered May 23, 2007

Dido
No, but I wish I did. As well as being jealous of birds I'm also jealous of people who get an enormous amount of pleasure out of gardening. It seems like it would be pretty satisfying and therapeutic. I like putting my hands in mud and earth? Does that count? But I couldn't tell you the name of one flower though and I'm not a fan of worms.

Answered May 23, 2007

Dido
That sounds sort of messy. Can I come back in a previous life? Then I'd like to come back as Marvin Gaye. For my next life I'd choose an eagle. I just went to the Grand Canyon for the first time last week and I developed a serious envy of birds.

Answered May 23, 2007

Dido
PG Tips. Although I've gone off tea recently. I think I might have finally overdone it on the tea... I'm working on a coffee addiction instead.

Answered May 23, 2007

Dido
Coffee. Or coffee and porridge. Or eggs and toast. I sort of wait a while until I eat breakfast because I have a lot of my best ideas when I've got an empty stomach. I tend to get up and write and play immediately in the morning. It's the best way to start the day. You've made me hungry now.

Answered May 02, 2007

Dido
It was shot under some scaffolding near Spitalfields market in London.

Answered May 02, 2007

Dido
I was just talking complete crap at the end of the song. I can't totally remember what I was saying but something along the lines of 'I used to think I was a kangaroo'. It was a long night....

Answered May 02, 2007

Dido
Um, 6?

Answered April 21, 2007

Dido
Yes. I love talking about it, reading about it, learning about it, but I've never written a song about it or felt the need to talk about it musically.

Answered April 21, 2007

Dido
It's the best feeling in the world. Especially when I remember the circumstances in which I wrote some of the songs. Sometimes you can't hear it when you're on stage but sometimes it's really loud and then I get really emotional. Smile

Answered April 21, 2007

Dido
I do for a while when I first get to LA, via the internet, and then I get so buried in the studio that I lose touch with news for the most part. It's not easy to read anything about anywhere else in the world in the American papers.... So I don't bother with that either.

Answered April 03, 2007

Dido
Well, I really like my food. In fact I will never never be one of those people who can forget to eat. I've always just compensated for that by running and hiking etc.. But, the moral of this tale is it's not good to get too fit... Smile I got injured last year on a hiking trip at a health farm and it meant that I couldn't run anymore. Still can't. I had to totally reassess my diet/excercise habits. I now just walk and listen to my ipod most mornings for about an hour and then practise drums. That's the extent of my fitness regime. I've actually felt much better for it than pushing myself so much. I still eat loads but not to the point of lying groaning on the sofa after every meal. That's about it.

Answered April 03, 2007

Dido
Playing drums.

Answered April 03, 2007

Dido
We'd been on tour for a long time by the time we filmed that, so playing together was pretty second nature. We also filmed it over all three nights at Brixton so had three shows to choose from, which took the pressure off me doing one totally perfect show. I think it mainly came from the middle night in the end.

Answered April 03, 2007

Dido
Not really. All the legal stuff to do with my career bores me rigid now. It might have helped at the beginning when I didn't have a manager and signed my own record deal with no advice. But it actually didn't because I was so pleased to be making music I didn't care what I signed.

Answered March 27, 2007

Dido
Only if I was in a locked cell with only a Sudoku puzzle and a pencil for company. My mum's obsessed though. She gets excited about the really difficult ones.

Answered March 27, 2007

Dido
The Ivor Novello Songwriter of the Year award. I still see myself as a songwriter first and foremost, so that meant the most to me.

Answered March 27, 2007

Dido
Thierry Henry. It's obvious but I don't care. When he has his moments of brilliance I actually get quite emotional Smile He has also been very kind to me, getting various things signed by the whole team for my brother's wedding.

Answered March 20, 2007

Dido
I'm sure I'll go. I always used to say that they were the one band I wish I'd got to see live. I'd rather see them in the type of venue they used to play when they started but it'll still be great I'm sure.

Answered March 20, 2007

Dido
Absolutely not. I guess being famous was never something that motivated me. Still doesn't. I was so introverted it would have actually been my worst nightmare if I'd thought about it. But I did always realise as a kid that I couldn't live without making music. So here I am.

Answered March 20, 2007

Dido
Hope you're better now. If I've got proper flu I just go to bed and avoid people. And eat digestive biscuits. And then toast and Marmite when I'm getting better.

Answered March 20, 2007

Dido
I feel like I'm just beginning. I want to become a better musician all the time. I want to become a better drummer too! I'm always striving to write the best song I can etc... Also, I want to feel like I got the balance of my life right. I'm pretty obsessed by music and sometimes that's been to the detriment of everything else in my life as I tend to shut myself away. Over the last year I think I've got it right as I'm making an album I'm really proud of but also having an amazing life, spending good time with my family and friends and enjoying everything about it.

Answered February 28, 2007

Dido
Today I'd have to say watching technicians fix a microphone.... When I want to sing....

Answered February 28, 2007

Dido
Mac. Most definitely.

Answered February 28, 2007

Dido
I'd love to one day. Although as my recurring nightmare is of tidal waves it's a bit of a double edged sword. xx

Answered February 21, 2007

Dido
No. there might be one duet on there but that's it.

Answered February 21, 2007

Dido
Scon... Definitely. Making me hungry.

Answered February 21, 2007

Dido
I think I just grew out of the lyrics a bit. I did really enjoy singing it live, though. Maybe I'll take another listen! I'll need to find a bootleg live copy on the internet as I don't think I've got it anywhere!

Answered February 21, 2007

Dido
Yes and it was a disaster. In fact, it was my nearest death experience. The horse was called Donna and it put me off horses for the rest of my life...

Answered February 13, 2007

Dido
Yes, it will be released later this year. I'm loving it so far. Everything's been played live and is more raw but it still stays true to what I love about music that has textures and exciting things and surprises at every layer. I'm really proud of the songs. I didn't think I could get much more personal after album 2 but somehow it's happened again. Even more so. I've played a lot on this album too which has been really satisfying. Basically I've thrown absolutely everything into this record and it's really important to me.

Answered February 13, 2007

Dido
I didn't know! Is the ad OK?!

Answered February 13, 2007

Dido
Really well. I'm really enjoying myself now. I'm mixing all the stuff I wrote and recorded last year at the moment and also writing new songs that I'm loving. Since dad died I've written a whole load more songs (while he was sick it was harder to write and I just wanted to spend all my time with him). I'm still working with Jon Brion and I'm loving what we're doing.

Answered February 13, 2007

Dido
My iPod. I'd be lost without it. And my omnichord. I lie in bed writing songs with it.

Answered February 7, 2007

Dido
The best thing is just to get song books/sheet music of songs you like as you'll play them more often. There's also great books with simple versions of familiar songs, which are a great way to start. When you're watching TV or sitting down just pick up the guitar as much as possible and play. That's the best way to improve quickly.

Answered February 7, 2007

Dido
That I have a phobia of bananas???! It's not awful. Just weird.

Answered January 30, 2007

Dido
Yes, definitely. I'm not sure I'd do the same to my children intentionally, but I think that it had a huge influence on Rollo and I and our creativity. I would spend hours playing music and writing songs, writing stories and reading. It gave me a very vivid imagination. I also think it left me with a remarkable lack of general knowledge too, though. I was very unaware of the world around me for a lot of my childhood. It's funny because I really don't watch TV much now either.

Answered January 30, 2007

Dido
Coffee at the moment. I go through phases. A lot of cappuccinos. And then no sleep.

Answered January 30, 2007

Dido
It's a total honour and I didn't know! :-)

Answered January 30, 2007

Dido
Thank you. :-) I think the best thing is not to try and write in lyric form immediately. I think people end up writing down cliches if they do. Put your ideas down on paper exactly as you see/feel them. Try and use images. Try not to feel like someone is looking over your shoulder and write honestly. You can always throw it away! You can make them into lyrics that work later. I only bother writing about things I feel strongly about. Otherwise there's no point. Hope that helps. xxx

Answered January 23, 2007

Dido
Yes I do sometimes, mostly to answer questions. Often it's the fan sites that have the most up to date info too.

Answered January 23, 2007

Dido
Playing guitar or piano. Dancing. Sunshine. And music. Although music can go either way. It can make me even sadder... :-)

Answered January 23, 2007

Dido
Probably wine. Although I like Guinness. It's all good really. :-) When I was younger I used to drink Malibu and milk. Yuk.

Answered January 23, 2007

Dido
No. I wasnt good enough at dealing with sticky back plastic.

Answered January 11, 2007

Dido
I just make sure that I think what I put out there is the best I can put out there. Then it doesnt feel so bad if someone criticises it as its just a point of view and I dont agree. If I wasnt sure about what I put out there it would hurt much more (like when someone tells you something bad about yourself that you sort of know, its way worse). Id much rather stick my head above the water in this life, be creative, adventurous and express myself openly than be the one that has to judge others. I also do think there are two levels of critics. There are the ones that are actually brilliant writers and are creative and entertaining in their own right and then there are the ones that are just rubbish, cant write and know that the easiest review to write is a bad one. :-) At the end of the day, all that matters is that the people who listen to my music for pleasure, still might want to listen to it. And that I have written songs that I think are emotionally resonant. Then Im happy.

Answered January 11, 2007

Dido
No. I've never been trusted with one....

Answered January 11, 2007

Dido
Dont wear a watch. And go for a walk when I get anywhere. But basically I get jet lag quite badly sometimes. Also, dont make any big decisions about your life when you do have jet lag... (a mistake I have made countless times).

Answered January 4, 2007

Dido
Yes. I wouldnt normally have seen a Bond film in the cinema but actually I quite enjoyed it.

Answered January 4, 2007

Dido
It can be about whatever you want it to be! But I wrote it with Rollo from the point of view of a love song from a drug to a person. If that makes sense?

Answered January 4, 2007

Dido
I like Bass pale ale. I also love Guiness. By the fire. Am I an old man? :-)

Answered December 22, 2006

Dido
No!!! Who told you that?!! How fab would that be. Id love to be able to fly though. I love being in the air. Looking out of a plane window at the view never gets boring to me.

Answered December 22, 2006

Dido
Jingle Bells? Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer...? Do they count?

Answered December 22, 2006

Dido
I have no idea! Im very good at not sneaking a look... Im not so fussed about presents. I love experiences over things. If someone wants to take me somewhere, do something fun then I love it, but theres not a lot I need in the way of stuff. Memories of great experiences stay forever. I lose all my stuff because I travel all the time!

Answered December 22, 2006

Dido
Of course!!!! x

Answered December 22, 2006

Dido
Not a clue. I'll let you know when I do.

Answered December 14, 2006

Dido
Not often. But you just reminded me how much I like it! Thanks.

Answered December 14, 2006

Dido
Ha ha. I doubt it.

Answered December 14, 2006

Dido
Yes. :-) I'm very, very pleased with how it's shaping up so far. I hope you like it too. I love it!

Answered December 14, 2006

Dido
Total involvement. Nothing much happens without my involvement. I'm a control freak in the studio! :-) I figure I'm the one who has to sing and hear the songs for a long time so I'm going to make sure I stand by and love every note, word and sound in the them.


Answered December 6, 2006

Dido
Probably not. xxx

Answered December 6, 2006

Dido
Good idea. I'll look into it. Maybe I should do a few more first. :-)

Answered December 6, 2006

Dido
When I was a kid it was Asterix and Obelix. Or Tin Tin. I was addicted. Or Barbar the Elephant! Does that count?

Answered November 27, 2006

Dido
Yes, I've been to the new stadium and it's pretty amazing. It still has a good vibe but it is quite overwhelmingly large!! I'm sure in a few years it'll start developing the well worn look of Highbury. I do miss Highbury, though, because I've been going there for 30 years. My fondest memories at Highbury are of queuing round the block when I was about 5 or 6 with my dad and brother (who I worshipped), eating sausage rolls and crisps and then sitting in between the two of them, eating more sausage rolls (I was a 'hungry' child....) and not really watching the football too much but learning all the chants and singing them to my mum when I got home. Stuff like 'the referee's a wanker' etc... That went down well....

Answered November 27, 2006

Dido
I loved it when it was short (around the time of Here With Me etc..) and I love it now! I always love what I do at the time and then I get bored and move on.

Answered November 27, 2006

Dido
I love playing tennis. I used to play with my dad most mornings (I've never beat him - he's amazing) and I play with my brother still too. I'm a bit rubbish now because I haven't played for a while but I used to be obsessed.

Answered November 27, 2006

Dido
I've been to Greece many times. All around. I have family there too (in Thessaloniki) and yes I will come to Greece next time!

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
Ha ha. I've got them on a very low bookshelf where only TV technicians and people who've come to mend the floor can see them....

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
Yes it is. Well spotted.

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
I'm actually back home at the moment but yes I really miss my friends and family when I'm in LA. I miss clouds. I love it when I look up at the sky in LA and there's finally a cloud! Although it makes me homesick too. I miss walking everywhere, I miss my bicycle, I miss the local pub.

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
Go driving into the desert or down the pacific coast highway. It's such a great way to listen to what you've done or listen to other music and clear your head. The other night I drove into Joshua Tree national park at 3am. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's so quiet and your imagination goes crazy with all the little animal noises and the shadows of the mountains. It's actually way more spectacular in my imagination in the middle of the night than it was the next day during the day when I could see it! I go hiking a lot and otherwise just sit staring into space with a beer in my hand. I'm a simple girl!

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
I don't really watch it much now. I'm too restless to sit in front of it most of the time. I watch DVDs sometimes. I love Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Bullshit (Penn and Teller) and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Answered October 19, 2006

Dido
Good question. There was a time where I wanted to refuse to sing 'White Flag' as I'd just burst into tears every time I sang it (which I did when I recorded it too). But I couldn't refuse to sing that particular song, obviously, so I'd just get on with it and put every bit of emotion into it without losing the plot if I could. I definitely get emotional when I sing. If I stop feeling anything when I sing I'm not sure I'd go on doing it.

Answered September 20, 2006

Dido
I don't think I've ever managed to narrow my favourite book down to one book. I just read too much and there isn't one single book that's jumping to mind. I've thought about it a lot and go back to what my favourite book was when I was young and I still look at. It was Winnie the Pooh.

Answered September 20, 2006

Dido
John Lennon

Answered September 20, 2006

Dido
I'm not going to answer in French as it'll be too crap, but at least I understood the question (I think...). Yes. I had a fantastic time in Quebec and loved it there. I've actually spent a lot of time there over the last few years near places like Tremblant etc... I started learning to ski there and cross country ski and snowshoe and went on snowmobiling trips and even ice fishing (which just seemed to involve drinking a lot of brandy to keep warm). I got so cold when we were ice fishing that I went and stood next to the stove in the hut and accidentally set fire to my ski suit which was sort of dramatic at the time... I also spent a lot of summer time there which is equally as amazing. Floating around in the lake, getting bitten by big black flies, hiking etc.... I'm not sure when I'll go back. Maybe this winter to keep up with my skiing!

Answered September 20, 2006

Dido
Actually I didn't spot her, but she stayed right till the end of the whole show, way after I'd left and gone to Cornwall and Paris. She had an amazing time.

Answered September 20, 2006

Dido
I started learning to drive the first day I could. I was desperate to have the freedom. I failed the first time (I was 18) as I hadn't read the Highway Code thing and knew nothing, then passed the second time. I bought the cheapest car I could find. It basically wouldn't turn right properly so I had to drive everywhere with left turns which made journeys sort of long winded and then a few weeks later it exploded in the middle of Soho and sprayed brown water over a bunch of tourists. Whoops.

Answered September 8, 2006

Dido
Well, I might have said no before but then I dropped it in a glass of water when I was on holiday in ibiza last week and lost all my numbers and the phone broke. And I'm still alive!!! It was actually quite liberating having no phone. And no friends...

Answered September 8, 2006

Dido
Basically my idea of heaven is to put my iPod on and play along to old Al Green and Otis Redding records. I'm also trying to always sing along so I can sing and play at the same time. That's sort of tough but a lot of fun. I'm not that great but it makes me happy. That's all that counts really.

Answered September 8, 2006

Dido
I started learning to drive the first day I could. I was desperate to have the freedom. I failed the first time (I was 18) as I hadn't read the Highway Code thing and knew nothing, then passed the second time. I bought the cheapest car I could find. It basically wouldn't turn right properly so I had to drive everywhere with left turns which made journeys sort of long winded and then a few weeks later it exploded in the middle of Soho and sprayed brown water over a bunch of tourists. Whoops.

Answered September 8, 2006

Dido
Hi Iva. Actually most of what I love Is outside the city. If you can take a drive up the PCH to Big Sur and on to San Francisco that is well worth doing. Other than that the thing that made the biggest impression was the supermarkets.... It?s all about food for me. I love supermarkets too. If I get bored I just go and look at the food. And buy strange things. Is that weird? :-) I tasted goji berries today. They are DISGUSTING.

Answered September 1, 2006

Dido
Citizen Cope and Ray Lamontagne, would be two I?d love to sing with.

Answered September 1, 2006

Dido
There?s no hard and fast rules to how I write. Sometimes it?s the music first. Sometimes the lyrics.

Answered September 1, 2006

Dido
Um, what would I have to do?

Answered August 24, 2006

Dido
It's insane here when it gets that hot. I just end up sleeping most of the day and working all night.

Answered August 24, 2006

Dido
I'm in the studio. It's about midnight. I'm drinking a beer. About to go and sing a song when Jon's finished recording a piano part. Hopefully I won?t burp the whole way through it.

Answered August 24, 2006

Dido
It was black and red in America where it was released first. Then the UK and rest of the world version was silver.

Answered August 24, 2006

Dido
No!!! I was 9. I just felt homesick.

Answered August 16, 2006

Dido
It is a real pity. I loved it when I was younger. It?s probably happened because we can access so much music and performances etc.. via the internet in a much more immediate way. That?s not a bad thing in my eyes, though. I think the more music is heard around the world the better. However it gets there.

Answered August 16, 2006

Dido
Every day?s a whole new phase at the moment. I have certain things that I listen to every day on my hour?s drive to the studio. Here are some of them:-
Elliott Smith ? 'Either/Or' album ('Alameda' and 'Ballad Of Big Nothing' are today?s favourites)
Imogen Heap ? 'Hide And Seek'
Randy Newman ? 'Louisiana'
Sufjan Stevens ? 'Chicago'
William Orbit ? 'Water From A Vine Leaf'
The Cure ? 'Lullaby'
Neil Young ? 'Cinnamon Girl'
It?s a bit all over the place. I?ll let you know what happens next week.

Answered August 16, 2006

Dido
I suppose I try pretty hard to stay out of it. I never go anywhere where I know I?d definitely get photographed and I work on the principle that if I stay out of the paparazzi?s way, they?ll stay out of mine. So far it?s worked... My ideal life is to be able to make music, be lucky enough to have it heard around the world and still have a pretty anonymous life. It?s so important for me to be able to be on my own, travel the world on my own, and just live simply and anonymously in order to write the songs I write if that makes sense. I think I?m living my ideal life!

Answered August 16, 2006

Dido
I never say never about anything so maybe. But I?ve turned down everything that?s come my way so far. There?s just too much musical stuff I?m interested in exploring at the moment to want to go and learn a whole new skill. I?d rather become a better drummer...

Answered August 10, 2006

Dido
Isobel is a figment of my imagination. It?s the name of one of my best friends but the story is about someone else...

Answered August 10, 2006

Dido
Of course. I love what he does. He used another track of mine for the Tupac record last year which I was really happy about.
[Dido is referring to 'Don't You Trust Me' from Tupac's 'Loyal To The Game' albuml, which is built around a sample of 'Do You Have A Little Time' and was produced by Eminem]

Answered August 10, 2006

Dido
A private jet, pilot, my ipod and a few cold beers. I?d have fun for a few hours and then go home.

Answered August 10, 2006

Dido
Politician - Bill Clinton but also Hilary because I think she's cool.
Actor - Sean Penn.
Musician - All of U2. They're just incredibly inspiring and fun to be around.

Answered August 2, 2006

Dido
The audience... And when you hit moments with the band where you've totally lost yourself in the moment musically. It's hard to explain but it's better than drugs.

Answered August 2, 2006

Dido
I don't get bothered by the paparazzi. I think I'm incredibly lucky because of that. I've tried to stay out their way and they've stayed out of mine and it's all good. The only thing that ever happens is that someone will come up to me in a shop/restaurant/the street, and say hi and it never bothers me. I haven't met a horrible fan yet!

Answered August 2, 2006

Dido
Yes. Not all the time because that would be weird... But when I first finish a song/production I listen to it about 100 times or more on the grounds that if I start hating it it doesn't go on the album. Then once the album is out I listen to it a bit because I wouldn't make it if I didn't like it, then I tour it, sing the songs a million times and needless to say, don't listen to it as much after that. I did listen to 'No Angel' again recently and really enjoyed it as I hadn't actually heard the whole album for years.

Answered July 26, 2006

Dido
I speak not very good French but I'm learning from CDs at the moment as I spend so much of my free time in France and I'm also learning Spanish the same way. I'm always so jealous of anyone who can speak another language fluently. So, if you see me wandering around town with my iPod shouting out answers in French/Spanish, you'll know it's me. I do it while I'm out running/hiking.

Answered July 26, 2006

Dido
I think realistically it'll be next year now. I'm full steam ahead now, though. I've got tons of stuff I'm really proud of written and I'm in the studio every day here in LA (there's not much else to do...) recording. I'm actually dying to get stuff out there and play people things but because I'm doing things a little differently this time I don't want to rush it. The process is a lot of fun this time, I'm experimenting a lot with different instruments and ways of making sounds etc... and really pushing myself into different directions as far as writing and recording (some of them work, some of them don't...:-) ) but I know that soon I'm going to want to get OUT of the studio and back on the road performing. I can feel the frustration of not doing shows already creeping up.

Answered July 26, 2006

Dido
If it was a life/death situation then maybe. Otherwise, no. It's not the swallowing of it that would bother me. It would be the swimming around in my digestive system that would be horrific. And then, coming out the other end... I wonder if it would come out alive? You try and let me know...

Answered July 26, 2006

Dido
Big Sur, Thailand, anywhere with snow - especially Canada, France, Ibiza, Ireland. Sort of anywhere really! The next places I'd like to go to are Argentina, Chile, Patagonia and Iceland. I'm not a great sun worshipper (as you might have noticed!) but I love being warm. I tend to go to places for a specific reason. I.e. I've got friends there, there's something I want to see, there's some adventure I want to have, something I want to try.

Answered July 19, 2006

Dido
I just went to the shop and bought 'Cache' (Hidden) which I haven't watched yet but I'm just about to. I also bought some Mongolian film about a weeping camel. I have no idea about it but it looked like it might be good? By the way, I went to the cinema last week and saw 'An Inconvenient Truth' (the Al Gore movie about global warming). It's pretty fascinating and scary stuff and well worth seeing.

Answered July 19, 2006

Dido
Anything with crunchy bits in it...

Answered July 19, 2006

Dido
Coca Cola is way better. And way more addictive!

Answered June 19, 2006

Dido
Put my iPod on and play drums along with all my favourite songs. Or just dance round the kitchen.

Answered June 19, 2006

Dido
Lots of places. Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Patagonia, Peru, the Grand Canyon, China...

Answered June 19, 2006

Dido
That's a tough one. The best gig last year was Antony and the Johnsons. I've been to some amazing Radiohead gigs too.

Answered June 12, 2006

Dido
I love Indian food. I'd like to be able to make delicious curries. I love spicy food.

Answered June 12, 2006

Dido
Take her skydiving.

Answered June 12, 2006

Dido
It's a little town outside Limerick in Ireland where me and my brother used to hang out on Sundays. :-)

Answered June 12, 2006

Dido
I'm not a big flower appreciator! I never know what anything is. I like sunflowers. If someone's sending me flowers I like yellow ones!

Answered June 5, 2006

Dido
When I first came to LA I didn't really like it. I didn?t get it at all. I loved New York, San Francisco and Boston and about anywhere else but LA. Then I came to spend some time over in LA last year working with Jon Brion. And at that point I got it. It's whatever you want it to be basically. It's an environment you're free to use to create whatever musical life/freedom you want. It's somewhere where so many people are living off their imagination it's actually quite a creatively inspiring place to be. Whether it's LA or the people I've met who knows! All I know is I keep writing songs there so something's working! (On the last album songs like 'White Flag', 'Life For Rent', 'Sand In My Shoes' etc... were all written there too). I used to think I wrote better there because of the slight alienation I always felt there, but maybe it's just because there's no pubs to go and hang out in and none of my good friends to hang out with so I actually get some work done!

Answered June 5, 2006

Dido
I'm not actually living in the US even if I'm spending a lot of time there! But yes, it is different. There's a real freedom with being in the US for me. Part of it is being away from everything familiar but also being away from the feeling that anyone is looking over my shoulder as I write! it means I can be as experimental and limitless as I want, which is exciting. I'm also inspired constantly by the great songwriting tradition in America which I hadn't really explored before and I just love getting in my car and going on long drives and writing songs!

Answered June 5, 2006

Dido
W B Yeats. It's lucky he's not alive now. I'd be stalking him.

Answered May 29, 2006

Dido
England. Why would I say anyone else at this stage!

Answered May 29, 2006

Dido
I think things happen for a reason but I also think we create our own luck. I'm a big believer in karma and trying to do the right thing by others at all times. I also think from all bad stuff comes some good and sometimes the opposite is true too.

Answered May 29, 2006

Dido
That's a tough one. One of my favourite songs to do live is 'See You When You're 40'. But probably my favourite song that I've made is 'White Flag'. I was pretty upset when we were recording it as it was all very fresh in my head and I wrote and recorded it in the time I was feeling it (if you know what I mean!). I love that that translated onto the record and it still moves me now.

Answered May 29, 2006

Dido
Yes absolutely. It's a great boost for the city, for employment, and for the area but also will maybe have a knock on effect of inspiring more physical activity I imagine. That's never a bad thing.

Answered May 9, 2006

Dido
I'm all three, but if there was one I couldn't live without it would be the city.

Answered May 9, 2006

Dido
Don't wash mushrooms. It ruins them. And reduce balsamic vinegar. It's so much nicer.

Answered May 9, 2006

Dido
Probably the Deep Dish mix of 'Thank You'.

Answered May 9, 2006

Dido
Oh my God yes. Badly! I've tried a lot of things to make them go away. I think at some point I decided to accept that if life is great and I have so many things I'm happy with, then some things had to give. And one of those is my skin! I've worked out what to eat though to not get so many and it really does work.

Answered May 9, 2006

Dido
Er, no.

Answered May 2, 2006

Dido
I used to play a lot more than I do now. I got a bit addicted when I was making the first record. I love all the extreme racing games, 'Time Crisis', any platform games, soccer games.

Answered May 2, 2006

Dido
Good question. It made me think. Do I regret the way I've done anything so far? I don't think I do as I've enjoyed everything so much so far. I think if I could go back and tell myself something it would be that I should have got better at playing guitar and piano earlier on because it's giving me so much pleasure to do it now. The more self sufficient I am musically now the happier and freer I can be with it. Also, I'm playing drums now and that's about the most fun you can have. I'd like to have known that a few years ago!

Answered May 2, 2006

Dido
Someone's house in Texas was weird. The kitchen of a radio station. The corridor outside a sandwich shop, outside a radio station with people pushing past me to get in. In a small club in Reno with a whole row of girls taking their tops off in the front - it was just quite hard to keep playing without laughing when I saw the band's faces... A Ruth's Chris steakhouse, the list is endless. I'll play anywhere! I'm not fussy. :-)

Answered April 25, 2006

Dido
Yes yes yes! (NB: Dido answered this question the morning before Arsenal overcame Villarreal to qualify for the European Cup final)

Answered April 25, 2006

Dido
Cadbury's Whole Nut. Or Maltesers (you have to suck all the chocolate off and then push down with your tongue. Unbeatable).

Answered April 25, 2006

Dido
One that I can climb without killing myself.

Answered April 25, 2006

Dido
A musical instrument, a pen and a piece of paper.

Answered April 25, 2006

Dido
If I thought it would make him stay then yes. :-)

Answered April 19, 2006

Dido
I think it probably is. I've always said that I don't want to go out with anyone who a) hasn't had their heart broken and b) hasn't broken someone else's heart (which possibly feels even worse than a))
(We have done a very rough translation of Dido's answer for Julio 'Probablemente. No desear?a a hombre que ha hecho que su coraz?n no se rompe o que no ha roto el coraz?n de otra persona. El segundo se siente realmente malo.')

Answered April 19, 2006

Dido
I saw an amazing film last week called 'Tsotsi'. It's a South African film and won an Oscar. It's well worth seeing. I found it pretty inspiring. It's the story of a criminal in Cape Town who steals a car which happens to have a baby in it... He then has to look after the baby. What's great about it is the more cold and evil he is, the more you see how he hurt he is and how he got to be that way.

Answered April 19, 2006