Bad Charlotte

Ah, to be Charlotte Hatherley. She who was in Kerrang’s list of the 50 sexiest people in rock, has bagged Britain’s hottest director as a boyfriend, survived the split with Ash to produce two acclaimed albums of her own, and despite all this is as friendly and witty as a best mate.

But there’s an aim she hasn’t yet fulfilled. What’s this we hear about wanting to have sex outside during a thunderstorm?
“It’s true,” she admits. “I’d love to have sex like that, but it’s difficult finding the opportunity in London. One of my friends did it in Yellowstone Park in the States, with thunder and lightning going on around them. I was quite impressed.”
But that’s your idea.
“I know! They should get out of my fantasy!”
In ways of the bedroom, however, the 27-year-old is less adventurous.
“When it comes to underwear, I do frilly, but I’ve never dressed up in the full regalia. And I’ve never worn stockings – I’m a stocking virgin. It’s just that I’m such a t-shirt girl it would take a special occasion for me to dress up. Even in bed, I prefer to be naked rather than have a nightie on.”
Gulp.
For the past five years, the lucky man who’s shared her bed is Edgar Wright, director of Shaun Of The Dead and new comedy caper Hot Fuzz. Their hectic work schedules mean they spend a significant amount of time apart, which is the subject matter of ‘Rollover (Let It Go)’ from her forthcoming album The Deep Blue.
“It’s the most romantic song I’ve written,” she admits. “I’m lucky in that I’ve never had my heart broken so I don’t feel qualified to write about that, but I know what it’s like to be away from a loved one, which is why I wrote about relationships being worth holding on to, when it’s so easy to let go. It made Edgar cry when he heard it.”
Mr. Wright, according to his girlfriend, is “very romantic”, which is the polar opposite to herself.
“A bit of me's a cynical, grumpy cow, but I tend to go out with guys who bring out my romantic side.”
And with her newfound thoughtfulness, what’s the sweetest thing she’s done for him?
“When we first started going out, I used to send him poetry, mostly silly, filthy poems to make him laugh. I also ran up a $500 phone bill calling him from a New York hotel, back before the days of mobile phones. I’m more spontaneous in my romance. I’m not a calculating romantic.”
As such, she’s not one for grand Valentine’s Day gestures.
“I actually told him yesterday that he shouldn’t dare get me a present,” she says. “I’m not so cynical that I think it’s a capitalist conspiracy to make us all spend money, but I’ll only go as far as dinner and the cinema. Fluffy toys and roses are no-nos though.”
She did, however, appreciate his efforts in acquiring a Kate Bush autograph for her, which, I suggest, must be rivalled by the huge presents her legions of fans must get her?
“If I’m lucky I might get a few Lovehearts thrown onstage,” she says modestly. “Though generally the best place for presents is Japan. They’re very generous. You can go there and say: ‘I like Earl Jeans’, and they’ll show up to the gig with them. And you can be really blatant about it. You can say: ‘I like Earl Jeans for my 29" waist and my 32" leg’, and they’re yours.”
Ah, to be Charlotte Hatherley.
The Deep Blue gets a live airing at Cyprus Avenue, Cork (February 19); Roisin Dubh, Galway (20); Dolan’s, Limerick (21); The Village, Dublin (22); Nerve Centre, Derry (24); and Limelight, Belfast (25).