Queens of all they survey

Laura Izibor is explaining why the dark side of fame holds no fear for her.
“I’m going into this as an adult, not a teenager,” says the hotly-tipped Dubliner, whose soulful retro pop has prompted gushing comparisons with Amy Winehouse. “I’ve got a good thick skin on me now – whatever happens, happens. I’m not going to change the way I live my life.”

Her tone is breezy but Izibor knows 2008 is likely to prove a watershed year. Her debut album Let The Truth Be Told, is in the can; she’s rapidly earning her name as the go-to-gal for sassy soundtrack music (‘Shine’ from The Nanny Diaries has given her first bone fide word-of-mouth smash).
“Things are going great – the record label are working overtime and really getting my music out there,” says Izibor, who last year inked a contract with Atlantic Records on the back of a four-year development deal with Jive Records (home to Britney Spears and NSYNC). “It’s one piece of good news after another.”
She isn’t the only chanteuse creating a splash right now. As you will read elsewhere in this magazine, independently-minded young women are set to be a defining theme of the 12 months ahead in music. In Ireland, especially, we’ve seen a groundswell of gobby girl singers. From the Dirty Epics’ SJ Wai to Fight Like Apes’ MayKay, there’s an unmistakable whiff of feminine ingenuity in the air.
“Someone said that our new album is a modern take on Blondie, which is the reaction you like to hear,” says Wai of Dirty Epics’ forthcoming long-player, Straight In, No Kissing. “It’s full-on, a real wall of sound. It’s all very upbeat. No slow songs.”
As frontwoman Wai knows she’s more than just a singer: she’s the public face of Dirty Epics. Those chugging guitars may be the foundation of their sound, but without her babydoll-gone-bad vocals, what would it all amount to?
“I’m definitely more aware of how I present myself,” she agrees. “We’re gearing up for a big marketing campaign at the moment – we’re doing a lot of photo-shoots. So you do become conscious of how you present yourself. Personally, I prefer tight stagewear because I like to move around a lot. I’m in the process of ordering some showgirl outfits from Brazil.”
A big ’08 looms, too, for MayKay and Fight Like Apes. Having blazed a trail of art-pop irreverence through Ireland, the band are about to hit Britain, where they’re supporting Detroit scuzzbucket rockers The Von Bondies. Upon returning home, they’re due to start work on their debut album. No hints yet as to a possible title – considering their last EP was called (deep breath) David Carradine Is A Bounty Hunter Whose Robotic Arm Hates Your Crotch, we’re guessing the record won’t be eponymous.
It’s on Izibor, though, that the eyes of the Irish music industry are truly fixed. This country has always excelled when it comes to arena-slaying rock bands and heartthrob pop stars. But a straight- talking, sweetly crooning soul diva? You could call this uncharted territory.
“It’s great that there are so many strong young singers out there,” Izibor enthuses. “When I got my deal there was only Alicia Keyes, nobody else. I love Adele and the new girl Duffy. And you’ve got Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen – strong women who all have something to say.”
Does she look at Winehouse, rake thin and needle-pocked, and shudder?’
“Not so much because I don’t necessarily think her problems have anything to do with rock ‘n’ roll. I think Britney is a better example of how not to do it. With Amy Winehouse the problem is maybe a drug habit. I think everyone reacts differently to becoming famous.”
In the US, Izibor is already gaining a rep. She supported James Blunt in New York (“an absolute gentleman,” she says, asked of his renown as a ladies’ man, “I think he very much divides his professional and personal life”) and has headlined Johnny Depp’s Viper Room. However she had to turn down the opportunity to get chummy with Nanny Diaries’ star Scarlett Johansson.
“We got the invite for the premiere, and I’d picked out a dress and everything. Then work commitments got in the way. But I did go to the PS I Love You premiere in Dublin. I also got to go to the first screening of the film in Los Angles, which was a lot more relaxed. All the actors – Hilary Swank, Gerald Butler – were there in their jeans and t-shirts. We had a fantastic time.”