Marina And The Diamonds Talks Katy Perry And Madonna At Coachella

Becky Bain | April 16, 2011 3:46 pm

Marina And The Diamonds (aka Marina Diamandis) had never performed at Coachella before her set last night in the Gobi tent (check out the photos here!), but the Welsh pop doll seemed to be enjoying her first jaunt to the desert music fest. “The site is a lot more beautiful than any U.K. site,” she told us in brief chit-chat a few hours before taking the stage. “You can actually wear heels here!”

Not only was the Family Jewels singer wearing some fancy footwear to go with her supercute outfit, she also debuted a new hairstyle (styled at the hands of her drummer) while talking to us about Katy Perry, Madonna and why people should stop hating on Britney for not writing her own music. Catch our interview with this sparkling diamond below!

IDOLATOR: This is your first time playing Coachella, but you’re a regular at music festivals by this point. MARINA: I did like 28 festivals in one year. I’ve been to almost every one I think.

Who are you looking forward to seeing perform at Coachella? I really wanna see Crystal Castles, Robyn and I think that’s it for tonight.

Robyn’s hitting the road with Katy Perry this Summer – and so are you! How well did you know Katy before you signed onto her California Dreams tour? I know her work and she’s always been supportive and she’s a big fan.

Do you write your own songs? Everything.

There’s a lot of debate recently about pop stars, like Britney Spears, being criticized for not writing their own music. Do you think that matters? And should people even take that into consideration when listening to a pop song? I do think it matters but only to a certain degree. For example with Britney, everything clicked together and that’s why she’s a superstar. I think that artists actually shouldn’t write if they can’t write. You know when artists go, “I want to write an album,” and it turns out to be so dire, that you’re like, “Do you just hate ears?” I think if you can’t write but you’re a great performer and you’ve got a great voice, who cares?

The great thing about Katy Perry she is involved in everything she writes. You can tell, it’s very “Katy Perry”, each of her albums so far. The videos, the visuals, the whole package.

Who do you think are pop’s best female role models? The people that I admire, they might not live moral lives, but they’re just so fucking honest.  For me, John Lydon [aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols] is a hero. Madonna. I hate this kind of media training thing where people asked a question and the artist just skirts around it. I don’t think Madonna ever did that. Whatever you asked her, she’d give you an answer. And I think that’s how it should be. If people are investing in you and beliving you, at least give them the truth.

As a female pop star, do you ever feel the pressure to sexualize your image or show more skin than you’re comfortable with? It sounds cliché, but whatever works for you and what you’re comfortable with. I come from two very different types of upbringing, one was that very free-spirited and non-judgmental, and the other which was very controlled and disciplined. So I’m a very contradictory person. One minute it’s anti-feminist if women show T&A, and the next minute I’m like, it shows that the woman is just comfortable and free, and what’s wrong with the naked body?

You look at Rihanna or Beyonce, and you never think Beyonce is looking slutty. She has this power and she owns herself. It’s so dependent on the artist. For me personally, I don’t dress like that because I don’t really want to. There’s many ways to be sexual. The main problem I had a long time ago was that that’s the only thing people remember of someone, especially with men.

Weirdest thing you’ve seen or experienced at Coachella so far? All our trailers have no electricity, so it’s boiling! There’s no air conditioning. I’m like, how am I gonna do my makeup?

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Head to Marina And The Diamonds’ official site, and follow her on Twitter.