Dido reissues ‘No Angel’ with added selection of remixes and live material while we learn of kitchen composing and dancing on a cooker (well, nearly)

A music career can be anomalous and precious, concurrently: Dido’s just received her MTV Europe Music Award for the Best New Act although her album came out two years ago. The reason being that, regardless of music quality, it took her a long time to establish herself on this side of the Atlantic although, even in the States, her success received some strange breaks to propel her to playing American arenas holding 25 thousand punters.

First, a song by an unknown artiste found its way to the Gwyneth Paltrow starring flick ‘Sliding Doors’, the TV series ‘Rosewell High’ chose another song as its theme tune and she was riding very high in the US charts while her home country was unaware of her musical ‘bliss-fullness’. And then, the most weird thing occurred: a cyber-folk singer was introduced to the UK mart by a rap act, the one’n’only Eminem, who sampled her ‘Thank You’ as a musical base for the bone-chilling mega-hit ‘Stan’.

“People kept passing on my music,” Dido charmingly shrugs, “and I had no idea who these people were. I have to admit to having had a lot of luck and whenever someone gives me some music I pass it on, hoping to continue this tradition. But I honestly don’t really know how did all these happen.”

Lo-fi star

From a (minor) part in the Faithless crew Dido finds herself to be an international star whose private life, her engagement, as well as the actual marriage ceremony have become of high tabloid speculation. Surprisingly, she claims to be able to go around and enjoy her life as long as she behaves as a normal human being – Florien Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong, to give the full name to the 29-year-old – and not a ‘star’ behind shades and hats.

“I don’t cause security alert,” she smiles endearingly, “in a supermarket because I tend to behave normally. When I started I was old enough to know the pitfalls and have always been aware of them. I can freely walk around and genuinely can go to all my usual shops and go to cinema…”

“Sometime people recognize me and ask for an autograph or a picture and it is cool. This is my life and I’ve been doing it for a long time. I don’t mind people coming up to me but it’s not like I’m a mega star to be happening constantly. It’s reasonable but, also, I’m away a lot… You know, it’s always been my intention for people to listen to my music but not know who I’m.”

Packing in job with a literary agent, London-born Dido hung around her brother Rollo’s band Faithless, worked with them before branching out for her feel-chill soundrama to spread further across the globe than the bro’s band’s, but would return for a guest spot on the latest album ‘Outrospective’.

“Faithless taught me everything about music and I’ll forever be grateful to my brother for all his help. Anyway, my best girl-friend Pauline (Taylor) sings backing vocal with the band.”

A bird from…

Dido appears to be like an open book that is very eager to share its contents, with restrictions. She’d talk about her fiancé Bob Page (short of marriage in any tense) who nags her for working late on her music, spending too much time in her spare-bedroom-cum-studio and making noises in the kitchen.

“That’s where my hi-fi was,” she defends the unusual arrangement, “my flat had a bizarre set-up…You know I’d end up standing in the kitchen, listening to music, for hours on end. When I heard something inspirational I’d jot it down on a pad that I kept on top of a cooker. I’ve written quite a few songs on that cooker. My studio is also there, in a spare bedroom, and it is so cosy… It’s my old flat, before all the success and our new place is bigger and I am out of music-in-the-kitchen set-up.”

From a mere ‘Diplomat’ Dido’s music has become ubiquitous, perhaps trying to do a ‘Moby’ (licence each and every songs to movies/TV/commercials…)

“I’m very careful to what I let my music be used for,” she states confidently. “I probably say more time no than yes. But I’ve done a ‘Moby’ and every song from this album has been used. I think it is very good because all these people, who normally wouldn’t be in the slightest bit interested, get to hear my music and they, hopefully, love it.”

Last summer Dido toured huge venues Stateside, a debut headlining tour she enjoyed very much.

“Oh, yes! I did a full-on, six weeks stadium-tour,” Dido sounds excited, “it was my third summer on one album in America and the best time I have ever had, touring. I had my own golf-buggy to get me around the stadia. That’s the sign of success in America, they give you a golf-buggy to drive around these enormous arenas!”

“The other thing I did while the stage was being set in the US was – play basketball. It’s such a great fun and you don’t need a lot of people for a game. Imagine, all these for a girl from Islington, but it was time, I’d really worked hard for it. When my record came out the market was in a certain way and there was no immediate response to my music.”

“But I felt great, there was nobody doing what I was doing. It was fun because I found this little gap but I’ve already noticed that people have started to… Not copy it but I’ve opened a little gate for this type of music… I find it a big compliment.”

Eminem obviously helped her career but she’s not sure whether she’d invite him to guest on her next album.

“I don’t know whether he’d fit in… I’m not planning to start work on the new album until next year although I’m always writing and have quite a few songs. I’m not in a hurry to record it and I’d rather just keep playing live to allow people to hear my music. My show is very important to understanding my music.”