Kelly Llorenna - Pop Trash Interview

If I had to choose my favourite post from the past five years of Pop Trash Addicts, I'd probably go with my retrospective on Kelly Llorenna's career - Requiem For An Orange Goddess. It's not particularly well written or insightful (in fact, I think I was high when I wrote it: "The mere sight of Kelly is enough to throw her core audience of unwed teenage mothers and derelict homosexuals into an uncontrollable frenzy" - LOL!) but it captures the depth of my love for the holy pop icon. K Lo is an acquired taste but I was smitten from the first time I heard "Set You Free" in the mid-90s. That lead to years of crazed fandom on the old AATW forum and even a ratty fansite I put together with Jamie - who classily founded Kelly's first fanclub. Respect! The original Queen of clubs has been a bit quiet lately but she's on the cusp of a fabulous comeback as the face of Freak Asylum - a new band she founded with the boys from Love To Infinity. Their sound is an interesting change of pace for the diva but I'm sure her tens millions of fans will go along for the ride. Kelly was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule of tanning and nightclub PAs to answer some questions about her amazing career and new venture. K Lo, we salute you!

Kelly, I'm such a big fan. I can't wait to probe you properly but before we get into it - can you please debunk the hateful rumours that you sleep in a vat of golden glow?
Ha ha... well, my darling, the rumours are true! I have a special bedroom with a bed (like a coffin!) that sprays me all night and every night! With the special K-Lo glow! Laughs. Gotta keep the glow up, guys!! (Laughs again). Now that I am platinum blonde (for my sins... my dark roots grow through in 48hrs. Not good as I will probably be bald by Xmas!) I have ditched the tan for good! Being blonde with a tan is definitely not a good look, you will be pleased to know!

Did you ever think your luminous natural tan would become your trademark?
Ha ha. Hey, it could be worse!! (Laughs). But I can have a joke and don't take myself too seriously when it comes to tan jokes. (Laughs again).

You are one of pop music's great survivors – first coming to international super stardom as the voice of N-Trance, then as the original Queen of Clubs and now as the face of Freak Asylum. How do you explain your longevity in the industry?
Simple! 3 words! I SING LIVE! There's few and far between that can cut it in dance music. It's ok having the hits but you have to be able to sing them live! I have seen lots of singers come and go over the years!

“All Clubbed Up” is one of the defining albums of the noughties. Did you receive any flack for releasing a greatest hits compilation as your debut? Why was it so long in the making?
No, I didn't really get any flack as I had done, and featured on, some massive dance tracks before my solo career, so it made sense to do a greatest hits... even though it was 50/50 the hits and new songs I had written too.

That era spawned a bunch of classic tracks like “Heart Of Gold”, “Brighter Day” and your amazing top 10 smash hit cover of Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It To My Heart”. Do you have a favourite from the early years?
Ooh!! Too many for different reasons! Obviously "Set You Free", which was a personal achievement for me and the band. It was a long time coming and we gigged that for years before it ever did anything in the charts. "Tell It To My Heart" (below) because even though I had solo singles out before, it was my first top ten.

Is there anything that you absolutely hate and wish you had never recorded?
Erm!! Ys but not gonna say. He he!

During those years, you were the undisputed Queen of AATW. How did you feel when first Dannii and then Cascada tried to steal your rightful crown?
Oh nothing at all! Manian and Yanou from Cascada make great dance songs and their production is class and Natalie has a great pop voice. I've done a lot of gigs with them and they are cool guys. Dannii is cool too. Love To Infinity have written with and produced Dannii. She went to Andy's Birthday Party! We all love Dannii and she is now a yummy mummy too!

Why have so many of your best songs remained unreleased? “One Day I’ll Fly Away” and “Nobody Like You” are two of my favourite K Lo anthems. And your massive improvement on Madonna’s “Dress You Up” was an internet smash. Is there a massive conspiracy to keep you from taking over the charts?
Ha ha... that has been said many times! (Laughs). The tracks you have mentioned where down to behind the scenes politics but hey, that's life! But yeah, tracks like "Nobody Like You" was one of my faves too! "Dress You Up" is still big on the gigs just like when I did the UK Arena tour... maybe certain people have a voodoo doll stickin' pins in me not to succeed! (Laughs).

Over the past couple of years you have collaborated often with legendary dance outfit Love To Infinity. “Keep Love Together” and “Sweetest Day Of May” are huge favourites of mine. How did that union come about?
Andy, Pete and Dave Lee from Love To Infinity and myself go way back!! Andy Lee engineered "Set You Free" back in the day! So, we've been friends a long time. On each part we both had mutual respect and loved what each one of us was doing so it made sense to work together on the LTI stuff. I joined Love To Infinity as an equal member in 2007 as their new singer, and now we have FREAK ASYLUM together.
Tell me more about Freak Asylum. Whose idea was it?
The band was born in a bar in Las Vegas. Andy and I were contemplating what to do with all our musical influences, so Freakz was the natural progression. It's a collaboration between myself and the Love To Infinity Brothers. A whole new band. It's been a dream of ours for along time now! Great songs, great guitar riffs, great huge synths, killer dance beats. Basically, great pop/rock/dance/radio friendly songs. I really think you are all gonna love the new album. Think Pink, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson etc. Freak Asylum rock! Check us out at www.freakasylum.co.uk , @freakasylum on twitter, I just got an iPhone 4, so I will be tweeting all the time now! Follow me Freakz for all my wonderful wacky thoughts and ideas! It's gonna be freakin' mad!!

What is it like to re-invent yourself after so many years as the golden goddess of Hi-NRG? Are your fans shocked by your new sound?
Freak Asylum KICKS ASS!! Wait till you hear songs like "Fetish" and "Something To Say" with Korn's Guitarist Shane Gibson! There is an energy to these songs that I just can't describe. They are very uptempo! So the Kelly fans are still gonna love this! I wanted this new start to have no preconceptions, to come back with a whole new look, new image, new sound and most importantly NEW BAND. Freak Asylum is a band and we will be out touring very soon and all my fans have embraced it which is brilliant! Thank you soooooo much! So onwards and upwards as they say! And as you know my alias is Lola Leethal! Ooh yeah! It's my alter ego! And believe me, you ain't seen nothing yet! Lola is bad ass! There is a whole side to me you all have never seen yet! Ha ha.

Who have you worked with on the new album? I read that Toby Gad was involved.
I've been in LA a lot working on the new record and this has taken a lot of time to get the songs right. It's all about the songs for us. We've got some of the best writers on the planet like Toby Gad, who I just LOVE! His work with Beyonce, Alicia Keys and, of course, The Veronicas is amazing... so I feel very honoured to have one of his songs and it's a killer song "You Better Leave"! You guys are gonna love it and you will be hearing it very soon! Working with Peter Hook from New Order/Joy Division was also great. He played on two songs on the album and wrote one with us. He came down to the studio with the original bass he used on "LOVE WILL TEAR US APART". Now that's a serious piece of music history sat in that bass guitar case! Hooky has a totally unique sound, you can always tell when Hooky is playing on a record and that's such a cool thing to have a sound that everyone instantly knows.

I've been working with a true Guitar legend 'Mr Scary' George Lynch, George is the original LA guitar hero, a stunning player I'm honored to have him on the record, you will not believe what he can do with a guitar! And his tone is killer. Nobody and I mean nobody has guitar tone like George Lynch. We first met Shane Gibson, who plays guitar with Korn, a couple of years ago in LA, as we know Ray Luzier, Korn's Drummer, Andy has recorded with Ray in the studio. Shane does the impossible guitar parts on the album! He's wicked!! So you see I wanted an eclectic mix of the best people playing on the Freakz album.

When is the lead single going to be released?
We are in the process of deciding on the first Freak Asylum single, we have 6 possible singles. All killer, no filler as I said! And we have also started storyboarding first the video. Ooh you're gonna love it! Trust me! Lola AND Kelly. Nuff said!

Your new image is outrageous and sexier than ever. How did Lola Leethal evolve?
Ha ha. I have always been Lola Lethal but never had the chance to let her be leashed to the public! Ha ha, she is out now and trust me, you gonna see plenty of Lola!

Finally, you haven’t aged a day since the mid-90s. Can you share the secret of your eternal youth and stunning beauty?
Haha...eternal youth? Maybe the golden glow works (Laughs)! Joking aside, I don't do anything apart from the usual girly things but I think being happy and appreciate what you have and making the best of it helps... also being self aware what suits you and doesn't! Oh yeah! I forgot - wear a descent pair of sunglasses haha!!

You can listen to a clip of Freak Asylum's music on their Myspace. Make sure you also visit their website and add Lola Leethal on Facebook. You know you want Kelly as a Facebook friend as much as I do! For more Freak Asylum, check out Gordon's fabulous interview with Kelly over at Diva Incarnate.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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Inna Is Amazing

I first wrote about Inna back in February. At that stage the Romanian superstar had already conquered much of Europe with "Hot" but was preparing to unleash her cheap and cheerful brand of Hi-NRG pop upon the UK. And - as expected - the Brits proved defenceless to her charms. In fact, the only nation to turn its back on this stunning talent is Australia. Which is just offensive. Anyway, the diva is gearing up for her second UK single and I actually think it surpasses her previous effort. "Amazing" really does live up to its title. The production is a little less Romanian techno on crystal meth and Inna shows a softer side. I particularly love the guitar sample and pretty chorus. It's a shame then that both of those qualities have been butchered in the UK remix. What the fuck is going on with AATW/3 Beat Blue and two minute radio edits? The original version (below) is so much better. If you're going to overhaul a record to that extent at least keep the best bits! At least the classy video remains relatively intact. Basically, Inna walks around looking sexy in a swimsuit but it suits the anthem's summery vibe perfectly and makes me want to jump on the next plane to Faro (where I think it was filmed). Fingers crossed it's another hit for the Bucharest beauty!


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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Daruso - Interview & Video

It's been at least a week since Cascada released their last genre defining masterpiece, so - like me - you're probably gagging for a Hi-NRG dance fix. Happily a new act from England has stepped in to fill the breach left by Natalie's child bearing hips. Daruso were recently signed to 3 Beat Blue (the thinking man's AATW) and are comprised of vocalist Jess Russo as well as producers Julian Gingell & Barry Stone. The latter are better known as Jewels & Stone and have worked with everyone from lovely Kylie right through to Ratshit Stevens. That should be enough to grab your interest but if you're still not convinced check out their hot new single "Since You Been Gone" (below). All you need to know is that it's not a Kelly Clarkson cover and would sound pretty fucking amazing in a club! Daruso's glamorous frontwoman kindly took the time to answer some of my probing questions, so check out what she has to say about working with Jewels & Stone and those Cascada comparisons.

Hey Jess, what did you get up to before joining Daruso?
Musically I've been performing since I was really young and experimented with a variety of styles - I was mainly performing jazz and blues though locally and around London and trying to get into the songwriting side of things. Quite a bit different from Daruso!

How did you hook up with Jewels & Stone? Those guys have worked with some amazing people including Kylie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and… um, Stephanie McIntosh.
Meeting Jewels and Stone was a happy coincidence as I actually met them through my manager who had worked alongside them for Stock, Aitken & Waterman. They were looking for a vocalist so I sang for them in the most casual audition I've ever been to ha ha. And the rest is history :) They have worked with some incredible artists and they are amazing songwriters - I think I'll always be in awe of them.

“Since You Been Gone” is already burning up nightclubs across Europe. Have you always been into dance music?
I've always loved any music I can dance to but obviously now I'm working within this genre I find myself not listening to much else!

Is the song reflective of the rest of your album or do you guys mix it up?
I think the tracks we've recorded so far are all really unique in their own way but on the whole we tend to record songs that make you wanna dance and uplift you in some way. I would say "Since You Been Gone" is probably a very good indication as to what's to come though!

Who were your influences? You kind of remind me of a Hi-NRG version of Everything But The Girl.
Well I take that as a HUGE compliment.....as a dance act they don't come cooler than that. I know Barry & Julian are influenced by so many different artists and genres half of which I've never heard of ha ha but as a vocalist my influences originate from the Jazz world....singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James are a real inspiration for me. In today's music I would say someone like Paloma Faith - she has such a unique voice.

When is the song released and will you be doing PAs?
The single is being released in July and we already have lots of P.A's locally and also in Europe in the pipeline. The next one is in Glasgow on the 25th June which I'm really excited about as I've never been to Scotland before!

And finally, the question on everyone’s lips – are you the new Cascada?
Ha ha everyone asks me that question! I am a huge fan of Natalie's and the truth is there will only ever be one Cascada. But I definitely think there's room out there for another female dance artist and if Daruso were to have even half the success Cascada has had, I'd be very happy!


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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One Inna Million

Brace yourself. Romania's leading dance diva is one hit away from kicking Cascada's Natalie Horler to the curb as the Queen of AATW. Sultry Inna is already a superstar in her homeland and has been on something of a roll in the rest of Europe, topping the charts in 9 countries with "Hot" - her appropriately titled debut single. She now has her sights set on the UK and only time will tell if her success continues or she joins September on the stinking scrapheap of pop. At first, I didn't understand the fuss but by the second listen you'll be humming along to this trash if you want to or not. "Hot" is just one of those incredibly annoying catchy dance anthems that gets stuck in your head and refuses to leave. Produced by Play & Win, the outfit behind Akcent (you might remember their fabulously dirty ode to Kylie) and Alessia, the song is a refreshing jolt of high energy Eurotrash. I just wish AATW went with the original version or the freshly commissioned Cahill remix. The UK radio edit (below) leaves a lot to be desired and the missing minute has rendered the video clip almost unwatchable. Instead of the stripper with a heart of gold subplot, we're left with Inna perving on some bitch in a club. Classy. Anyway, I hope it takes off because I like the diva's follow up singles and think it's about time we had an Eastern European pop star. And no, Ruslana doesn't count.


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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The Tragifabulous Return Of Cascada

After years of releasing mechanical cover versions and soulless trance anthems, Cascada has finally decided to switch things up by ripping off Lady GaGa. The lead single from the German dance outfit's third album dropped this week and it's a virtual line by line re-make of "Just Dance" - down to the rap interlude! I'm usually pretty brutal about Cascada but "Evacuate The Dancefloor" (the puns I could make!) is a step in the right direction. Sure, it's a woeful exercise in plagiarism but at least they're paying homage to a great song. I think the staccato electro beats suit Natalie's robotic vocals surprisingly well and the rap isn't as unfortunate as it could have been. Admittedly, the production is more Berman Brothers than Red One but they deserve some points for trying! Put on your Poker Face and check out the video (below). "Evacuate The Dancefloor" is a true guilty pleasure.


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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The Return Of K Lo!

Bow down, bitches. According to industry whispers, the orange goddess is currently bathing in a vat of golden glow in preparation for her magnificent comeback! The pop world just isn't the same without Kelly Llorenna's stunning pipes and luminescent fake tan. She is British pop music and I, for one, can't wait for her return to the lower reaches of the UK top 75. Despite her absence, sultry K Lo has been a busy girl since her last flop single, "I Will Love Again", peaked at a lofty #105. She has recorded a HI-NRG cover of a James Bond theme song for Klone Records, been hired as the vocalist du jour for legendary dance outfit Love To Infinity and most excitingly, re-joined forces with N-Trance - the group that rocketed her to international superstardom all those years ago.

The new N-Trance record, "Nothing Lasts Forever", is a glorious return to form. The beats come hard and heavy, while Kelly's exquisite vocals waft above the track like a gift from sweet baby Jesus. Seriously, listening to this you would be forgiven for thinking it was 1997 all over again and I mean that as a huge compliment. I hope the song is a smash hit for Kelly and the boys but given AATW's (her record company) recent track record, I wouldn't be surprised if this brilliant anthem never sees the light of day. So make sure you listen to it here. It really is quite fabulous. While we wait with baited breath for K Lo's glorious return, why not check out her last opus - a trashtastic cover of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". I finally worked out how to stream music (thanks Jennifer!), so you can bask in Ms Llorenna's magnificence below. This stunning masterpiece appears on the classily titled "Gay Days 5" compilation and is available to download from Australian iTunes. Welcome back, Kelly. You have been sorely missed!

Hot Stuff

Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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Listening To This Hurts The Most

Even the most casual reader of Pop Trash Addicts has surely realised by now that I don’t give a fuck about musical credibility, originality or artistic integrity. Disco dykes? Yes, please! Poptastic grannies? Gimme more! Foul mouthed trannies? Even better! And yet, as much as I revel in the trashy side of pop, I remain strangely immune to the dubious charms of Cascada – the massively successful Eurotrance outfit fronted by a horse faced German diva called Natalie. A collection of trance cover versions cheesier than a piss pig's cock, their debut album seemed destined for an AATW clearance sale but stunned everyone by becoming a global chart smash despite sounding like it had been dragged kicking and screaming from 1996. Don’t get me wrong – I like Cascada’s music but I fully expected them to slide into oblivion with the grace of 2 Unlimited or the Real McCoy. Their continued success seems, well, completely unnecessary.

Cascada returned to the UK top 10 in December with another craptastic cover version, “What Hurts The Most” and it’s now Australia’s turn to experience the wonder of their latest Euro-turd. Surprisingly, I’m finding it hard to muster a lot of enthusiasm. “What Hurst The Most” is shiny slice of commercial trance that will no doubt compel trashbags across the nation to grab the nearest glow stick but I can’t get past the grimly manufactured sound, the almost clinical lack of emotion and the lazy song selection. “What Hurts The Most” has been covered several times, first by Jo O’Meara (of S Club 7 “fame”) before more recently being given the country treatment by Rascal Flatts. I like both versions but Jo’s lovely rendition is proof that pop and emotion are not mutually exclusive. Shame she turned out to be a suicidal racist. It’s not all bad, I guess. D’Luv revealed his secret heterosexual yearnings by waxing lyrical about Caskanka’s breasts, while Jamie from Poplicious highlights the innate camp appeal of the video clip (below), which finds our beloved Teutonic automaton singing heartbreaking lyrics with a beaming smile while being tattooed –no less!

As rubbish as the song is, I'm still rather taken by Yanou's obligatory Candlelight Mix. Stripped of its cheap trance trappings, this version actually sounds like it was sung by a human being instead of an emotionless robot. If “What Hurts The Most” rings your bell, take heart. Cascada’s new album, “Perfect Day”, serves up more of the same. I could only listen to it a couple of times before putting it to better use as a beer coaster but their version of Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8ter Boi” is a rather delicious concoction. “What Hurts The Most” is released in Australia on the 18th of February. Order your copy here.


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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Requiem For An Orange Goddess

Kelly Llorenna cuts a striking figure on the stage. Her lean, orange body glows like a Renaissance sculpture dipped in a barrel of fake tan, her ever-present sunglasses create an air of alluring mystery and her measured strut announces the presence of a true diva. The mere sight of Kelly is enough to throw her core audience of unwed teenage mothers and derelict homosexuals into an uncontrollable frenzy, which only abates when Ms Llorenna deigns to open her gorgeous trout pout and unleash those golden pipes. Make no mistake. Kelly Llorenna, or K. Lo to her army of devoted fans, is pop trash royalty and this tribute has been long overdue. As Kelly's star plummets faster than Halley's comet in the wake of her recent chart disaster, take a moment to reflect on the musical gifts that Kelly Llorenna has enriched our lives with over the past 15 years.

In 1992 a tremor of genius shook the pop world when Kelly provided vocals for the N-Trance anthem, "Set You Free". The song flopped twice before finally becoming a massive hit in 1995. The success of the song resulted in Kelly signing a solo deal. Her first single, the divine "Brighter Day" made the top 40 but AATW Records quickly decided that Kelly would be more suited to collaborating with N-Trance. However, before returning to the band, Kelly recorded two of the most fabulous unreleased singles of the 1990s. Kelly's cover of the classic "One Day I'll Fly Away" represented a huge change of pace. The choice of song was a stroke of genius and the remixes were excellent. Strangely, the song was scrapped just after promos were released. Unfortunately, Kelly's equally fabulous "All I Wanna Do" (not a Dannii cover!) suffered a similar fate. I first heard the song on Deirdre Halliwell's criminally under-appreciated music blog, Cheesy Pop Music. "All I Wanna Do" really is something of a lost dance classic. This stunning anthem was another hit in waiting but sadly, was also scrapped.

Given Kelly's seeming inability to actually get a solo single released, she returned to the N-Trance fold and scored a multitude of hits over the next 5 years. However, Kelly was still desperate to establish her solo career. So, she released a cover of Taylor Dayne's "Tell It To My Heart" in order to re-launch herself as solo star and scored a deserved #9 hit on the UK charts in 2002. The follow up, a re-worked version of her earlier flop, "Heart Of Gold", made the top 20 and remains one of my all time favourite K. Lo anthems. In true diva style, Kelly's debut album was also a greatest hits compilation. "All Clubbed Up" rocketed to #62, announcing Kelly as a pop princess to be reckoned with!

Kelly returned to charts in a blaze of glory with the release of her craptastic cover of Donna Summer's "This Time I Know It's For Real" in 2004. While not in the same league of pop fabulousness as the Young Divas' recent version, Kelly's cover is a true guilty pleasure and the staple of many an aerobics class. The tragic video is a trash classic, with Kelly camping it up with some of the worst dancers Great Britain has to offer. "This Time I Know It's For Real" was intended to be followed by the release of "Nobody Like You" last year. I personally think "Nobody Like You" is one of the most poptastic dance singles of recent years. It's instantly catchy and more importantly, is slightly more pop orientated than Kelly's usual club sound. The song spent over a year in limbo before being scrapped. If it had been released, I can't help but think Kelly's career would not be in its current shambles.

Instead of twiddling her thumbs while AATW debated whether to release "Nobody Like You" or not, Kelly re-applied her fake tan and recorded a couple of tragic songs for Klone Records, including a fabulously awful cover of Rita Coolidge's Bond anthem "All Time High". Early this year, AATW decided to proceed with a new Kelly Llorenna single and they settled on a dance version of Lara Fabian's hit ballad "I Will Love Again". The song is far from terrible. In fact, I love the chilled Twilight Mix. The problem lies with the fact that the song plays right into all the negative stereotypes surrounding K. Lo - that she specialises in cheap dance covers and never releases anything original. Given the limited promotion and difficulty fans experienced finding a copy of the single in stores, it came as little surprise when "I Will Love Again" stalled at #105. Hopefully, this is not the last we hear of K. Lo. She may be slightly tragic bitch and have the fashion sense of a blind prostitute but Kelly is one of the few interesting personalities to emerge from the English pop scene over the past decade or so. If this is the end, let us remember Kelly in all her orange glory.

You can buy "All Clubbed Up" and "I Will Love Again" from Amazon and HMV. Purchase a copy today and help keep K. Lo in fake tan. A big thank you to Jamie for helping me out with the sexy Kelly pictures and mixes.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/AATW
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