NYLON NINETEEN

U.K. Musician Connie Constance Wants To Be In A FKA Twigs Music Video

Ahead of her new EP, The Butterfly Club, the Watford indie musician talks Rihanna and the music festival of her dreams.

by Steffanee Wang

U.K. singer-songwriter Connie Constance's indie music breaks all the rules. Stepping onto the scene in 2015 with the jazzy, meandering In The Grass EP, she has since whittled down her sound into a sharp and bristled exploration of other genres and all their wayward variations. While her 2019 debut album English Rose played with synths and propulsive beats, her next EP, The Butterfly Club (out October 23 on her own label Jump The Fence), is a confident step into indie rock territory.

Her latest single, the dynamic "Costa Del Margate," takes full-on garage punk and merges it with a downtempo, near tropical-feeling outro. Though the sound for the 25-year-old singer is new, her voice — brassy, playful, and warm — is still the same as her first few releases, albeit more experimental.

Growing up in Watford, U.K., Constance cites her days dancing ballet and contemporary, her step-dad's punk records, and her later obsession with jazz as contributions to her expansive music repertoire. The music she makes now feels ever-evolving and restless — while not being afraid to touch upon pricklier subject matters. (She calls her recent single, "James," her "anti-drug drug song.")

"I'm not scared to talk about something that's important to me, and could be important to someone else," she says.

Over the phone while vacationing in Cypress, Constance took the NYLON Nineteen, and revealed her desires to be in a FKA twigs music video, what her first Rihanna concert was like, and falling into aquascaping video holes on YouTube.

What is your astrological sign?

I'm a Capricorn.

Do you believe in it?

I have such a weird relationship with believing in it because I am like all of the traits of a Capricorn. I'm super stubborn, I work when I really need to rest. However, my mom and my dad also have these traits that I have, like both of them are really stubborn. My mum will work way too long. So I'm kind of like, is it my star sign or is it my parents? I'm not sure.

Do you believe in ghosts and have you ever seen one?

I do believe in ghosts. I wish I didn't. I haven't seen one but I have one memory. My manager once, we were at a mixer, like AirBnB in Florence for a show, and he was joking around and calling down spirits, and I literally hit him. I'm the least confrontational, aggressive person ever, and that's how petrified I was. That I pushed him out the way and he was like, "What the f*ck?" And I was like, "Don't ever do that again, ever."

What is your go-to drink order?

I'm very much a tequila and lemonade girl. Tequila is an upper alcohol so it's less... I don't know, keeps you sort of awake and dance-y.

What's your go-to hangover cure?

Lucozade orange or original.

Who would be the three headliners of the music festival of your dreams?

I really wish I could've seen Oasis in all of their glory. Oasis when they were at their highest. And Amy Winehouse cause I didn't get to see her. And Kanye. I really want to see Kanye so badly, with all the good and all the bad.

What is the weirdest snack that you make?

A crisp sandwich. Bread, butter, and crisps. It's better if they're barbecue flavored crisps. Or something that's got a little bit of a kick, some kind of flaming, spicy crisp. That's my weird snack. It's so good. I actually want one now.

What's a bad habit of yours that you've been meaning to fix?

I'm a smoker, so that's at the top of my list. I want that habit to go. Anyone who reads this: never smoke because it's addictive and it's really hard to quit and it's so lame.

What was the last internet rabbit hole you've went down?

Aquascapers. Basically there are people that, they upload a time-lapse, and they'll basically build mini aquariums that are mini ecosystems. They're so cool. There are fish and then the fish have babies, and it all grows and they have to trim it, but it just all lives and looks after itself. And they just talk over it and they explain. I went into a bit of a hole watching that during quarantine.

If you could be in any music video what would it be?

I feel like an FKA twigs music video. I really hope I can train up my dance skills or some kind of talent enough to work with her because I'd love to be in her world, like any of her videos. They're so sick. She's like the OG for me of videos at the moment.

What was your first concert?

My first concert was Rihanna for her Loud album.

What are your memories of it?

[My friend and I] bought tickets for Rihanna and I remember she was, like, grinding on the guy, and he was from the audience, and we were like, "Woah, Rihanna just doesn't care, she's the baddest human alive." So that's the first concert I really fully remember.

What was your favorite movie as a kid?

Forrest Gump and Free Willy. My Girl, as well. Yeah, they're kind of sad actually, but I don't know. I'd watch them now.

What's your favorite meme or internet joke and why?

I love memes. There's a Twitter account called Out Of Context Chris Eubank, and he's this boxer from the U.K. and he talks with a really posh accent and he just says the most hilarious one-line statements. That's my favorite meme account.

What is your go-to breakup song?

Beyoncé, "Me, Myself and I." I kind of like breakup songs that are more empowering. When I breakup it takes me a good month to think of all the bad stuff that I might've done. So "Me, myself, and I, that's all I got!" I don't need you! [Laughs.]

What is your favorite red carpet look of all time worn by someone else?

We're back to Rihanna on that one. Basically any Rihanna Met Gala outfit but maybe the pizza dress. You know the really long yellow dress? Amazing. And the red hair. Ugh. I know every time I'm always waiting for Rihanna, when I'm looking at red carpet looks I'm always waiting for her to turn up and then I turn it off.

What is one thing everyone should buy that is under $10?

Lint roller. They change up the game. They make you look so much fresh[er], it's just such a handy thing if you want to level up your life.

What is your go-to sad song?

I've been listening to Janis Joplin "Summertime." Kind of sad. Because my boyfriend's been playing it and I'm like, "This is really sad." [Laughs.] I'd say that's the saddest song I've heard in a while. I am definitely in a more upbeat place, so I haven't listened to more somber stuff... I think I listen to more sad stuff in the winter because it goes with the scenery.

What reality show would you most like to appear on?

Bear Grylls, The Island [The Island with Bear Grylls]? He's this guy that takes a bunch of people to a deserted island and they have to fend for themselves. I wouldn't do well with the bugs and stuff but I do love a good hike.