Two years ago, Northern Europe’s music scene literally exploded as a swathe of intelligently emotional tunes infiltrated the global community. Bands like The Knife and Röyksopp delivered ethereal, otherworldly beats while artists like Robyn, Jenny Wilson and Annie tore up the radio with their sass and off-beat charm. And while most of those artists originated from the epicentre of Sweden, over in Denmark’s Copenhagen an altogether different sound was emerging.
It was here, in 2007, that lesbian pop duo Fagget Fairys were first heard. These weren’t like any other previous lesbian music act though. Unlike the manufactured, puerile pop of supposed Sapphic twosome Tatu, Fagget Fairys were – and still are – the real thing. And now, in 2009, the music scene is once again taking its lead from Northern Europe.This time, however, Fagget Fairys have stepped up with their particular blend of ghetto funk fused with Balkan beats, particularly with the release of their debut album, Feed The Horse.
‘First of all, we’re not a band,’ said Camilla, the eldest of the Fagget Fairys, on the phone from Copenhagen. It’s eight o’clock in the morning there, but both Camilla and her partner – and fellow Fagget Fairy – Ena are incredibly excited to be doing their first ever Australian interview.
‘In a way I think we actually talked about making t-shirts saying We’re Not A Band,’ Camilla continued. ‘Usually when we perform we do it as a live DJ set, so I spin the records and Ena, she sings. We’ll be playing the first real live concert, as a band, this May, but I think we’re going to stick to this more DJ / MC set-up.’
Admittedly, these star-crossed lovers come from two different worlds. Camilla is a force to be reckoned with on the Copenhagen club scene. She has been a DJ for seven years, is responsible for an art-music-fashion collective called ArtRebels, plus is the driving force behind Denmark’s three day music festival, Trailer Park. Ena is 19 and 12 years younger than her lover. She escaped a war torn Yugoslavia with her Muslim parents, and at the age of one found herself living in a refugee camp.
‘The comments we get from young teenager girls wanting to come out of the closet and tell their parents that they’re gay – they tell us that they’re really proud about having us to look up to,’ explained Ena of their new status as lesbian role models. ‘Especially Muslim girls that are lesbian and haven’t told their parents and they connect with me, because it is a hard thing to come out in that community.
‘Not that I’m Muslim, but I was born into a Muslim family. Being gay and Muslim doesn’t really suit the family. My mum’s is really cool about it but my father learnt to swallow his pride. We don’t really talk about it anymore. They’re not so open minded as I am so I’ve had to take some hits along the way to be able to do what I really believe in and love doing.’
‘That’s the woman I love!’ exclaimed Camilla.
Three years ago the pair met at local Copehagen hotspot, Vega and literally fell in love on the spot. Now they are engaged to be married, and together seem set to take over the world. Their 2007 EP was so well received that they toured Berlin, Paris and New York. And now their debut album – which is a polished, sophisticated and globally sounding long player – has been produced by Rasmus Bille Bähncke, a Grammy award winning ex-pat Dane living in NYC who has worked with the likes of Elton John, Mary J Blige and the Backstreet Boys.
‘It’s so intuitive, because we’re so new at making an album,’ said Ena of the process behind Feed The Horse. ‘We just wanted to make tracks that we didn’t think too much about but rather were about what we felt we had inside of us at that moment. I’ve just been using the process to get to know myself and my singing. It’s really fun but it’s also been so nerve-wracking to finally say it’s done. I wonder if people are going to get it because we’ve made such an… how do you say it in English… eclectic album, an album in a way that is our mix-tape of shangras and mash ups.’
‘I’d have to say Feed The Horse in a way because I’m very proud of that track,’ added Camilla. ‘It was a little bit of a mission to make a lesbian pop anthem that works in both the underground and also more mainstream. I just love the whole vibe of it and it’s been the key to all the success so far. It has a lot of story in it in that way.’
So do these girls have any secrets in regards to creating a lasting relationship, particularly one that encompasses a shared successful career?
‘We might come from different backgrounds and there might be a big age difference but at the bottom of it all we are both very down to earth people,’ said Ena. ‘We’re very content with having fun with what we do.’
‘We just love life and every part of it,’ Camilla added.
‘And if the Fagget Fairys don’t get bigger than this,’ Ena concluded, ‘it’s been an amazing experience and ride. It’s just about enjoying where you are every day and I think we’re very professional about that.’
Feed The Horse is out now through Music For Dreams. If you would like to win a copy of the album, visit www.www.outinperth.com and register in our giveaway section. To find out more about Fagget Fairys go to www.myspace.com/faggetfairys.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
