Meet the band - Dandelion

Where were you born?

Norwich hospital but grew up talking to goats in rural Suffolk.

What kind of music were you brought up on?

I would mainly hear a lot of Tina Turner blasting out of my dad’s workshop, and Joni Mitchell from my sister. My mum and nanna would jump on the piano a lot and harmonize together which was cool, I liked that. I guess even though there wasn’t music around all the time as a kid from other people, I could see its importance and passion from watching their faces when listening or creating it.

How would you describe your character?

Tenacious optimist with a short and a long fuse!

If you could / had to name the best band on the planet, who would you say it is?

A hard question to start with, but actually now I have landed on it, I would say Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows. They are fabulous. Anna-Varney Cantodea

incorporates beautiful dark orchestral melodies with huge waves of heavy and she lives and exudes theatre, exudes as in becomes theatre. She’s focused and brilliant.

Favourite musical memory?

At a festival having someone jump on stage with a rattlejacket and join in with some wacky percussion…first meeting of a lovely friend.

Best gig you have ever been to?

Sepultura was pretty damn cool. Cradle of Filth too, and The Tiger Lillies! No. Can’t pick just one.

Who is the most outrageous member in Linked Instincts?

Haha erm, well, it’s me obviously ;-)

What excites you about Linked Instincts?

Everything – working with an incredible group of musicians and getting to know each other and develop our musical identities together as a band. It’s great when we are in a rehearsal studio playing through choice covers together and then developing our original music. We all have different ways of working out new songs, jamming together and finding snippets, beats, riffs that grow or writing stuff at home then developing them together in the studio.

What is your favourite drink?

Everything except cider.

If you could only take one album on a road trip, what would it be?

Queenadreena - The Butcher and The Butterfly

Why?

Her voice – awesome thing to wake up to

Who inspires you?

People can inspire me when they say or do stuff that really cuts through the bullshit. To add to that question though, what inspires me: nature, the moon, the world, feeling electric versions of the world, changed and altered realities, feeling alive and energised in the rain under a wild sky. Feeling icy wind and rain on my skin and the grey sky, river, and ground alight with the fire of autumn leaves. These are the moments which inspire me fully.

Tell me one thing about you which would surprise people?

I don’t think anyone in the world can burp louder than me when I’m doing vocal exercises J

Could you describe yourself in three words?

Maybe I can.