We caught up with the British singer-songwriter ahead of the release of her latest single, “Take a Bite,” to chat ballet, rockstars, and archival fashion.
Picture a fully tatted-up rocker in pointe shoes and leotard. That’s exactly what I’m picturing as I chat with Beatrice “Bea” Laus, better known by her stage name, beabadoobee, who just changed into house clothes after departing one of her weekly ballet classes. Known for her grungy style and soft voice, the juxtaposition of super-girly and super-punk describes beabadoobee perfectly.
Laus’ latest single, “Take a Bite,” the first song off of her upcoming album, perfectly bridges that sweet voice and tough sound. Across two full-length albums and several singles and EPs, that balance has become a beabadoobee signature. But this time around, Laus possesses a new level of strength and stamina. The strength and stamina of a ballerina, maybe.
“Take a Bite” reflects a growing maturity and awareness of personal faults in relationships — elements that Bea freely admits were less present in previous projects. Though she looks back at her past albums with fondness, even listening to a few of her older songs every now and then, Bea is ready for this new era. And just like a dancer practicing her plie ahead of a performance, Laus has worked hard for this moment. She is ready to show off her newfound endurance.
HIGHSNOBIETY: Your new song’s out on May 9. How are you feeling about it? Are you excited, nervous?
beabadoobee: I am so unbelievably excited and I can’t wait for people to hear it. I’ve worked so hard on this whole project and I can’t wait to release it.
What was the inspiration behind “Take a Bite?”
I have grown up seeing relationships in a really chaotic sense. So, now that I’m finally in a really healthy, lovely relationship, I [sometimes] get so scared and confused [because] it’s not like relationships I’m [used to], so I make problems in my brain. It’s a toxic cycle. The song really helped me understand the way I think and [the song] is a lot of acknowledging my part in toxicity. In my past records it was always the blame game — I was always blaming someone else — and [I believed] that [explained] why I am the way I am today.
Do you listen to your old music? If so, what’s the one song or album that you really go back to the most?
I love “See you Soon”, that will always be one of my favorite songs. And “Talk,” I’ve always wanted to make a song like “Talk.” I just love “She Plays Bass,” the meaning behind it is so sweet. It’s about Eliana, my bassist, and every time we play it live it’s always a moment. I’m like, “This one’s for you, bitch!”
Which female rockstar do you think has the best style, aside from yourself of course?
I’m gonna say iconic women in general, Bjork’s style is insane and I love her quirkiness and how she almost doesn’t give a fuck and just wears whatever she thinks looks nice. It didn’t really matter whether [her outfits] matched necessarily either, I just love her style. I love Fiona Apple’s style. She has this very effortlessly cool chicness about her. Alanis Morissette, also. I love the fact she wore really baggy clothes all the time, but had this really beautiful hair and beautiful voice. She is just an absolute legend.
Is there something in your closet that comes with you everywhere that you refuse to leave at home for months on end when touring?
I love bringing a pair of shorts. For this next tour, I just wanna wear the same pair of denim shorts every night, they’re just so easy to move around in. It makes me feel free on stage having my legs out.
What city do you think has the best places to shop?
There’s so many amazing boutiques in Milan that have archive pieces or really beautiful vintage pieces. Obviously, Paris has a lot of amazing thrift stores. I really love Amsterdam: there’s this one shop called Nhỏ Girl and it’s basically every girl’s dream — it has fucking everything. I was even trying to plan a whole trip to Amsterdam, not to smoke the weed but to go buy clothes!
What is one brand or product that you’re obsessed with right now?
There is this dress from the “Take a Bite” music video I want to be buried in. Stella McCartney let us take a look through her archive, because a lot of the fashion references we were pulling for this era were from 2004-2006. There was this beautiful archive dress and it has loads of different materials and fabrics. On the shoulders, there are so many feathers that surround my face and it looks almost like angel wings. It’s unbelievable.
In your opinion, what makes a great outfit?
Confidence. You can literally pull up in fucking joggers and a tank top, but if you are confident, you’re the hottest bitch alive.
What are three words you would use to describe your personal style?
Comfortable. Nostalgic. I really pull references from specific times. And I don’t know, it’s just very me, it’s just very “Bea.”
What song or songs do you have on repeat right now?
“So What” by Pinegrove. “Drive” by Incubus. And my friend showed me this one: “TV in the Gas Pump” by Wednesday.
