Three style-finally-meets-substance pop stars from Cornwall with glitter in their eyes and a strange affinity with ice-cream vans, Rosie and The Goldbug, currently at the end of a mini-tour of America, are on their countdown to take off. Suit Yourself caught up with them for a quick Q&A.

Where does the name come from? It does have a classic ring to it, echoes of Bill Haley and The Comets, Iggy and The Stooges, Siouxsie and The Banshess, amongst others.
The name is purposefully in the vein of Siouxsie and The Banshees, Adam and The Ants - even Alice In Wonderland. We love the way that these are more than just names, they create a world; this is something we wanted our band name to do so people can become part of our weird world. The Goldbug is a story by gothic author Edgar Allen Poe which Rosie read and felt inspired by.

What are your main musical influences?
Lots of 70’s and 80’s music - Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Prince, The Cure…you can probably hear these influences. Also some grungier, rockier stuff (mainly from Pixie’s side) like Nirvana, the Pixies, Mars Volta…we listen to quite a wide range of styles and everything influences us, whether it’s a drum groove or a certain synth sound.

The group has a real sense of style. Bat For Lashes and Patrick Wolf are notable contemporary comparisons. Where would you say this comes from? How important do you feel a group’s look is?
We played so many gigs in dingy pubs, at first supporting indie/rock bands and often everything about the venues and the overall look of the other bands was so dark and almost depressing that we started wearing bright colours and bits of glitter. It was a half intended and a half natural progression; we just wanted to brighten up the venues and make sure we were noticed! Our look has evolved with our music and us as people. To us the image is important, we want Rosie & The Goldbug to encompass music and imagery and it’s all part of the package!

Ted Hughes once said that the greatest influence on his poetry was Beethoven. Do you have any notable outside genre influences?
Ice cream vans.

I’ve read that Rosie had an interesting, itinerant up bringing. Did that have an effect on developing her imagination? What kind of effect do you think this has had on the group?
Yes Rosie’s upbringing wasn’t your average one! Without doubt all our upbringings have affected who we’ve become - your personal lifestyle is all you know as you grow up. Rosie still loves red, shiny, glittery things and stories such as Alice In Wonderland which is something she obsessed about at primary school as there was hardly anything else there! The lack of TV during Rosie’s childhood forced her to be creative with her surroundings and imagination; it’s clearly affected the group through her lyrics, the artwork and imagery of the band (wearing glitter, bright colours and feathers on stage!) and Rosie’s outlook on everyday things is sometimes unusual which inevitably seeps into the band.

What are your aspirations?
To be known in the UK as a fantastic live band, to break America, Japan and Europe, to have some chart success in the UK.

You’re in New York at the moment, which has a great history of flamboyant groups, and so seems like a good fit for you guys. Have any New York artists influenced you?
The obvious one for us is Cyndi Lauper, the Brooklyn-er! We love her music, her stage presence, her determination and her genuine talent. Touring with her was incredible and opened our eyes to realising how long a career in music can last if you want it!

Up next is Austin Texas, which has a more macho, Levis’ and axle grease vibe. Apprehensive at all?
Nope, just soooo excited! We’ve heard a lot about SXSW and the idea of a festival in the street - amazing! We want to be exposed to different cultures and different music so bring it on!

You played in Bristol recently, at The Lanes. It was great for us; how was it for you?
It was cool! Any gigs in the UK are great because it’s our home and we want people to see us. The venue is linked with London’s Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes which we gigged at recently and loved. The idea of combining a venue with a bowling alley is great. We hope everyone had a good night!

The people of Bristol want to know when you’ll be back. Any ideas?
Nothing booked yet but there will be. The sooner the better!

www.myspace.com/rosieandthegoldbug

James Davey