The song that takes me home ...Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road (1975)
My father is from New Jersey and he was a huge Springsteen fan. So I'm a big fan, too. Thunder Road is our song. I've always loved this record, it's like a little movie: "The screen door slams, and Mary's dress sways ... " My father used to cry, dance with me, and then say, "When you get married and you drive off in a Cadillac, I'm going to run after you."
Finding my voice ...
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (1973)
I used to listen to Aladdin Sane on the record player in my apartment. I'd open the window so my neighbours could hear it up the fire escape, and I'd sit out on the ledge, have a cigarette and listen. I love Bowie's voice on songs like Watch That Man. I like to think I sing like a man. I want people to feel invaded when I sing. It's very confrontational.
Theme for my lost weekend ...
The Cure – Never Enough (1990)
My cocaine soundtrack was always the Cure. I love all their music, but I listened to this one song on repeat while I did bags and bags of cocaine. "Whatever I do/ It's never enough." Isn't that funny? At the time I didn't think there was anything wrong with me until my friends came over and said: "Are you doing this alone?" Um, yes. Me and my mirror.
When I went glam ...
The Heavy Metal Kids – Hey Little Girl (1976)
[New York DJ and artist] Lady Starlight introduced me to them; they're a glam-metal group who did this great song. Glam became a big influence, it's a sub-set of all these things I love: cabaret, burlesque, metal, rock. I love Cockney Rebel, T. Rex. Marc Bolan wore a full body scuba suit covered in mirrors: thats where my disco ball dress came from.
When my life changed for ever ...
Lady Gaga – Just Dance (2008)
That record saved my life. I was in such a dark space in New York. I was so depressed, always in a bar. I got on a plane to LA to do my music and was given one shot to write the song that would change my life and I did. I never went back. I left behind my boyfriend, my apartment. I still haven't been back. My mother went in and cleared it for me.
When I was writing The Fame ...
The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)
I really got into this when I was writing my record. It's the sense of melody in conjunction with very liberating, strange storytelling, and it's a complete body of work from beginning to end. You feel like theyve learned from each other: on Oh Darling you think it's John, but actually it's Paul doing John. They were masters of songwriting.
Source: Gaurdian.co.uk
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