British songstress Alison Goldfrapp made her name as a disco dominatrix, strutting her stuff on stage to her band’s unique brand of British glam rock and electronica. However, when Goldfrapp touches down in Australia this October to play at Parklife, don’t expect a high-heeled diva to adorn the stage, but rather a barefooted songstress more reminiscent of Woodstock, freelovin’ and dreamlike, down tempo ’70s folk.

According to Goldfrapp, she hung up her high heels due to a back injury, and what initially seemed a disaster for the glam frontwoman of albums such as Black Cherry and Supernature – which contain sexy and sultry hits like Strict Machine, Train and Oh La La – has proved a blessing in disguise for the Goldfrapp as it has led to the band’s fourth album, Seventh Tree.

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‘I guess we could have taken the easy way and done another Supernature album, but that didn’t feel right,’ Goldfrapp said of the making of Seventh Tree. ‘We had to be quite brave in a way and say, “We are going to do this.” We’re probably going to get a lot of people saying, “What the fuck are these people doing?” but I think you have to be prepared to be exposed.’

With Seventh Tree, it’s not just Alison Goldfrapp’s feet that are exposed.The album not only reveals a softer side of the singer, it also draws a more intimate sound from the duo – Goldfrapp and her partner Will Gregory. Here, Goldfrapp coos and twitters and lullabies the album away.

‘There are no rules, formula or routine to anything. It’s about making sounds that express what you want to express,’ Goldfrapp explained. ‘You might find a sound you really like, that might inspire the beginning of a song … the starting point is always difficult and it’s the process that evolves from playing live and experimenting.’

In the age of the iPod, Goldfrapp claims that musical experimentation and eclectic songwriting are signs of musically diverse times.

‘If you look at what most people listen to on their iPod – because no one listens to one style of music – I think that what we do when we are writing is based on what mood we are in… Everything you create is a reflection of what you’re feeling at that time. This time this is what we felt and it fitted. You can’t deny that and you go with it.’

So, what’s next? Well, there are a closet full of shoes to choose from…

Tickets and details for Parklife can be found at www.parklife.com.au. Also be sure to check out our Giveaway section to win yourself a copy of the Parklife 2008 CD.

Sunny Burns (Sydney Star Observer) and Megan Smith