Imogen Heap

In Frou Frou, British musician Imogen Heap collaborated with producer Guy Sigsworth to create stylish electro-pop. But on her new record, Speak for Yourself, she puts the “solo” back into “solo artist,” handling almost all the writing, playing, recording and producing. “There’s this thing that happens when a female artist puts a guy’s name on an album as producer,” she explains. “People assume that person must have done most of the album, as girls don’t do that kinda stuff, do they?”

Apparently they do. Speak for Yourself (which Heap financed by mortgaging her flat in a “leap of faith”) combines an uncanny lyrical and songwriting depth with rich, razor-sharp production. That’s what happens when a classically trained pianist gets into modern sampling and recording technology. On the album, various devices—circuit-bent Speak & Spell, cardboard carpet tubes, prepared piano, compressors—are seamlessly blended with traditional instrumentation, putting a new sheen on Heap’s classically inclined songs.

Funny thing, though—on this perfectionist’s album, the most arresting moment is the one that poured out in a single day, the a cappella, vocodered hymn “Hide and Seek.” “It was one of those glorious moments,” enthuses Heap, “that made up for all those days of creative slog that can take hold when you’re working alone!”

Read the entire Paste conversation with Imogen Heap by clicking here.