Lorde Talks Filling In For Frank Ocean: “I Didn’t Even Know What Splendour Was”

August 28, 2013

New Zealand pop sensation Lorde has confessed that when she received the call asking her to fill in at this year’s Splendour In The Grass following American crooner Frank Ocean‘s eleventh hour cancellation, she’d never actually heard of the festival.

Lorde has told Pedestrian.tv in an exclusive interview that she received a text asking her to perform at the Australian winter festival while she was at a party, but she ignored it because, well, she was at a party:

“Then someone called me about it, my manager, and I didn’t even know what Splendour was. I was like, ‘OK. Alright. That’s cool. Why not?’ I’m so glad I didn’t know what it was because it turns out it’s a really big deal and, yeah, I was definitely the underdog. You know, filling in for Frank Ocean. I don’t know. The whole thing was crazy but so much fun, such a cool show.”

She’s also blowing up like it ain’t no thang in the States, with The Weeknd remixing her track Royals and attracting the attention of Grimes, Perez Hilton and The Backstreet Boys. In the interview, Lorde said she finds it “crazy” to be flown to different countries on the strength of an EP, especially when fans wait for her at the airport.

She also discussed meeting up with Diplo while she was in LA, saying they hung out in a Twin Peaks-esque bar, and admitted that she’d love to collaborate with Pharrell one day, saying, “He’s got the face of a 4-year-old.” Well, that’s as good a reason to collaborate as any, we guess.

Lorde’s debut full-length album, Pure Heroine, is released on Friday, 27th September, and the Tennis Courts vocalist explained in the Pedestrian exclusive that it’s not a concept album but more of an introduction of herself as an artist, with her songs being about the regular teenage things like friends and “the weird social things of being my age”.

She kicks off an Australian tour on Wednesday 16th October which will see her play shows in all of the main stops on the east coast. You can watch the full interview here with Pedestrian.tv here.

Photos: Lorde – Splendour In The Grass 2013, 28/07/13