Superstar ‘femcee’ Uffie spills on collaborators, copycats and her long-awaited debut album.
“The godmother of the new synth-girl scene.” “The ultimate ‘femcee.” Who’s the subject of these accolades — MIA? Little Boots? Lady Sovereign? La Roux?
Try 22-year-old Anna-Catherine Hartley — better known as ‘Uffie,’ the American expat in Paris who, ever since bursting onto the electro-pop scene in 2006 with her single “Pop The Glock,” has been buzz personified. Not even a quarter-century old, Uffie’s already stuffed more into her personal and professional resume than some do in a lifetime.
Consider this timeline:
Age 4 — Uffie moves to Hong Kong, where her British father works in the fashion industry.
Age 9 — Returns back to the United States.
Age 15 — Visits her father, now living in Paris, and drawn in by the French way of life, decides to stay.
Ag 17 — Meets DJ Feadz on the Parisian nightlife circuit; they become romantically involved. He asks her to sing vocals on a song and she lays down “Pop the Glock…”
Age 18 — … which eventually attracts the attention of Busy P and the crew at Ed Banger records. She is signed and the single is officially released.
Uffie performing “Pop the Glock” at her US Debut performance at Element on August 31, 2006! Click HERE to see more exclusive pics from this performance!
Age 20 — Following her split with Feadz and amidst touring and prepping for her debut album, meetings graffiti artist and nightlife impressario Andre Sairova (Le Baron, Montana, The Beatrice Inn) and marries him.
Age 21 — They divorce and in October, she gives birth to their daughter.
Age 22 — She prepares for the release of her first full-length album.
It’s been years in the making, but in May, Uffie (the name is derived from ‘le ouef,’ which means ‘egg’ in French) is set to unleash Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans. It’s rooted in the crunk and French electroclash that propelled her onto the scene nearly four years ago — think intense, hardcore beats juxtaposed against catchy rhymes delivered in her breathy, almost childlike demeanor.
On the phone, Uffie speaks soft yet swiftly. While tracks like “MC’s Can Kiss” are ripe with her sassy, flashy style, she’s quick to point out songs like “Illusion of Love” reflect all the growing up she’s done.
“I think everything that you are surrounded by, your influences, obviously it has an effect,” she says (she’s in Los Angeles shooting a video with Pharrell Williams). “The album has the same spirit and everything — but if you mature, so does your style.”
Another factor may be the variety of producers who contributed to Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans; in addition to old friend Feadz, Uffie worked with electronica heavyweights such Mr. Oizo, SebastiAn and Mirwais. The latter is best known for his collaboration with Madonna on Ray of Light; he produced “Illusion of Love.”
“They all have such a strong personal style, they definitely bring something dominant to the music,” she says.
Uffie and Nicky Digital partying at Hiro Ballroom circa February 2007! Click HERE to see more exclusive photos of Uffie!
Perhaps the most noteworthy sign of a woman wise beyond her years comes with her diplomatic, graceful attitude in regards to Ke$ha. The American pop star has long been accused of ripping off both Uffie’s musical and sartorial style; there have been practically dissertations on various Internet sites comparing Uffie’s track with Justice, “Tthhee Ppaarrttyy” to Ke$ha’s ubiquitious “Tik-Tok.”
When asked if she thinks she’s owed royalties from Ke$ha, Uffie just laughs. “I knew this question was coming! Honestly, I don’t care. I don’t dislike her. I don’t really pay attention.”