Singer-songwriter Flip Grater, Christchurch born and raised, is back 'on stage' after a hiatus from performing since the birth of her first child. We catch up with Flip to coincide with her gig appearance at Blue Smoke with fellow Cantabrian-bred Andrew Keoghan, as part of his Something Going On Tour promoting his latest album Every Orchid Offering.
Flip's music has been described as sultry, languid, indie, folk and personal. Her albums include Pigalle, While I'm Awake I'm at War, Be All and End All and Cage for a Song produced by her own label, Maiden Records, and she has published a book The Cookbook Tour: Adventures in Food & Music (a tour diary including recipes and a CD).
She is currently working on an EP of lullabies and a new album of adult material. She says she writes music "to explore certain parts of my brain that don't tend to appear in conversation."
Aside from music, Flip has a passion for animal welfare, wholesome foods and cooking, and is a Francophile. And of course there's the new love in her live, her young daughter.
We flicked some quick questions to Flip about her passions:
You're an avid cook and vegan, what foodie books are you enjoying that you can recommend?
Currently I love the Yotam Ottolenghi books, Whole: Recipes for Simple Wholefood Eating and Thug Kitchen.
What music do you like to listen to when you're cooking?
If my husband is cooking it's always gypsy jazz. For daytime summer cooking I prefer (Belgian musician) Stromae or Rokia Traore, for evening or rainy day cooking Leonard Cohen or Gillian Welch.
You have a toddler now. How has parenthood changed your music apparoach?
Well for a start it's pretty hard to get quality practice time in as my daughter loves to play the guitar with me if I pick it up. It's all about fitting it in nowadays... trying to find quiet moments to play and be inspired.
You were vegan at 15 and even got your nickname Flipper from your animal rights activism. What form does activism take for you these days?
These days my activism mostly looks like setting a good example - living a vegan lifestyle, reducing plastics in our home, eating and wearing organics etc. but I have written a few pieces on my blog www.ewyum.com about certain food topics I feel passionately about.
You're from Christchurch (having grown up in Parklands) and spend time here when not living in France. What are some of your current favourite spots in the city?
It's been great being back seeing the new city coming to life. I miss the old High Street and lanes like Poplar Lane but I'm loving OGB, The Origin, Smash Palace, Mumbaiwala, Pot Sticker and The Cornershop Bistro in Sumner.
What role do libraries play in your life?
I've always appreciated libraries but never so much as right now! When we first got back from France we used New Brighton Library for all of our printing and boring officey stuff around my husband's New Zealand Residency and applying for rental properties etc. Then I was there weekly during pregnancy reading an unhealthy amount of baby-related books. Now I take my daughter to keep her bookshelf rotating (and keep me sane by changing up the bedtime books). It's truly invaluable.
I've been loving introducing Anais (my daughter) to classic English books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Peepo and her favourite book - Avocado Baby. And it's great to find some brilliant newer books and New Zealand books in Te Reo like Kanohi and the Reo Pepi series. At the moment I'm loving reading her Little One by Jo Weaver and Lucy Ladybird by Sharon King-Chai.
Some of Flip's Favourite Reads - on Music, Food and Parenting
- Just Kids by Patti Smith
- The Idle Parent by Tom Hodgkinson
- French Children Don't Throw Food: Parenting Secrets from Paris by Pamela Druckerman
- Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms by Eugenia Bone
- French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle
- Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali
-
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Flip Grater's Bio
Listen: Flip Grater CDs in our catalogue
Read: Flip's parenting and food blog: ewyum
Follow: Find Flip Grater on Facebook
Check out other local musicians: New Zealand Music Month in May at Christchurch City Libraries
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