Suki Waterhouse is in a period of metamorphosis. Ahead of the release of her sophomore album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, she talks Kelsey Barnes through the songs that have shaped her life.
When Suki Waterhouse set out to make Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, she couldn’t foresee just how much her life would change from its conception to its release.
“There have been a lot of new things happening at once,” she admits on a call from London, a month away from the release of her sophomore album. The biggest change of all — and the next hyphen to add to her ever-growing list of titles — is that she became a first-time mum at the start of the year.
Where most of her debut album saw Waterhouse look at her life from a bird’s eye perspective, peering at and tearing apart the toxic relationships she experienced thus far, she’s finding that love, comfort, and motherhood can be just as inspiring.
After years of being solely seen as the model-hyphenate and not being taken seriously as an artist in her own right, Waterhouse seemingly proved naysayers wrong with her debut album, I Can’t Let Go. If her debut was proof of her commitment to her craft, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is an exploration of her own internal metamorphosis.
What hasn’t changed, though, is the playlist she listens to every day. “I have one on my phone that has everything on there — The Magnetic Fields, a song by Arthur Godfrey called “It’s All Part of the Story.” I listen to Macy Gray quite a lot. I listen to Karen O pretty much all the time.”
The thread that ties all of Waterhouse’s Nine Songs is a love for storytelling. It’s apt, then, that she would be selected to open for fellow storyteller, songwriter, and friend Taylor Swift on Eras Tour. “I haven’t even looked at it since posting,” she laughs, speaking to me an hour after the news finally hit the internet. “I’m so excited and honoured.”
Although transformation was on Waterhouse’s mind during the making of Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, her Nine Songs serve as snapshots of the past versions of herself. The version of her sitting on the Hammersmith tube replaying a song that reminded her of a crush, or the version that found freedom in a track that celebrated the moment when you’re finally letting go of a toxic relationship.
As much as her own songs become similar soundtracks for her listeners, this selection weaves together a kaleidoscope of Waterhouse — holding mirrors to herself to transport her back to where and who she was when she first heard them.
“Done” by Frazey Ford
BEST FIT: “Done” captures the feeling of moving on from a toxic relationship and asserting one’s independence. Is that the reason why it resonated with you?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: Oh, my God, absolutely. To be honest, when I first listened to this song, I don’t think I was in that space, but it’s one of the best songs about a narcissistic ex or person in your life and finally being fucking over it and done.
I remember where I was when I first heard this song — I was in Paris for Fashion Week and I just didn't go out one night. I got room service and listened to “Done” over and over again, singing and dancing to myself on photobooth. There’s the most gorgeous instrumentation on it. I'm forgetting the name of her backing band, but they're famous and the instrumentation is absolutely stunning.
“Done” is on the top of my list. I feel like it's one of those songs that more people should know about. I feel like it's insane that it's not a more well-known song.
Is there a specific lyric or something that jumps out at you and makes you think, “Oh god, I feel seen in this song”?
Oh, my God. There's so many fun moments in it. Let me see what pops out at me… “You can drag me out before some authority/If that's what you have to do to feel like you can punish me.” That's an amazing lyric. I love it when she goes, “I can’t keep the peace anymore.” You resonate so much with the feeling where you’ve felt anger and resentment, but there’s the bliss of knowing that you’re done.
“Sweet Thing” by Van Morrison
SUKI WATERHOUSE: I remember when I found out about this song! I feel like a lot of the really good songs I found out about when I was younger were all from when I was trying to impress someone.
I think I was at school when I first heard it and there’s something really sweet when you look back and think, “Oh, this is an amazing song, I feel like I've just discovered this and I'm going send it to a boy, and it's our song.” It’s such a classic song, but when you first discover it…
There’s a freshness to it. “Sweet Thing” reminds me of the Hammersmith and City line in London because it reminds me of going from Turnham Green into Chelsea to go and hang out with a boy that was very hard to read and very elusive. I was always trying to impress him with my music knowledge.
That one just always felt like a song that I feel like I can just lie down and let it permeate my soul. I don’t put it on super regularly because I want to save it for special moments.
“Don't Marry Her” by The Beautiful South
BEST FIT: This song is a bit of a humorous and cynical take on infidelity and the institution of marriage — it’s a bit cheeky which I feel like you instil in your music at times, too. What grabbed you about it – the music, the words, both?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: They were really, really big in the '90s because I remember this song was on the radio every single time that I drove to school. The reason why it really stuck with me is my mum would always sing really loudly “For her” instead of “Fuck me”, which is the actual lyric.
As a kid I could tell even then it was kind of a crazy thing to be listening to and having on in the car. I didn’t even know that she was saying a rude word but because of my mum’s reaction I figured it out. It resonated with me years later as a songwriter to know that you can have a somewhat controversial lyric and make it stick out.
You can make everyone freeze a bit, almost like the heartbeat stops of everyone in the car. That was the first time I really recognised that you could do that through songwriting and because of that, it's always been a special song.
“Wanna Be on Your Mind” by Valerie June
BEST FIT: The lyrics express a longing to be remembered and cherished by a loved one. When you think back to when you first heard this song, what was going on in your life?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: I think this song is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. I believe I discovered Valerie June through Brad Cook, who produced my first record, I Can’t Let Go. The song brings me unabashed joy, and it makes me feel like I'm in the stars.
I've often gone into a room to write songs, hoping to create something as simple and beautiful as this. The simple songs are always the hardest songs to write because they are the most powerful and poignant. Writing something that feels perfect in its simplicity is incredibly difficult. I love this song because it blends Blues, Gospel, and Appalachian roots music in such a stunning way.
Is there a song on Memoir of a Sparklemuffin that you think is simple but moving?
"To Love" would probably be that song. It captures a very clear feeling I had, where I suddenly found myself, while making the bed, thinking, "Oh, I'm so glad that things have played out the way they have."
It almost feels like a movie playing out and you don’t know how it’s going to go, but there is a moment where you feel like you’ve been at peace for a while. It doesn’t mean that it’s every day, but about appreciating a particular afternoon — a walk around the block or a trip to the store to get a Kit Kat. It was simple, but it was everything I could have wanted.
“Asleep and Dreaming” by The Magnetic Fields
BEST FIT: "Asleep and Dreaming" is part of the 69 Love Songs album, which explores different aspects of love. What was it about this song and the album that you liked?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: Yes, there are a couple of songs on there that really stand out to me, especially lyrically. One song in particular has been quite important to me. I remember it struck me with the organ playing underneath, giving it a very church-like feel.
He’s talking about how she’s not the most beautiful, but he’s watching her sleep and she’s everything to him. I feel like there’s so much that was said [in the lyrics] and it felt deeper to me than someone just idealising someone.
It made me feel like it was a very pure love that he was talking about. Often the moments that you find when you’re really in love with someone are at their not so polished moments.
“It Says Here” by Billy Bragg
BEST FIT: I love this song because it’s inspired by Billy’s critical view of the British press and its influence on public opinion. It reminded me of “Bullshit on the Internet” from I Can’t Let Go and the tabloid era you grew up in. Is that what drew you to that song?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: There's something so British about it that I really resonate with, even though it doesn't have much to do with me personally. I love the absolute Britishness of it.
I remember some of his lyrics vividly, like the line from “Levi Stubbs’ Tears”, "With the money from her accident/she bought herself a mobile home / so at least she could get some enjoyment out of being alone." In just those three lyrics, you've got an entire movie, so many open ends, so much story.
I think “It Says Here” is one of the most incredible songs lyrically, and the way he plays guitar is stunning. It's an incredibly special song.
“Seventeen” by Sharon van Etten
BEST FIT: This song serves as an ode to her younger self and the journey of self-discovery and transformation that comes with adulthood. I remember us talking about tending to the younger versions of ourselves when we talked for I Can’t Let Go. What is it about this song that resonated with you?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: This song is something I haven't been able to stop listening to, it's been on my repeat playlist constantly. It's always a song I dream of emulating, even just a little bit, though I haven't quite gotten there yet. The production, the writing, I'm really obsessed with Sharon Van Etten as a person. She's someone I look up to as an artist, someone whose trajectory I'd love to follow.
Brad Cook, who produced my first album and much of my second, also has a strong connection to her. When I went to North Carolina to record, I didn't know that Brad had a history with Sharon — he's toured with her, loves her, and knows her so well. It felt like a bit of kismet.
This song makes me feel nostalgic for the past, even though I'm still quite young. I first listened to it when I was 27, but it made me nostalgic for the New York I experienced at 16 or 17. In this new phase of my life, I really relate to that feeling of remembering how things used to be — walking the streets, feeling like you owned them, wearing a fucking fedora hat.
There's a lot of that in this song. I often feel like I want to write just to not forget, because forgetting how things felt at different times is probably what I'm most scared of.
“Fruits of my Labor” by Lucinda Williams
BEST FIT: This song touches on Lucinda’s personal experiences with love, loss, and perseverance in both her career and personal life. Can you speak to why you selected this song in particular?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: I think Lucinda Williams is incredible. This song was my introduction to her, and then I saw her perform recently in New Orleans, while I was filming Daisy Jones & The Six.
She's been through a lot, including some health problems, but she's still out there with so much stage presence and heart. She's someone I really look up to and hope to have that same fire in me in the future. She's such an amazing songwriter, and she always has brilliant stories to tell before she sings a song.
"Fruits of My Labor" is a song I listen to almost every day to ground myself and remind me of what I love most. There's a lyric in there, "Remember things we did when we slept together in the blue behind your eyelids."
It makes me feel comfortable and reminds me of everything I cherish, like lying in bed with your loved one or looking into the eyes of your baby. It just makes me treasure those small moments.
“Highland Grace” by Hiss Golden Messenger
BEST FIT: This song was inspired by themes of redemption, grace, and the search for inner peace. Why is this song pivotal to you?
SUKI WATERHOUSE: I can't remember who introduced me to this song, but it was the reason I went to Brad to produce my record. I was so obsessed with the song that I looked up who produced it, and that’s how I met him.
The production is just incredible, it was really what I was aiming for with my first record. This song was such a cornerstone for it. It feels so dreamy and blissful to listen to, and there was so much about it that I wanted to be close to in every way. So, yes, it's a special song for me because it led me to Brad.
When you look at these Nine Songs, do you see a specific thread that ties them together?
I think it’s storytelling. These songs have a way of transcending the ordinary, pulling me into a different world, and satisfying my curiosity. They paint vivid visions, placing me behind the artist's eyes in a different place.
These songs make me want to hang out where the artists hang out, immersing myself in their stories.
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is released 13 September via Sub Pop. Suki Waterhouse is supporting Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour 17 August and plays at All Points East 18 August
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