ONE TALENTED FAMILY: WESTSIDE CHATS TO LIZZY PATTINSON

“Does anyone here like Twilight?” A murmur of ‘yes’ was discernable from the back, where a small crowd of teenage girls had assembled en masse, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain leading man and this month's WestSide cover star. You’ve got to admire her candour

Robert Pattinson’s stunning sister is an old hand on London’s gig circuit; she found a measure of early success (and a few top 20 singles) as a member of UK dance act, Aurora.

Her soft, wistful voice also provides the backing vocals on the track 'Who Are They' in the moment when sullen vampire Edward Cullen enters the cafeteria and locks eyes with Bella Swan.

It was a Thursday night in July and the Elgin Food Pub & Music House in Ladbroke Grove was packed to full capacity. No doubt the crowd was curious to find out whether this singer-songwriter with a famous last name possesses the talent to make it in her own right. With a roster of original songs under her belt, she's been raking in critical acclaim for her solo performanes.
Just seconds into her performance and we had our answer. A friend hit the nail on the head, suggesting that Lizzy has that rare kind of jazzy ebullience that would do justice to Sam Cooke’s Summertime. Refusing to be tied to a single genre, she channels contemporary pop to 50s blues, with a range of influences from Madonna, Beyonce, Kate Bush and Fleetwood Mac. It’s thoroughly easy listening.
A dab hand at the piano, Pattinson writes the lyrics and top-line for all of her own music. However, a few big names have lent their compositional talents to the budding starlet. Her biggest hits were the result of recent collaborations with Starsailor and her jack-of-all-trades little brother, Robert.
Pattinson faced a tough crowd that Thursday night. It was one of those balmy summer evenings where anything less than a blast of sub-zero air con wasn’t going to cut it. Stepping out in a full-length maxi dress, the singer-songwriter waved in her hands in mock exasperation and quipped, “Guys…are we hot enough?” Warming to her sarcastic sense of humour, audience members rigorously fanned themselves with cocktail menus to avoid stir up some breeze rather than risk cutting short the performance.
Chatting to the singer after a successful set, we touched on the inspirations behind her songs. A classic girl’s girl, she lists vintage fashion, old movies and the romantic idea of “a smoky club in the 40s” as her key influences. Clearly, Lizzy’s songs aren’t fuelled by bad break ups or residual teenage angst. “My heart hasn’t been bruised that many times,” she joked.
Rather than shrinking from questions about her famous brother, Lizzy views his success as a way to promote her music. “I like it,” she remarked after signing an autograph for a gawky teenage admirer, “Twilight is giving me opportunities to make new fans.”


Catch Lizzy on August 4 at the Regal Rooms in Hammersmith. 64 Fulham Palace Road, W6 9PH


SOURCE  via @LizzyPattinson