Ana Matronic

60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Scissor Sisters are the hottest thing out of New York since The Strokes. Described as 'Happy Mondays-meet-Bugsy Malone' and 'The Bee Gees, Beck and B-52's in a blender', the five-piece's latest single - a cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb - was released last week and the eponymous debut album is out today. Ana Matronic is the band's lone female member.

Do you enjoy the UK?
I love it. Our record deal is over here so we've been quite a few times over the last 18 months or so. We were here in October when the first single, Laura, was released.

Would you live here full-time?
I really, really love New York but if I had to move to England, I don't know whether it would be to London. I really like Bristol. It reminds me of my home town, Portland, Oregon. It's really beautiful but very funky. I also love Scotland, especially Edinburgh and Glasgow.

How come you moved from Portland to NYC?
Before I moved, I went to live in San Francisco and I lived there for three years before moving to NYC. I first went to New York when I was 13 and I always knew it would be my final destination. It's so full of energy and history - everything. It's a real melting pot.

Did it appeal to the flamboyant side of your character?
Absolutely. A lot of my inspirations have worked in, lived in and loved New York. People like the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Blondie. I loved the whole Andy Warhol Factory scene. I always knew that I would want to live there. It's a mecca for the highest of the highbrow and the lowest of the lowbrow.

Could you succeed as a band in the Mid-West?
Probably not - I've often thought that. The neighbourhood where I live, Bushwick in Brooklyn, is very cosmopolitan. You hear more Spanish than English. It's predominantly West Indian, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican. New York City is the centre of the universe, doll - it's different to anywhere else in America.

The boys in the band call you 'tough, amazing, glamorous'. Discuss.
It's pretty accurate. My big inspiration as far as music was concerned has always been rather scary women: Annie Lennox, Siouxsie Sioux - The Banshees were probably my favourite band ever - Debbie Harry, Lydia Lunch, Patti Smith. I dig the women who scare people. I've also been through a lot in my life so I'm a tough cookie, very opinionated.

You seem quite soft to me. Do you have a pussy cat side?
Absolutely. I am a Leo - a big kitty. I grew up in a loving family so I am a big love-jockey at the same time.

Do the boys treat you as a lady?
Sometimes I'm the only man in the band. My bandmates are bigger girls than me - trust me. I'm not bound to gender in my mind. I'm more interested in getting along with people. There are certain times when the last thing I want to do is put on my hairpiece and heels and traipse around dressed up. It takes me four times as long to get ready as it does the boys.

Who does your clothes?
Our style maiden at the moment is the fabulous Mrs Jones [designer of Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head dress]. She has the most amazing ideas. She understands the band and can interpret that through clothing. I'm not interested in buying things off the rack, nor in top name designers. I like us to wear original clothes no one else has. Our guitar player, Del, has a guy in New York called Todd Thomas who is also amazing. He does stuff for the guys. He's an amazing tailor.

There was only Jake and Baby Daddy before you joined. Are you the driving force?
Yes and no. I was brought on when there was just the two of them as I had the most experience performing in front of an audience. I was doing cabaret as part of my own club night once a week and they came and played. I was involved in running and promoting the night so I could help develop the sense of style.

Does the mantle of New York's hottest band sit heavy?
It does. It's all a little weird and something to live up to. When you get someone like Debbie Harry saying she likes us, it leaves you flabbergasted. I've met people who shaped who I am since I got in the band and I can't believe it. For Pete Burns of Dead Or Alive to come to our house, take me aside and say 'I'm a big fan of yours', is mind-blowing.

You seem quite surprised at your success.
I am. You meet these bands that toil on the road all over America for years, playing sh*t venues and who are stuck in a crap van driving thousands of miles. We didn't have to put that kind of time in. It's crazy.

Wouldn't you have needed two vans - one for the band, one for the outfits?
Exactly. I actually have a notoriously heavy, giant suitcase. I've just had to expand it into two, much to the boys' dismay.

Do they help you carry it?
No, I carry it myself. Although Baby Daddy will sometimes trade and give me his small one and take my big monster.

What's the next step?
More live shows. I just heard we'll be playing some shows with Duran Duran in April. Oh my God, they were my first major musical obsession. I had 50 badges, 25 posters and 500 clippings from magazines like Smash Hits.

Which one are you looking forward to meeting?
John Taylor. It's everything about him.

What will be on your rider?
Five Shetland ponies with miniature orang-utans in jockey outfits, 17 cases of Knob Creek bourbon and canapés flown in from Paris.

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