Milk Teeth's Becky Blomfield: The 10 Songs That Changed My Life

What do Baby Spice and Marilyn Manson have in common? Milk Teeth vocalist/bassist Becky Blomfield bloody loves ’em…

The first song I remember hearing...

“My dad is a massive fan of The Who. He used to work shifts so we wouldn’t see him that much, but when he was home on weekends he used to play this really loudly. He would dance around with us while Mum was in the kitchen, and that was probably my first ever taste of rock music.”

The song that reminds me of my childhood...

“In the school playground, all of the girls used to fight over which Spice Girl they wanted to be. I was obsessed with them and wanted to be Baby Spice because I was blonde, but that was who everyone used to argue about being. So I used to end up having to be Sporty Spice, which is more fitting for me now as an adult.”

The first song I learned to play...

“I could already play a few bits and pieces before, but this was the first proper, intricate thing I ever learned. I think there’s a Sunny Day Real Estate vibe to it, which is nice and chilled. The thing with the Chili Peppers is their music takes you away to another place, because it’s not really about reality. It’s out-there and laid-back.”

The song that picks me up when I'm feeling down...

“When I was younger, I used to listen to this a lot, especially when I was feeling really down. I know that some people will probably think it’s a cheesy song, but it reminds me of that time, around the age of 17, and it picks me up when I’m a little bummed out even now. It’s about finding reasons to keep ticking along, and that’s always a good message.”

The song I like to sing when I do karaoke...

“Oh my God, this one reminds me of a brilliant night out we had while we were on tour with Creeper in Germany. I’m not usually that funny, but I like when I can make people laugh. So when I sang this after the show one night it was hilarious. Footage of it went around everyone’s Instagram stories and when I woke up the next day I was like, ‘Oh, so that happened.’ If I don’t end up singing this at karaoke I’d probably go for something at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Maybe Avril Lavigne, because when I was a teenager I was totally obsessed with her music. I could do a great Avril at karaoke, but the world hasn’t seen that on Instagram yet!”

The song that makes me want to crowd-surf...

“I’m a die-hard Manson fan. I love his whole ethos. Nowadays, it’s harder to be outspoken because the internet police are awful. I love music from that time. It sounds so different.”

The first of our songs I heard on the radio...

“I remember being like, ‘Oh my God!’, because we were played on daytime Radio 1 on the Clara Amfo show. It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment.’”

The hardest of our songs to play live...

“I don’t find it hard now, but I used to really struggle with Crows Feet [from 2016 debut album Vile Child] because the bass riff is doing a completely different thing to what the vocals are doing. The bass is locking in with the drum part and the vocal melodies are a completely different set of notes, and a completely different rhythm as well.”

The song that I'm proudest of...

“I’m still super proud of Vitamins, that was one where people started to take note of us and I think that song is such a great representation of what the band still is now. It’s got a proper old-school punk, pop, rock feel... It’s got a mixture of everything, and it’s got a lot of attitude. If we were to play someone just one of our songs, it would be this.”

The song I'd like played at my funeral...

“Obviously your funeral is going to be a depressing occasion, but I feel like that even if you’re super sad, this is a song that can make you think about nice times. It also reminds me of my sister and has this cool sunny vibe to it.”