Folly Rae on her love of cinema and Quentin Tarantino

I love going to the cinema and usually go with friends, but if it’s a film I really want to see then I don't mind going alone. Somehow just me and my popcorn feels like a real treat. I remember going to the cinema as a child; I would get so excited I'd feel like I would burst, and that feeling has never really left me. It's a form of escapism I guess where you get to dive into another world for a few hours. I'm an empath, so I feel everything so intensely and films feel so real to me.

I first became interested in Quentin Tarantino films when I was younger. I read the book Donnie Brasco and it took me into another world. I was obsessed with books and films that were completely different to my life. I started to get my older sister to rent me out different films and I think Pulp Fiction was one of the first I saw. My fascination must have started then, which seemed strange for a super-shy kid who did ballet, but it transported me to another place, another world, the feel of it, the colour, the music. I just loved everything about it. The on-screen violence - well - I still close my eyes at those parts.Tarantino has created his own universe, every film is linked with his others and it’s artful that he keeps you guessing about what era the film is set in.

Pulp Fiction is so epic and my favourite character is Vincent Vega. I love the way he walks, very cool and calm even with his big drug addiction and the violent acts he carries out, on the outside he appears “normal”. I have two favourite scenes in the movie. First is Jules Winnfield’s bible quote right before he shoots someone over and over again. It is so intense and righteous, he says it with such passion and control then bam he violently shoots someone to death (this sounds very dark as I type it out).

My other favourite scene in the dance scene at Jack Rabbit Slim's, it comes out of nowhere and they get more intensely into the dance but their faces remain emotionless. Kill Bill is another one I love. Who wouldn't love a badass women seeking revenge on her ex (who attempted to murder her at her own wedding) whilst doing kung-fu wearing a yellow catsuit?

I wouldn't say Tarantino’s own sound scores inspires my music, but when I finish writing a song I like to imagine what scenes it would be the soundtrack to. However his work was one of the influences for my “Sniper” video, where an English girl (played by me) finds herself in a weird LA motel, makes unexpected friends before falls in love with a cowboy who she later kills.

The “Sniper” video location - an old hotel - itself brought so much character and inspiration to filming and gave the whole “trashy” Hollywood vibe. I wanted the illusion of not knowing what era you are in. So, the creative team used four different cameras across the shoot, and the clothes were pretty much all vintage. It was a very organic filming process, we came up with most the ideas on the spot, but an essence of Tarantino definitely filtered in. We were having fun and experimenting with the surroundings and the characters did improve to capture a raw and very real story.

Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight… I have seen them all. Though I couldn't watch Inglorious Bastards all the way through, I'm too squeamish and stopped when Brad Pitt was slicing tops of heads off. However, the underlying messages in the film are issues still so prominent in modern society. It feels very real. Plus I love cowboys and country and western music.

I am not the most visual person, as I tend to create things the way things feel. I can sense the colours that fit with an emotion. It weird, if you asked me to close my eye and visualise a coffee cup I couldn't do it but I can feel what it's like. So when it comes to putting videos together or artwork I really have to dig into how something makes me feel. Sometimes, something just feels right, like killing the cowboy with a tennis racket(!) I am also obsessed with lighting, which is why I like to shoot outside in LA or at dusk; it gives a magical, ethereal feel. I am addicted to Hollywood glamour because the whole legacy of Hollywood intrigues me, so I love mixing that up with a London style. I tend to make mood boards for each songs full of different colours, landscapes, the horizon, material, anything that adds to the feel of the song and that helps me then go on to the deeper concept of the visuals

I also love animation, and my other favourite films are Moana and How to Train a Dragon. There is a beautiful feeling you get when you watch it. I know these films are intended for kids but they are so emotional with a sense of freedom. They make me feel like a child again, but maybe that’s why I like them.