Patrick Wolf was the main maestro at our Candlelit Matinee at Shunt in London Bridge last weekend. We found time to catch up with Patrick Wolf about voyeurism, sleep deprivation, and, bondage.

Hi Patrick. How’ve you been?
I’ve had a really stressful week and when I’m stressed I can’t sleep It builds up and after five days without sleep I get delirious.

Have you got any good ways of getting yourself to sleep?
I play word association with my boyfriend ‘“ I wake him up, he’ll be snoring and I’m like ‘˜please play word association with me.’ After about twenty minutes of that I’m sleep. I’m a very high maintenance lover.

Insomnia is a sign of stress. What’s on your mind?
The new record, the new video, the new artwork. It’s all back in the public domain again, and with every album it takes a while for people to digest it. I do pay a lot of attention to public opinion, maybe too much, and on top of all that you’ve got to be on the ball 24/7.

You’re like a hip-hop mogul.
Yeah like P Diddy, I need a new fashion collection or something.

So I saw the video, err, it’s a little bondage heavy.
The song is about going through a really self-destructive phase. I think S&M and bondage imagery is a really natural place of self-destruction, being a submissive in a sexual practice.

So sex gives you visual inspiration?
Lots of things inspire me. I like going to really trashy movies like Bride Wars, just to see a different view of life.

I saw a girl on the front row mouthing along to every song at the gig tonight. Doesn’t that put you off?
If it’s a ‘˜Top of the Pops’ style performance then it seems really natural, but when it’s acoustic I get in such an introspective zone. I can get really thrown by somebody knowing the words. It’s really flattering but it’s quite distracting as well.

But aren’t those fans better than regular ones?
They’re amazing, but I get so distracted by people singing along. Part of me is singing the song, but part of me wants to just stop and observe the audience.

Are you a people watcher?
Yeah, I get most of my inspiration from being a voyeur. I always throw myself into different experiences that maybe I know I’m not going to really enjoy, but that will help my lyrics. I find myself walking into a Mosque or wherever just to work out what other people’s ideas on life are.

INTERVIEW: AMBAR SETHI

PHOTOS: LEWIS CHAPLIN