Pixie Lott tells Pressparty: 'I'm going to make music forever'

With new single 'Lay Me Down' set to be released this month and her self-titled third album due to follow in August, the summer looks set to ring with the sound of Pixie Lott.

We caught up with the British beauty to find out more about the record, her sound and breaking into the US market.

How do you think 'Lay Me Down' ranks in comparison to your previous singles?

I think it's a little bit different. The first single from the album was 'Nasty' and that was still a soulful track, but it was more funkier and the lyrics were more fun. This one has still got some tempo in it - I'm hoping it makes people dance, especially the remix versions we've got of it - but it has more of a meaningful lyric I think, so it probably represents the album better because most of the album has more heartfelt lyrics than the first single.

What do you hope to achieve from the single?

I just hope that it does as well as it can, I guess like most people would. I'm excited for people to hear another song from the album. I'm especially excited about this album because it's my favourite and it's my favourite style, and I really get to sing on it. I'm excited to have this new material to perform at festivals over the summer too and also at my album launch - I'll be able to play the new stuff with my full band and have a brass section.

The album is self-titled - does that represent the true Pixie Lott coming through?

That's why I wanted to call it that, because it definitely reflects me the best. It's the style that I love, the music that I grew up listening to, mixed with the artist that I am, so it's a current take on soul stuff, but obviously still pop music. And yeah, I can't wait to perform the stuff live with my band.

Is it fair to say then that the 'true Pixie' hasn't really come out on your previous albums?

I think it definitely has, but just a different side. On my last album, I wanted to make it soul/pop all the way through but I got sidetracked when more dance stuff came in. It went off on a little tangent I'd say, but on this one, I really wanted to stay true to the sound for the whole album.

It's your third record - is it almost make or break time in a way, as the third album can often be one of the most difficult?

I feel really lucky that I'm making music and that I'm on my third album. But I don't think it's make or break, because I'm going to make music forever. I love it so much. I'm just really pleased that I can still perform and I'm excited about singing new material as it feels like I've been performing my old songs for ages. But yeah, I just have such a passion for music that I feel I'd never be able to stop.

Do you have plans to try to make it big in America with this album?

That's what I'd love to do. It's somewhere I haven't released in yet, so it would be fun. Obviously it'd take a lot longer because it's a massive country, but it'd be fun to play my first show over there.

The good thing about it is that I haven't released anything there, so I have a clean slate. It's not like I have had something that's not had any attraction and then died out - I haven't released anything there at all. I've spent a lot of time in Asia, especially on my last album, and that definitely took up a lot of my time, so I'd like to go back there again with his album because I love it so much. And then I think it'd be good to discover America.

It seems you like doing YouTube covers - are there any more in the pipeline at the moment?

I do really enjoy them - I think it's fun to do a different take on songs. I put up a new medley last week, which was of John Legend, Route 94 and Mr. Probz and I'll probably do a medley at V Festival of some current tracks. I've done that when I've played there before and it usually goes down well with the crowd. I don't know what songs I'll do yet…

If you could have one person cover your songs, who would you choose?

Well, for the this album I did some covers that I put online, and one of them was a Lorde cover. I picked it originally because I love the song, but also because she had done a cover of one of my old songs a couple of years before, so I wanted to return the favour. It was cool to hear her on one of my old songs.

I guess around the same time I did a cover of a Bruno Mars song, so that would be fun if he did a cover of one of my mine. That'd be cool.

You had Stevie Wonder playing on your last album - that must have been amazing…

I know, I felt so lucky because I love him and I've grown up loving him. I did quite a few collaborations on that album so I wanted not to do any this time around and just have it focus on the sound and the music, not featuring anyone else. I worked with quite a few people on that album, but that's definitely one of my favourite collaborations.

'Lay Me Down' will be released on July 27 and 'Pixie Lott' will follow on August 4.

Watch the video for Pixie Lott's new single 'Lay Me Down' below: