Fri, 27 Nov 2009 9:56p.m.
By Ali Ikram
Ladyhawke has picked up two Australian Recording Industry Awards despite the controversy over her eligibility for nomination.
Some in the Australian music industry objected to Ladyhawke's ARIA nominations because she was born and raised in New Zealand, but the singer says she lived in Australia for four years.
"I'm a Kiwi for sure, but I've lived in Australia since 2003, so what can I say?" she says.
The mini controversy bubbled up when New Zealand-born artist Pip Brown, aka Ladyhawke, was nominated for six of the Australian recording industry's top gongs. She took home two, breakthrough single and best breakthrough album, for her self-titled debut, Ladyhawke.
"I've got such an amazing live band and crew around me and a really good team of people," she says. "As a female musician I think it's hugely important to have people around you who let you be yourself."
The fracas over whether Brown was eligible to be nominated or even play at the Arias centred on her somewhat itinerant lifestyle. Her winning album was demoed in Melbourne and Sydney, then recorded in London.
But in the end she was able to let her music do that talking.
"I think it's really cool because I never thought of myself as a popstar and a pop type person. I've always thought of myself as a musician and I come from that background. I think it's cool young girls like my music because I'm confident, I've worked really hard to get where I am."
Ladyhawke says she'll begin work on a follow-up after the Big Day Out tour, and is looking to go back to her musical roots.
"I'm going to try a lot of different stuff and explore where I began, which was drums in marching bands. I really want to explore rhythm."
But now Ladyhawke has experienced that double-edged sword of being embraced by the mainstream, enjoying - or perhaps suffering - the honour of Christina Aguilera covering 'My Delerium' for her new album.
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