Puppini Sisters
Marcella Puppini, founder of vivacious 1940s-inspired girl group The Puppini Sisters talks to Vicky Addinall about her passion for Portobello, The Cobden Club and Ruby Woo
Above: The Puppini Sisters - Stephanie O'Brien, Marcella Puppini and Kate Mullins
Already on their second album, it’s hard to remember life before the catchy three-part harmonies and 1940s glitz and glamour of The Puppini Sisters hit our ears.
Inspired by war-time trios such as The Andrews Sisters and The Boswell Sisters, The Puppinis came to our attention last summer with their tongue-in-cheek swing versions of classics such as The Smiths’ Panic and Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. A cult following in all the coolest venues around town soon grew and led to a management contract and a record deal with Universal Classics and Jazz.
‘At the time it all felt like it had happened so quickly,’ beams Marcella Puppini, founding member of the trio that met while studying music at Trinity College of Music. ‘But actually we’ve all been working so hard for this. It definitely wasn’t just a case of luck.’
Puppini’s enthusiasm is so infectious that you begin to understand the original driving force behind the pop group’s success.
‘When I first came to London from Bologna in 1990 it wasn’t even to study music – it was to study fashion. As a girl I wanted to be an opera singer but coming from a very middle-class Italian family, it just wasn’t really the done thing to go into music as a profession.’
‘It was moving to London that inspired me and made me realise that music could be my life if I really wanted it to be,’ she continues. ‘And here I am in The Puppini Sisters. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself!’
Puppini talks animatedly about London life – she has lived everywhere from an artist’s squat in Camberwell to, more recently, the leafy lined streets of Westbourne Park. ‘I love Portobello. I have a pair of 1930s brown leather walking shoes I got from the market. They are squarish, sturdy looking things but they are made out of the softest leather. Some people would think they are ugly but I think they’re beautiful.’
‘I love the variety of London,’ she continues. ‘Take coffee for instance. I can’t function without my morning fix. In West London there are some lovely posh coffee shops. But at the other end of the scale there are also the traditional Portuguese cafes on Golborne Road. This is such a vibrant area and London itself is a vibrant city. It can really make you feel anything is possible.’
‘I used to sing in an Italian restaurant called Spago (Glendower Place, SW7) while I was studying. The food and atmosphere was amazing and every Saturday night I’d do a set of Italian songs. I also love to cook and you’re spoilt for choice in London for places to source nice ingredients, like R Garcia & Sons on Portobello Road for meats, cheeses and olives.’
As the oldest (she refuses to reveal her age, only saying that she is ‘old enough to have two degrees and to remember who Rick Astley is’) and apparently ‘craziest’ member of the group, she has the tales to prove it.
‘When I was a student I did lots of bizarre jobs,’ she recalls. ‘Once I went for an audition and ended up dancing in a lesbian club in a bikini! I also waitressed in this swanky lap dancing club for a while and had a guy ask if I’d pour a bottle of champagne over myself for £100. Of course I obliged – it was a bottle of Bollinger as well!’
The Puppini Sisters have enjoyed many a memorable night at The Cobden Club. ‘It’s a fabulous space. We have sung at a few private parties there and at The Whoopee Club [Chesterfield Street, W1] when they put on cabaret and burlesque.’
Talk of crazy nights and dancing in clubs soon turns to The Puppini Sisters’ new album The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo, the follow up to last year’s Betcha Bottom Dollar.
‘Ruby Woo is actually a red lipstick made by Mac,’ she reveals. ‘It’s the lippy of choice for most burlesque dancers and is quite a cult thing now on the swing and rockabilly scene. Me and my fellow Puppinis swear by it – Robert Smith from The Cure is another reported fan.’
Just so you know, for her make-up purchases, Puppini is a big fan of Screenface in Westbourne Park. But of course lipstick is not the only thing to inspire the girls. With their retro-glam perfection, it’s not hard to see that the group hark back to a bygone era far more well-kept than our modern slouch culture.
‘I adore old films. As a child, I remember sitting down to watch an old film every Sunday afternoon with my mum and aunt. When I’m in for the evening I still can’t resist popping one on. I’m currently re-watching all the Bette Davis and Joan Crawford films and can quote all of Bette Davis’ lines by heart now.’
‘If I could go back in time and be anyone it would be Ginger Rogers when she was filming all her movies with Fred Astaire. No other era did glamour quite like the Thirties.’
Puppini’s fashion background – she worked at Vivienne Westwood for several years before quitting her career to study music – has obviously had a great influence on the The Puppini Sisters’ highly perfected look. Costumes for their latest video were made by none other than Giles Deacon.
‘Our look is a big part of who we are. Now we are very lucky and have a lot of our costumes made for us but it wasn’t always that way.’
The Puppinis have made dressing up the new dressing down. It’s almost impossible to imagine Puppini ever relaxing on a sofa in a pair of jeans.
‘No, I hate jeans. But I do relax. Very rarely, but I do.’ When I ask how, Puppini laughs. ‘Shopping of course! And eating! Coming from Italy, relaxing often comes hand in hand with food and a nice glass of red wine.’
The Puppini Sisters’ new album, The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo, is out now