Lone Taxidermist: explore the wonderful boundary-pushing world of Britain’s weirdest musician
Unfortunately, the vast majority of artists that lean towards all things weird and wonderful often struggle to find mainstream success. Palatable, conventionally structured songs dominate the pop charts, and the highest-grossing films are major superhero movies, big-budget action flicks, and cheesy comedies. While there’s nothing wrong with liking these things, it seems as though it’s becoming harder and harder for DIY, independent artists to take off and find the respect they deserve.
It’s refreshing to see an artist completely and unashamedly themselves. In a landscape of cookie-cutter post-punk bands and manufactured pop hits that all merge into one, there are artists threatening to disrupt the status quo and provide listeners with something entirely different and unforgettable. One of these is Lone Taxidermist, a project helmed by Natalie Sharp that blends music with visual arts, costume and performance.
Sharp began making music with her previous band, The Bottomfeeders, before going solo, taking her name from a deep love of taxidermy. “I had plans to become a taxidermist, but that never happened. Instead, I got really good at spending time on my own, re-learning my own way of making music, often with found objects,” she told Vice. As the act of stuffing animals is unnerving for many, so are Sharp’s performances, which often include audience participation led by an undercurrent of sexual depravity and shock.
With nonchalance, she explained, “In my old band, we had a song called ‘Skinny White Boys’. It involved picking on the skinniest, palest little boy in the audience and forcing them to come on stage, strip and be force-fed a six-pack of Melton Mowbrays”. Clearly, Sharp isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of stage performance, using her gigs as a space to experiment with costume, lighting and engagement. She often sports pieces like a mirrored gimp mask, complete with a “silver bullion tassel,” which she warns “would cut [her bandmates] to shreds” if she came too close. “There’s a part in the set where I swing it really fast,” she explains.
Always prioritising a DIY approach, Sharp’s shows come to life with a little help from her friends. Inspired by the elaborate lighting she saw at a Grace Jones gig, Sharp explained, “My mate Garry Sonic stands at the front of our gigs with the cheap laser machine, shining it on my gimp mask”. Sharp often employs her friends to help her create crazy music videos, which illuminate her electronic sounds with bright colours, bizarre visuals and psychedelic costumes.
Discussing the mind-bending video for her song ‘S.L.A.G’, Sharp explained: “It’s definitely the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever done. It’s taken nearly a year to make a 4-minute pop video.” Her technicolour world, filled with sweets and body paint, is undoubtedly a lot to take in. Yet, Sharp’s enthusiasm for creating visuals that match her strange lyrical musings is a delight to experience. With lyrics such as “Running for the night bus, I hate my job/ Dustbin lids for nipples, camel toe, all on show,” Sharp doesn’t shy away from making audiences laugh – she even has a song comically called ‘Hammered in Homebase’ – yet Lone Taxidermist is in no way a ‘joke’ project.
Sharp’s sound, which blends alternative electronic music with pop and new wave influences with occasionally ear-shattering vocals inspired by a love of the theremin, is carefully crafted. For example, ‘Bijoux Boy’ sounds like it could’ve come from an obscure underground band circa 1978 – like a cosmic marriage between disco, post-punk and electronica. On ‘Cornflakes’, a pounding bassline gives way to a dancefloor-ready cut, albeit one that threatens to alarm and unnerve with its discordant vocals and uneasy rhythms.
Music and visuals merge perfectly within Lone Taxidermist’s world, which is both unsettling and enthralling. And it’s easy to get wrapped up in her kaleidoscopic universe. “There was one woman who went by the name of Victoria Sponge,” Sharp told The Culture Vulture. “She came from Bristol [to a show] in this full-body latex suit, and she had a mono-brow. We started talking, and one thing led to another, and she came on the bus to our show in London and got involved in the performance”.
Sharp’s lack of inhibitions means she will openly talk about taboo topics, giving her music a feminist edge that she claims comes naturally. “I don’t take any shit from anyone, and I stand my ground. I make sure that I am heard and that other women are heard.” Discussing ‘S.L.A.G’, Sharp explained to Vice that she likes “talking about sex a lot – I’m quite a feral beast, and this word gets bandied about when referring to girls who enjoy a bit of rump in a negative way whereas men are called ‘stallions’.”
With her northern accent, frank lyrics, experimental instrumentals and fascinating music videos, going on deep dive into the incredible world of Lone Taxidermist is certainly worth your time.
