News

Aug 08, 2023

At home with Anne

By Daphne Bugler Anne-Marie is in her ‘Unhealthy’ era…or so the title of her new album wants us to think. But this isn't unhealthy as you know it. In fact, the singer wants you to change the way you

By Daphne Bugler

Anne-Marie is in her ‘Unhealthy’ era…or so the title of her new album wants us to think. But this isn't unhealthy as you know it. In fact, the singer wants you to change the way you think about the concept altogether. “It's about finding beauty in the chaos and not being scared to own these things in your personality,” she explains. And amid the rigid work hours that come with travelling, touring and balancing her music with press days, that's exactly what she's trying to do at home.

Her house is as unapologetically her as the on-stage persona. Whether that's swapping carpet for grass (because “why not?”) plastering her bathroom walls with fluffy blue fabric, or turning her living room into a Barbie-style pink haven, this is all the product, she says, of having “released my brain into the house”. It's this exact same sense of self that made her fans so obsessed with her and her music: just as she says, it's all about “finding beauty in the chaos”.

But despite the chaotic surroundings, time spent at home is more about sleeping for Anne-Marie. And when she gets a few hours to herself? Instead of leaning into the glitz and glamour of celebrity life, she's building Lego towns and growing vegetables. Her bubbly personality and enthusiasm are infectious, even when we catch up with her on a Monday morning, and it's near impossible not to get swept up in the love she has for her space. As she tours us around her home — laughing as she prepares to shock us with each room — her vibe proves itself to be nothing if not authentic.

I can see some posters and stuff behind you! Talk me through how you’ve designed your house and living room.

When I got this house, I started buying calm things like beige seats, and I hated it. So I went to the opposite end of the spectrum and released my brain into a house. It became like Alice In Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! It’s basically just crazy shit everywhere; I love finding really odd pieces that no one else would dream of having in their house. This room is the games room with the pool table and the sweets dispenser…the living room is pink.

Sounds very Barbie.

Oh true! I did it before [the film] though. So they can say thanks to me…

Next, we have the toilet, which is fluff. Furry blue.

How did you do that?

I just got some glue spray and sprayed the walls, and then stuck the sheets on and cut it into shapes.

And then up the stairs, instead of carpet we have….you’re not going to believe this, you’ll think I’m a freak. Instead of carpet, we have grass.

Oh my god!

Yeah. It’s a crazy house.

I have to come back to the grass…What inspired that?

I don’t know! I just did it here and then thought: shall we do the whole house? But it wouldn’t work in the kitchen. It’s more my partner: he had this idea in his head and I thought it was really strange but said ‘let’s try it’. I never would’ve thought of it. When people come round they’re just like: 'what the fuck?’.

Are those your records on the wall?

Yeah, so this is a new thing for me. I’ve always had them in storage and I’ve never been one to show off or put these things around the house because I wanted to come home and get away from it all. But when we got this house I wanted to wake up and see what we've achieved.

You said you've been sleeping this morning. What’s your sleep routine? Do you have stuff you use to unwind or any favourite products?

My friends have always tried to get me to have that pillow spray, because I’ve never been good at sleeping, even from a young age. I guess that’s a good thing for this job and I just had to accept it. Sleeping for me is just constant pillow spray. And also just watching TV. I love watching series and films.

What are you watching at the moment?

Fight Club. I love it. We've also just watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I’m on a Brad Pitt binge!

Do you listen to music to unwind, or is music more about hyping you up?

Music is more for the morning for me. If music goes in my ears at night I won’t sleep. It’s not the best for sleeping because my brain turns completely on when I listen to music.

Do you have a good routine? I can imagine when you do shows, tours, or festivals it all gets messed up and you have loads of adrenaline. How do you unwind?

I went to see a sleep doctor, and she said that the best thing to do is to not force yourself to sleep because you just get more stressed. That’s really hard on tour, especially if you’re in a hotel. When you walk into the room, it’s just the bed: you’re forced to sleep! I just try and do stuff, whether that’s hanging out with people and going bowling or whatever, just to keep myself occupied. And then eventually when I get tired I go to my room or bunk on the bus.

By Olivia Pym

By Lucy Ford

By Lucy Ford

Let’s chat living room. What do you do when you’re home and you’re not sleeping. Have you got any fun hobbies?

Yeah! I have Lego. I’m a Lego freak. I have a whole town of Lego: a coffee shop, jazz club, police station, and it all clicks together to make a whole town. I’m quite obsessive with everything that I love, and for a while it’s been Lego. Before that it was jigsaw puzzles.

I’m also growing vegetables. I’ve got tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, padron peppers, onions… I’ve got everything on the go at the moment! I love cooking and watching TV.

Talking about cooking, what are your favourite dishes to cook?

My favourite thing is aubergine. I’m a fussy eater and I used to only eat sandwiches or pizzas as a kid, but then I became vegan and I forced myself to eat vegetables and now I love them. I love miso aubergine with rice and crispy onions.

Where do you get your recipe inspo from?

In lockdown I was following a food plan from the woman who was training me on Zoom. And that got me into it, and then I ordered every cookbook under the sun, most of them based on aubergines. If anyone wants an aubergine, come to my house!

Are you a coffee person?

Nope. No coffee. I’ve never been a fan of it. I think I’ve tried it once and I hated it. Also, being hyperactive anyways I think that would make me really annoying. I love hot chocolate though. Coconut hot chocolate from Starbucks and cups of tea.

Do you have any appliances that you love using?

The tap that runs boiling is the best invention ever. I don't have a kettle because I just have this tap. I’ll also always be a fan of the toaster. Toast is just the best thing in the world. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight feast. I just love a toaster.

What’s your skincare routine? Any holy grails?

By Olivia Pym

By Lucy Ford

By Lucy Ford

So, Micellar Water and pads to remove the dirt and just refresh in the morning. And then I've lived off of Weleda Skin Food for ages. And that’s it: every morning and every night. If I’m going for it and I have time it’s the 111 Skin face masks. They’re so good. I love face masks anyways, but theirs are really, really good. I think it's a brightening one that I always like. And whenever I’m away I get a facial.

Your skin is so glowy.

Honestly, it’s Weleda. Don’t get the light one, it's the proper [ultra-rich] one.

What about makeup?

When I’m at home, I normally try and be bare-faced, just to give my skin a break. I never used to leave the house without makeup on because I was so worried about feeling ugly, but when I got to the point where I was comfortable with my face, going to the shops with no makeup on felt like such a big achievement.

When I’m on tour, I do my own makeup. Whenever I do a show, it's my time to just chill and have time to do my makeup. I think mainly my eyebrows are really important: I use a NYX pen. And then I do lip liner and a glossy lip. The healthier the look the better.

What foundation do you use to get that lightweight look?

It’s…let me get it. It’s so good. It’s called Good Apple by KVD Beauty. I just put it under my eyes and around my nose because of hayfever right now. And on my chin. And then Charlotte Tilbury blusher. I don’t really wear mascara anymore, especially for shows when I scrunch my face up and always walk off with panda eyes. I just don’t wear mascara really.

Do you have a fragrance you normally wear?

I don’t! I don’t use any fragrance on my body. When I was younger it was La Vie est Belle. I love the smell of it, and I love it on other people, but I have a weird thing with fragrances. But I don’t smell [bad]…or at least, my friends are being nice.

Let’s chat wardrobe. What are your favourite fashion brands?

I'm normally just wearing the baggiest stuff you can find. Vintage is the go-to for me, and I really like one-offs. I remember being young my dad used to take me to charity shops: it's so exciting because every piece is a one-off! I love the idea of having a T-shirt no one else would have. So yeah: mainly vintage T-shirts and shorts, jogging bottoms, or camo pants. And my footwear is sliders or Uggs right now.

What about on stage?

I feel weird wearing what I wear at home on stage. I don’t wear leotards or stuff like that — I'm not a show person — but I do step it up. The other day I wore an oversized Acne blazer. So it's still oversized, but stepped up a bit. I love Acne and Heaven by Marc Jacobs.

By Olivia Pym

By Lucy Ford

By Lucy Ford

What do you want your fans to get from your new album?

The main thing I've learned from the past year is that you shouldn't spend your life trying to find yourself, or the reason why you're here. I think that's a big question we all have, and during my last album, I think a lot of us asked that. I decided to become a kid again and to see the world through a kid's eyes; to be chaotic, emotional and not too logistical. Finding the beauty in chaos and also just not being scared to own those things in your personality.

I found myself so much in the last album that I wanted to lose myself again. Going from Therapy to Unhealthy…the titles are very opposite. It’s just [about] letting go and owning that you’re chaotic and your thoughts are crazy. But that it's okay.

At home with Noah Beck: From Soccer Aid training to red carpets in Saint Laurent

At home with Matilda Djerf, where a $34.5million business empire was born

At home with Steven Bartlett: ‘I don’t listen to any business podcasts’