Local author Stephanie Perkins has got to have one of the most bubbly personalities in Asheville. On top of being adorably enthusiastic about blue-hair highlights, exclamation points in e-mails! and, of course, teen romance (her debut book, Anna and the French Kiss, was one of Malaprop’s best-selling Young Adult novels of 2010), Perkins is also pretty gaga over music. Radiohead makes her swoon. Chris Martin is her number-one celebrity crush. And her husband Jarrod is frontman for Gred and Forge, one of the top wizard-rock (aka Harry Potter-centric) bands around.
Check out her answers below. And be sure to check out Perkins' next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, due out in September.
Hey Stephanie Perkins, What’s Your Spin?
Listening to now: I only learned about The Clientele last year, and 2005’s Strange Geometry has been one I keep returning to. It’s a quiet album, but lovely. The sound is very mid-to-late ‘60s.
Most recent album/song bought: Oh, this’ll be so boring! It was the soundtrack to the 1968 Romeo and Juliet, composed by Nino Rota and performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. It was for research. (But it certainly is beautiful.) As far as something new-ish, Trans-Continental Hustle by Gogol Bordello.
First album ever bought: It was the cassette single for Wilson Phillips' "Hold On." I bought it at Target, and I played it in my pink-and-turquoise boombox from Toys R Us.
Most recent concert attended: Last year was insanely busy for work, so, unfortunately, I didn’t leave my house much. The last concert I saw was Jónsi at Moogfest. I’d seen his show in Minneapolis, and I knew I couldn’t miss it here. Phenomenal.
First concert ever attended: Janet Jackson’s Janet tour. My dad took me. It was awesome.
Favorite local/regional act: My husband, of course! Jarrod plays in two bands — Lewis and a solo project called Gred and Forge.
Favorite band/artist of all time: I worship at the altar of Radiohead. Marry me, Thom Yorke.
Guilty pleasures: I try not to think about anything pleasurable in terms of guilt, but, yes, there are plenty of embarrassing files in my iTunes. My first favorite band was The Monkees, and I remain devoted to them to this day. Coldplay is another favorite, and I get a lot of crap for that, but I can’t help it. I love them. And there’s no way I’d ever tell the truth about how many times I’ve listened to Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.”
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