"Performing is almost primal for me.. I run on adrenalin and go into a sort of trance, my show is so high energy it's like a work out. We wanted to create one of the most high-energy albums around – it's fast, aggressive, punky, electronic and industrial, it's almost exhausting. I wear outrageous outfits on stage like stretchy dance suits I've made myself on a sewing machine – and because I'm not the best sewer they fall apart by the end of each show. My stage style is inspired by modern Japanese Butoh theatre, the performers wear white on their face and are very physical and intense, I also love 70s androgyny - the outrageous bold colours and layering.

I was always really interested in fashion and would look at magazines growing up… but I was pretty removed from that world. I grew up in a remote part of Canada, in a cabin in the middle of a forest. We were raised in a totally non-commercial environment by hippy artist parents. I was really outdoors, built treehouses, spent a lot of time on my own. As a teenager I got into fashion and discovered heavy goth and punk music, Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich were really big influences on my sound and image… Nina Hagen is amazing because she's just so powerful. I've found I feel more powerful as a performer if I wear certain items – when I'm on stage that's very important, it's my number one concern that I command attention from the audience. When I perform I want to be 100 percent confident and completely aware of my body, I never do anything half-ass – I'm always full of energy, everything I do is done with conviction. I really shock the crowd, sometimes they're just staring buggle-eyed… they really don't know how to react."

Lyrics to 'Powerball' - "We drove for six hours through monotonous terrain just to hunker in a bunker for eight more, then they trotted me out to the balcony just to pantomime and be ignored."