Electrelane Week: Mia's Tour Essentials

As part of their takeover week, Electrelane's guitarist Mia Clarke talks us through the contents of her suitcase...

After many years of touring, I’ve learned to pack light on the road. Here is a round-up of essentials that I’ll be throwing in my carry on-bag:

Dresses

1) & 2) Touring in the summertime means it’s going to be extra hot onstage. Dresses don’t take up much space in a bag, so I’ll definitely pack a few favourites such as these by APC and Rag and Bone.

Books

3) Like everyone in the band, I like to use downtime on tour to catch up on reading. I’ve been meaning to read Moby Dick for well over a decade, so I’m going to pick up a copy before we head off to Istanbul for our first show. Gogol’s Dead Souls and The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai are also on my reading list.

iPod

4) We’ve got some super long drives coming up on this tour, so an iPod is a must. Right now I’m listening to a lot of Warpaint, Kurt Vile, Grouper (video below), Nick Cave and Philip Glass.

Shirts

5) Breton shirts are easy to wear and go with most things, so I’ll be packing my favourite one by St. James.

Camera

6) I’ve vowed to take lots of photographs on this tour, so I’ll definitely take my digital Canon G9, which is very compact and takes great photos. Although I love my little Russian Lomo, I want to bring a digital camera so we can update the Electrelane blog while traveling.

Jewelry

7) There’s a great, up-and-coming jewelry designer in Chicago called Laura Lombardi, whose necklaces I love and wear all the time.

Notebook

8) A good friend recently gave me a classic Moleskine notebook as a gift, so I’ll be making the most of it on this tour. I plan to keep a daily diary going, but I’m sure it will also be useful for impromptu set lists!

Shoes

9) I love Rachel Comey’s shoes, and have a pair of boots that I’ve worn pretty much every day for the last three years.

Make-up

10, 11, 12) I try not too take too many beauty products on tour, but I always bring some face powder, eye make up remover, and my favourite perfume — Philosykos by Diptyque.

Flask

13) I’m quite a coffee hound, so I’ll bring a Thermos to keep my addiction going on long trips.

Rosette Stone

14) In the US, undergraduates are required to take two years of foreign language lessons. I’m studying for my degree at the moment, and want to use this time to brush up on my Spanish. I’m a big fan of the Rosetta Stone program, and it’s easy to just fit in an hour or so while waiting for sound check.