Claire Baker: 'I grew up in a house which was quite musical'

What was the first record that you ever bought?

The first album I bought was Haircut One Hundred's first album, Pelican West.

What record will always get you on the dance floor?

Deee-Lite’s Groove Is in the Heart or maybe something by the Scissor Sisters.

What is your karaoke song?

It'd probably be Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and you could ask Kenny Gibson and Ariane Burgess about that.

What song do you want played at your funeral?

That’s quite difficult. I suppose a song that I've always thought would be in it is Björk’s All is Full of Love, because I used to be quite a big Björk fan.

What song is guaranteed to make you cry?

Crosby, Stills and Nash’s Suite: Judy Blue Eyes makes me feel quite emotional. My dad told me that when my mum was expecting me, she used to listen to quite a lot of Crosby, Stills and Nash, so it's music that I suppose I grew up with when I was quite young. And my mum passed away in 2014 and for some reason that song, even thinking about it, does tend to trigger me quite a bit.

What was the first dance at your wedding?

Hello Sunshine by Super Furry Animals.

Who chose it?

It was me that liked Super Furry Animals, but I suppose I introduced Richard to them as a band and he got to like them and that album.

What record do you absolutely hate but can't get out of your head?

Yeah, there's quite a few that are earworms. Probably (Is This the Way To) Amarillo.

Is there any song that reminds you of your childhood?

I grew up in a house which was quite musical. My dad was always involved in music and sang in bands, so there was always quite a lot of music. My parents were quite big Bruce Springsteen fans, and I remember they travelled down to Birmingham to see him. That was before the Born in the USA album, and I think the tickets – which I still have somewhere - were something like £7.50.

What's the last artist/band you went to see and who with?

Gaz Coombes, who played at PJ Molloys, a grassroots music venue in Dunfermline, and I went with a friend that I've had since I was in high school. But I do go to quite a lot of gigs with my daughter in particular, so recently we went to all the stadium gigs: Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish…

Baker with her daughter at a Taylor Swift concert 

Is there any song or music that you have to take with your political wins?

During the 2016 election, one guy who used to work for me got 90s CDs for his birthday which for him I suppose were quite nostalgic. So, we did listen to Supergrass’ I Should Coco and Gomez's Bring It On quite a lot during that election campaign.