With her debut album Vicious Delicious now out in the world, Luvcat is continuing to sharpen the dark, punk-romantic mythology she’s been quietly perfecting all year.
The record, released on October 31st via AWAL, cemented her reputation as a singular storyteller — part gothic fairytale, part prowling noir — and marked her arrival as one of the UK’s most compelling new voices.
To celebrate, she revisited fan-favourite single “He’s My Man” with a special anniversary edition, this time joined by legendary punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke. The collaboration was paired with a surreal, spooky video, filmed at the same location as the original, in which Luvcat steps into the role of Clarke’s murderous mob bride, slowly poisoning her husband in a wine-soaked nocturnal fantasy.
The duo first crossed paths at the Northern Music Awards in Liverpool earlier this year, where Luvcat took home Best Breakthrough Act and Clarke was honoured for his contribution to music. What followed was a meeting of minds — and worlds — rooted in mutual admiration, Northern grit, and a shared love of sharp storytelling.
Here, Luvcat and John Cooper Clarke sit down for an artist-on-artist conversation with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, talking intimidation, coolness, Northern rivalry, murderous love songs, and why this unlikely collaboration feels exactly right.
What did you think of Luvcat/John before your collaboration?
Luvcat: I was intimidated by his coolness.
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John: We met at the Northern Music awards in Liverpool early 2025 and I was flattered by the fact she was a big fan. I loved her fantastic performance that night.
What did you think of Luvcat/John after your collaboration?
Luvcat: I am intimidated by his coolness. Haha.
John: I was even more impressed — she’s a fabulous talent. It was an honour to work with her and I’d love to do it again.
What’s Luvcat’s/John’s best quality as a collaborator?
Luvcat: His storytelling. And his sunglasses.
John: Her generosity, attention to visual detail, spark and personality and of course her songwriting talent.
Tell us about your first meeting together. Where and when was it?
Luvcat: The Northern Music Awards earlier this year. We both won that night! I plucked up the courage to go over to John’s table at the end and he was very kind to me.
John: Well as Luvcat said we met earlier this year in Liverpool at the Nordoff & Robbins Northern Music awards when we both won an award, Luvcat Best Breakthrough act and I received the Northern Music Award for contribution to music. We had a good chat and I loved her performance that night.
A Liverpudlian and a Salford man collaborating together – it should never work! What (even if only begrudgingly) do you like about Liverpool/Salford?
Luvcat: I went to see a lot of stuff at The Lowry growing up. My grandad took me to see Slava’s Snow Show when I was a kid. A mad multisensory story created by Slava Polunin, a Russian master clown and founder of the Academy of Fools.
John: The late Roy Corkill, Stan Boardman, Arthur Dooley, Wayne Rooney, the Beatles, the Chants, the Big Three, Craig Charles, Terence Davies, Alan Bleasdale, the Merseybeats, Billy Fury, Frankie Vaughan, the Liverpool poets including Paul Birtil and, of course, Luvcat.
What makes that part of the world such a hotbed for music?
Luvcat: Liverpool being close to the water plays a part I reckon. It’s equal parts mystical and gritty.
John: Like Manchester, Liverpool was a western facing port, and the mercantile fleets of the ’50s and ’60s brought back comic books, and certain records from the USA. Records that had been remaindered, due to lack of sales, featuring artists such as Jackie Wilson, Clyde McPhatter and Daryl Banks, give it a name….. Northern Soul.
Did you have fun shooting the music video?
Luvcat: So much. Surreal, too. Driving a classic convertible car in the dead of night, dressed like a wine soaked bride with John sat beside me and a swarm of hornets above.
John: It was a lot of fun, considering I was being slowly murdered.
What’s Luvcat’s/John’s best other song?
Luvcat: “Valley of the Lost Women”. And “Twat”.
John: “Matador”.
Do you plan to work together again in the future?
Luvcat: I’d love to do a live performance of our duet one day! Maybe in a morgue or something.
John:A morgue, eh? Given my advancing years that could be a nightmare come true!
Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?
Luvcat: Tom Waits, Peter Doherty or Baxter Dury. It seems I like an older man!
John: Nancy Sinatra.
What’s coming up for you in 2026 and beyond?
Luvcat: Hopefully lots more murderous love songs. And I want the band to try and break Italy.
John:A brand new poetry collection, Have It, two big UK tours in the spring and autumn and I’m excited about guesting at a Sex Pistols gig in Manchester in July.
