OLLY ALEXANDER

Now, to be a mainstream act, you have to be firing on all cylinders on so many different platforms. You've got to have a social media voice. You've got to do promo on TV. You've got to tour everywhere.

Personally, I've always been ashamed of my body and I've hated being so skinny - I had an eating disorder for so long.

My dad had been very absent, even when he was there. Then he left the family and moved away. Our relationship, it feels to me, ended when I was 13.

My lyrics are about same-sex relationships, because that's who I am. It was important to me that I felt comfortable expressing myself.

Most of the pop videos I've seen that have any male/female interaction are usually centered around a romance - and that's great, I am all for romance. But let's face it, there are a lot of other sexualities and identities that are well-deserving of some shiny pop video love.

I love TLC and Aaliyah and all those early-millennial R&B singers.

When I meet gay kids and they know who we are, I remember that's amazing because literally every gay person in every gay story I knew growing up was doomed to die. There weren't any positive gay stories and it's incredible that has changed.

We can't police the way people express their sexuality.

There was just this stage where I realised that people were listening to what I was saying and I could actually say something I believe in and, like... why wasn't I doing that? It's not because I think I have a responsibility as a pop star or whatever; it's because I think I have a responsibility as a human being.

Felt really low as a teenager and hearing music from artists that could express their pain in a way that is beautiful and made me feel better about the way I felt and I think that is something that anyone can relate to.

I'd love to work with SBTRKT if he'd have me.

I've been writing a lot of songs about my personal life and identity. That can be a real healing process.

The word queer first started being used in the late 1980s by members of the community who wanted to reclaim something negative and turn it into a positive. It's still a painful word for some, and lots of people don't identify with it. But for me it's a helpful and empowering term that unifies an ever-growing community.

I grew up loving artists like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears - artists who seemed to live this fantasy lifestyle, and I remember always wanting to join these fantasy people in that world.

I would love it if less bands were hetero.

We used to have quirky weird bands that made dance music like the Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode and I think people have still got an appetite for that type of music-melody and darkness.

The likelihood is that you or someone you know closely will suffer from a mental health condition in your lifetime.

What's great about being gay is that you can celebrate all types of sexualities, because we understand that being queer means you might also be gender nonconforming or bi or whatever.

Justin Tranter is an incredible queer voice in pop music and he's writing for Justin Bieber: it's genius.

I've always loved sci-fi and fantasy.

You can't have a nuanced debate on Twitter, it's just people shouting.

We could perform in space or be the first band to play moon, but we want to be the first 'Star Wars' band.

I think anything that happens to you between the ages of zero to 18, and probably further on, has a lasting impact on you.

I had what would now be called sleep paralysis, from six years old until maybe I was 16.

Solitude is very restorative for me, especially because I spend so much time around other people and performing to people.