“My mum was freaking out,” recalls pop sensation Pip Brown, also known to music lovers around the world as Ladyhawke. “She asked me, ‘What are you doing? You haven’t put any thought into this!’” her mother’s concern was somewhat understandable – her daughter, not typically the impulsive type, had made a flash decision to relocate to Sydney after her band Two-Lane Blacktop imploded on the eve of an Australian tour.

“I was so frustrated and frazzled… Music was my life, and it just wasn’t for everybody else I guess. I was like fuck it, I’m going to go to Australia and be in a band or start a band or do music there. I just needed to get out of New Zealand for a little bit, I felt really suffocated there,” Ladyhawke told ITM.

The move ended up paying dividends, with Brown becoming part of the dance duo Teenager along with Pnau luminary Nick Littlemore. She also spent time working on the songs for her self-titled debut record, a whamtastic collection of unabashed 80s dance pop, along with a smorgasbord of other influences. It’s drawn comparisons to everyone from The Bangles to Banarama, and has yielded some of the catchiest singles of the year in the form of Paris is Burning and Back of the Van. Her mother would indeed be proud.

While her songs reflect her belief that pop is not a dirty word, and draw on the chart music that fascinated her as a child in a music-loving home, Ladyhawke is still an unlikely pop star in many ways; a shy tomboy who describes herself as awkward, and who has been wracked with pres-show nerves in the past. However, she says that playing “a constant flow of shows” in the UK has diminished the performance anxiety somewhat, though she still feels the glare of the spotlight as a solo artist. “When I was just the guitarist [in Two-Lane Blacktop], I was fine playing, I could just rock out and do my thing because I was conscious that I was just the guitarist off to the side. But it is a bit daunting standing up there and knowing everyone is staring at you.” Playing support slots is something she finds particularly difficult; though given her career trajectory, her days playing second fiddle to other artists may be limited.

Her move to London earlier this year was primarily so she could be in close contact with producer Pascal Gabriel, a music industry mainstay who’s previously worked with the likes of New Order, Sophie Ellis Bextor and one of Ladyhawke’s personal favourites Kylie Minogue. Initially stiff around each other, the two were soon getting on famously. She was charmed by the eccentric, child-like nature of the Belgian-born producer, who loves gadgets and would often arrive at the studio with toys that he’d bought as presents for her.

This sense of fun is all over Ladyhawke’s record. There is no irony in these songs, no attempt to latch onto the current trend for tongue-in-cheek nostalgia. Just pure pop songs you can dance to, sing along to and turn up in the car without a hint of shame.

Ladyhawke’s self-titled debut album is out now through Modular/Universal. Don’t forget you can catch her at Nevereverland this month:

Sat Dec 13 – Hordern & Surrounds, Sydney
Sun Dec 14 – Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Sat Dec 20 – Riverstage, Brisbane
Sun Dec 21 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
Wed Dec 31 – Pyramid Rock Festival
Thur Jan 1 – Field Day, Sydney