PULSE - music and more, with Simon Donohue

WHILE most of today's pop stars happily keep their views to themselves in order to reap the huge rewards of the industry, one rising British star is prepared to break the mould and speak her mind.

Indie band Sleeper's lead singer Louise Wener is well known for her varied opinions, from New Labour - "a bunch of thugs" - to rock band REM - cheesy crap" - and admits she has no desire to toe the line.

Even though Sleeper have only been around for four years they've already become a firm favourite on the indie scene.

The latest single, She's A Good Girl, is taken from their soon-to-be-released third album Pleased To Meet You, for which sales of 500,000 are predicted.

"I always wanted to be in a band but had no idea of how to start because in Ilford no one had any desires to do it. It was only at Manchester University that I found it to be easy," says Wener.

After the band's last album The It Girl recently went platinum, Sleeper are now firmly in the premier league.

Their 29-year-old front-woman admits that from the very beginning she's always been opinionated and knows her big mouth has caused her a lot of trouble.

Her firm opinions on vegetarianism, radical feminism and political correctness which have tumbled out since Sleeper started in 1993, have been manna from Heaven for the music press. Wener's been called big-headed, vicious and the band second division but she shrugs off the hurtful remarks.

The singer is convincing in her honestly and says she doesn't care what is said, having little respect for the media.

"I have a personal responsibility to speak up for what I believe in and I have no desire to be a pale imitation of what I'm supposed to be. I'm not content just to sit in my big house and cut my toenails," says Wener.

So why is the world of music so sanitised and muted? Wener thinks because others are either paranoid or scared to have their own views.

"What really surprises me is how everybody's running around saying I can't say that because no one else has said it and I can't be the first. They think if they offend anyone then someone won't buy their record or put them in a paper or on a radio station. It's sad," she says.

"I don't see myself as a leader; I'm just being honest and not buying into the crap that surrounds me."

For the new album, Wener decided she wanted to write all the lyrics herself - she wanted to prove she had the guts to believe in her own talent.

"If Noel is Oasis, then I'm Sleeper," she jokes, although she's quick to point out that the overall product is a team effort by herself, her drummer boyfriend Andy Maclure and guitarist Jon Stewart. The album is a mix of quirky three-minute pop songs with thrash guitars and husky vocals and is again produced by Stephen Street, who worked with The Smiths at the height of their success.

Wener says: "This album is much more personal, direct and honest. The songs are about the quest to being an individual. I really enjoyed opening myself up, because I knew it couldn't be misinterpreted."

Misinterpretation is something she knows all about. When Sleeper first arrived on the scene they were bracketed as a new wave' band. Then a few years later they were labelled Britpop'.

"The media love to have these pigeon holes. We've had 10 labels thrown at us already and they still can't quite work out what were about." Wener admits she never reads anything that's written about her because if she believed everything journalists wrote she would go crazy: "I'm not going to get into the state or situation where I define myself by what I read about myself."

Her dislike for the press is well known. She believes passionately that we should question everything we read and not take it as received wisdom.

Feisty, straightforward Wener is one of a kind and won't be pushed around by anyone - including her own record company.

"Of course sometimes I do have to compromise but I'm always having battles with them over art work or the choice of singles."

During her rapid rise to the top, the singer has made many enemies in the music business. But love her or loathe her, you must at least admire her gutsy no messing approach to life.

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