Coffee & Creatives #8: Franka De Mille

It’s the end of Coffee Culture… for now. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t got more to give! For the final edition of Coffee & Creatives we asked Franka De Mille, owner of some truly excellent rootsy, chamber folk sounds about her coffee experience…

What influence has coffee had on your work? 

It is ever-present through the whole creative process, from writing lyrics, recording, engineering, mastering - coffee has been the fuel of my creativity for years. It helps me to focus and is almost a ritual.

What's your best experience with coffee?

When I lived with one of my American friends, who is of Cuban origin, her family used to send her this exquisite Cuban coffee and whenever we had parties or lush dinners in front of the fire she would make this small, delicious coffee to re-energize us. It was like dynamite and we were up until dawn!

 What's the best coffee you've ever had?

My dad’s coffee. He must have spent many years working out the best way to make the perfect cup of coffee. He was an early riser so we woke to the beautiful aroma of freshly ground coffee every morning. He’d select the best beans, grind them gently and then slowly filter them. For him filter-coffee was the only way to make coffee, the slow, gentle process allowed the quality of the beans to seep through.

What, if any, link is there for you between coffee and culture?

From a cultural perspective coffeehouses have always been one of the main centres of social interaction, a place to talk, write, read, entertain or exchange ideas. In Europe they started as early as the 17^th century and they have proliferated to one on every corner, of every street, in most parts of the world. Cafés are second homes to many artists and writers and they are my favourite places to meet friends and colleagues.

Interview by Sebastian Gahan. With thanks to Andrea McGuire.