Interview: Pauline Black (The Selecter)

Belinda Magnus was born in Britain during 1953 to a white teenage mother and Nigerian father. Like many mixed-race babies at the time, she was quickly adopted out to a white family and her name was changed to Pauline Vickers. Despite having a loving mother, father and four adoptive brothers, she never felt like she quite fit in, she always had the sense that her family didn't quite understand her. Then in 1979, Pauline, who had been performing in pubs for 10 pounds a night, was invited to rehearse with a group friends. What emerged from that rehearsal was The Selecter, with Pauline as the lead singer. A few months later the band, who were being compared to Madness and The Specials, came out with hit single 'On My Radio'.

Around this time, the singer changed her name by deed poll to Pauline Black, and started refining her sharp onstage outfit of a black suit, shirt and grey fedora. The Selecter was firmly taking it's place in the two-tone movement and Black was being hailed as the Queen of Ska. She had finally found the family she had been searching for. Fast forward a few decades, and The Selecter are still going strong, after reuniting in 2010 and rejigging their line up, the nine-strong group has put out two new albums in the last few years, and been busy touring the globe. Ahead of their first ever visit to New Zealand this week, UnderTheRadar caught up with Pauline Black to ask about her recent memoirs, life on the road at 60, and if The Selecter still feels like family...

Click here to read our full interview with Pauline Black of The Selecter