Muddy Stilettos


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-224.png" alt="Louise Wener Sleeper" class="wp-image-119201" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-224.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-224-600x600.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-224-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-224-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Britpop queen and cultural icon, Louise Wener is famed for her sassy slogan T-shirts, razor-sharp lyrics and charismatic stage presence. Now back on tour with <em><a href="https://sleeper.band/">Sleeper</a></em>, we caught up with the frontwoman to discover her favourite places and guilty pleasures – from the oddly addictive smell of her dog’s feet to Liberty’s perfume hall, family hols and the pure adrenaline rush of playing Glastonbury.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summer-of-family-love">Summer of (family) love</h2>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1707" data-id="119188" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-scaled.jpg" alt="Îl De Ré France" class="wp-image-119188" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/evy-murraij-ySq5L6HdhOE-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>
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<p>My both my kids about to leave home, I’m feeling nostalgic for the holidays we had when they were little. Camping in France was our default setting and Île de Ré was the place we returned to again and again. The island is laced with cycle paths, and you can spend the day pottering from beach to beach on your bikes, pausing at oyster shacks for food and a cheeky glass of wine. There are dreamy rides across the salt flats, tons of wildlife and sand dunes and a sprinkling of chic boutiques in Saint Martin (listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO), if you’re craving treats. Îl De Ré is one of those places where you switch off the second you arrive and vow to spend the rest of the summer living on baguettes, crêpes and cheese.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-woman-s-best-friend">Woman’s best friend</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1022" height="1336" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Louise-Wener-and-dog.jpeg" alt="Louise Wener and her dog" class="wp-image-119184" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Louise-Wener-and-dog.jpeg 1022w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Louise-Wener-and-dog-459x600.jpeg 459w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Louise-Wener-and-dog-765x1000.jpeg 765w" sizes="(max-width: 1022px) 100vw, 1022px" /></figure>



<p>I didn&#8217;t get my first dog until my 50s &#8211; and I was <em>so</em> resistant. I thought dogs were needy, smelly, annoying and could never fathom what the fuss was about. Eventually my kids wore me down and we adopted a gorgeous little rescue mutt from Spain. I’m a total convert now. The last few years have been overwhelming at times &#8211; working, touring, bringing up teens, losing a parent and a sibling &#8211; and walking my dog is the closest thing to mindfulness I have ever managed. He’s my soul dog. And yes, his paws smell weirdly amazing! Our favourite walk starts at Devil’s Dyke on the South Downs and ends at <a href="http://thewildflowercafesaddlescombe.com/">The Wildflower Café</a> on Saddlescome Farm – basically, heaven on a lead. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-la-bella-vita">La bella vita</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1707" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-scaled.jpg" alt="Stromboli  – A magical island off the coast of Sicily, italy" class="wp-image-119189" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/salvatore-tonnara-wIakVvDr3ZE-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Salvatore Tonnara | Unsplash</figcaption></figure>



<p>A magical island off the coast of Sicily, Stromboli is what you&#8217;d get if a child drew a volcano: a perfect black cone rising from the sea, with a puff of white smoke hanging overhead. It erupts constantly but (usually) gently &#8211; rumbling and belching while you sunbathe on the black sand beaches. At night you can watch flames of lava from viewing points, or hike with a guide to the peak and peer straight into the fiery vents. I first backpacked there in my early 20s &#8211; train to the toe of Italy, then a slow ferry across it and it felt like stumbling into another world &#8211; escapist, primal and utterly connected to nature. I went again in my 30s and I&#8217;ll definitely go back. The views (and the pasta) are unforgettable.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secret-escapes-on-the-sussex-coast">Secret escapes on the Sussex coast</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1026" height="1278" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-10-at-13.43.39.png" alt="" class="wp-image-119190" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-10-at-13.43.39.png 1026w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-10-at-13.43.39-482x600.png 482w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-10-at-13.43.39-803x1000.png 803w" sizes="(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: The Reading Room | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/readingroombrighton/">Insta</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>I’ve lived in Brighton for 18 years and it still feels like a massive win to have the beach on my doorstep. It changes with the seasons – sometimes windswept and moody, sometimes full-on bucket-and-spade chaos. A new favourite stop is <a href="https://www.readingroombrighton.co.uk/">The Reading Room</a>, which opened last November, in a once-derelict historic building, now reborn as a beautiful refectory with sweeping sea views. Brighton can get crowded and hectic in summer, but this place is a little off the beaten track and feels spacious, modern and open. Lots of small plates, delicious cakes and breakfasts worth getting out of bed for. Add a sunset cocktail and suddenly you feel like you’re on holiday. For an even more escapist beach day, head along the coast to Ferring. <a href="https://thebluebirdcafeferring.co.uk/">The BlueBird Café</a> serves up a mean bacon sarnie and the beach there is stunning &#8211; minus the Brighton bustle. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-s-a-stage">Life’s a stage</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="806" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-04-at-11.25.20-1000x806.jpeg" alt="Louise Wener on stage with Sleeper" class="wp-image-119186" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-04-at-11.25.20-1000x806.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-04-at-11.25.20-600x484.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-04-at-11.25.20-1536x1238.jpeg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-04-at-11.25.20.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>It’s taken me years – decades, really – to feel completely at home on stage. It’s a state of mind. It sounds counter intuitive, but you know a gig is going well when you stop thinking about yourself altogether. The magic happens when you&#8217;re in the moment, making a connection and sharing something with everyone in the crowd.&nbsp;We may be more connected through technology these days, but the modern world can feel oddly isolating. I think that’s why people enjoy live performances and gigs so much. It’s a way of coming together and sharing something gloriously real. One of my favourite venues is <a href="https://www.academymusicgroup.com/o2shepherdsbushempire">Shepherd’s Bush Empire</a>: we supported Blur there back in the 90s and it was the venue we chose for our comeback gig in 2017.&nbsp;Full circle. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-the-road">On the road</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="649" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jezael-melgoza-layMbSJ3YOE-unsplash-copy-1000x649.jpeg" alt="Tokyo" class="wp-image-119191" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jezael-melgoza-layMbSJ3YOE-unsplash-copy-1000x649.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jezael-melgoza-layMbSJ3YOE-unsplash-copy-600x389.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jezael-melgoza-layMbSJ3YOE-unsplash-copy-1536x997.jpeg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/jezael-melgoza-layMbSJ3YOE-unsplash-copy-2048x1329.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jezar?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Jezael Melgoza</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/people-walking-on-road-near-well-lit-buildings-layMbSJ3YOE?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Back in the Nineties, I travelled constantly with Sleeper. We played all over America, from New York to LA, and I loved those epic drives across the deserts and all the landscapes in-between. One minute we’d be in a sweaty little club in Texas, the next we’d fly home to play Glastonbury in front of thousands. Then suddenly we&#8217;d be on the road to Spain, winding up a mountain to a festival in the Pyrenees. The most mind-blowing place we went to was Japan. Everything felt unexpected and thrilling: riding a bullet train past Mount Fuji, appearing on Saturday-night prime-time TV in Tokyo, the neon soaked clubs and bars. All that colour, flavour and intensity felt like a feast. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheap-as-chips-comfort-food-but-pasta">Cheap as chips comfort food (but pasta)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Porchetta-85-1000x667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-119193" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Porchetta-85-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Porchetta-85-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Porchetta-85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Porchetta-85.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I spent my 20s living in central London. It felt exhilarating, easy &#8211; and cheap. The rent then wouldn’t buy a shoebox now. I was earning next to nothing, but you could still afford to socialise and eat out. We lived on all-you-can-eat buffets at the Indian veggie cafés behind King’s Cross, drank jugs of cheap red wine at George and Nikki’s restaurant on Parkway (a famous Britpop hang out) and found after-hours drinks in secret dive bars hidden in Soho basements. Much of that seems to be gone now, but one favourite haunt remains: <a href="https://www.laporchetta.uk/">The Porchetta Pollo Bar</a>. Hot, crowded, efficient and still dishing out generous plates of hot food for (almost) bargain prices. Honestly, that’s all I want from a restaurant: a big, comforting plate of something that doesn’t cost a week’s salary just because someone sprinkled pomegranate seeds on top.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scent-of-a-woman">The scent of a woman</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-750x1000.jpg" alt="Liberty perfume hall" class="wp-image-119195" style="width:650px" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-450x600.jpg 450w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/the-fragrance-lounge-liberty-copy-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



<p>I loathe shopping for clothes. The rummaging, the size hunting, the cramped dressing rooms with bad lighting &#8211; it all reminds me of being on tour. There’s never a separate dressing room for women in a band, so you end up changing in the toilet. Or worse, a festival Portaloo. But I love browsing perfume and fragrance shops – and <a href="https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/experiences/the-fragrance-lounge.html">Liberty perfume hall</a> is pure joy. Fragrance is so personal; the right one can lift you, transport you, connect you straight back to a memory. I still have a little bottle of amber scent I bought years ago in a Spanish market. I’ve never found it anywhere else but each time I use it, I’m taken straight back to that trip. When it&#8217;s gone, it&#8217;s gone &#8211; so each spritz feels a little sacred.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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My favourite places: Louise Wener, Sleeper’s front woman

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