To help QNews celebrate 300 issues – we thought we would bring you a very special interview for all readers by chatting with Ms Ana Matronic of iconic pop band the Scissor Sisters. Ana and QNews get to find out all about the latest album released Magic Hour, Jake Shears happenings plus the New York scene – something the typical LGBTQI member may dream of getting amongst one day. QNews introduces for the 300th Edition Ms Ana Metronic – one of the community's most prestigious, talented, musical, fruit flies.

Q. You were recently here for Summerfeilddayze – what’s been keeping you busy since Oz?

Ana: Coming home after that, it was basically full steam ahead on finishing up the record, getting the artwork, doing the photo shoot, all that stuff. So it really is once the album is delivered, the wheels are really set in motion [laughs] The steam train starts chugging down the tracks. And there’s no stopping it – so you either get on board or tie yourself to the tracks and get run over.

Q. There was a big gap between ‘Ta-Dah’ and ‘Nightwork’. It feels like yesterday we were just being introduced to single ‘Fire With Fire’ – why so soon with the new album ‘Magic Hour?’

Ana: Yeh, it’s crazy, it sort of took all of us by surprise. I think the biggest difference between then and now is that Jake wrote a musical and he did the ‘Tales Of The City’ musical in San Francisco which played this last summer – got great reviews and everything but that was really crazy song writing boot camp. He would have to do rewrites of certain songs one night and teach it to the cast the next night. He wrote several dozen songs for the show and several versions of songs - I think he really got a lot of confidence out of that process and was really able to hone his skills in such a way like he knew which voice he wanted to use and knew what he wanted to say and once the pen started being put to paper and the thoughts that were flowing, it just came and yeh it was crazy. I came into the studio one day and there were four songs – all amazing. The most important thing you can have as a song writer is confidence. The best producers that I’ve worked with, the most professional, the ones that have the biggest hits – are the ones that exhibit the most confidence in the studio.

Q: So many collaborations on this album Azealia Banks, Calvin Harris to name a few. What was your involvement on this album being Jake’s side kick and co-writer?

Ana: My involvement on most of the ‘Sister’s records is more once its finished to execute it visually on stage and that’s where I’m putting a lot of my energy on this one as well. I, in addition to the Scissor Sisters, am also a light artist – I make visuals. I don’t know if I will be making any visuals for Scissor Sisters on this record but I will definitely be working really closely with the lighting director, with the production designer and making a great stage and making some really fun visuals. We really want to make this a really great show – the best we’ve ever done. We just played our first Magic Hour show in our favourite spot in New York City (Power Ball Room) and musically it was I think one of the best sets we’ve ever played, I think we’re kicking it to the next level and I am really excited about that.

Q: You either lose or survive in New York – such an intense scene. Do you fall victim to the pressures or are you a winner?

Ana: It’s interesting because I have lived here now for 13 years and I definitely consider myself now to be a New Yorker. The amazing thing about New York is that it isn’t just one thing – it is all things! You can live here and have a quiet existence [laughs] I haven’t really gone out here in New York for a long time. I have a really great house for parties, so me and my husband stage what we like to call micro raves – and we have our friends over and because we do lights as well, we make some really great environments. My husband will fill our studio up with smoke and strobes and we’ll have a bunch of people come over and dress up like wizards and waft in a cloud of light. So that’s our New York and there are literally 16 million other New Yorks. That’s the most amazing thing about this city, you can come here and find what you want and who you want and what you are – it’s here! You can find those people who are like you here – and that’s beautiful. New York is a hard place to live – I always like to say ‘You gotta love New York because New York don’t love you.’ And if you can get to a place in your life where you feel like New York loves you then you have won!

Ana assures QNews that she, Jake, Baby Daddy and Del will be back in Australia soon to reveal their latest show and catch up with all. Their latest album ‘Magic Hour’ has been available to purchase since the 25 May and features some great collaborations with acts such as Calvin Harris and Azaleia Banks. Alternatively we can flock to New York and join Ana in one of her many micro raves. Was a pleasure getting to know a quarter of the Scissor Sisters. Happy 300th QNews!