Natalia Tena Interview

Not only does Natalia Tena nail big roles in the likes of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, she also rocks the accordion as leader singer of gypsy folk group Molotov Jukebox.

Your music's referred to as 'gyp-step'. Where did that come from?

I think it came from a fan. It makes sense though: it fits with the kind of beats we're making. We've evolved from where we started but it still applies. So fuck it, we've made our own genre.

And your new album's out soon. Did you suffer from any 'difficult second album syndrome'?

We've had years to create a body of work so it's been easier. The first album did well but it didn't really take off. It did give us more time to evolve naturally, though. Some bands have debut albums that become so popular there's pressure on them to make one record a year. There was less limelight on us.

Some of the proceeds of your album are going to women's rights projects. Can you talk more about that?

With the first album we supported Orchid, an FGM (female genital mutilation) charity. Now we want to branch out to support other organisations.

Which industry is better for women - music or acting?

I'd have to say acting. If you look at TV a lot more middle-aged women are coming to the forefront - Olivia Coleman in Broadchurch, Helen McRory in Peaky Blinders, Gillian Anderson in The Fall. With music, everyone assumes I'm a singer. No one asks what instruments I play or whether I wrote any songs.

Go on then... what can we expect from the next season of Game of Thrones?

It's gonna be even more epic, if that's possible. Great locations, great character developments you wouldn't expect. I assume there'll be a lot of death and sex too. I read the books while I was on tour - I shoved them all into my accordion case and only packed one dress for the whole trip!

By Erin Doyle for Exposed