Since he began producing art in the late 1980s, British conceptual artist Martin Creed has also been making music. For his latest video, “Princess Taxi Girl”—released in two parts—Creed enlisted the important women in his life to sit in the back of a cab, open their mouths and “gross people out, the way children do.” Here, he talks about the release, why he makes music, and getting model Lily Cole on board.

Why do you make music?

I got into music because I felt the other things I was doing weren’t enough; I was dissatisfied. I feel like a piece of music—with the combination of words and sound—is a better representation of life.

How does your music relate to your fine art output?

I don’t try and make a certain kind of music, the songs on my new album all come from voice notes and little mutterings from when I’ve been walking along the street, that are expanded upon and exaggerated. I once made a sculpture that was a crumpled ball of paper, which came from thinking “ah, this is all rubbish.” Maybe it looked like some minimalist or conceptual work, but it wasn’t supposed to. It’s the same with music, you get a tune or a form of words that repeats in your head, and making something out of it is like you’re trying to get rid of it; to not be plagued by it.

What’s the story behind “Princess Taxi Girl”?

The song was written about a friend of mine, Keiko, who is the bass player in my band. She asked if I’d do a song at her wedding. When I sat down to see what I could think of, the main thing that came to mind was that she doesn’t like to walk anywhere. She means a lot to me and I got to thinking about the other important women in my life, and I thought I should ask them all to be in the video—my mother, my partner Anouchka, my step-daughter, and Keiko. Then I thought maybe I should ask someone who is an important woman, not just to me but a famous important woman. I knew Lily Cole was into art, so I contacted her and she agreed to do it. 

Martin Creed's new album Thoughts Lined Up is out now.