The platinum blonde Hitchcockian temptress leading the latest smouldering band out of Brighton says the group’s second record with Death In Vegas pioneer Richard Fearless is faster, harder and heavier.

Her racy image is cemented a few days after we speak when a promo video for Dark Horses’ latest shows is sent through by her press agent on behalf of the half-Swedish singer.

It’s a slow-mo video of a bottom getting whipped (which must surely be that of Ms Lisa Elle?). Between the action, details of when and where to see the group, who won Artrocker’s 2012 single of the year with Radio, are delivered.

Elle, often photographed with black eyeliner streaming down her face like bloody tears, knows the importance of image.

“We are all inspired and function in a visual world,” she says, speaking to The Guide before the group with feet in both Brighton and London play the South Coast.

“As [French film director] Robert Bresson said, ‘The eye sees and the ear imagines.’ We look the way we do because Elle has that disarming combination of guile and gaiety, determination and ease, which characterises great frontwomen.

It is presumably why she was invited to work with the Mercury Music-nominated pair King Creosote and Jon Hopkins on a couple of records. She confirms her sultry voice is deep in the mix on Hopkins’ magical sound tapestry Immunity.

“Jon is a master at using sound in a fluid way. He uses sound in a different way, especially with beats and programming, taking it to another level.”

Powerful performance

Elle’s singing for Dark Horses’ second record is more punctuated and poetic, and gone are the backing vocals.

The Krautrock-lovers’ follow-up to Black Music is more Siouxsie And The Banshees than the wide-screen psych of the debut, which channelled Goldfrapp and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

“There is more rhythm in it, more power to the performance. It is less about tone and layers.

I did all the vocals in about two and half days.”

Hail Lucid State’s ten songs were recorded by the band and Richard Fearless in ten days.

“It can be very liberating but also terrifying,” explains Elle. “There is no room for getting analytical and picky about stuff. You move on and hope everything you need is there.”

She says recording quickly and playing live in the studio captures the moment and helps with clarity and vision.

Another big influence on the record came from having spent more time on the road. Dark Horses have played shows with Beck, Sigur Rós, Tame Impala and Kasabian. Noel Gallagher even invited them to play last year’s Teenage Cancer Trust gig.

“I hope it’ll excite people with its freshness. It’s faster, harder, heavier. The first record had more of a seductive skin, which invited you to come in to it.

“This record is more in-your-face – and that urgency of the creative process comes through us wanting to play a bit faster because of playing live and having those songs in our armoury.”

Though Dark Horses have connections in both Brighton and London, Elle says they are tied to neither city. The outfits they often wear, with Dark Horses scribed on the back, show where their allegiance lies.

“We met through a united desire to forge our own little space, to experiment with our own musicality. Because everyone has a different background, and there is not one stylistic thread that binds us together, there is nothing predictable.

“That is what makes it exciting.”