Conchita Wurst is a force to be reckoned with, a whirlwind in a ball-gown. Fresh off the back of releasing a book and an album, she’s continuing her unstoppable, sequin-spangled rise to success. Chris Godfrey managed to catch her on her way from one private jet to another, to talk life, drag and the rumours that she might be doing the theme for next Bond movie.

Gender identity has been a big topic this year; do you think we’re experiencing a golden era in drag?

I think that RuPaul definitely started bringing the art of drag into the mainstream, which I think is a brilliant thing. There is definitely a huge movement going on in the whole LGBTI community; the trans community is celebrating their heroes with Laverne Cox and obviously Caitlyn Jenner and others like Chaz Bono. I think it’s so beautiful.

All of these people are so brave to put their private issues into the mainstream. Because Caitlyn Jenner could have said ‘I’ve been a reality star, I’m done with it, that’s the real deal and this is how I want my life to be and this is who I am’. She could have done it without any media, without creating discussions and bringing it to the mainstream.

Respect or freedom is linked to knowledge. And so many people just didn’t have a clue before what the whole community was all about. Now they’re starting to think on their own and they’re creating their own opinions, which I think is great.

You’ve been pretty busy putting together a book and an album. Tell me about the album.

Well it’s very colourful! It’s my very first one so I really wanted to introduce myself with all the music styles that I’m interested in. I just wanted to entertain myself, if I’m honest. That’s how I created this album. I wanted to have a track list for the whole day, for every mood you’re in; whether it’s in the evening thinking about going to the club or having a romantic dinner or something. I think it has songs for every situation.

And what about the book?

After winning the Eurovision song contest, a publisher came up to me and asked me if I wanted to release a book about my life and I said ‘no’ because I’m 26 year’s old and it’s quite early. I think I said no about five to ten times.

What changed your mind?

I said, ok, listen if we release a book it needs to be a book that I would buy myself and the books that I buy feature many pictures. So this is what I did. I put in many pictures that lead through the story of my life. So there are pictures of little Tom and my parents and obviously of Conchita. It became a really, really close project to my heart, which I didn’t expect in the first place. I’m really happy I agreed because it’s beautifully made and I’m actually very proud.

How has your drag transformed over the years?

I think that we all, at least I feel like this, are in a constant movement towards hopefully becoming the best version of ourselves. By changing as a private person day by day obviously the drag character changes with the experiences that I’ve had.

I started out trying to be this funny, nasty drag queen, the picture the mainstream has when it hears the term ‘drag queen’. But I had to let it go, because I’m just not funny enough. I’m not the person who’s making jokes on the back of others. So I changed that and it’s changing constantly and I’m finding my style more and more.

Do you feel people still focus too much on the beard?

If they do I don’t mind. I decided to be a bearded lady in the first place because it was so practical to me. I would host a burlesque show every Saturday in 2011 and I just loved my face with a beard and I thought, oh my god if I have to shave it would take a week to grow back but then I have to get in drag again.

I was in front of the mirror and I tried out some new eye make up. I hadn’t shaved and I thought ‘I’ve never looked better’! So I stuck to it. Even in the LGBTI community it created discussions about whether I was doing drag or not…and I thought ‘well listen you’re the ones asking for equality and wanting to be accepted for who you are. I am doing drag. Thanks for asking. Sit down’.

But I realised that not just the LGBTI community, but people on the streets who had probably never ever heard of me in the early days but saw me on the street they couldn’t’ help starting to talk with their family, with their friends. Even if they were critical or negative they talked about being different, of drag queens, and in the best cases there would be one person they’re surrounding saying ‘well I don’t get it, why this is such a big deal?’ I think it’s great. Just watching something uncommon could change your whole mindset.

Who’s been your biggest influences?

Well I have to definitely say Shirley Bassey because I listened to Goldfinger when I was seven year’s old or eight and I obviously didn’t have a clue which language it was or who that woman was, but it touched me. And I kept on listening to it. I started to imitate her and by doing so I realised that I actually sound quite nice when I sing. That’s when I fell in love with the fact I could probably be a singer one day.

I’ve heard rumours that you were in the running to do the Spectre theme song…

Oh no! You know I’d love to sing a James bond song one day but I still have to grow!

Do you remember the first drag queen you saw?

I’m not sure if she’s stuck to her name now but her name was Pam Glam. She was the first one that actually painted my face. So my drag mama!

“Just watching something uncommon could change your whole mindset.”

How was it doing drag at 14?

You know, in the very early days, if you would call it drag, I think I started doing drag when I was six years old. Because I would always dress up at Carnival as a girl, each and every year. You can imagine each and every year the day to be able to express myself and not getting the side eye.

But when I was 14, that was when I started to go to parties, having experiences in the LGBTI community and that was the time that I saw the first drag queen in my life. And yeah I thought ‘oh my god you can do that without carnival!’ and I thought that was great. So I started to paint my face and try things out.

Have you had much experience with drag queens from other countries at all?

Well not really when I started to do drag, because I’ve been doing drag since I was 14 but never in a regular way. So it was basically about 2011 when I started to do it regularly and in public. With RuPaul’s Drag Race obviously, because the whole world is watching that show, it definitely became this thing of ‘oh I’m a fan of her and I like her’. Now, with winning Eurovision I’m got one of these international booked artists, as well.

So yes we do meet from time to time and it’s beautiful. Anywhere I go and I meet a drag queen, there’s wig talk, there’s lashes talk and having fun. Obviously we talk about all the gigs we’ve had, where we’ve been and whether she was there before and exchanging experiences. And honestly for me it’s totally exciting to meet those Drag Race girls because I know them from the TV. There is something about drag which makes it possible to be connected immediately and that’s beautiful.

Photography by Markus Morianz