Klaxons to perform with Rihanna at Brits

by Kev Geoghegan
Radio 1 music reporter

Mercury music prize-winners Klaxons will team up with best international female nominee, Rihanna, at the Brit awards.

The nu-ravers have exclusively told Newsbeat that they're providing the music to her number one hit, Umbrella, at Earls Court in London on 20 February.

Klaxons have been nominated in two categiories, best live act and breakthrough act - which is voted for by Radio 1 listeners.

The lads revealed they've tried to do something a bit different for the collaboration.

Rihanna won Best Rap/Sung collaboration at the Grammys

They said: "We've made our own slant on a contemporary version of it. It's an electronic version with guitars on it, with a twist of Golden Skans."

Difficulties

With Rihanna on the other side of the Atlantic, Klaxons admit it's been a tough job. Particularly with regards to how the track should sound.

They said: "It's been a bit of a funny one because she's in America and we're over here.

"They've got this funny idea of what our band sounds like and we've done three or four different versions.

"Her people kept sending versions back going 'No, this sounds more like you'.

We've spent more time on this track than any of our tracks on the album. James Righton

"It's strange when someone thinks they’re better at being you than you are!"

You can still register to vote for the British breakthrough at the Brit awards website.