Born in Melbourne, Juanita Stein is the lead vocalist and guitarist of indie rock band Howling Bells. Previously Stein was in Waikiki, a band formed with her brother Joel in 1999, but after releasing their debut album, I'm Already Home in 2002 the group disbanded. In 2004 they moved to London, re-formed as Howling Bells and released a self-titled album in 2006. The group have supported bands including the Killers and Elbow on tour, while Stein also debuted with indie supergroup Albert Albert last year. Howling Bells' fourth album, Heartstrings, is out now and the band play V festival on 16-17 August and Madame Jojo's in London on 19 August.

Place: Broadway Market

I've been in London about 10 years and this is the first place I'll take visitors or friends travelling from Australia because it encapsulates the London spirit. It's great to visit The Film Shop – I'm a massive film buff – and there's a brilliant little magazine bookshop called Artwords. My father is a musician and he busks there every Saturday, so there's lots of reasons for me to go.

Music: Sibylle Baier

There seems to be a school of lost folk singers from the 70s and a trend for people uncovering them and re-releasing their work. Sibylle Baier is German and she recorded one record in her bedroom in the 70s. Her son put together a compilation tape in recent years and gave it to J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. He passed it to the record label Orange Twin, and they released the record. There's a song called I Lost Something in the Hills that is just mesmerising and really haunting.

Film: Young and Beautiful

It's based around a very young and beautiful girl and her journey into the underworld of prostitution. It stars Marine Vacth, who's astonishing, really remarkable. Her performance is very understated - she doesn't actually say that much throughout, so there's something really eerie and magical about it. It's one of the best films I've seen in recent years.

Book: The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans

I'm not the most avid reader – I have a habit of reading half of every book because I lose interest. But Robert Evans's autobiography is one book that I keep returning to. [Evans] was a film producer in the 70s and it's the most entertaining autobiography you'll ever read. It spans through the 50s when he stars in his first film and then he turns into a producer and makes some really groundbreaking films, like Rosemary's Baby. He's best friends with Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, and [the book] is a look at the really dark underground of 70s film culture. When people asked me my favourite book, I used to feel like I'd have to lie – but the truth is I just don't enjoy reading fiction as much as I enjoy biographies.

TV: Puberty Blues

A friend tipped me off about this Australian TV show recently. It's set in the seventies at Cronulla beach, a really good surfing beach in Sydney. It's kind of like The Virgin Suicides, but set in suburban Australia. It's got an eerie, dark landscape and it's centred on two girls and their experiences of growing up. I watch it with my husband, who's Canadian, and a lot of the time he has no idea what they're talking about. It makes me quite nostalgic.

Cafe: Esters

I used to go to a cafe in Stoke Newington but its super-snobby attitude became increasingly unbearable and I made the decision never to go back. One day, I saw it had changed hands. Now called Esters, it's simple and homely inside, with delicious baked goods and their poached egg breakfast with asparagus and hummus is divine!