FEATURE:
Tota Veritas
IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling/PHOTO CREDIT: Elle Carroll
Music to Arm the Next Generation
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I often write…
about music of the moment, and how it has changed a lot through the decades. Politics and the real world have always been part of the agenda, but I do not think we have seen a time where so many artists are using music to call for change and reflect what is happening around them. Whilst there are inevitable downsides to that – a lack of fun and it can get a bit heavy -, there are artists who, as I have said before, are telling the whole truth at a time when politicians are not doing enough – not that they ever have! I am compelled to revisit this subject because, wonderfully, Laura Marling is releasing her seventh solo studio album. It does not have a title at the moment, but she has just turned thirty, and her world/personal view is changing. This NME article reveals more details:
“Laura Marling has discussed her upcoming seventh album in a new interview, in which she also confirmed that it is completely finished.
Last month, it was announced that Marling had signed a new record deal – a new venture between the re-launched Chrysalis Records and indie label Partisan – to release a new album in 2020.
“It’s finished as far as I’m concerned,” she continued, before diving into the feelings behind the upcoming LP. “I was thinking a lot about how I would arm the next generation in a way that I haven’t been armed. That’s the heavier side of it.
“But I was also thinking about trying to not write the same song that I’ve written over and over again for the last ten years. That’s a good one to avoid.”
She continued: “I’ve kept an inward gaze, but I’ve gone horizontally downwards to another generation. I turned 30 two weeks ago, so I’m feeling in a different position in my life, and whether there is a responsibility to be a certain way or to consider things about the next generation, which there certainly is”.
I think we have got to stage where people need to speak out, and there is so much misinformation out there. It will be interesting to see what Marling delivers, as her past material has been more rooted in the personal and literary. That is not to say she will go political and completely change, but it seems like more of today’s challenges will be included. Look around music now, and Laura Marling is definitely not the only artist tackling everything from politics to climate change. From great bands like Fontaines D.C. and Green Day to solo artists like Kate Tempest, nearly every genre of music is reacting to the current state of the world. I had never thought about it before, but Marling talked about arming the next generation. I listen to music now, and I think it an immediate thing that urges us to think and react in the moment.
Rather than a lot of modern music being about this year and the current time, there is all this guidance, information and wisdom for the next generation. It is that contrast of politics and music. Those in a position of power seem less effective and trustworthy of musicians so, when we have so much digital power at our disposal, I think artists are going to be the ones people turn to when it comes to galvanising us and bringing people together. I never really listen back to music from years ago as instruction for today. Maybe that is because artists now are more potent and political, but I like that idea of music that can rouse and inspire the next generation. Whether that is a call to arms (in a peaceful sense), or to become more involved in battling climate change and inequality, it is a good thing. Although I have suggested there is a bit too much anger and the downbeat in modern music, maybe that is a reaction to a tension that needs to be released. I do feel that, in an age where there is social media and so much information, younger listeners are growing up not really knowing what to believe or being buried in political obfuscation. Whether it is the environment, gender issues, or anything else, I think music can speak loud and cross borders. Can music change the world and make a difference? I do feel it can, and the more artists reaching out to the next generation, the better. Laura Marling is among a whole host of modern musicians who are using their platform to make…
PHOTO CREDIT: @li_anlim/Unsplash
A real difference.