FEATURE:
Uniting the Fish People
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at her home in Eltham, London, on 13th September, 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Cummins/Getty Images
The Continuing Influence and Importance of Kate Bush’s Music
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I am not sure about anyone else…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush received the Editors Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the London Palladium on 30th November, 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Davidson/Rex/Shutterstock
but my past week or two has been pretty depressing. Without going into detail, it has not been an ideal one leading up to Christmas! I think that music in general is a good way of channelling frustration and depressing. It can be very therapeutic embracing good music at hard times. I think that our favourite artists are a natural go-to. One thing that has been noticeable the past couple of years is the influence and importance of Kate Bush. Last year saw Stranger Things catapult Hounds of Love’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) back into the spotlight. I have written about it so much, so I won’t repeat myself here! Kate Bush was interviewed by Woman’s Hour. This year has been one where her albums have been reissued with new designs by Bush herself. There has been more momentum and exposure of her music. Through these past couple of years, Kate Bush has posted updates to her website. She has been thankful for the support and new love, in addition to making sure that her existing work reaches these new fans. It is the crossover between Gen Z embracing her work more fully and the younger Generation Alpha who are also discovering her. Kate Bush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. There has been all this new exposure. Platforms like TikTok have taken her music worldwide. Younger generations being awoken when it comes to her influence and power. I will write about the healing and uplifting aspect of her music. The Kate Bush fan community, unofficially, is Fish People (that is the name of Kate Bush’s own label). If we are using this as a standard, the pond of Fish People is expanding. So many new fans discovering the wonders and delights you get from Kate Bush’s music.
One article I come to a lot when research Kate Bush is Brianna Holt’s 2020 piece for COMPLEX. It highlighted how, although Kate Bush had disappeared, her influence was everyone. I took issue at one point with the assumption Bush had ‘disappeared’. I guess, in terms of engagement with fans, there has not been a lot. In a digital age, the fact is that this is a common way to communicate with fans. I do agree that a lack of album news or engagement with fans via videos or audio can be frustrating when so many new fans are discovering her work. In terms of her influence, Holt noted how – even in 2020 -, it was pretty important and huge. What about this clash between this artist growing in popularity every year and someone who is very private:
“For fans, it can be quite frustrating to admire someone who is so distant, especially in the digital age. Very little is known about Bush’s day-to-day life, and social media doesn’t provide a stance on her political views or evolving taste and perspective. It isn’t even certain when and if another Kate Bush album will ever come, leaving fans with no choice but to be patient with her timeline and dive deeper into music that already exists. Luckily, powerful art coupled with a mystifying personality has left a lot to explore since the release of her debut album in 1978. Maybe that is why Bush has continued to persist over time. After all, an artist who is not yet fully understood can often be the most compelling.
“I think when you don’t give people anything, they make things up. It’s both flattering on lots of levels... The fact that people are still concerned about writing about me,” Bush said in a 1992 interview. “The fact that they still remember me and are hanging onto me, it’s very flattering.“ While her low profile has kept her out of the public eye, the public ear will continue to wait for the groundbreaking musician that is Kate Bush to reappear, whenever she decides it's time”.
As an artist who started her career in the 1970s, it is perfectly understandable that Kate Bush has earned the right to privacy. Not having to be out there and giving loads of interviews. She has been updating us via her website. Lots of retrospection and looking back. That is quite a positive thing, as it means that new fans of here work – who may not have been aware of her albums – now are being made conscious of her incredible body. It is a cannon of music among the most distinct in all of music. I find it amazing (though not surprising!) that Kate Bush’s popularity keeps growing and expanding. Twelve years after her current album (50 Words for Snow), she is influencing artists and being talked about so much. From established legends who are inspired by Kate Bush to a whole new wave of artists discovering her music and either covering her songs or being compelled by her sound, there is a real explosion happening! For listeners, there is a comfort knowing that Kate Bush is in the world and very much engaged with her music! Even if most new listeners are going straight for Hounds of Love and not venturing too far and wide, I hope that the new reissues will at least compel them to check out some of her other albums. There does need to be this new documentary or celebration of her career. Something that gives a great documentation of her importance and distinct talent. Maybe that will come next year.
For me and so many other people, the music of Kate Bush grows in strength and comfort. I can go back to my favourite songs of hers and have this instant sense of safety and assurance! A strength that can help lift the mood and provide guidance. I am spending more time exploring deeper cuts and going back in the archives. Not only her music. I am digging through interviews and looking at as much as I can. Getting a bigger impression of the artist. It is such a rewarding experience! Hearing from so many Kate Bush fans, it is evident how much she means to them. In spite of some radio silence and uncertainty regarding the future of her music and whether she will ever release another album, the continued relevance of Bush means that there are these rewards and talking points. We get to celebrate achievements like her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Look at the album reissues and how they are being discussed. I am going to write a feature about next year and whether we will get anything in the way of books, documentaries or anything that reacts to the new popularity of Kate Bush. The fact the past few years have been especially prominent and distinct. The fanbase is broader and more engaged than ever. I would urge anyone new to Kate Bush to check out this excellent podcast. The Kate Bush News website keeps you abreast of all the developments concerning the icon. As we await a Christmas message from Kate Bush, we are all thankful for everything she has given us. The more fans that find her work and the more artists that coming through are learning about her, the more Kate Bush’s legacy and importance will be cemented and highlighted. Someone who, as Brianna Holt wrote, might have disappeared from public view – though her influence is everywhere! It is going to be fascinating imagining what we may get from Kate Bush…
IN 2024.