FEATURE:
Back to Wuthering Heights…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush accepts the Editor's Award for Before The Dawn at the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the London Palladium on 30th November, 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: David M. Benett/Getty Images
With So Much Conversation Around Kate Bush, What Will This Year Hold?
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IT is not a new thing…
when we talk about Kate Bush and the conversation around her. There has been this new wave of appreciation and discovery since 2022. We all know that is when Stranger Things features Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) from Hounds of Love. That lasted for quite a while and has been her defining song. The one that has been streamed the most. However, with the release of Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”, the Kate Bush debut single of the same name has been back in focus. The album it is from, The Kick Inside, turned forty-eight on 17th February. Because of that, there is this whole new discussion happening. Charli xcx recorded the soundtrack for “Wuthering Heights”, but there has been all this connection back to Kate Bush. Charli xcx mentioning her and obviously inspired by Bush. Margot Robbie talking about Kate Bush and recreating the dance Bush did in the red dress version of the Wuthering Heights video in 1978. So much new conversation and excitement around social media. I have seen articles discussing the single. MOJO ranked Kate Bush’s albums on the anniversary of The Kick Inside. All these articles and all this buzz. I have seen many journalists write about Wuthering Heights and how this song is back at the forefront because of the film. It has connected with a new audience and, like Bush had a massive moment in 2022, there is another one in 2026 – though not quite to the same level. It is great that we are going back to the start. The single that went to number one, set a record, became a worldwide success and, with it, launched one of the most extraordinary, talented and original artists ever.
I have heard people ask what has happened to Kate Bush. There is a lot of wild wind and weather around her music, legacy and impact. Artists, actors and more discussing her brilliance and importance. However, what about the person who made this music?! Without using the word ‘recluse’, there is this curiosity around Kate Bush. Obviously, she has not released a studio album since 2011 and there have not been too many interviews the past few years . However, it is clear that she has noticed how Wuthering Heights has been picked up and how Emerald Fennell played a part in that. I don’t think it will speed Kate Bush up when it comes to a new album or anything like that. However, when the whole Stranger Things thing happened, she did do the odd interview and posted to her website. I am curious how she is reacting to all this new press and people like Margot Robbie mentioning her name and music. In addition to it being flattering, it goes to show that she does not need to release new music to be relevant and cherished. However, I do think that Bush will release a new album in the next year or two. There is that question about the time leading up to that. I am curious how Bush is viewing this and how she feels. Flattered by all the new honours and success for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), I do wonder if Bush will consider her legacy. What I mean is that she has remastered her studio albums and there has been retrospection. Would she ever be tempted to look back at an album like The Kick Inside and do something with that? She recorded a new vocal for Wuthering Heights in 1986 for The Whole Story (her greatest hits albums). It would be interesting whether Bush would ever explore those songs and do something with them, either a re-recording or bringing out an expanded edition of The Kick Inside.
What I think is more intriguing is an interview. Emma Barnett spoke with Bush on two different occasions after the Stranger Things phenomenon. The last time we have heard an interview with Kate Bush is 2024. Unless I have missed a more recent one. However, quite a bit has happened since then. Maybe a third chat with Emma Barnett, a talk with BBC Radio 4 or BBC Radio 6 Music, you can guarantee it would not be filmed. I have also seen an article that highlighted the most recent time Kate Bush has been photographed in public. Bush She attended the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the London Palladium on 30th November, 2014, to accept the Editor’s Award for her Before the Dawn concert residency. She was photographed there but also later in the year when she attended Elon John’s wedding to David Furnish. She has just led a normal and private life. She has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and nominated for awards, though she has not made a public appearance. I suggested in another feature that Bush deserves an award and would she attend the ceremony? Not for the chance to see her in public but because it recognises the incredible impact she has today. I think the days od Bush being filmed for interviews ended a long time ago. The only photos of her will be for promotional images should she release another album. However, many out there are fascinated by Kate Bush’s career in a way we have not seen for many years. The past four years have been huge in that respect. Everything does not have to be tied to a new album, so you would hope someone will approach her at some point. Maybe Bush does not want to give new interviews.
However, she is humbled and grateful for all this love. With the fever and debate around Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” dying down and, with it, the discussion about Kate Bush’s debut single of the same name – minus the inverted commas -, is losing a bit of heat. However, it has left a big impression and will lead to people who are not aware of her earlier music digging it. I am sure we will see smatterings of activity. Magazines writing about Kate Bush. Maybe one or two of her songs appearing in film and T.V. I would love it if there were a new interview. One of the most exciting aspects of all of this is imagining Kate Bush writing new songs and looking out and seeing and hearing people talk about her work. The passion there is for it and her! Bush might be done with retrospection, though it is clear that we cannot define her with one song. That was my fear. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) has this domination and I did wonder if it would bury the rest of her work. However, there has been this expansion. People not exactly going after the deep cuts, through Wuthering Heights getting this love is brilliant. Army Dreamers still being talked about. My mind keeps going back to recent interviews Bush took part in when she spoke with Emma Barnett. Especially the 2024 one. I have included them a lot of times in features, though I feel it is worth including it again. Is 2026 going to offer up a new interview with Kate Bush? Even if not, there is this continuing conversation and fascination. Bush’s work still so powerful and loved after all these years. Proving that she is one of the all-time greats. Lots of articles asking where Kate Bush is. We gave to bide our time regarding new music, but it is clear she is not going to attend film premieres and be seen in public for the glare of the media. However, there is new momentum and impetus. Interesting to see what Kate Bush does next. When it comes to her…
NEARLY anything is possible!