FEATURE: Demi Lovato: It’s Complicated: Do We Put Too Much Pressure on Young Artists?!

FEATURE:

 

 

Demi Lovato: It’s Complicated

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Do We Put Too Much Pressure on Young Artists?!

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ALTHOUGH she is resting right now…

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollywood Records

and her family have asked for privacy at this difficult time; there was shock and upset yesterday on learning Demi Lovato had been rushed to hospital following a suspected heroin overdose. Social media lit up with sympathy and concern; fans and high-profile figures sending their best wishes and love to her. Although the full details have not been revealed – the cause of her hospitalisation has not been revealed – it is troubling seeing a bright young star put into the news because of such a horrible event. It is not to me or anyone else to guess why Lovato was taken to hospital or the circumstances leading to it but one thing that shocked me was the way some corners of social media reacted to the news. Rather than show humanity and wish the American artist a speedy recovery; there was a sense of apathy and humour – someone who has admitted to taking drugs in the past, in their way, deserved it. Others felt it was wrong to show such concern for someone who had put themselves in that position. Those people were swiftly shut down and admonished but it is concerning seeing so many young artists pushed to the extreme.

Demi Lovato is on the third leg of her Tell Me You Love Me World Tour and has been heavily involved with touring – barely able to catch a breath due to the demand. The twenty-five-year-old has been open regarding drug problems in the past. She has suffered alcoholism and an eating disorder after spending a year in a sober-living facility; the star has talked about cocaine and how, in a way, it has helped her cope with her bipolar disorder. In the documentary, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, she talked about her troubled times and overcoming the worst days. Drugs were discussed but the documentary set out to show the real Demi Lovato: the hard times and troubles she has had coupled with the strength from her fans and determination to record and take her music around the world. The documentary was a candid look at her school days and the bullying she suffered; her dating life and the ups and downs; the demands of touring and her everyday life. Lovato was scheduled to perform in Atlantic City tomorrow (Thursday) and head to Latin American for the final leg of a fifty-two-date tour. One cannot truly know what is happening in Lovato’s life right now but she is one of the biggest names in Pop. Her 2017 album, Tell Me You Love Me, was her sixth album in nine years and, between releasing albums, there is the touring and press.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Demi Lovato is an artist who acts as a role model for her fans. She has battled illness and addiction but continues to perform and take her music to the audience all around the globe. The strength and determination to keep on playing and creating is not something many people could do. Rather than dwell and hide away; the Popstar has spoken about the realities of her situation and bravely opened up about her darkest days. Although the modern music scene is a tough battleground and it is challenging getting your music out there; I wonder whether we need to look at the expectations put on modern artists and the effects it can have. It is, as I keep saying, not to anyone to say what led to Lovato’s hospitalisation but the talented songwriter has faced enough problems over the years. Whilst she cannot take that much time off and rest between releases; it is heartbreaking seeing news like yesterday’s come out. She loves music and adores her fans but she could not have had too much time to unwind and find time for herself since her first album arrived in 2008. Each record involves rigorous and extensive publicity; there is the promotional trail and then the release itself – after which, she would tour through the U.S. before going abroad.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Last year, she spoke with TIME and discussed her haters and standing up for what she believed in. She talked about music and its role in her life:

“For you, has music been a way to move forward?

Music has been very healing for me. It’s been a part of my life that’s really helped me cope with certain addictions and certain emotional issues, and death, and loss through breakups. And also creating memories. I’m at a different place in my life now, where I’m a single 25-year-old woman coming into my own and living on my own. So I’ve become lonely at times, and I’ve written about it. It’s definitely helped me”.

Although each artist is different – and there is no ‘golden rule’ regarding their work-rate and press attention – it seems like Lovato has used music and performance as a way of overcoming past struggles and connecting with people who make her feel safe and wonderful. Lovato was asked, in the interview, what advice she would give young artists – considering she was thrust into the spotlight early on:

“It’s a case-by-case scenario. For me, it was important to jump in early, because it saved my life. I was bullied, and I didn’t feel like I had much to live for other than music. So jumping into it was something that saved me. If I were to have kids and it wasn’t a life or death situation, I’d tell them to wait and grow up a little bit before they tried to pursue something that can be challenging for someone that’s young”.

We cannot really monitor every mainstream star to check they are okay but I feel there is still too much demand placed on the artist. You hear about artists suffering anxiety and burning out due to constant performance; others who are unable to switch off and spend endless time on social media – fuelling a sense of anxiety and not helping with their mental-health. Modern music is a constant game of promotion and image. Even if you are an authentic and open artist; you can never really escape the spotlight and the fact so many eyes are on you. The sort of reaction Demi Lovato received yesterday shows there is a lot of love out there for her – there is a camp that turns their nose up and feel we should not feel sorry. The mentality and physical strength needed to survive in the mainstream and remain vital is incredible. Although Demi Lovato boxes and is a blue belt in jujitsu; you can only imagine how draining touring is for someone like her – even for someone very fit and physically strong. Having to handle a mental illness like bipolar is hard in itself - there is the touring lifestyle and being in a new place every day. That is part of the machine and process but it is the sheer volume of gigs and how hard artists have to work.

IN THIS PHOTO: Carter Smith for InStyle

When speaking with InStyle earlier this year – she talked about some of the experiences of touring and her connection to the fans:

 “…And though she loves her fans and loves to tour—saying she gets butterflies only if “there’s someone I like in the audience”—meet and greets before and after concerts can be tough. “They’re very emotional. A lot of times people use that opportunity to dump their problems on me because they don’t know who else to talk to,” Lovato says. “They show me their cuts. I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘I was going to kill myself until I got this meet and greet.’ And you’re just like, ‘What?’ Sometimes I’ll meditate afterwards. Sometimes I’ll just kind of breathe. I used to sage myself. It’s very heavy”.

That interview is a great piece where Lovato talks about exercise and speaking out against the bad in the world; being a role model and how she deals with stressful times. The photos show her tough and ready to swat away all-comers: a lean and confident figure ready to take anything on. I wonder how our perceptions of artists on the page and in interviews differ to that of real life. As I mentioned; with each album comes a tour and there is the balancing of personal life with music. Artists like Lovato have huge armies of fans on Instagram and they need to be kept in the loop. She has interviews and being shuttled from city to city.

The fact Demi Lovato is a fighter and has battled through so much in her life leads me, and many others, to feel she will go on and be okay. Whatever caused her hospitalisation yesterday – the actual facts have not been confirmed – I am seeing too many artists hit a really bad patch. So many are opening up about mental-health and how tough it is in the industry. Others talk about anxiety and how, because of constant touring and social media expectations, they never get a chance to rest and it is really draining. Demi Lovato is definitely personality and character in a Pop scene that is often 2-D and predictable. You have average artists who seem the same and do not really stand out from the pack. Demi Lovato is someone who stands out and compels the senses. From interviews in fashion magazines – talking about dating, boxing and meditation – to documentaries where she reveals all and talks emotionally about the past…someone who has enriched millions of lives and provided guidance to young fans who go through the same issues and struggles as she does. I get a sense someone will need to step in and give Lovato a proper chance to rest and evaluate things. The fans will be disappointed (dates have to be cancelled) but she cannot shoot right back into touring and shrug things off. Whether her hospitalisation is drug-related or something else – I am concerned there will be many in the industry asking when we can see her perform again and when she is back in action. There is a massive outpouring of love and everyone wants her to be okay. Rather than let time pass and see Lovato back on the road and carrying on as normal; we need to look at the biggest stars and the lengths they have to go to. Lovato is hugely adored and demanded around the world. I wonder, now, rather than talk about rescheduled dates and talk about music; letting her have proper space and privacy; give her plenty of love and take time out for herself would be…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

THE best thing anyone could do.

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIV)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Eliza Shaddad/PHOTO CREDIT: Melanie Tjoeng photography 

An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIV)

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THE weather is still boiling hot…

IN THIS PHOTO: Queen Kwong/PHOTO CREDIT: @del_photos 

so I am keen to keep the summer theme going and explore the best songs out there by rising female artists. It is exciting watching these songs come out and showing what quality there is! This edition delves deep into the world of music and finds treats from all around the world. I have explored songs from the last few months - and a couple taken from last year. My aim is to raise the profile of female musicians out there and tackle the imbalance in the industry - the way male artists, a lot, are prioritised. I hope these lists/features show what extraordinary female talent there is around us! As it is too hot to venture outside for too long; have a listen to the songs here; sit back and let these brilliant tunes…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Charlotte OC

TAKE you somewhere special.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artist

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Stella Donnelly – Boys Will Be Boys

PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Warren

Odetta Hartman – Widow’s Peak

Emily Hackett – Good Intentions

Lizzi – Anybody but You

Emma Bale – Cut Loose

Charlotte OC – Blackout

Sarah de Warren (ft. Danell Arma) – Gallery

PHOTO CREDIT: Renee Altrov/PHOTO MANIPULATION: Luis Dourado

Maarja Nuut (ft. Ruum) – Kuud kuulama

Delhia de France – Waterfalls

Indian Queens – Pretty Little Thing

Kate Stapley – Irises

NOVA TWINS – Lose Your Head

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Lambert

Lotic – Hunted

Hockeysmith – Holy War

PHOTO CREDIT: Flore Diamant

Eliza Shaddad – My Body

PHOTO CREDIT: @del_photos

Queen Kwong – Fools Gold

Yumi and the Weather – Look At the Night

Sipprell – Personal

Sabrina Claudio – All to You

Caitlin Canty – Take Me for a Ride

Caswell – Lie to Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Chantal Anderson

Jess Williamson – Thunder Song

Laura Pieri – I Will Follow You

The Seamonsters – Max and Archie

la lune – love/sick

Lindsay Latimer – I Blame You (Bodytalkr Remix)

FEATURE: National Album Day: Why We Should Celebrate It Rather Than Attack and Doubt Its Aim

FEATURE:

 

 

National Album Day

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

Why We Should Celebrate It Rather Than Attack and Doubt Its Aim

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EVERY music-specific day will draw some form of criticism…

and scepticism. Every day of the year, in fact, seems to be reserved for some hopeless and ridiculous cause – from pirates and emojis to God-knows-what! If you need to know what National Album Day is about and why it has been created; here is a little bit of an overview:

“A ‘National Album Day’ has been announced to take to place for the first time ever to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the album format.

The event, which will be held on October 13, will mark the culmination of a week-long series of events and activity around the country.

Planned activity will include retail events and artist personal appearances, classic album Sundays LP playbacks and artist interviews/fan Q and As and online listening parties.

A social media campaign (@AlbumDayUK / #NationalAlbumDay) will invite people to nominate and share the album that has most inspired them and at 3.33pm on 13th October – National Album Day – fans, stores, radio stations and public spaces will be invited to play their favourite album in full”.

Some might look at that summary and think it is a ploy to gain revenue and flog a dead horse – more on that later! It has been estimated that 135 million albums – more, in fact – were purchased or downloaded (or streamed) in 2017. This is a 9.5% rise on 2016 and vinyl sales continue to rise – 4.1 million in 2017 (the highest level since the 1990s).

More than five billion albums have been sold since the concept was invented and it seems we have not lost the appetite for the L.P. There are cynical and harsh voices that see the day, which will happen on 13th October, as a cash-in and chance for people to sell their old albums and crap nobody wants. I will bring in the argument against the day first of all. I am writing this piece as a reaction a feature that appeared in The Guardian today. Michael Hann, when reacting to the news of National Album Day, gave his impressions and felt, as the album is a bit of a bygone treasure, nobody would care too much about it. He began the piece but comparing albums to strawberries: people will buy strawberries throughout the year but the greengrocer, once a year, will sell ‘special’ punnets that are packed, branded and marked to look tasty and inviting. People, as he says, buy individual strawberries every year – why would they want a punnet when they are only going to squander most of it?! I find the comparisons to be fatuous and specious. For a start, people only buy strawberries at a very select time of year and never buy individual ones – people love a good punnet and, if you want a better fruit analogy, it is better to go with apples – selling a bag of apples rather than individual ones.

There is a problem with people/journalists thinking the album is dead or we are all so familiar with it there is no need for a specific day to celebrate it. Nobody is asking you and me to go to a record shop and part with your cash. Nobody is sticking a gun to your head and screaming at you to pick up Ed Sheeran’s % and playing it in full – if you do not listen to every track (turn Galway Girl up as loud as you can!) then you will get your brains shot out. The day is designed to show appreciation for a format that has touched us all and pushed the music industry forward! It is, in fact, a chance to showcase what richness and brilliance you can discover when listening to a complete record. One of the reasons why I disagree with what Hann says is we should not be proud of our picky selections and ignoring albums – having short attention spans and preferring singles are nothing to shout about and we should, in fact, question why we do that. We are all becoming less patient and not digesting music in the same way. Many claims the quality of music has been declining since we moved from physical forms and started embracing streaming – if people are not willing to listen to an entire album then why put the effort it?!

That is unfair on the artists...so many musicians are putting their all into records and have campaigns so they can get people invested in every single moment of the album – not just the singles we hear on the radio and the first things we encounter! Hann, in his piece, questioned the validity of the album and whether it has been a popular or worthy construct. National Album Day begins at 3:33 P.M. (see what they did there...?!) on 13th October and will be a chance to celebrate our love of the album and play our most-treasured record in its entirety. Hann turned his nose up at this suggestion:

“In truth, the real damage to the album was done by MSM anyway. It was done by labels seeing the CD as a chance to ravage fans’ wallets and purses by selling the physical product for massively more than it cost to produce. It was done by artists, given 80 minutes of time on a disc, packing them out with self-indulgent filler. And, of course – as Stephen Witt’s brilliant book How Music Got Free explained – it was done by MSM not being aware of the consequences of its actions: by concentrating on the CD, MSM converted music into a series of digital packages that were easily shareable across the internet”.

MSM, in this schematic, is ‘mainstream music’: the corporate octopus that has picked the album as a format up and ravaged listeners and fans by stripping their wallets clean. There is this rationale that C.D.s are a con because they have a few great songs and the rest of filler – far too expensive for what they are...

You can say the same about the vinyl – why do we pay so much for one?! I agree I always found it hard to rationalise why a C.D. cost about thirteen quid and what value there is in it! I always buy C.D.s knowing I want it and will not be disappointed – I do my research and, when purchasing, make sure I am not wasting money. Many might find it exorbitant paying, essentially, a quid a song and why they cannot find more onto a C.D. The restricted running time, in truth, means artists have to confine and compress themselves – Hann suggests artists are trying to justify charging that much by cramming any old rubbish on it! Artists do not set the price and control that; record labels get more of the pie and, if anything, the musician has always got far less than labels when it comes to albums. That has not really changed when it comes to streaming: the fact many of us do not pay for services like Spotify and YouTube means we are stealing music and unwilling to pay for albums! It is not the fault of the artist for our thrifty attitudes and how we want to get around paying. Music has not got to the point where artists are capable of a good song here and there and the rest is poor – we are provided options to stream for free and taking advantage; we are affording (ourselves) less time to digest music and far less patience as a species.

Hann ends his piece by making this point:

“And in a world where you no longer need to buy albums, why would anyone except the fetishist do so? The album is no longer the product, it’s the shop: the display from which the best things are plucked, and the worst things left behind”.

I argue against the point we do not ‘need’ to buy albums. By that, he means we can get stuff for free so we just pick the odd song here and there and leave the rest. Going back to his strawberry analogy and the streaming service is a sweet shop with an ageing and less-than-vigilant proprietor. Rather than ask him to decant sweets from the jars stacked on the shelf; children are picking odd sweets from the pick ‘n’ mix and unwilling to spend their pocket money if they can get away with that. This might be cruel but it is not the fault of the artist we are less reliant on the album: they are putting more effort in than ever and struggling to battle our streaming mindset and rather tight-fisted spending habits. If streaming services and the Internet did not make it possible to buy individual songs (or have them for free) then we would still buy C.D.s like we always did and explore the album fully.

The only reason albums can be seen as old-aged and irrelevant is we have let that happen – we are a poorer people and society for cherry-picking and missing out on a world of music. I agree with the point there are albums where there are fillers and not all tracks are perfect. You read reviews and, before you buy, can make the decision whether it is worth spending your money on an album with maybe four or five good songs. I often find that and, in the case of a few albums, I will buy the single/singles from Spotify and leave the rest. That has not changed: few of us go out and deliberately spend money on something we will be disappointed with. All the albums I have ever bought have been done so after reading reviews and taking a chance. If I find the odd song that doesn’t float my boat then I am not angry – paying a tenner or more for, say, nine or ten great songs I can listen to over and over seems like a pretty good deal! We want everything for free and are used to having luxury and convenience at our fingers. We stream T.V. shows and films at an absurd rate and have become so spoiled and pampered-to that we have forgotten the value of music and culture in general.

Launching the argument ‘for’ the album - I will look at another article that looks at why we need to preserve the album. In my view; music would not be where it is – so many artists out there and so much choice and innovation – were it not for the album. I grew up buying cassettes and listening to vinyl around the house. I would buy singles, on C.D., and then go out and buy an album – keen to explore that artist’s current mindset and share it with friends. All of the artists we listen to today have been raised on those formats and revelled in the album and all it holds. We do not love Joni Mitchell because there are a few good tracks on Blue – the rest is pretty crap but there are some pretty lyrics on one or two songs, I guess! NO! We marvel at every song and, for those who know what they’re doing, we buy the vinyl/C.D. and listen to every track. An album is a complete story and the full assessment of what the artist is trying to convey. If we cheapened their work by listening to one or two songs then it makes recording music and trying to connect with people completely pointless.

None of us would love or know about music were it not for the album; we all have our favourite and know, regardless of the quality of the artist,  the album is a beautiful (if flawed) technology. We can quibble over the hardware and technology of an album – the C.D. seems a little old compared to the sleek streaming alternative – but the argument you see above does not attack hardware and state we listen to full albums on streaming sites – it implies we have abandoned the album completely and handpick the odd song. Hann, too, made a point (that) C.D.s are available all year at record shops so why do we need reminding they are available – is it a chance for shops to see their old tat and make extra money from nostalgia and faded memories?! Artists write albums because they want to paint a vivid picture and give a full documentation of where they are and what they are trying to say. If we pick a few tracks and ignore the hard work they have done, then that is cheapening music and encouraging artists to rush off singles and not put too much effort into making albums. If we promote that then we are saying, effectively, don’t waste your breath because we want to hear a song or two and move on to the next artist! The BBC published an article and spoke with record shop owners:

“For Phil Barton, the owner of London record shop Sister Ray, there's one very obvious reason why albums are a big part of his life.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sister Ray, London/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest

"Without the album, we wouldn't exist," he says.

"That's what we do, we sell records."

Although admitting "it's a good time for us" in terms of physical album sales, Phil suggests changes in the way people listen to through things like streaming platforms has had an impact on how some artists approach making albums.

"If you deconstructed certain albums coming out now - I'm pretty sure you'd just get a collection of songs that happen to be on an album.

"But take it back a little bit and I think artists were specifically making albums to be a body of work".

Bloosoms’ frontman Tom Ogden says bands want the full package out there and are concerned with every stage of the process. They love the artwork of the cover and involved with every song to ensure it hangs together. Artists go into the studio hoping the public hear all the songs and buy what they put out there. If we are propping bands up with a single or two and then discarding the rest then we are not going to appreciate the artist and, in essence, will not remember them. Albums are the mark of every artist and what we remember them by. We do not love The Beatles because of Hey Jude and celebrate Aretha Franklin because of Respect. I still love albums because every track tells a different story and gets into the head. If a track is not too good at first, I will listen a few more times and find something good – if I have given it proper time then I cannot quibble.

IN THIS PHOTO: National Album Day's ambassador (2018) Paloma Faith/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Artists want us to listen to an entire album and give it a chance; it gives a much more rounded viewpoint and can stun and surprise us. This year alone, I have found treasures that rank alongside the best albums I have heard this decade! If I had not listened to them, in full, then I would have missed out on so much. The fact we are consuming fewer albums and hold them in lower esteem is our fault and not that of the artist. We are becoming too hurried and uneducated; we are becoming snobs and petulant with our tastes. We want to pay as little as we can and are unwilling to give new music a chance – ironically, we drool over classic albums and rave about those vinyl records we bought when we were younger. We cannot say the album should not be celebrated and revived when we all grew up surrounded by them! Paloma Faith is the ambassador of the first National Album Day and, when talking about the event, said the following:

“I vividly remember being excited by so many classic albums as I was growing up, like Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, Dylan’s ‘Freewheelin’’, and Erykah Badu’s ‘Mama’s Gun’, although, if I had to pick one, the album that most inspired me was Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

We all talk about those classic albums and how, even if there was one or two duff tracks, great they were. Look at the history of albums, as laid out by the article I just quoted, and you can see:

“In 1948, Columbia Records unveiled 12″ 33/3 rpm “microgroove” discs, which could house 22 mins minutes of music per side. Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was the first release. In The Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra’s 1955 suite of songs for the heartbroken and lonely, was the first “concept” album, sustaining its melancholy mood over 16 songs. With Rubber Soul (1965), The Beatles delivered a sophisticated, experimental body of work, proving albums could be more than a collection of singles and b-sides, paving the way for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) is the world’s best-selling album ever, selling 66m copies, with seven of its nine tracks released as singles. Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms (1985) exploited the smooth sonic possibilities of the new CD format, which allows for 74 minutes of music, selling 30m copies. Drake’s new album Scorpion, featuring 25 tracks, broke records by racking up 1bn global streams inside a week. It was only released as a physical album two weeks after its digital debut”.

There are augments that claim modern songwriters have multiple writers for an album and they are less singular (albums). There are, some state, more filler on modern records and we are less likely to find anything to rival the best-selling albums ever – including Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Albums are the soundtracks of our lives and can make the bleakest moments hopeful and okay. If we existed and remembered songs – rather than an album – then we would have such a fragmented and threadbare outlook. Albums, even if they contain some less-than-great songs, are how we all experienced music and what we talk about when fondly recalling. We are not giving modern artists the chance to have their work explored and fully appreciated – assuming there is filler and it is not worth our trouble. All of our bad habits need to be quashed and we need to remember why we all fell in love with music and how important to artists it is we buy albums and keep them going. Maybe C.D.s are less popular than years past but we still consume vinyl and have a big appetite for artwork and something physical. It has been shown that a higher number of younger listeners are buying albums – not only those past the age of fifty – and there are few better experiences than listening to an album in full and getting a vivid, fulsome and explicit sound of an artist’s statement. Rather than turn noses up at National Album Day why don’t we, at 3:33 P.M. on 13th October, play the albums that mean the most to us and show why the whole album, not just one or two songs, matters?! We are celebrating artistic expression and keeping alive music in its purest and most important form. Start questioning that and criticising a day that brings us together – not a chance to gauge wallets but highlight the brilliance of the album – why not get behind it and make it a permanent fixture! I don’t know about anyone else but I would not be a journalist, passionate about music and who I am today…

WERE it not for the album!

FEATURE: We Know You’re So Good: Seven Years On: Remembering the Incredible Amy Winehouse

FEATURE:

 

 

We Know You’re So Good

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Seven Years On: Remembering the Incredible Amy Winehouse

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THERE are few modern artists…

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2008/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

who have made a bigger impact on music than Amy Winehouse. Today marks seven years since her death and, so long after the fact, we still mourn and remember the incredible artist. Whether you found Winehouse when Back to Black leapt into the world (2006) or discovered her music after her death in 2011 – we all have some connection with the late, great Jazz artist. It would be confined calling her music (purely) ‘Jazz’: Winehouse masterfully brought in R&B, Pop and Soul into her music. Right from her debut, Frank, people could sense there was something very special about Amy Winehouse. Life before Frank’s release (in 2003) saw Winehouse playing and singing in various groups. She was a one-time journalist for the World Entertainment News Network and, by 2000, became the featured female vocalist with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Channelling influences like Saran Vaughan and Frank Sinatra; this incredible artist was starting to come together. Winehouse’s best friend, Tyler James, sent a demo to an A&R executive and was soon signed to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management. Receiving a small amount each week, Winehouse continued to play and get her music out to the people. Although the singer was playing at Jazz clubs and getting her music out there; she was still an unknown quantity and it wasn’t until Island Records heard her music did her career start to make tracks.

PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Patrice 

Darcus Beese (at Island) heard Winehouse’s music by accident from the manager of The Lewinson Brothers – he showed Beese music from his clients which featured Winehouse as a backing singer. Unable to provide Amy Winehouse’s name; the manager had that secret, talented star all to himself. It too many months of searching and persistence before Amy Winehouse became known to Island Records. She had, by this time, signed a deal with EMI and there was fierce interest in the young artist. Frank arrived on 20th October, 2003 and drew some passionate reviews from journalists. Although not as hard-hitting and memorable as Back to Black; the album was a brilliant window into the abilities and influences of Amy Winehouse. That Jazz passion came through strong.

One can hear the likes of Vaughan and Sinatra in some numbers; mixed into songs by a young woman talking about her life and its highs and lows – from sex and immense passion to heartache, disappointment; through to accusation and slices from the street. A heady and eclectic collection of songs – Winehouse co-wrote every song but (There Is) No Greater Love (a 1936 Jazz standard composed by Isham Jones) – there was plenty of love from the critics. From the U.S. and U.K. to the rest of the world; journalists highlighted her subtle yet powerful voice; the blend of genres working away (many noted a comparison to Soul legends like Nina Simone and Erykah Badu) and how Winehouse provided an updated, modern-day Jazz sound that drew the listener in.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

It is the way she sprinkled Neo-Jazz and Soul together that buckled knees and dropped jaws – there was ample determination, passion and attitude to be found among the seductive, velvet-smooth and entrancing songs. If Back to Black was the masterpiece that cemented her reputation: Frank was a powerful indication of a definite star-in-the-making. Perhaps there were too many bodies in the kitchen – quite a few producers and writers assembled the music – and Winehouse herself, in terms of writing, was yet to stand out and establish her true abilities. Frank is, at times romantic and playful; sweary, definite and teenage the next – like the young woman battling through life and living the existence of a London-based Jazz heroine.

PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Moriarty

It is incredible, literally, seeing the way Amy Winehouse changed in the three years between album releases. A sweet-faced and, at times, shy star poured her heart out on her debut. We got glimpses of what was to come but, even at the start, a unique talent that British music was crying out for. The influence of the debut was Jazz and the heroines she admired growing up. Produced mostly by Salaam Remi; Winehouse shifted focus and plans when it came to the anticipated follow-up. Frank was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and sold massively; it was a big hit but, in many ways, not the album Winehouse was truly capable of.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Unwilling to simply bow to expectations and record a carbon-copy of that debut; Back to Black was going to be a very different-sounding record. Winehouse’s musical focus shifted to the girl-group music of the 1950s and 1960s; Sharon Jones’ band, the Dap-Kings, were hired to back her in the studio and on tour. Winehouse, like all the greats, was a perfectionist in the studio and would ensure every song was as honed and good as possible. Winehouse would play what she had sung in the studio in a taxi (a C.D. cutting) and got a viewpoint of how the public would hear her music. It gave her a very real and instant realisation of how her music would be experienced and perceived. By 2006, demo tracks of You Know I’m No Good and Rehab found their way to the U.S. – courtesy of producer Mark Ronson’s New York radio show – and there was a lot of excitement building. It is Ronson’s association and work with Winehouse that added new dimensions to the music and brought it to a wider audience. Ronson was keen to work with Winehouse because she, when they first met, was blunt and thought he (Ronson) would be older with a beard – and she didn’t like his stuff. That rather honest and straight-shooting personality intrigued Ronson and the two began a working relationship that would go right into Back to Black.

Ronson was doing things with the music that surprised Tom Elmhirst – who was brought it to help mix the record. Ronson was adding Beatle-esque stuff to the music and mixing/panning drums in a new way; bringing more out of the music and emphasising instruments in a way that had not been done on an Amy Winehouse record before. The growing and more confident songwriter dispensed with her Jazz influences and started to embrace R&B more wholly. A more mature and darker artist; songs looked at ill-suited lovers and the perils of heartache. We were seeing the transformation from a girlish, if sassy, artist into a more complex and tortured artist. The songs reflected a musician who was balancing increased attention with an everyday life – the stress, demand and performance alongside relationship issues and trying to find some downtime. Critics marvelled at her womanly vocals and lyrics that flirted and teased but had plenty of punch, tears and torment. The development and leap from Frank – in only three years – stunned many. Only four of the eleven tracks on Back to Black were co-written: three of its biggest hits were written by her alone: Rehab, You Know I’m No Good and Love Is a Losing Game. The stunning title cut was written with Mark Ronson – Ronson, alongside Salaam Remi, produced the album. It is interesting to see the split between the Ronson and Remi-produced tracks.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mick Jagger and Amy Winehouse performing on stage on the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival in 2007/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The Remi cuts had a softer, more Jazz-tinged sound. Although Winehouse had embraced R&B more by this stage; you can hear flavours of her debut on a few of the numbers. The Ronson numbers are bolder, more R&B-tinged and brassy. Many other albums might suffer this clash of worlds: Winehouse’s command and stunning songwriting ensured the album was a personal, fluid and cohesive effort. There was, naturally, huge attention and award chatter as soon as Back to Black came to the shelves. The sounds and fearlessness on Back to Black inspired songwriters like Adele, Duffy and V V Brown; Florence + the Machine, La Roux and Little Boots were taking note and would take Winehouse’s bold and stunning sounds to heart. It would not be an exaggeration to call Winehouse one of the most influential artists of this generation – her legacy is still being felt and so many young songwriters count her as their idol. In 2004, photographer Diane Patrice spent a day snapping the young Winehouse. Her recollections show the contrasts between the young star then (2004) and where she was by 2006/2007:

“Her voice, her face, and her features didn't match. She sounded like a 20-stone check-out girl, she sounded huge. It was a lived-in voice. The whole package was very endearing... a contradiction in herself,” Diane says”.

The photographer noted the state of her clothing and her living space:

“…In fact, the giggling photographer cannot get over the state of Amy's clothes: “Her skirt was absolutely filthy. She didn't give a damn that it wasn't clean... it stays with me because I never saw someone wear something like that at a shoot — I thought 'good on you, girl”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Patrice/Whitebank Fine Art

Winehouse, during the shoot, was close to laughter and would take a phone call whilst she was being pictured. She was an honest and typical young woman living in London. The sense of disorganisation and shabbiness had a charm and working-class honesty that, several years later, would transform into something more toxic and troubling. The raising profile, combined with increased media attention, was affecting the anxiety levels and mindset of the musicians. She was being booed at gigs, around 2007, because she was noticeably intoxicated and nervous – some saw her drinking as the excess of fame; those close to her felt it was pressure-driven. The increased level of fame, demand for performance and media glare was having a detrimental effect on the star. She was being whisked between festivals and various countries; barely able to stand still and was struggling to keep hold of a more humble and secure lifestyle she had enjoyed pre-Frank. The days of playing in her flat and walking around London without a care were being replaced by huge gigs and constant focus. It was inevitable a heroine who took influence from Jazz icons – a genre known for doomed figures and a sense of tragedy – would suffer some of their fate. That might seem like a generalisation but, in my view, the constant tabloid focus regarding her love life and movements was creating needless strain.

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse and her fiance Blake Fielder-Civil at the Coachella Music Festival in 2007/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Mounting controversies and substance abuse were derailing the artist and getting her name into the tabloids more and more. Winehouse was arrested in 2006 after punching a female fan – who had criticised her for taking Blake Fielder-Civil as a husband. Her associated with Fielder-Civil was creating a lot of tension. Although very much in love; it was apparent the influence and effect Blake Fielder-Civil was having on Amy Winehouse was causing more damage than good. The next few years seemed to consist of alcohol issues, self-harming and drug abuse; illness, inconsistent performances and troubles. The once-proclaimed and celebrated genius was becoming better-known for her legal and personal difficulties than her music. Crack cocaine and alcohol was taking hold and it was feared, unless big changes were made, the musician would not live long. There were gigs and performance from Back to Black’s release in 2006 and Winehouse’s death in 2011 – the fact there was not another completed album shows what impact drugs and drink had on her creativity. Amy Winehouse died on 23rd July, 2011 and sent the music world into mourning. Toxicology reports found she was five times over the drink-drive limit and that excess, impacting on a weakened and ravaged heart, dealt a fatal blow. Aged only twenty-seven – another genius star who became a member of 'The 27 Club’ – the brilliant artist was tragically cut short. The world had lost one of its finest musicians and most influential figures.

Rather than pour over her drink, drugs and relationship issues; it is not worth performing an autopsy and forensic examination seven years after her death. I blame the media and the pressures of fame for a death but, in many ways, Winehouse’s talent and brilliance created that popularity. She was a woman who wanted to play music and stay modest, real and humble – the same girl who grew up in London and drooled over Jazz legends and aspired to follow in their steps. The world of fame and constant media scrutiny is not what she planned for and her way of coping, sadly, lead to her demise. The shockwaves that greeted the news of her death shows how her short and brilliant career made a meteor-sized impression on the music world. Mainstream artists from M.I.A., George Michael and Lady Gaga paid tribute and revealed their heartache. Journalists, musicians and music lovers alike mourned the loss of someone who was primed to be an icon of the modern age.

The destructiveness and excess was a part of the complicated, challenging and beautiful soul that was Amy Winehouse. Her two-album career does a disservice to the full spectrum of her talent – posthumous releases collate material she did not complete and what-ifs from the artist. (It is well worth watching the amazing documentary, Amy (2015), to get an insight into who she was and why she was so loved). Today, as we mark her death; we also celebrate a brilliant career from an artist who was bold, brilliant and never boring! We have, in fact, never seen someone as accessible and fascinating as Amy Winehouse – I doubt we will ever see her like in this lifetime! Rather than dwell on the tragedy and loss; listen to the brilliant music (below) of Amy Winehouse and remember all the gold and glory…

PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Patrice/Whitebank

SHE gave to all of us.

FEATURE: Cheeky Chaos and Bollywood Colour: Why the Club Night, Hungama, Should Be Taken to Heart in the Capital

FEATURE:

 

 

Cheeky Chaos and Bollywood Colour

IN THIS PHOTO: Revellers at Hungama/ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Iolo Lewis Edwards  

Why the Club Night, Hungama, Should Be Taken to Heart in the Capital

__________

I keep saying how tormented and fractured…

the world is right now – even the sunshine and summer heat cannot distract the mind from the fact there are unending horrors and bad news. Even when walking around a city like London; the perfection of the sunshine and calm weather dulls into insignificance when you have to bustle shoulders and get crammed onto a sweaty and cramped Tube. One can go to a park to get some escape but, for the most part, those of us who are drawn to the city and its adventurous spirit are stressed more often than we should be. I learn something new every week I am in this job and am always being made aware of cool club nights and events happening around the country. I was reading a piece in The Guardian – I shall come to later – that looked at a club night, Hungama, and what its aim is: diversity and true togetherness. I feel the country is becoming less together and unified by the day: political movements and deceit are balkanising our nation into tribes and political cliques. We are far less spirited and ‘one’ as we have been in some years! If you look at those in the country who are most alienated and overlooked – you could easily put the Asian community into that camp. Camp, in fact, is being celebrated and recognised at the East London club night! I know there is a big Asian community in East London but, for the most part, there are particular areas with a large Asian concentration. The graph below shows the dissemination and spread of Asian members in the London community – you can see there is a large spread in areas north of the River Thames…not a lot going on further down south.

IN THIS IMAGE: The 2011 census shows the Asian (or those who identified as Asian) population in London/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The largest population of Pakistani and India residents is in the North East/West of the city: look further South and there are relatively few Indian/Pakistani Asians in boroughs to the south of the river. We know the white population of London is declining, as people move to quieter areas, but the total number of Asians in the city is very low – the 2011 census established around 18%. The Indian population is the largest representation of London Asians – knowing around one-fifth of a city’s population is Asian makes me wonder whether more should be done to assimilate Asian culture into London. There is a thriving and bustling Asian community in Brick Lane and the surrounding areas – I wonder whether we think too much as to why there is a larger Asian population in certain parts of London?! In any case; race and diversity are important areas we all need to address. I wonder, at a time when the nation is divided, the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. Asian population feels more divided and ignored than most. I wrote an article a few weeks back exploring alleged racism – against black patrons – happening around East and South London. There is a definite door policy, at some clubs, to exclude black people who, to them, do not seem to fit with their ‘ethos’ – the wealthier, cooler and more attractive club-goer. London is among the most embracing and respectively of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community but, with more clubs closing and others being gentrified, it makes Hungama a rarity that should spark the imagination.

I can only imagine the alienation felt in some parts of London. It is hard enough identifying as gay or bisexual – in terms of people’s reactions – but finding a space where you feel safe and understood is near-impossible for some. I will talk more about Hungama and why I think it should spread through London, and the nation, but I wanted to bring in an article that spoke with Hungama’s brainchild, Ryan Lanji.

“…The brainchild of London-based fashion and art curator Ryan Lanji, Hungama – which loosely translates to ‘chaos’ or ‘uproar’ in Urdu – was born after he noticed the lack of spaces and club nights allowing queer South Asian people the chance for their culture and sexuality to seamlessly co-exist. It’s also one of the only events in London to bring queer Asians together with the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, as they aren’t always one and the same.

“When I first moved to London eight years ago, I was very shaken in [LGBTQ+] spaces,” Ryan explains when I manage to grab a spare moment to chat with him by the bar. The club is heaving at this point, and we find ourselves having to shout over the music. “When you go to LGBTQ club nights, they can sometimes be fetishitic or kinky,” he continues. “The culture is very experiential and experimental. But this can be jarring for someone who’s grown up hiding who they are from their family, only to be thrust into a world where you can be anything you want”.

I am glad Lanji has recognised how difficult, even in 2018, it is for openly gay members of the Asian community have their voices heard and to find common ground in a busy and vast city. He is not gentrifying the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. experience or trying to fit in with the surrounding area – Hungama is explicitly a vivid, vivacious and authentic slice of Asia. The Indian experience, and Bollywood, plays a big role. When asked why to go with the Bollywood theme; Lanji recalls his past:

“I used to be obsessed with Bollywood music but I’d left it to the wayside,” Ryan tells me, speaking about how it often feels like queer South Asians have to leave their culture behind once they come out. Ultimately, he hopes that attendees – a significant proportion of whom have come with their significant others – can dance to the music they grew up with alongside throwback chart hits, only this time with “our boyfriends or girlfriends and not wonder if we’ll ever get the chance to be loved for ourselves.” But he’s also keen to stress that Hungama is just like any other night in that it’s a place to let loose. “The night itself has organically become a party that celebrates being you, who you are, who you love and who you want to be”.

A survey from Stonewall found that over half of people of colour experience some form of racism in the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. (or +) community. There is massive Islamophobia and racism, as the article explores, and it seems progressiveness and true acceptance is not as established – in the community – as it should be.

IN THIS IMAGE: The 2011 census shows the Indian (or those who identified as such) population in London/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

There is discrimination and judgement from those alien to the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. experience…let alone the Asian dynamic and flavour. Asian culture, in a way, has been a part of the British experience for a very long time. We are all aware of the Bollywood scene and there is, for the most part, tolerance and love aimed at the Asian population. The graph above shows where the concentration of Indian populous is located. There are huge swathes of the population where the Asian population is thinner and less visible. I worry there are very few spaces in London where the Asian population feel truly integrated and accepted. Apply that to those in the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. scene and that experience is a lot lonelier and more fraught. The Guardian, when they reviewed the Hungama club night, gave their impressions:

“The night is held at Metropolis in Bethnal Green, London, which was recently converted from a strip club. It is set to run quarterly, with takeovers also planned for other clubs and bars across London. Having begun in a London pub in May 2017, then running a night in Shoreditch House, and now this, the growth is exponential. Lanji says the Metropolis booking is a personal milestone, as many of his formative clubbing experiences and explorations of queer nightlife were in east London.

A female clubber remarks that “there really isn’t anything else like this”. She has come to Hungama with a group of other South Asian friends, one of whom is having a dance off with a blue-faced drag queen (I suspect the reference point is Jadu, an alien from the Bollywood sci-fi movie Koi Mil Gaya). Chatting more, it turns out this was his first time at a queer night. To say he is as immersed as the performers is putting it lightly”.

The U.K. club scene has never really been mainstream – certainly not in recent memory. We all know about the big venues of London that cater to Rock, Pop and Alternative artists. What about those smaller clubs that host Dance music events or Techno nights?! The sphere and graph get smaller when we look at the Asian community and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. members who want to express themselves and feel true identity. The clash between the day-time experience and sensation to that of the Hungama night – a violent and revelatory gulf that should act as an impetus to keep Hungama fuelled and playing; other clubs need to react and realise there is a clear call for more of the same. The white L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. are not short of options in the city regarding nightlife – compared to the Asian communities – but it can be harder for those used to a different culture and sound to feel belonging and comfort in certain clubs. Hungama does not pander or exclude anyone: everyone is welcome and there are, like in some clubs, barriers and objections at the door.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

We are a long way off seeing the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community find true footing and balance in London. More is being done to ensure nights like Hungama are in the press and starting conversations. I worry the black population is being excluded from a lot of clubs and forced to go outside of London or ensconce themselves in clubs specifically set up for the black community. My anxiety extends to the Asian population and, to a larger sense, those who want somewhere like Hungama on their doorstep. It would be good to see the night franchised and licensed throughout the city – making its way to other cities and areas of the nation. In any case; greater visibility and acknowledgement of the Asian community in general needs to happen. I still feel there is too much tension and divide in the city. Instead of dwell on statistics and separation; the vitality and celebration Hungama has provoked – even for those outside the Asian L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community – has caught media imagination. The glamour and chaos; the cheekiness and reckless abandonment; bodies raptured and joyous in the sense there is freedom and no judgement – this is what we want to promote in London. Hungama is starting small but, already, it is recruiting those who feel, in normal life, they are not as assimilated into the city population as they’d like. 

Hunagama’s true aim is to welcome anyone in the community. Look at the photos from the club night and you will see white faces alongside Asian; those new to this type of thing and those who feel like it is second nature! That message is vital: this is not a night where only certain people can attend! That openness and community-conscious initiative cannot be overlooked or ignored. I hope it leads to more events/nights: it will help London create greater togetherness, at a time when there are so many racial tensions and fears. Maybe it will not happen overnight but, for those who attended Hungama; you can see how much it meant and the impact it had on them. At a time when there is endless bad news and stress getting to all of us; it is great to hear about a celebration of an event that is trying to bring happiness and dance to London. I hope the momentum builds and, before long, Hungama (or an equivalent club night), finds a home in…

EVERY corner of the capital!

FEATURE: Rage Against the Meninists: How Simple Unity and Agreement Can Lead to Big Changes

FEATURE:

 

 

Rage Against the Meninists

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

How Simple Unity and Agreement Can Lead to Big Changes

__________

THE title of this piece…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

is, in addition to being a bit of lazy wordplay, reference to those, men for the most part, who call themselves ‘meninists’. That might sound like an ancient sect or religious cult but, in simple terms, it is those who propose greater rights for men and highlight the male movement: the male equivalent of feminism/gaining equal rights for women. It is a rather unsettling and petty movement that throws its toys out of the pram and rebels against feminism – many men see them (women) as po-faced, judgemental and keen to blame men for all issues. I will come back to that in a minute but my mind has remained settled on gender and sexual equality for some time now. I will allude to sexual assault and consent in music – men taking advantage of their power – and how the issue is not going away. I raised a point on social media that garnered interesting feedback: Is it strange or ‘too much’ for a man to raise awareness and show a feminism flame at a time where there are few men speaking out and writing about the issue in music?! There are plenty of sites (like this) that shows what sexism there is and how many men are out of step with progression and equality.

I understand men have a hard time in the world and go through the same stresses and doubts as women: body images and mental-health problems; struggles for recognition and woes. This article highlights the perspective of a self-appointed and anointed meninist:

“Consider mental illness, and how we deal with emotion. While women are encouraged to 'open up' and discuss issues with friends, men are told to 'man up,' and to hide their emotions. According to the mental health charity Mind, the consequence of this is that men 'are often discouraged from expressing 'softer' emotions' leading to 'barriers to good mental health'. Mind also suggests that the public are 'more prejudiced against men with mental health problems than women.' Considering the difficulties that gender stereotyping presents to men, the statistic that men are three to four times more likely to commit suicide than women no longer seems so surprising…All of these issues have a common cause; the idea of masculinity and how we have defined what being a man is. Just as feminists point to the limitations of an effeminate personality, we must highlight the injustices of the inflexible masculine mould that we are expected to fill. It is not about granting men the freedom to adopt an effeminate personality if they wish, it's about having the sense to realise that a gender can't have a personality. That to tie a gender to a personality trait is no less ridiculous than associating a personality trait to an ethnicity, sexual orientation or nationality”.

I agree, to an extent, there are a lot of issues men face and they shouldn’t be ignored. Creating a movement emphasising male rights laughs in the face of feminism and mocks what it is about. I raised these points because a lot of this attitude is still present in music. Before I move on and raise some points of my own; a few further words about meninism and how it is tainting the waters:

“That seems to be the message of Mike Buchanan, leader of political party Justice for Men and Boys, which has the alliterative and depressing goal of ‘fighting feminism’.

His main points appear to be that feminists are “hatchet-faced miserable women”; it’s not really a proper sexual offence to "pat someone’s bottom"; and he’s “not aware of a single area where women are disadvantaged relative to men.”

In other words, he’s a sexist idiot who’s too busy moaning inside his man cave to see the world for what it really is.

But somehow, Buchanan is not alone. His puerile nonsense is attracting supporters. Other men’s groups and movements are sprouting up, claiming they're being victimised by society”.

You need only look at products and advertising to see how sex and the sexualisation of women is creating problems and sending out bad messages. There is a clear divide between the way men are promoted and seen and how women are portrayed! In the music industry, there are two big concerns that affect me: the imbalance and surfeit of chances open for women; sexualisation and inappropriate behaviour that is being brushed off as ‘okay’ and ‘acceptable’. There are, believe it or not, deliberately provocative articles like this that make light of feminism and the #MeToo campaign. Andy Shaw, writing for Spectator Life, provides 'steps' in order to become a 'male feminist'.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

His useful 'steps' include tips on how to 'look at a woman':

"Feminists have discovered that sometimes men are sexually attracted to women. Men become aware of the physical attributes and characteristics of a particular woman and they are enticed. For example, a man may appreciate the elegant curve of a woman’s neck, the way she laughs or smiles, or a man may have noticed the outline of a woman’s breasts as she scanned his avocado at Waitrose. Historically, women have sometimes found the physical attributes of men attractive too.

However, it is important to understand that sexual attraction is demeaning and that lust is the modern sin of ‘objectification’. When you experience feelings of sexual desire, you are unconsciously negating the personality and achievements of the woman in question. In doing so, you belittle all women with a single glance.

To become a FeMan, you must recognise that women’s bodies are not objects and therefore that women are not, in fact, physically attractive to you. If you find a woman sexually attractive, ask her to put a paper bag over her head. She will become relaxed and appreciate your considerate approach."

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

One other gem that is shared - after talking about how to have sex with a woman and how to talk to them (in that order) - discusses how to 'understand working-class women':

"Help feminists to make women aware of their suffering. It has been discovered that the most oppressed women are arts advisers, media executives, actresses, newsreaders, Guardian journalists, bloggers, charity and NGO executives, as well as female Members of Parliament. Support the fight for senior female BBC executives to be paid higher wages. Empathise with Holly-wood actresses who suffer the indignity of ‘glamour’ from an insatiable media in exchange for mere wealth and fame. As you gain confidence, shame those women who take jobs as ‘hostesses’, or ‘darts girls’. Try tweeting #BadWoman every time you see a woman who is displaying signs of unconscious misogyny. ".

This is how some media outlets and writers view important campaigns and feminism: to mock and make light of something that is incredibly serious and looking for support (I would quote more of the piece but it makes me somewhat angry!).

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

The pay divides we have seen at the BBC has started conversations and sparked a lot of debate. Progress is coming but it is going to be an awfully long time before real pay equality comes about. I am hearing the same sort of stories come through in music. I hear stories of male and female bands playing gigs – in similar-sized venues – that get paid differently. Take into consideration experience and popularity and, even when that is factored and levelled, you get a disparity. I hear stories of female artists being paid less than male for no real rational reason. The pay divide might not be as severe as the BBC but look at the statistics. I will bring in a couple of articles in a bit but I want to return to a point I mooted early – whether it is strange for a male journalist to fight against sexism and see themselves as a massive feminist?! Everyone should be a feminist but there are nerves and hesitations (for men) to call themselves that and make that declaration. I can understand why they would not want to attend protests and be THAT involved – it makes little sense ignoring the problems we have and identifying with women. Music is a meritocracy and should be based on talent and ability. It is not a case of needing extra physical strength or qualities exclusive to men.

The only reason there are more male producers out there and more male artists at festivals is because of attitudes and problems that have not been addressed. I posed the question on social media and the general response was supportive (of feminism) but I wondered why mainstream male journalists spent so little time talking about women’s rights and asking why there is not equality in music. Maybe there is hesitation speaking up and being perceived as clueless or less educated on the subject – you do not need education and special knowledge to realise the facts and empathise. A lot of newspapers have remits and limits; they have their particular style and address certain things – it is harder being autonomous or rebelling against rigid strict editorial rulings. I will touch on this in the conclusion but, correcting my argument with the BBC pay gap/pay issues in music it seems, at labels at least, there are glaring problems:

“Across the board, the gender pay gap is significant, averaging 33.8 per cent overall, with 29.8 per cent at Universal, 22.7 per cent at Sony and 49 per cent at Warner.

With regards to bonuses female executives make 49.2 less at Universal, 45 per cent less at Sony and an extreme 82 per cent less at Warner.

Bonuses are about evenly distributed by gender at Universal and Sony, but there is 11 per cent less women get bonuses at Warner.

...In comparison to the BBC wage gap difference of 10.7 per cent that caused outrage last October, the difference in pay by gender at major UK labels is much more alarming.

But the gender pay gap at the labels remains smaller than international bank HSBC, which was determined to have a 59 per cent difference”.

On the subject of festivals; equality is a big problem and most of the biggest festivals here still put male artists first. There are a few that highlight female artists and put them first. From Coachella’s line-up this year to ESSENCE Fest and FORM – so great to see women put in headline slots and given big props. Although the article highlights a few festivals where women are top; only one of them (Essence Festival) gets it properly right and seems to redress the balance! The piece did highlight issues this year and artists striking out:

“This gap is even more striking in 2018. The highly-anticipated Wireless UK festival was recently slammed for their lineup consisting of three women: Cardi B, Mabel, and Lisa Mercedez. In the words of Halsey, "It's 2018, do better!" Why aren't women headlining these festivals? While we're still awaiting 2018 announcements from a few generally balanced shows (Made In America, Full Moon, etc), here are a few recently announced lineups aiming to decrease the gender parity gap”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/@lilyallen

Maybe you see it as feminism or perhaps you argue the quality argument – male bands and solo artists get more love and popularity. The thing is…that isn’t true. I can name artists like St. Vincent and Beyoncé who one would expect to be top of the bill when Glastonbury start organising next year’s headliners. They could have two female headliners and not see the world end – I worry there will not even be one when we see the 2019 line-up. Madonna has been mooted but I fear Emily and Michael Eavis will wuss-out and go for an all-male line-up. Equality has been promised for 2022 but I wonder why quicker changes are not coming in. Female-only stages have been established at some festivals but, as this article suggests, that does not erode and reverse music-industry sexism:

“Rinse FM DJ Emerald, one of the stage’s two hosts, acknowledged that the move could be seen as papering over some rather significant cracks. “But what are we going to do?” she said. “Not have that stage there and have no women performing at the festival? I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”

It’s not the only issue for festivals. Earlier this year, girl band Haim said that they had sacked their agent after finding out a male artist had been paid 10 times more than them for a similar slot. “It’s scary out there … it’s fucked up not even to be paid half the same amount. But to be paid a 10th of that amount of money? It was insane,” said guitarist and vocalist Alana Haim.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lily Allen/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Recent figures also indicate that about one in five attendees of festivals in the UK have been sexually assaulted or harassed. It’s clear that festivals, whether for performers or attendees, are not always welcoming places for women. Sexual assault and harassment is obviously a fraught and complex issue to tackle; ensuring that headlining acts are diverse should be much simpler”.

A lot of comments after the article argued we do not need ‘quotas’ and pandering. They argued it should be about quality and not (needlessly) having an equal split. The problem we have is not with a pointless quota and making concessions: the quality is out there and festival organisers are being lazy and not looking beyond what’s in the charts or the big bands out there. There was hostility and argument when Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran played Glastonbury; there have been eyebrows raised when Fall Out Boy and Kings of Leon were announced as headliners for Reading and Leeds – how is that placing ‘quality’ over gender equality?! If the bands/artists were sh*t-hot and great, you could cut some slack – we have rather worn and outdated bands headlining when the slot could go to female artists who are more potent, fresh and appealing. One comment from/under the article I just quoted did seem to drill down to the nub:

“Seems fairly simple to me...

Book a variety of acts, not simply going by whoever is popular, because many festivals goers actually like discovering new music. Find some relative unknowns who are unique and/or very talented and give them a decent shot. The crowd will appreciate it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine), who one would expect to be among the frontrunners regarding Glastonbury's 2019 headliners/PHOTO CREDIT: Elle Italia

Don’t make it a complete sausage fest, for the sake of variety as well as diversity. Female vocalists obviously sound different from male (unless you abuse formant shifting effects, or are the reincarnation of Prince). This is not a disadvantage.

Find appropriate slots for your acts across all stages and tents. There’s no need for a women’s stage”.

Don’t worry about quotas, just be sensible.

Don’t pay female acts peanuts, pay them for what they bring to the experience”.

It seems there a split in the public between keeping things as they are and affecting change. It is still too often the case women – artists and public figures speaking out – when men should be adding to the argument. Another article, by a female journalist, highlighted more facts:

“A 2015 study done by The Guardian shows that, when analysing 12 UK festivals, 86% of advertised performers are men, and female artists and female fronted bands only made up about 5 – 7% in general. Three years down the line and not much seems to have changed. The music world seems to flourish with female acts, and yet, this is not reflected by festival bookings.

Of course, I have heard the argument that “female artists just don’t attract as many fans” or that “female bands aren’t as good”. Yet, those opinions just do not seem to match up to the current climate of the musical landscape.

In a year where there is not a single white man nominated for a Grammy for Best Album, maybe it is time to accept that the male dominance and subsequently sexist values of the music industry do not and should not hold up in this day and age”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Olga FitzRoy/PHOTO CREDIT: Blake Ezra

I will end with my opinions and why more male journalists and men out there should show greater motion towards feminism – becoming more active and protesting against the glaring sexism and troubles in the industry. We have already seen how festivals are still hopelessly bowed towards men and how the pay divide is putting women below men. Before I move on to sexual assault; let’s have a look at studios and the issues that arise there:

“There’s also the issue of the working conditions in the music business, which normally involve long, unsociable hours—even more of problem when women become mothers and have to balance their family life with work. Fitzroy says this is something she was worried about before becoming a mum. “Being freelance, I have got a bit more control of the hours that I work than I did when I was employed as an assistant, and in a way it’s quite good because it forces me to be a bit more choosy about the work I take on. At the moment, I think the balance is working out OK, but the hours I work are so varied, and my son is constantly changing. I know I can’t be complacent about it. I think it will always be a challenge.”

(Olga) Fitzroy notes that the lack of female producers and engineers is something that can only harm the industry if it continues. “If 50% of the population don’t feel that they can even take an interest in this subject, then you must be missing out on some talent,” she says.

IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Marks/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Award-winning producer Catherine Marks took drastic measures in an attempt to be taken seriously when she first started out, eliminating all traces of her femininity in the recording studio with a radical makeover. “I cut off all my hair because I didn’t want people to look at me in a certain way,” says Marks. “The fact that I thought I had to do that—that’s ridiculous. Or I’d wear really drab, boyish clothing. No one said that. I don’t know whether that made a difference, but it definitely made me more determined”.

You do not need to look too hard to know there is sexual abuse and assault happening in the music industry. Someone who commented on my Facebook post, Vanya (a U.S. musician), gave her experiences of being a woman in the music industry – and how she has faced issues; what we need to do to tackle problems:

“Dealing with the event happening
Dealing with calling out the other person for their bad behavior
Then having to either screenshot or document the conversation to prove that it happened. 

PROVING to your colleagues that the event DID in fact - happen
Feeling shitty AGAIN when your colleagues don't believe you
Being disrespected a SECOND time when your colleagues blame you and say it was your fault.

Feeling invalidated and less than human when you're accused of not being honest, or BLAMED like "you need to change how you act in the future, you brought it on yourself" 

Then FINALLY the redemption after showing your colleagues "No, this person was in the wrong, I was NOT asking for it, I did NOT do anything to deserve this behavior" and practically having to force people to accept that nobody should be treated how you got treated in a particular scenario. 

That's like five layers of bullsh*t and a couple hours of time, frustration, and hurt - just to be acknowledged on BASIC HUMAN level”.

It is clear male musicians and those in power still see no problem flouting their positions and taking advantage. I have heard stories of female musicians approached and offered sex; others groped at festivals and some raped. Sometimes it can be as minor as hearing sexist language being chanted from the crowds – issues that never affect men in music. There are hidden tales – women afraid to come through – and casual sexism that infiltrates every seedy corner of the music industry. This article investigated stories of women who experienced sexual assault.

“The women who spoke to me described working in a boys’ club where deals are sealed over late-night drinks and at backstage parties. They told stories of powerful men who took advantage of their positions, and explained the risks inherent in speaking out against them. They detailed an industry beset by financial pressure and fierce competition, increasingly reliant on a freelance workforce vulnerable to gaps in labor protections. Music’s misconduct problem doesn't stem from any one of these factors alone—it's a perfect storm that clears a path for sexual abuse to continue unabated. Blocking that path will require reckoning with the very nature of music and the industry and cultures that surround it.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

The music world continues to project expectations that women are valued primarily as objects, not human beings: Hit music videos still feature women as little more than sexual accoutrements for their male stars, and female artists’ appearances remain a disproportionate focus of critical essays and reviews. Behind the scenes, especially when it comes to the power brokers who actually control the industry, music is still overwhelmingly a boys’ club, too”.

The article is fascinating and goes into detail when exploring recollections of sexual assault and problems that are being covered up and ignored. From the offices of record labels to those assisting at music festivals; women in high-profile bands and those starting out and trying to get a break – harassment and assault occur and most of us are unaware of it. Maybe it is not as explicit as the days when groupies hung around the doors of mainstream icons – that is not to excuse the

“In the long term, combating sexual abuse and harassment in the music industry requires preventing it from happening in the first place. This means making a healthy, respectful working environment a business priority through stronger leadership, increased diversity, and greater accountability. Above all, it requires fostering workplace cultures that support the people, and not just the dollars, that define the American music industry”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Songwriter Chlöe Howl, who has spoken about her experiences of sexual assault and abuse in music/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

This BBC piece, promoting a Victoria Derbyshire programme concerning sexual abuse in the music industry, caused alarm and woke a lot of people up to the fetid and revolting sides of music that does not get a lot of media oxygen:

“Sexual abuse and harassment is "endemic" in the music industry, with "dangerous men" abusing their power, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has been told. Some victims are now speaking out for the first time.

"Amy" was 15 when she was groomed by her music manager from one of the UK's largest music companies.

"I'd been writing songs since I was very young, and somebody emailed me and said he wanted to help me and manage me," she explains”.

“Singer-songwriter Chloe Howl felt exploited by a number of men at the beginning of her career.

She was signed to a record label aged 16, and later nominated for a Brit Award.

"I did have somebody come on to me in pretty strong way," she explains. "He was a lot older than me and we were meant to be professionally working together.

"He would drop me off at my hotel, and then text me to say, 'Why didn't you invite me in?'

"I remember one night he grabbed my bum and said something along the lines of, 'I feel like we'd have really good times in the sack.'"

Yet despite this sexual harassment, she describes herself as being "one of the lucky ones".

"I know girls who've been raped, and it's always a man in power and a girl on the rise who needs as much support as possible, whose career hasn't started yet.

"I know that there are men who are getting away with it. They are given this untouchable power".

I can return to the earlier points and men who rebel against feminism and the rights of women. If you read everything you have just seen, truly ask yourself: Do you still think feminism is a bad thing and should be seen as too extreme?! I feel many male artists and journalists are not aware regarding the extent of sexism and abuse that happens in the industry. The piece I have just quoted spoke with women who claimed there are hardly any women (in music) who have not been subjected to sexual assault and abused. It is shocking to see, from the core of the industry to the very marrow that sustains it; there is hardly any balance and equality. I cannot think of any sector or corner of the industry where there are fair rights and proper conversation being promoted by men. The last article I will bring in looks at female D.J.s storming the industry and how one D.J., Hannah Wants, experienced horrific discrimination:

 “While Wants didn’t suffer any kind of discrimination coming through the ranks – and in fact found a supportive environment when first playing the local scene – it has been since she surpassed some of the men still playing those local venues that she has seen something of a backlash. Last year, a post claiming one of her tracks was similar to another went viral. Although there was no evidence of plagiarism, the resulting online abuse for Wants was one of the hardest moments of her career: “People were saying ‘kill yourself’. It was just horrific.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Hannah Wants/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

“…Furthermore, incidents of plagiarism by men at the same moment received minimal attention, prompting online music magazine Resident Advisor to write a comment piece on the issue. While previously she preferred not to talk about her gender, she now sees that discrimination is still a problem: “A lot of the people discriminating against me were men in the same place as they were 10 years ago and they hate the fact that I’m successful now. But no, it doesn’t stop me or lessen my drive. It makes me more driven and a big ‘f*** you’ to them”.

A lot of my concerns do not revolve around gender inequality and sexism: they concern basic human rights and liberty! I worry not enough men in the media are highlighting the issues I have – all of the arguments raising issues of sexism and abuse have been from women! It is not good enough to assume things are festivals are okay and we are sacrificing quality by having an equal split…we can see the mass of female talent and how many past-it and average men are being headlined instead of women. You may argue there is equality on radio and there is little cause for alarm concerning claims of sexual assault – that is not true and I have shown that! I pose that question once more: How can the so-called ‘meninists’ object to women wanting a fair voice in music considering how hard they have to fight and the opposing voices?!

PHOTO CREDIT: Pexels

Great D.J.s like Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs are speaking out for women and highlighting great female talent. Listen to any of the mainstream radio stations, especially the BBC, and you will find more men than women - I often wonder why there is such an imbalance when there are so many brilliant female D.J.s out there. This article looked at the history of radio and how vocal intonation and accent have played a part - women expected to sound a certain way:

"As with so many of the professions, the war was a breakthrough for women, enabling them to fill posts in radio vacated by men who'd been called up, their timbre reminding male listeners of home. But although it's no longer surprising to hear female voices, from Annie Nightingale to Jane Garvey, on air, the old rationale for their marginalisation proved remarkably resilient. As recently as 1999, the head of news and speech of a commercial radio station in Manchester described a potential recruit to Janet Haworth, a lecturer in broadcasting, as "a great reporter, a very good journalist, but I couldn't put her on air with that voice. She sounds like a fishwife or a washerwoman" (in Women and Radio, edited by Caroline Mitchell). The "acceptable" female radio voice of today – that of, say, Charlotte Green and Harriet Cass – occupies such a narrow pitch range that it's protected from any such charge. That only one in five of the Today programme's guests and reporters are female is eloquent testimony not only to editors' belief that female experts aren't available (thewomensroom.org.uk found 40 in 48 hours last November after Today failed to find one) but also that a woman needs to be exceptionally prominent to earn the right to speak. And young: a report by Skillset for Sound Women, a support group set up in 2011 for women working in audio, found that only 9% of women working in radio are aged 50 and over, compared with over 19% of men".

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

We are being told balance will happen in years to come but I feel the wall needs to be smashed and rebuilt now – rather than the odd brick removed here and there! I am always flabbergasted we are not seeing the best female artists promoted and festivals do more to redress the balance. I do not buy male journalists have to write what they are told and cannot pitch features that look at sexism. Looking at the comments that associate articles and reports of sexism show what ignorance there is. Men do not feel like they are culpable and, by insisting on equality, we are damaging the brilliance of music and making it weaker. These age-old mentalities threaten to hold back progress, delay the rise of some wonderful artists – women who are sexually assaulted often are close to suicide through fear they cannot report the abuse and (feel they) will not be believed. I am always proud to write articles like this and hope more men follow suit and add their opinions to the mix – we all need to see real change and progression. Women in music and society are doing fantastic work and helping improve the industry as we know it. Things will only really move quickly and get to where they need to be if men in a position of power get over their egos; take a real and bold risk and…

IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent, another name being suggested as a possible Glastonbury headliner next year/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Da Carte

DO what is required!

FEATURE: Credit Where It’s Due: Putting the Spotlight on the Humble and Hardworking Producer

FEATURE:

 

 

Credit Where It’s Due

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

Putting the Spotlight on the Humble and Hardworking Producer

__________

WE all listen to music from around the world…

IN THIS PHOTO: The producer and songwriter Grimes/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and do not really consider how the songs come together! I love to listen to a lot of classic artists, including Michael Jackson, and so captivated by the actual performance and how it sits in the mind. You often get into the mindset of listening to the song and really not thinking about its creation and development. Modern music relies so much on self-production: so many fresh artists take care of the production side and we can get a complete experience of production and execution at once. I feel we get into the habit of assuming the artist is the star and they are responsible for guiding the music. Look at the legendary producers like Quincy Jones and how they helped push artists to the mainstream. You cannot argue against the impact he had on Michael Jackson’s career and the expertise he brought to the plate. It was not a case of listening to a song and then nodding the head and recording it. The producer has to give their views on a track/album and ensure the vocals/compositions are as good as they can be. It can be difficult making that call and recognising when something is perfect or not. This article explains what the modern-day music producer has to encompass:

“Since the millennium the Music Industry has been losing a huge amount of income from falling records sales due to piracy and subsequent streaming services. As a result, many of these separate creative roles listed above don't commonly exist anymore and have been completely taken on by the modern day Music Producer.

A modern day Music Producer now wears a lot of hats in music production, such as:

Co-composer/writer

Arranger

Session Musician

Recording & Mix Engineer

Mastering Engineer

Very few Music Producers today work in the Music Industry in the old model of Producer. Many of those producers came from the successful era when record sales funded the growth of the Music Industry”.

There is a lot of work the producer has to shoulder. I know many and, from the big studios through to a more modest setting; they have often to rewrite songs and help bring them to life. It is never a case of listening to songs being performed and then deciding whether they are good or not. The producer has to organise musicians and get them into the studio. Often, various different takes have to be recorded and, in a lot of situations, musicians need to perform from different rooms. Sometimes, you can get that live-sounding performance but, if you have loads of elements together then it takes a lot of patience and organisation. There are others responsible for mixing and engineering a record but the producer is there with the artist to ensure everything sounds great and cannot be improved. Listen to any classic album and, more often than not, someone other than the artist has produced that record.

You might say it is the artist who is projecting the music and, without them, there would be nothing. Very few artists come into the studio fully-formed and know how everything will come together. They might have their own take on a song and sing it one way. The composition might sound good to them but, with another pair of ears, new light and insight come through. A producer might tighten up the rhythm section or suggestion nuances and different elements for the singer. Maybe they’ll add another player/instrument into the mix or take the odd bit out. It is about tidying tracks and making them pop from the speakers. There is a hard balance to walk between making something professional and not over-producing.

IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Marks/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Look at the greatest producers like George Martin and Nile Rodgers and it is undeniable what they brought to music. Martin, with The Beatles, bonded with the band and was unafraid to offer his advice and suggestions. He fostered the band and helped them push the music to the very limit. Producers often have knowledge of the equipment and technology in the studio the artist does not. He ensured the early recordings had that live-sounding yet professional sound and then, by 1967, the boys were adding so many layers and sounds to their music. Modern producers like Catherine Marks are not getting the same credit as the world’s best but they are consistent and have a huge reputation. She has worked with the likes of Muse and The Amazons and, like all great producers, bonds with the artist she’s working with and establishes that trusting relationship.

It is not about bossing musicians around and taking things over but, at the same time, it is a balance of assertiveness and imparting knowledge. The producer is there to get the music captured and ensure it sounds as fine as is humanly possible. As this article highlights; there are producers who recognise the importance of going with instinct and having that working relationship with the artist:

“Marc Kinchen is a house and dance music producer from Detroit, Michigan. He's worked with artists including Celine Dion, Lana Del Ray, Enrique Iglesias and Will Smith. He's also co-produced pop music with industry production legend Quincy Jones.

So what's behind his successful career? "It's a combination of skills," he says. "The most important being that, when I make music, I try to put blinders on and not let anyone tell me how I should do it. For me it comes completely from whatever is inspiring me.

"People skills are also very important – often as important as the music you make. When you work with people like Will Smith or Jay Z, you must be able to relate to them and make them feel comfortable. The business is full of different types of people and you have to be able to suss them out and adapt".

The producer often has to work very long hours and make numerous contacts. They attend functions and parties and get involved with the scene. Not only is socialising a great way of meeting artists to work with but it can be a good way of picking up new skills and lessons. The producer is never ever complete. They are always learning, growing and increasing their skillset. Kinchen has some advice for producers coming through:

"Find people you trust and care for, and surround yourself with them. These can be friends, supporters or business people. If you're at the point where you need a manager, look around at your musical friends who may have managers or even ask your mentor.

"Ask questions – ask everyone questions and send your music to your favourite artists or producers. If you have a favourite DJ or producer, see who handles them and try to get a meeting. There are so many ways to reach people now, you can get them through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or email”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Sir George Martin/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The life of a producer is quite tough but it is very rewarding. You get to see a project come to life and can see a potentially great album turn into something world-class. Some producers do rile artists and struggle to build bonds but most of the great producers have that closeness with the artist and they can work to produce something exceptional. The modern producer need not have formal qualifications but there are videos and courses people can take if you want to get guidance and tuition. A lot of the best production comes from instinct and following what feels natural. Getting those relationships established and networking helps get your name out there and artists will come back and hire you for their next project. Learning mixing skills and engineering adds new elements to your production chest and can prove invaluable when it comes to making a record shine and pop. Another interesting piece looks at what defines a great producer and how they can differ:

“Most of the greats typically fall into one of two camps. The first belongs to the ones who have the gift to tap into the essence of an artist or band, helping them discover something in them they didn’t know they had. These producers are also typically the ones who focus on capturing the most honest, vulnerable, and natural performances possible. Guys like Rick Rubin, Jack Douglas, and T Bone Burnett all come to mind.

The second camp consists of producers with their own signature sound. These people bring their own recognizable musical aesthetic to the records they produce, often contributing to the actual composition of the tracks. Phil Spector pioneered this approach with his “Wall Of Sound” technique, later adopted by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen to The Cocteau Twins. Another good example is Brian Eno.  His productions for Talking Heads, U2, and Coldplay all feature his signature atmospheric synths and his use of “The Studio as a Compositional Tool”.

A lot of big and new musicians do producer their own work – there is so much to be said for the producer and what they add to the music. We forget about them when sticking an album on or listening to the latest chart hit. Whilst many producers are men; there is a change coming it that highlights great female producers and makes the studio less a boys’ club-like space – it is a slow process but will have to get out of the viewpoint all the best producers are men. Whilst we look at changes and the need for parity in the studio; you cannot deny the vital role the producer plays and how they can transform music. When an album sells millions or a song goes to number-one; we never really give props to the producers and others that work on that piece. The life of a producer is a challenge but it is one I would recommend to people. Working closely with artists and helping to create exceptional music is hard to put into words. We all have our favourite albums - and spend hours digesting every note - but it is true none of it would be possible…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

WITHOUT the producer!

FEATURE: Everyone’s Doing It These Days: Why Podcasts Offer a New Window Into Music

FEATURE:

 

 

Everyone’s Doing It These Days

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images 

Why Podcasts Offer a New Window Into Music

__________

YOU cannot move too far on the Internet…

before you bump into another podcast about something or other! I think the forum has overtaken YouTube in terms of demand and popularity. Whilst YouTube ‘stars’ garner a lot of fans and can bring their brand – beauty, film or otherwise – to people in a multimedia way; there is something easier and more intimate about the podcast. You do not need to hire a lot of recording equipment and film yourself – some are quite reserved about having their face out there – and you can create a sense of intimacy and warmth. The listener need not break off from what they are doing and see what is happening on the screen. An article I will quote in a bit states the voice-activated market will double by the year 2020 – it will double every year after that. We are seeing more inventions where a user can bring up information and play music by voice command. It seems we want that hands-free and easy lifestyle more and more. Studies conducted earlier this year break down our listening habits when it comes to podcasts. Whilst thirty-two percent of us listen (to podcasts) whilst working out; most of us enjoy one when we are commuting or driving. It seems the best way to endure a journey among the general public is to put a podcast on and drift away. There is a great distraction plugging in earphones and listening to a podcast about literature, music or film.

Unlike an audiobook; one does not need to engage too much and it is possible to browse a tablet or Smartphone whilst listening along. That benefit strikes many and, in a market packed and growing; there is no shortage of choice – no matter what your tastes are! This article provides some eye-opening statistics:

    60% of the US population is familiar with the term “podcasting” — up from 55% in 2016

        50% of all US homes are podcast fans (Nielsen, Aug 2017)

       40% (112 million) of the US population has listened to a podcast — up from 36% in 2016

         15% (42 million) listen to podcasts weekly — up from 13% in 2016

        36% of podcast listeners are non-white — vs 30% in 2010 (Nielsen, Aug 2017)

        Podcast listeners are much more active on every social media channel (94% are active on at least one — vs 81% for the entire population)

         Podcast listeners are more likely to follow companies and brands on social media

       Podcast listeners are more likely to subscribe to Netflix or Amazon Prime (meaning they are less likely to be exposed to TV advertising)

It seems like technology companies are taking full advantage of the growing trends. One of the hand-in-hand trends we are seeing is voice-activated devices – the likes Amazon and Apple have/are making – being a big asset alongside the podcast.

The Smartphone means we can bring up a podcast – even if we do not know the name – without much fuss or searching. Because of the ease in which we can listen to podcasts and explore new ground; many are turning away from video streaming and engaging more with audio means. I recently discovered the Fortunately… podcast – hosted by Jane Garvey and Fi Glover. It is a series designed to reveal what is said when the microphone is switched off – aimed more at women but heard by a lot of men. It is a funny and addictive podcast I tune into every week. They interview guests each week – including the likes of Shaun Keaveny and Emily Maitlis – and give a very candid look into their own lives. You feel bonded with the presenters and get to hear a different side to some well-known figures. It is weird discovering why we are more likely to listen to a podcast than watch a video or T.V. show. There is that accessible nature and the fact we can listen to a podcast on-the-go and do a number of other things at the same time. Podcasts are, essentially, radio so it means those who make them do not have to dress up fancily and worry too much about presentation. Inhibitions are lowered and there seems like a more relaxed and casual tone. That translates and resonates in the subscriber.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Carry on with the article I just quoted and it seems like there is a booming market and we can all start out own podcast:

“Entrepreneurship mogul Gary Vaynerchuk summarises as follows: “Just remember, audio and voice are by far the most natural interface for humans to interact. We like to speak and listen. There was roughly 1.5X more audio consumed than video according to Nielsen statistics on streaming in 2016. This is HUGE. If you’re medium is voice, now is your time. Start creating today. Start a podcast, turn your blog posts into audio, develop an Alexa skill or start experimenting with Google Home. Before AR and VR and AI, audio is going to be the next major platform shift for consumer attention. It’s here today! What are you going do?”

The podcast is an eclectic market that can act as education and teaching. Children can listen to podcasts about subjects they are taught at school which provides a more appealing sense of extra-curriculum. We can become better educated or we can go for something a bit trashy and throwaway. The music side of the podcast is starting to grow and attract some big names. I recently pitched an idea for a podcast: one that looked at sex and gender imbalance in the industry and how we can change things. It could/will bring together names across music and figures from outside the business to give their thoughts.

My idea – not sure of a title yet – would play music by female artists and balance serious talk and debate with interview snippets and a more light-hearted viewpoint. Maybe it would be a multi-part podcast but, as a one-off, it would work pretty well. I have been thinking about the podcast as an alternative for a radio show. It is easier getting a podcast kicked off and putting it to the people. This article from Rolling Stone highlights some music-related podcasts worth investigating. Among them worth investigating is Jessie Ware’s bi-weekly podcast:

“Format: Jessie endearingly banters back and forth with her mother, Lennie, and guests, mostly about cooking. “It all revolves around food, my favorite subject, and family,” Jessie says. “I hope the listener feels like they are around the dinner table with us and learns something new about someone they may already know lots about, or even better, be introduced to someone I want everyone to know about.”

Schedule: Biweekly

Why They Do It: “It was a chance for me to ask other people questions,” Jessie says. “I’m so sick of talking about myself. It was also a chance to hang out with my mum and get her to cook me dinners every week. I think I pushed her over the edge when we had four guests in a row, though. She had to go and see her chiropractor.”

Best Moments: Ed Sheeran proclaiming his distaste for kale and “American-boiled” hotdogs and Sam Smith explaining how quitting drinking has helped him chill.

Best Guests: “My mum fell in love with [Get Out‘s] Daniel Kaluuya and [Game of Thrones’] Joe Dempsie over the podcast, Sam Smith told us he thought Mexico was in Spain, Ed Sheeran had four portions, and Sandi Toksvig encouraged us all to add a woman to Wikipedia because there aren’t enough on there,” she says.

Another recent article lists some essential music podcasts you need to get involved with. A standout, Couch Wisdom, steps out and shows an untapped area of the music market:

“Red Bull Music Academy has accumulated a vault full of incredible lectures from two decades of workshops and music industry events. Now, they're sharing them one by one as part of a new podcast called Couch Wisdom. Featuring in-depth conversations covering all sides of the music industry, the series includes lectures from the likes of Q-Tip, Kaytranada, Alex Tumay, and Bjork. Questlove once dubbed the series "Inside The Actor's Studio for music," which is an excellent way to describe the smart, nuanced conversations that go down on the RBMA couch. If you're a music nerd looking to know more about the ins and outs of the industry, Couch Wisdom is required listening”.

It appears that people want to learn more about a musician or the industry itself. George Ezra is another artist with his own podcast and, whilst it is not the most enflamed and exciting thing; he interviews other artists and creates something we do not hear – musicians chatting and finding out more about one another. A simple interview series/question-and-answer welcomes people in and is a very easy-going and informative platform. Doing something more expansive and eclectic could either bring in a traditional radio station – music and interviews – or go further still.

It seems there are a few different types of podcasts we all love. For those who love their music; we either like to hear something in-depth that deconstructs songs or investigates various sides and trends. Whether it is the rise of Hip-Hop or the changing nature of Pop music; speaking with artists and experts about these subjects illuminates and opens up the subjects. We also like podcasts with discussion and something revealing from artists. Mix that with live performances and we have a bit of a podcast-style radio show that offers an alternative to what is currently out there. It seems we have a passion for music past and present: a magazine-type podcast that looks at iconic moments and the best of the new breed. It seems like, to get ahead of the market, you need to combine the best elements of the current market and add your own spin. There is a dizzying choice so it seems like it is harder, now more than ever, to decipher which are the best podcasts to follow. The voice-activated devices I mentioned early could incorporate a new feature that brings in a search engine – you can describe the type of podcast you want and it will find it (or several). I am excited to see the market grow and so many great music-related podcasts come through. Many people I know are putting them together and it is an inexpensive and great way of reaching new audiences.

With social media packed and limited in its scope; it seems the podcast could be an essential accompaniment every artist should carry. By that, I mean they could put together their own one and add an extra dimension to their music. Maybe they interview fellow artists or invite the subscriber into their lives. Maybe there is a slight deficiency whereby you cannot see the musician and a performance but there are endless possibilities when it comes to subject matter and the tone of a podcast. I am going to start my own and make sure I do my research first – to ensure I do not copy any others and create something fresh. The podcast revolution is in full flow and it is getting more people invested and interested in audio and radio. People who would otherwise have avoided certain subjects –politics, women’s issues and art – are given a new perspective and way in. It is great to see a lot of musicians go into the podcast market and a flourishing array of music-related podcasts come out. Have a search and spend some time looking through what is currently out there. If you love your music and want a podcast that speaks to you; I can guarantee there is something out there that will…

SPEAK to you.

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIII)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

PHOTO CREDIT: Malunga

An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XIII)

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I am discovering so much female talent…

IN THIS PHOTO: Biig Piig/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris 

and am keen to celebrate and highlight the sheer variety out there. What strikes me is the passion and memorability of the music available. There is an imbalance in music still and I find many female artists get overlooked in favour of their male peers. Whilst their sounds are doing the talking; it is a shame some of the best and most engaging new artists have to fight harder to get the same sort of billing as male musicians. In this latest volume; I source tracks from all around the musical map – showing what an immense and impressive treasure chest of female-fronted music…

IN THIS PHOTO: RAYE

THERE is out there.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artist

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sara Herrlander

AY Wing – Ice Cream Dream

Etta Bond – Let Me Hit It

PHOTO CREDIT: Metro

RAYE – Friends

Emma Louise – Wish You Well

Amy Guess – Never Come Back

Shaqdi – Better

Hero Fisher – Lonely

Caroline Rose – Bikini

MeMe Detroit - Get Down on with Me

Lava La Rue - Widdit

PHOTO CREDIT: Rhea Caldwell Photography

Angie McMahon – Keeping Time

Mary Miller – I Found Heaven

Mint Field – Viceversa

G Flip – Killing My Time

PHOTO CREDIT: Lukas Gansterer

Mavi Phoenix – Trends

Andreya Triana – All or Nothing

Biig Piig – Flirt

Alice Merton – Lash Out

Nubya Garcia – Source

Malunga – Never Let Go

Kiah Victoria – Ornament

Jen Cloher – Strong Woman (Live at The Loft)

Naaz – Loving Love

Poppy Ackroyd – The Dream

Siân Alex – Naya (Sofar London)

Flohio – Watchout

FEATURE: Melville from Inside the Whale: Artists and the Creative Benefits of Isolation and Sparseness

FEATURE:

 

 

Melville from Inside the Whale

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

Artists and the Creative Benefits of Isolation and Sparseness

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MAYBE it is not a new phenomenon…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

but more and more artists are turning away from the distractions and technology of the studio to record somewhere more remote and quieter. We all know the story behind Bon Iver’s album, For Emma, Forever Ago, and the fact Justin Vernon had broken up with his girlfriend and needed to get away. He was in a state of despair and, between November 2006 and January 2007, laid down a collection of rather intimate and haunting songs that ranks alongside his very best work – many consider the album to be his very best. Vernon, before recording the album, was ill with mononucleosis and a liver infection. He was frustrated with life, in general, and drove to his father’s remote hunting cabin northwest of his hometown in Raleigh, North Carolina – he set up home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and shut himself away from the rest of the world. When interviewed in May 2008, he talked about his experiences. The article set the scene regarding the cabin and the first flickers of For Emma, Forever Ago:

“Vernon arrived at the cabin in a state of disrepair, having driven through the night from the stifling, swampy heat of North Carolina, where he had settled with the members of his former band, DeYarmond Edison, with whom he had played since his teens. "I felt very uninspired [in North Carolina]," he says. "I needed to get back. So I broke up with everybody, I broke up the band, I broke up with my girlfriend - broke free to do that".

“The cabin was built in 1979 by his father, and Vernon would often spend weekends there growing up. It stands on 80 acres of land rich in aspens, wolves and wild turkeys. "The cabin's like a little alpine-style, timber-frame cabin, used to just have a dirt floor, but the last few years my dad's made it ... maybe too nice." He smiles gently. "Like there's plumbing in it now. But there's still that ancient vibe, because you're so far away from everything."

At first, he admits, he did little but drink beer; gradually, he began to acquire a self-sufficiency that may be the source of the record's feeling of completeness. He chopped logs and hunted for food. "That year was the first time I had killed a deer. It didn't feel good. You want to hit it here," he says, touching his side. "You want to kill it really quickly." It was a good two weeks before he set up any of his music equipment - two weeks in which his head cleared and inspiration came. "I didn't go up there to make a record," he says. "But music was just part of the process of me ironing out that weird vibe inside me. I sat down and started working on the songs, layering vocals on top of vocals, trying to be a choir".

The results one hears from For Emma, Forever Ago stun the senses. The syllabic and wordless quality; the overtaking of emotion as opposed to musicality and technical – it is a profound meditation and rumination on the desolate surroundings in which he recorded and the turmoil seeping through his veins. It sounds rather like a passage from Herman Melville 1851 novel, Moby Dick (or ‘The Whale’): the sailor, Ishmael, obsessively questing Ahab, captain of the whaling ship, Pequod, in order to exact his revenge – read the novel to see why. In fact, it is more akin to Ahab being inside the whale itself: a certain sense of safety and doom sit alongside one another; the sounds of the outside world a mere echo and distorted hum. Often, life can get in the head and dominate every rationale and movement. We get obsessed with ritual and technology; the buzz of the city or the demand of the family. It may sound rather rustic and hard cutting off from life and settling in a remote cabin for a couple of months – sans Internet, Netflix and a decent oven. Whilst a musician like Bon Iver would not have the luxury of amps, a big studio and all the instruments at his disposal; there is something rather humble and challenging being cut away from that crutch. Artists pre-Internet and modern technology had to rely on, before getting into the studio, very basic means and, as such, created much more pleasing and personal songs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I like artists who can utilise technology and push limits but, in a day where we all get hung up on social media and a rather safe way of life – settling in a woodland location and taking things back to basics can revitalise and infuse the senses. Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago was his debut album and it was a brave decision creating an album and launching it into a world where the very best works – Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible and Radiohead’s In Rainbows, among them – of 2007 relied on traditional studios and equipment. Maybe that is why the record stood out: you could hear the sweat and emotion; there was the sense of a man alone with his thoughts and his music…nothing else to distract the mind and no aids to blur the lines between authenticity and distortion. Jack White, on the other hand, entered a similar sense of isolation when he recorded his latest album, Boarding House Reach. DIY, when reviewing the album, drilled down to the crux of Jack White:

“There’s a popular view of Jack White. It’s one that casts him as a crotchety nostalgist, sitting in a wooden cabin surrounded by tape reels, with two tin cans and a string in place of a phone and a three-mile restraining order on anyone with a Facebook profile. It’s a reputation that people love and loathe in equal measure. For the acolytes, he’s a purist to be held aloft in these increasingly fickle and transient musical times; a man so devoted to the vinyl cause that he started an entire empire (Third Man Records) in celebration of it”.

IN THIS IMAGE: Jack White/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Maybe the surroundings he recorded in did not match Justin Vernon’s in terms of its remoteness and simplicity: White was in a small apartment but, for the most part, distanced himself from modern appurtenances and aids. He set up a small apartment in Nashville, Tennessee and recorded on reel-to-reel tape. He did not need all the gadgets and electronic luxuries that were used on his previous two solo albums. If anything, he was going back to the early White Stripes days when Jack and Meg White would lay down the material on four-track and make the albums sound as raw and Detroit Garage-Rock as possible. Whereas White’s move was a chance to reinvent and record in a new way – preferring a less gutsy and raucous sound of his previous works, Lazaretto and Blunderbuss – it proved you do not need even to use laptops and the comforts of home to create great material. Whilst there are gulfs between the work of Bon Iver and Jack White – the former received much more praise from critics – each artist felt the need to record in a way that differs from what’s around them. White, since the breakup of The White Stripes, moved away from their rigid and disciplined uniformity – the power of the number three and using guitar, drums and the odd piano here and there – and settled into a more expansive and broad style of working.

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Max Cooper's album, One Hundred Billion Sparks/IMAGE CREDIT: Max Cooper/Getty Images

Another artist who has caught my ear is Max Cooper. He recorded his current album, One Hundred Billion Sparks, in a different way to many artists. It is interesting reading this article that gives a bit of background:

“One Hundred Billion Sparks sees Cooper further refining his widescreen style of techno, ambient and experimental music. The UK artist says he conceptualized it during a month spent in isolation in a remote Welsh cottage. 

The album "is my attempt to express what was there after I had removed my everyday life," Cooper explains. "No phone calls, no emails, no messages, no human contact for a month, that was the idea. What I found were the fables we live inside, our constructs, the mechanisms which create them, and the experience of parsing them." 

Today's announcement also comes with this quote: "We are one hundred billion sparks. One hundred billion neurons whose firing creates feelings and ideas. One hundred billion neurons that make us all different yet connected".

Even though the three artists I have already mentioned come from different parts of the musical globe and have different experiences regarding recording/writing; each of them has stripped away the modern world and decided to go back to basics.

Cooper’s album is out on 20th September and it will be interesting to see what that lack of phones/emails and technology has done to the music. I feel more and more musicians will follow the example of Max Cooper and shut away the gadgets and gizmos. Look at the history of music and you can see some vivid examples of artists recording in unconventional spaces. Bob Dylan and The Band recorded in a big, pink house near Woodstock (for The Basement Tapes); The Rolling Stones recorded Exile on Main St. in the basement of Keith Richards’ French mansion; U2 went to Slane Castle for The Unforgettable Fire – Adult Themes for Voice, by Faith No More, was recorded in various hotel rooms. It is not unusual to embrace the unconventional but what I am referring to is artists who completely dispense with modern-day technologies and seek something more honest and less distracting. Many new artists are recording music at home and recording on very simple devices. Look at classic albums like Odelay (Beck) and Nebraska (Bruce Springsteen) and you have homemade sounds in them. I think a lot of artists get too focused on creating something polished, ‘professional’ and simple. We are all too reliant on devices and technologies. I wonder whether we will ever move past this mode of working when we really don’t need to.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

By that, I mean we have come a bit too far and are getting too comfortable letting the Internet and technology create sounds and put music together. I would like to see more artists, established and new, either recording or writing material away from the home or somewhere that is quite remote and rural. Not only are you away from the ringing of phones and the noise around you; it is you alone with your thoughts and the music alone. Sleater-Kinney recorded their celebrated album, The Woods, in rural, upstate New York in the depths of winter – it was their seventh record and they needed to get away from the post-9/11 world and the need to stretch their legs (in 2005) was evident. They recorded in intense conditions and often were surrounded by snow; a lot of the songs were nailed in one take and it was a very different way of working. If it is a way of throwing out the rulebooks or finding fresh inspiration; getting into a new way of working or reconnecting with the natural world – I am seeing a lot of modern cases, that I have not mentioned, of musicians either recording in a remote woodland location or a rather simple, technology-free space. It may sound rather horrible and unusual but, as we have heard, it can change an artist’s sound and add fresh spark into their careers. In a time when we are all obsessed with technology and social media; it sounds rather appealing unplugging it all, getting into the car and…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

RECORDING music surrounded by nature, quiet and no distractions.

FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 3: Musing, Feline Power and the Phat of the Land

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Muse/PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick McPheron  

Vol. 3: Musing, Feline Power and the Phat of the Land

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THIS week has seen…

IN THIS PHOTO: Cat Power/PHOTO CREDIT: Lex van Rossen/MAI/Redferns

some rather unexpected twists and turns thrown into the mix! I was not expecting new music from Cat Power, Muse and The Prodigy but, here you go; all three have provided us with some fantastic new cuts! Let’s hope albums ensue and they keep the momentum going!

I have been excited by the volume and breadth of music coming through this week! It has been exciting, explosive and brilliant! Have a listen to the brilliant selection of tracks that have come our way and enjoy! I am excited what next week will provide and what the likes of Cat Power and Muse will come up with over the coming months!

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artist

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Cat Power – Wanderer (Intro)

Muse – Something Human

The Prodigy – Need Some1

Sarah Close – You Say

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – If Love Is the Law

Father John Misty – Date Night

PHOTO CREDIT: Natalia Mantini

Soccer Mommy – Scorpio Rising

Wild Nothing – Partners in Motion

Drenge - Before the War Begins

PHOTO CREDIT: Eliot Lee Hazel

Death Cab for Cutie - I Dreamt We Spoke Again

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando Photography

Spring King – The Hum

Bebe Rexha - I'm a Mess

Billie Eilish - you should see me in a crown

ZAYN – Sour Diesel

The 1975 – Love It If We Made It

Áine Cahill - Beauty Is a Lie

Meghan Trainor - TREAT MYSELF

Alex Hepburn – If You Stay

Greta Van Fleet - When the Curtain Falls

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Saradjola

YONAKA – Fired Up

Chance the Rapper - I Might Need Security

LANY - Thru These Tears

Deaf Havana – Holy

The Internet – Mood

TobyMac – Everything

Eric Church – Desperate Man

Imagine Dragons – Natural

Ciara - Level Up

The Decemberists - Once In My Life

Jodie Abacus – You’re Crazy

Paty Cantú - Mariposas

HOLYCHILD - Wishing You Away

Daktoa – Hate Loving You

Cassia – Get Up Tight

Jessie Reyez – Apple Juice

Future Jr. – Changing

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XII)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Pillow Queens/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Gerrard 

An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XII)

__________

BEFORE the weekend swings in…

IN THIS PHOTO: Yvonne Hercules

I have been looking at some tremendous releases from great female artists. From Irish wonders to new Pop coming from America – it is a fantastic playlist that summons summery sun and the seductiveness of the night. Make sure you put the music on, turn the volume up loud and enjoy a varied selection of songs. Sourced from the past few months; this is a banquet of brilliant slices that is guaranteed to…

PUT a smile on your face.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artist

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Pi Ja Ma – Ponytail

Ojerimé - Greasy

Delaire – Something More

Jocelyn Alice – Still Wondering

Gia Margaret – Smoke

Laura Pieri – I Will Follow You

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachael McAllister

Laura Brehm (ft. Draper) – Follow the Signs

Caroline Kole – What If

Tayla – F.W.U

Nina Luna – Keep Me

Dakota – Hey Mamma

Maisie Peters – Best I’ll Ever Sing

Connie Constance – Yesterday

Meron Addis – Scared of the Dark

PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Sommer

Yvonne Hercules - Flume

Nina Smith – Run Out

Pillow Queens - Cuckoo

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Sheeran

Eve Belle – Best Intentions

PHOTO CREDIT: Rich Gilligan

Saint Sister – You Never Call

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Rosie Carney – Bare

PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew James Wilson

Lala Lala – Destroyer

Sarah Close – You Say

Holander – Smoke

Hannah Trigwell – Everything Will Be Okay

PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

Orla Gartland – I Go Crazy

FEATURE: Rise Against the Technocrats! The Snobbishness Levied at Techno and House D.J.s

FEATURE:

 

 

Rise Against the Technocrats!

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

The Snobbishness Levied at Techno and House D.J.s

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A couple of articles have caught my eye…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

that has got me thinking deeply about Techno and House music right now. Both articles come from The Guardian; both look at female D.J.s and both, as you’d expect, have been met with a slew of user comments that cast aspersions on their (D.J.s’) worth and validity. I will talk about Nina Kraviz and Helena Hauff in a bit but, right now, a look at how Club music has changed. Articles are flying around concerning how the one-hundredth edition of the famous Now That’s What I Call Music! has hit us - and it is amazing to think a compilation series has lasted so long. I recall my exposure to the series back in the early-1990s and I have dipped in and out until now. My first memories of music go back to the Now series and the best chart artists of the time. I mention this – rather than going off on a tangent! – because the sort of music that stood out on those compilations was not Pop and Rock: House and Techno were the sounds that struck my infantile ear. The sound and flavour of the scene have changed since the 1990s, for sure, but there is still a snobbishness and elitism when it comes to the genres. Maybe 2 Unlimited and Snap! – European Dance/Techno acts that seemed to be everywhere at one point – are not the best examples of the best of the older breed but their music was defined by brightness, energy and, a lot of the time, female-led vocals.

Dance came more to the British fore in the late-1990s when Basement Jaxx emerged: before then; The Prodigy brought darkness, menace and ecstasy to Dance and Trance. We can look back at the development and changes in House and Techno (and Dance) from the late-1980s to the current time. I remember growing up around the likes of The Prodigy, Frankie Knuckles and Larry Heard and realise there have been definite shifts and evolutions. If you label; the music ‘Dance’, ‘House’ or ‘Techno’; there is less of a commercial element to the music – D.J.s and composers have their faithful following but are more underground and less exposed than they should be.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

One can argue the quality of modern Techno and Dance is pretty so-so – House music has lost its glory and not as influential as it was when I was younger. Maybe this is gender-based but I feel there is too much snooty and aggressive behaviour levied against female D.J.s. I will bring in a couple of features soon but I hear so many of those ‘outside’ of the Techno and Dance scene who are unaware of the skill and talent needed to provide an epic and crowd-uniting set. Carly Wilford, a D.J. and SISTER Collective lead, has deejayed and performed all around the world. She seeks out new talent and has brought heavy bass, after-hours sweat and thrills to crowds in many corners of the globe.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

Wilford, when speaking with Huck back in May, talked about her path into the world of the D.J. and being inspired by trailblazers like Annie Nightingale and Mary Anne Hobbs (a heroine of mine, too). She strives to close the gender gap – there is a fifty-fifty between men and women in terms of population as she points out – and end sexual harassment:

“I believe that we’re living through one of the most pivotal times in our generation’s history,” she says. “It just makes you feel that you haven’t been losing your mind. These things are really happening, and it isn’t okay. Now boundaries are being reasserted.

“I’ve had things happen to me personally that I kept quiet about, that I was probably quite embarrassed about, and that held me back,” she adds. “What’s been incredible over the past few months is that there’s been a real solidarity, with women – and guys – people speaking up and holding each other’s hands”.

Wilford, like her peers, has faced challenges and prejudice – she has a community and following that vibes to her sounds and loves what she puts out. Maybe I am getting a bit off-track but I can imagine she has experienced people doubting her talent and how ‘hard’ it is to do what she does. The criticism and snobbishness are levied against men too but one of the things that annoy me is how people assume being a D.J. of Techno and House (or Dance) is a bit of simple knob-twiddling and putting some faders up/down. A lot of the most innovative and progressive music of all-time has mixed in samples and collided musical worlds to create something mesmeric and divine!

IN THIS PHOTO: Carly Wilford/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Jamieson for Huck

I have watched videos of Wilford and others perform their sets and it is an endless case of keeping control of the mixing board and making sure the energy is kept up. It is about mood and mixing sounds together that do not go in too hard or play it coy. It is about standing out and creating something unique. I read comments from people that fall into two camps. There are those who have a sexist attitude and concentrate on a woman’s look – I will bring in the Nina Kraviz article in a bit. Another piece, written last year, looked at the way we have a divide and there is a rather vicious attitude from some:

“Plenty of us (including myself) have stuck the knife in a bit too deep, pointing out people’s ‘obvious’ faults from our educated perspective. Correcting someone on the shortcomings of their perceived music intelligence is in itself as wrong as whoever was spewing about Drumcode being the best Techno out there. The blame is equal on both sides and the solution equally so. If we were all a bit more accepting of people who are admittedly new and fresh on the scene, then the underlying hostility would cease to exist. A simple push in the right direction, away from the stereotypical entry-level tracks and artists, into more niche or hard to find artists that people may prefer is so much more beneficial than saying they don’t know what they’re on about.

"Dance music constantly fights against misunderstanding from the uneducated outside world, so why can’t it combat similar miscommunication within its own circles. If the scene is as all-encompassing as it tries to lead people to believe then why doesn’t it have a more open armed policy to the naïve new listener?”

Maybe there is that stuffy and unmoved older generation who remembers the days when Pete Tong was popular and Dance/Techno was a much more varied and widespread affair. There is a naivety that suggests that, while we do not see Dance and House high up the charts all the time and on the radio constantly; the genres have grown hugely and we have stations dedicated to the music. I have mentioned Carly Wilford and how she looks for like-minded talent; EFFI is another incredible D.J. who has played big festivals, student nights and great events. It is great to see boutique festivals, clubs and events open up opportunities for D.J.s – something we did not have years ago. I still feel a split between the newcomers to the new breed who feel they (D.J.s) are not doing much and relying too heavily on technology and older sounds. House and Techno relied on huge innovations and movements back in the day: so many assume we are in an uninspired time where Pop and Rock take bigger prominence in the popular music world.

Back to the Wilford interview - and some cuttings show Dance and Techno has not had the same breakthrough as other genres and movements:

“Dance music hasn’t quite had its ground-shaking Time’s Up moment yet, Wilford says. The Forbes list of the world’s 10 highest paid DJs featured no women yet again last year; there was only one woman for every four male DJs on the worldwide festival circuit in mid-2017, according to a study by the group female:pressure…

“Know that however lonely you feel, you’re never alone,” she says. “Even if the people around you don’t understand you, your tribe is out there”.

You can do the research regarding the best male D.J.s and Techno devotees of the day but a lot of the most engaging and compelling D.J.s right now are women. Helena Hauff spoke with Joe Muggs of The Guardian and talked about her career and new music. Muggs’ assessment of her music shows the complexities and variations present in the clubs right now:

“In the five years since she started releasing tracks, she has become a figurehead for a noisy, neo-gothic imperative in techno, delivering live and DJ sets of sometimes terrifying strobe-lit intensity that triangulate perfectly between acid house energy and industrial harshness. The almost entirely live jams of her new album, Qualm, are the best attempt yet to bottle that lightning; they are likely to push her into clubland’s big league”.

Hauff talked about breaking through at a time when being a D.J. was a rarity for a woman. Underground Techno has always had sexism and limitations: right now, there are some breakthroughs and experimental geniuses (women) who are shaking that up:

“Her success has come alongside several other women breaking through in the former boys’ club of underground techno: she cites Cologne’s Lena Willikens and Siberian superstar Nina Kraviz among her favourite acts. As with most things, her approach to the topic is pragmatic. “It’s important we talk about this, but I’m not on social media, I’m not like [disco/house DJ] the Black Madonna, for example, who’s very active on Twitter and determined to get her message out there,” Hauff says. “But I know other girls say they started DJing after they saw me and that’s really, really cool. Every woman who goes out and does whatever she wants to do, and makes music and DJs and is visible, helps to make a change and make a difference”.

Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian spoke with Nina Kraviz – one of the most popular young D.J.s working in the business right now. Kraviz talked about the energy she projects and how detailed and nuanced her work is:

“When I DJ, I’m fucking alive,” she says. “All my channels are open. People think I’m on drugs, but I’m not – I’m just really experiencing it.” She calls her approach “raw”, but she dislikes how that has become a byword for anyone who plays vintage-sounding house music through software: “Fuck you, man, [your show is] pre-cooked, taken out of the fridge and then burned in the fucking microwave.” By contrast, she never pre-plans her sets, let alone stands still while playing. “I’m putting my physical presence into it. And it’s different from one show to another because I’m a different person every day. I’m the kind of person that goes from highest point to the fucking lowest point in a second”.

A lot of the comments under the article praised Kraviz and paid testimony to her abilities and durability. There were many – I have not named those who made them – who show a typical ignorance and sexism...

“Listening to her and other techno DJ artists made me realize
A) how great musicians and composers Bay City Rollers were;
B) I'm hearing the soundtrack of Huxley's Brave New World;
C) there must be certain pleasures in being a zombie”.

"She still has to deal with sexist comments about her mixing skills…"

“Eugh spare us. What is sexist about this? Plenty of DJs get grief because they're mixing skills are shite, and it's not because they have a vagina. Shite mixing is shite mixing. It's kind of a DJ's job”.

“The fact that she doesn't tell you her real age, just highlights the fact she's got a huge ego and all that prancing and pouting she does behind stage is infact just her absolutely in love with herself”.

“She used to be good until she started all the pouting and flicking her hair behind the decks”.

Although these are comments from readers of The Guardian – either very middle-class or used to a different sound of Techno - this is the sort of attitude and stupidity aimed at D.J.s like Nina Kraviz. The common link between all the male leaders; female pioneers like Kraviz, Wilford and Hauff is their free spirit, lack of conformist attitude and, quite frankly, not giving a sh*t about negativity and those who do not like them! The Kraviz 'argument' looked at sexism and how changes have started to creep in:

“…But sexism was a problem. Back in the mid-00s, the male-dominated dance music scene struggled to get its head around a woman who knew what to do with electronic hardware. In 2012, she released her self-titled debut album, a collection of simmering 808 love songs and gauzy techno-pop. While “some people loved it”, says Kraviz, “people were suspicious of a pretty woman making music on her own, with a vision. They couldn’t handle me. It was like: ‘It cannot be true that you can have lipstick on and make music’”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Nina Kraviz/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press Association

Other big figures in Techno/EDM and Dance include the late, great Aviici. He relied on big and bombastic sounds that often paired with Pop music and artists – designed to get people happy and involved. An article, following his death, looked at the sort of snobbishness he had to endure:

“There is a particular snobbishness towards Avicii’s brand of big, unabashed EDM that relates to the notion that music of value cannot be computer-generated or enormously popular, but the same distaste is generally not applied to Daft Punk, for example, or Taylor Swift. His is the kind of music that is readily dismissed as something you “press a button on a laptop” to make. (Would that such a button existed!)

These songs were never meant to be heard by an individual, through tinny earbuds, in the daytime

Even now, when the divide between high and low culture is being smoothed out and there is said to be no such thing as a guilty pleasure, you may be more likely to “own up” to liking Levels than to declare it proudly (you might just sequester it on your gym playlist). But Avicii’s music was that rare thing in a world where culture has atomised: the soundtrack to moments of pure, collective euphoria”.

The cynicism and upturned noses are not only directed at women: other are hostile towards those who want to add new genres into Electronic music and take it in new directions. The reasons Techno and House got to where it was is down to the very best taking risks and pushing it forward.

The Streets (Mike Skinner) urged, on Original Pirate Material, for us to “push things forward” and stop buying and listening to the same old crap! There are some who do not understand Techno and how it has mutated – this does not invalidate the music and we should hold our tongues when it comes to criticism. I would like to see people get out of the mindset (that) EDM/Techno and House is all about leaning on classic sounds or standing there dumbly and letting technology do all of the talking. Maybe the overall sound and influence of the scene have changed but that does not mean there is an irrelevance and lacking quality. Instead, more clubs and festivals have sprung up; women are fighting against the gender divide and the faithful are promoting the best D.J.s out there. Many live in the past and expect Techno and the like to retain its skin and components. I wonder whether ignorance and arrogance overtake and shouts over all the talent out there. I urge people to research and look at all the fantastic Techno/Dance D.J.s who are lighting up clubs and releasing stunning mixes/tracks. For those who feel being a D.J. is nothing more than shifting a few knobs and looking pretty; they really need to spend some time…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

IN their world!

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XI)

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Robinson 

An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. XI)

__________

EVEN though the weather is starting…

IN THIS PHOTO: Joy Crookes

to turn a little bit; the heat is still pretty intense and there is no sign of summer going anywhere for a little while! I have been looking around the new releases of the past few months and am discovering artists new to my mind – those who deserve a lot more focus and attention. In that spirit; here is a collection of all-female tracks that combines electricity and energy with something more cooled and casual. A fantastic list of songs from artists who will, very soon, go on to much…

IN THIS PHOTO: Melody's Echo Chamber/PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Sagnier

BIGGER things.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artist

__________

Robinson – Nothing to Regret

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Sheeran

Roisin El Cherif – Half a Life

Melody’s Echo Chamber – Cross My Heart

Hey Charlie – Love Machine

PHOTO CREDIT: Anise Mariko

Jackie Cohen – Darlin’

Alex Hepburn – Can’t Stop

PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Gauci

Dana McKeon – Little Miracle of Mine

Germein – Talking

Candice Gordon – The Kids Are Alt-Right

Laura White (ft. Ms Banks) - Heartbreaker

Joy Crookes – Sinatra

PHOTO CREDIT: @kirangidda

Diamantina – Bandwagon

Gabriella Vixen - Maybe

Asian Doll – Crunch Time

Olivia Louise – No Filters

Mulatto – On Me

Wyen Solo – Dear Diary

That Girl Jared – Don’t Take It Personal

Shenna – Conversation

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Hermiston

Jeen – Any Moment

Kate Stewart – Loving You

Æ Mak – Love Flush

Jessica Meuse – Thank God It Didn’t Work

Odina – I’ll Carry You

Seaker – Dreaming

FEATURE: Songs of Freedom and Change: Nelson Mandela at One Hundred: The Playlist

FEATURE:

 

 

Songs of Freedom and Change

IN THIS PHOTO: Nelson Mandela/ALL PHOTOS: Getty Images/Press Assocation 

Nelson Mandela at One Hundred: The Playlist

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TODAY would have been Nelson Mandela’s…

one-hundredth birthday and, as you’d imagine, there have been loads of tributes and stories coming through in the news. The great man died in 2013 and, since then, people have been sharing their experiences with Mandela and how he changed their lives. President Barack Obama has just delivered his Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg where he channels the wisdom and humanity of the former South African leader. Obama celebrated the importance of immigration and, in a disguised jab at current President Donald Trump; he called for change and honesty. It is another example of Nelson Mandela inspiring people after his death and how much he gave to the world. Other stories have come out today – including revelations and snippets from the letters he wrote whilst imprisoned for twenty-seven years for ‘conspiring to overthrow the state’. A lot more brilliance and story-sharing will come throughout the day as we discuss a terrific human who wanted peace and quality, not only in South Africa but the entire world. I have compiled some songs written about Nelson Mandela or inspired by him; those that seem to bring his soul and spirit to mind. Many will do a better job - but I felt I had to pay my own tribute to…

NELSON Mandela.

FEATURE: The Kick Inside: A Radio Documentary Highlighting Gender Divides in Music and Celebrating Female Artists

FEATURE:

 

 

The Kick Inside

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

A Radio Documentary Highlighting Gender Divides in Music and Celebrating Female Artists

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MY ambition to get a music T.V. show on air…

continues (and is taking some time to crack!) but I have been thinking about radio and an area I have not ventured into yet. I have not been on T.V., either, but there is something accessible and alluring about radio. Over the weekend, I am exploring the podcast and how one can get their own launched and to the people. I am pitching an idea – to a couple of radio production companies – that revolves around gender divides in music and how/whether there is sexism. It is not a preachy and angry piece but it would look at the current state of the industry and the changes coming in. I have written about sexism in music quite a lot – and will continue to do so – and feel it is something that is not going anywhere at all. The title, something I should address, is not 100% confirmed but seems like an appropriate thing. The name, of course, comes from Kate Bush’s debut of the same name – my favourite record and one I cannot get enough of. The Kick Inside looked at topics such as love, lust and nature; connection to nature and literature…a mature and strong effort from a new artist. In my mind; I want to use the title as a metaphor for the sense of fight and strength that is coming from the ‘womb’ of music. I dabbled with another title, XYZ, but it needs quite a bit of explanation.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush (photographed in 1978)/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

It is a reference to the way a lot of promoters and musical figures reduce women to rather simplistic and anonymous terms – “X, Y and Z is playing at…”, for instance. The ‘XY’ is a reference to the male chromosome and how it tends to take prominence. It might take favour but I feel it is a little bit Byzantine and unconnected. In any case; whatever the title is, I am determined to get something made that collates names from new music. Half of the documentary – or a three-parter if I can stretch it that far – would look at the situation in music and how gender issues have changed in music. I will look at the problems that still exist and what more can be done. Themes would include festivals, sexual assault; jobs in studios and the imbalance regards pay of male and female D.J.s. I have been listening a lot to Woman’s Hour and becoming a lot more informed regards the pay gap and a lot of other issues that are affecting the gender debate. The latest BBC findings regarding their highest-paid talent raise questions and have sparked new debate. Big festivals are unfolding and occurring and, once more, the argument regarding all-male headliners and a gulf between male and female names have provoked some feedback and negative remark. There is a lot to digest but, above all, is a comparison between where we are now and where we started many decades ago.

I want to bring together a selection of new artists – from unsigned and fresh to those in the mainstream – and some bigger, established artists who have been in the industry for a long time. It would not only be women involved in the documentary. It would be good to get views from male artists, D.J.s and figures that can share their experiences and (perhaps) offer some explanation as to why there are gaps. It is vital to cover as much ground as possible in the opening half of The Kick inside - making me wonder whether a multi-part piece might provide more room to breathe and explore. The other side of the coin, as it were, would be the great music and work of female artists present and past. It is not only musicians that would be involved regarding input and work: I will speak with journalists, D.J.s and public figures (from acting and other areas) who want to add their voice to the debate. The music would explore the decades and a chance for contributors to choose tracks – I would get a say regarding a few of my favourite female-made songs. I am thinking more about a three-part feature so I can have a proper look, in thirty-minute, at great music and a lively debate. It is an interesting subject, sexism and gender in music, that has been explored before.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

What I have noticed is the lack of male artists and figures who have broached the subject themselves. Most male musicians and D.J.s want equality and changes but how many of them go out of their way to tackle things and get their voices heard?! Maybe there is reluctance regarding stepping into a rather complicated area and making sure what you/they say is authoritative and adds value. Many/most of those who talk about gender in music are women, and so, many feel unsure whether they will be taken seriously and if it is ‘their fight’. That might be the biggest problem we have: an apathy and assumption that women will take care of the problem. It is complex to launch into the sexism debate but I feel more male figures should be taken a stand and making some noise. Although there are developments right across music; I still think there are challenges ahead and needless stumbling blocks. The reason I wanted to launch a documentary and get the views of women (and men) in music is to unite all the voices I am hearing on social media. There are so many different angles and observations from all area of the industry. Rather than try and take it all in and get different interpretations: bringing it all into a single format with music backing up the discussions, I feel, is a good way to get the messages to the masses.

There are documentaries regarding sexism and feminism available alongside interesting articles that explore sexism in certain parts of the music industry. You can look at the classic documentaries that opened our eyes and more modern examples. In fact, looking at Play Your Gender – a documentary that looked at sexism and the male-female ratio in areas of music – there are some snippets from this review that I will build on. The first explores women supporting women in music and whether many men are willing to support women:

“Clearly much hard work is being done by women to support other women in music production and in the promotion of each others’ music. Although the conclusion of Play Your Gender encourages us to think realistically about how much of a structural shift these initiatives will encourage beyond visibility for performers. For example, male promoters still have a bias towards booking other men, as ”Helena Hauff discusses in an interview with Dazed. So it looks like for a diverse range of women to be promoted in music, there needs to be more to combat men’s preconceptions of the artists that they are booking, or better still find ways of getting women into promotion and tour management roles themselves. Even though women artists may be taken more seriously on stage and by fans, the music production and promotion aspect of their career is still plagued by masculine creative and logistical control”.

Another part of the review reflects on the core of my idea: interviewing women from all corners of the industry – including black and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. – and seeing whether there is a common perspective:

“Utilising a Q&A format with numerous musicians, fans, neuroscientists, producers and artist managers, Play Your Gender allows a diverse range of women to speak informatively about the gender-specific issues that face them collectively but also differently. The film portrays many standpoints from the female experience; with perspectives included from WOC musicians and lesbian musicians in America. Brooklyn-based musician Xenia Rubinos asserts that diversity or its lack can have a real impact on who feels welcomed into the industry, by stating that “Having examples of people that look like you plays a part in whether you feel inspired… Or not.” But Sara Quin of Teagan & Sara thinks - although not contrastively - that women should toughen up and get used to rejection from the industry. Women are not going to agree on everything, it seems - after all, there is no collective feminist hive-mind as some may like to think”.

There have been some revealing documentaries, on radio and film, that explore sexism and the subject of gender imbalance – whether it is producers (as with Play Your Gender) or festivals and the way they book artists. There is a long way to go but, for me, it is important to add my voice to the discussion and add a new dimension. I hope The Kick Inside sees the light of day and can make its way to BBC Radio 4. If not, I will find a way of making a more low-key version that, I hope, encourages other male journalists to…

IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

CREATE something similar.

FEATURE: Blue Meanies and the Liberation of Pepperland: Celebrating Fifty Years of Yellow Submarine

FEATURE:

 

 

Blue Meanies and the Liberation of Pepperland

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Press Association 

Celebrating Fifty Years of Yellow Submarine

__________

ALTHOUGH the soundtrack was released…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Press Association

in January 1969; the Yellow Submarine film was unveiled to hungry audiences on 17th July, 1968. Let’s talk about the music first of all. This was a period between The Beatles’ eponymous album (or ‘The White Album’) and Abbey Road. Those two albums are considered among the very best from the legendary band – Let It Be, their last album (to be released rather than recorded), left some critics cold and was not a huge success. The band was not strangers to film by the late-1960s and had already released the album for the much underrated Magical Mystery Tour – the record was unvalued as opposed the film itself. The boys, in 1968/1969, were winding down their career and knew that the end was not too far away. Many critics were a bit ho-hum regards the album for Yellow Submarine. Some loved the second side – compositions by George Martin – and liked a couple of songs on the first side. George Harrison, perhaps, offered two of the best songs in the form of Only a Northern Song and It’s All Too Much. Yellow Submarine (the title cut) had, obviously, already appeared on a Beatles record: it was part of 1966’s Revolver and seemed weird, but wonderful, on that record. All Together Now is catchy and chat-along but does drag a little bit; the title-track is fun and inventive whereas Hey Bulldog is a so-so rocker – All You Need Is Love is one of The Beatles’ best but sounds a little odd on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack.

George Martin composed second-side pieces like Pepperland and Sea of Monsters; March of the Meanies and Sea of Holes – they all seemed to fit better with the film itself and would have been hard to cause too much offence. Some viewed the aforementioned It’s All Too Much as tessellated and a mantic interweaving – gidouiled and spiralling (Barry Miles wrote that for International Times, in fact). Some debated an E.P. would have been more suitable: release a four-track work that collates the best four songs from the soundtrack. Others felt fans had been hankering for a Beatles soundtrack for a long time and Yellow Submarine came along at the right moment! Some felt, even though the material has a bit of a recycled feel; The Beatles at half-strength is a better proposition than a full-strength peer; others felt Hey Bulldog, in fact, was a stormer. The original compositions and already-heard songs on side-one were okay but everyone seemed to agree on one thing: the George Martin-composed side-two is/was a more fluid and impressive work. I guess, given the content of the film and its trippy nature, non-vocal (for the most part) music was a more suitable accompaniment. Released fifty years ago with a host of screenwriters, directors (for the animation and (brief) live action); the film was launched to the world. There was so much excitement for this tripped-out, colourful extravaganza from the world’s best band – even though The Beatles’ voices were provided by actors (some doing rather dodgy ‘impressions’)! If you need the full plot; I have gone onto Wikipedia to save you the time:

“Pepperland is a cheerful, music-loving paradise under the sea, protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The titular Yellow Submarine rests on an Aztec-like pyramid on a hill. At the edge of the land is a range of high blue mountains.

The land falls under a surprise attack from the music-hating Blue Meanies, who live beyond the blue mountains. The attack starts with a music-proof blue glass globe that imprisons the band. With the band sealed in the globe, the Blue Meanies fire magical projectiles from big artillery stationed in the blue mountains and render the Pepperlanders immobile as statues by shooting arrows or dropping giant green apples upon them (a reference to the Apple Records music label), and drain the entire countryside of colour...

...In the last minutes before his capture, Pepperland's elderly Lord Mayor sends Old Fred, an aging sailor (whom the even more elderly mayor calls "Young Fred"), to get help. Fred activates the Yellow Submarine and takes off in it ("Yellow Submarine"). Old Fred travels to Liverpool ("Eleanor Rigby"), where he follows a depressed Ringo and persuades him to return to Pepperland with him. Ringo collects his "mates" John, George, and finally Paul in The Pier, a house-like building on the top of a hill. The five journey back to Pepperland in the yellow submarine...

...As they start learning to operate the submarine, they sing "All Together Now", after which they pass through several regions on their way to Pepperland:

·         Sea of Time – where time flows both forwards and backwards to the tune of "When I'm Sixty-Four". At one point, the submarine passes itself as it loops through time.

·         Sea of Science – where they sing "Only a Northern Song". Just before the song finishes, they pick up a monster.

·         Sea of Monsters – The monster is ejected into a sea inhabited by other weird monsters. Ringo presses the panic button on the submarine, ejecting him from the submarine and into the sea. He is seen riding one of the monsters, who tosses him around, and with the threat of Native American-like creatures, resulting in John pressing another button on the submarine, sending the US Cavalry to successfully defeat the creatures and rescue Ringo. It is also where a monstrous "vacuum cleaner beast" sucks up all loose objects, creatures, the entire landscape, and finally itself, popping the submarine into a strange empty void...

·        

Sea of Nothing – This blank region is where they meet Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D. ("Phud"), a short pudgy creature with a painted clown face and cotton tail, but a highly studious and helpful ally to the Beatles, who sing "Nowhere Man" in reference to him. As they leave, Ringo feels sorry for the "Nowhere Man" and invites him to join them aboard the submarine.

·         Foothills of the Headlands – Thanks to Jeremy, this is where he and the Beatles are separated from both the Submarine (and Old Fred) and where John sings "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". Pepper (foreshadowing that Pepperland is yet to come) causes the beings in the Headlands to sneeze, blowing the Beatles and Jeremy into the Sea of Holes.

·         Sea of Holes – Here, Jeremy is kidnapped by one of the Blue Meanies patrolling the outskirts of Pepperland. Ringo thoroughly investigates one of the endless number of holes and puts it into his pocket. While searching for Jeremy, Ringo jumps onto a green hole which turns the Sea of Holes into a Sea of Green. From here, the group arrives in Pepperland, followed by Old Fred and his Submarine...

Reunited with Old Fred and the submarine, they look upon the landscape: a sorry sight. The beautiful flowers have become thorns, and the once-happy landscape now a barren wasteland. Everyone is immobilized and made miserable by the evil Blue Meanies, only able to move when permitted (such as when the Meanies feel like bullying them). The Beatles, camouflaged as Pepperlandian cutouts, dress up as Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and reacquire (steal back) some instruments (their own instruments were lost in the Sea of Monsters) from the warehouse where the Meanies impounded "all things that make music". The four are discovered at the last second (Ringo accidentally steps on a bagpipe) and a clown Meanie sounds the alarm, causing the Beatles to flee hastily from the Meanies' vicious multi-headed (and multi-bodied) dog. Once in the clear, after defeating some apple-bonkers, the four rally the land to rebellion, singing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", eventually forcing the Blue Meanies to retreat...

...The Chief Blue Meanie retaliates, sending out his main enforcer, the Dreadful Flying Glove, but John easily defeats it by singing "All You Need is Love". Pepperland is restored to colour and its flowers re-bloom, as the residents, empowered by the Beatles' music, rise up and take up arms (flowers) against the Meanies, who are fleeing headlong back to the blue border mountains where they came from. The original Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band are released (thanks to the hole carried in Ringo's pocket from the Sea of Holes) and Ringo rescues Jeremy. The Beatles then have a rematch with the four-headed Meanie dog, singing "Hey Bulldog", with the Beatles victorious once again (This scene was in the UK version). The Blue Meanies are forced to retreat, and the Chief Blue Meanie tries to save face by killing Jeremy, but Jeremy performs some "transformation magic" on him causing the Meanie to sadly concede defeat. John extends an offer of friendship, and the Chief Blue Meanie has a change of heart (partly due to the "transformation magic" performed by Jeremy) and accepts. An enormous party ensues, where everyone sings "It's All Too Much" with everyone living happily ever after...

...At the end, we see the real Beatles in live-action, having returned home, playfully showing off their souvenirs: George has the submarine's motor, Paul has "a little 'LOVE'" and Ringo still has half a hole in his pocket (having supposedly given the other half to Jeremy, which Paul offers to fix "to keep his mind from wandering", a reference to "Fixing a Hole"). Looking through a telescope, John announces that "newer and bluer Meanies have been sighted within the vicinity of this theatre" and claims there is only one way to go out: "Singing!" The quartet obliges with a short reprise of "All Together Now", which ends with translations of the song's title in various languages appearing in sequence on the screen, which concludes with the words "Released through United Artists" on the bottom-right-hand-corner of the screen”.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press Association 

Two soundtracks from the film have been released: the second, in 1999, contained all the songs from the film except A Day in the Life. Apart from the odd original composition (like Only a Northern Song); fans got a mixture of Beatles classics from their recent albums. It was a head-swelling, mind-tripping film that showed a new side to the band and was really well received. Although a few retrospective reviews have scored down the film and felt it has not aged well; at the time, there was a huge swell of love for the Beatles masterpiece. Even if the soundtrack was a little muted in terms of the band’s best; few had any complaints regarding the film itself! It is remarkable to think there is so much love for the fifty-year-old film! We have this ongoing fascination of The Beatles and digest everything from them. Like their albums; we hold their films in high esteem, even if they have produced some pretty average ones (Magical Mystery Tour, for one!).

Special screenings are occurring today – check search engines to see if Yellow Submarine is playing near you! – and revel in the brilliance, giddiness and wonder. This year will see another fiftieth anniversary for The Beatles: their eponymous album was released in 1968 and will be met with a lot of acclaim, respect and special shows. I am annoyed I do not have time to get to a cinema but will buy the film from Amazon and watch it as soon as I can. We have not really seen any real equivalent to Yellow Submarine since 1968. Some bands have had films made about them but nothing as phantasmagorical and spellbinding as Yellow Submarine. Even if the boys’ career had reached its real last peak and was threatened with a steady decline; the film, Yellow Submarine, was a reminder of what the band could achieve and why they were so loved.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Press Association

Even though we only get to see a brief glimpse of The Beatles (at the very end); a new wave of affection came through and swept the world. Have a look at the film and, if you can, get to a cinema and see it on the big screen! Listen to the album and listen to all the gems and pleasures waiting within. There are plenty of times ahead we can mark a Beatles anniversary and celebrate one of their terrific works. Today belongs to Yellow Submarine and a film many of us wouldn’t have been able to experience the first time around (in 1968). I defy you to watch the film and not hum the title-track until…

YOUR voice runs dry

FEATURE: Is This America? How Perspective and Direction Can Be Gained from Artists Regarding Gun Violence in the U.S.

FEATURE:

 

 

Is This America?

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

How Perspective and Direction Can Be Gained from Artists Regarding Gun Violence in the U.S.

__________

LAST night…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sacha Baron Cohen (right) in a sketch for Who Is America?/PHOTO CREDIT: Showtime

saw Sasha Baron Cohen’s latest project, Who Is America?, hit the screens. In it, he played a range of characters who, essentially, dupe idiotic U.S. figures – politicians, for the most part – into endorsing arming toddlers and children with guns. As the series progresses, he will fool high-profile politicians like Sarah Palin – perhaps not the hardest thing to do considering the sort of thing that comes out of their mouths! It is shocking seeing how easily these people open to up to Cohen’s characters and endorse the most ridiculous thing – whether it is guns camouflaged into soft toys or the idea of arming those as young as four! Whilst it is disturbing hearing and seeing such casual and reckless attitudes to guns; some critics have made a point: is it revelatory or does it already confirm what we know about many U.S. politicians (mostly Republicans)?! The Atlantic reviewed the opening episode of Who Is America? and had this to say:

“The big, shocking capper of Who Is America?’s first episode sees Cohen’s character Erran Morad, an iron-jawed Israeli gun activist, coax several current and former members of Congress into endorsing a program that would arm kindergarten students. People like former U.S. Senator Trent Lott, Rep. Joe Wilson, former Rep. Joe Walsh, and gun lobbyist Larry Pratt are filmed reading ludicrous prepared statements peppered with lines like “Our Founding Fathers did not put an age limit on the Second Amendment!” It’s a gotcha moment meant to underline the blind extremism of ideology—but is that something American viewers really need further confirmation of right now?”

There have been similarly mixed reviews that applaud the boldness of Cohen but wonder whether we are learning anything new. It will be interesting to see how the series progresses and what we can learn. It is hard, at a time when gun violence is at a shocking high and the ignorant Trump is in office, to find real solutions and breakthrough. Gun violence in the U.S. is as old as the nation itself: from Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to the ongoing and unending high-school murders; we have struggled to get to grips with the sheer volume of tragedies in the U.S. I realise gun violence is not a problem limited to America. Most nations on Earth, in some form, have to deal with gun violence but it is especially pronounced in the U.S. – especially such a powerful and influential world power. This current political incarnation (in the U.S.) is not going to further the calls for a ban on gun sales. The fact we have Donald Trump in office at the moment means the problems are as rife as ever – someone who feels owning a gun and ‘defending yourself’ is a right and is inalienable. Musicians have always been at the forefront when it comes to addressing the issue – mainly black artists, it has to be fair. Gun violence affects every community but it is the minorities of American that tend to suffer worse.

Whether that is a problem of social poverty or police brutality; there is a definite sense and spine of racism in America. Whilst a lot of high-school shooters, and victims, are white; police shootings have shown how there is a definite sense of discrimination and racism that has disgusted the world. A lot of poorer communities are seeing gun-related deaths rise; one-off attacks are going off – such a scattershot and frightening range of problems to address. Whilst mental-health is a subject and contributory factor; it is hard to find a common link and solution. Musicians are, to me, among the most power and influential people out there. We all remember Childish Gambino’s potent and extraordinary video for This Is America. The video was only released in May but had already received three-hundred-million views on YouTube. The video sees Childish Gambino in the forefront, dancing and smiling. In the background, there is carnage and riot; we see a scene of a man being shot in the head by Childish Gambino – all the while, there is a blend of blasé and shocking. Kendrick Lamar tackled gun violence and hypocrisy – being singled out as a terrorist or gang member – on his albums, DAMN. and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. WIRED wrote a piece following the release of Childish Gambino’s video for This Is American and nailed it alluring appeal:

“Working under his rap pseudonym Childish Gambino, Glover, like Walker, suggests a story of impossible escape. It’s tough work, blood-soaked and vacant redemption, but—and here’s where the artifice begins to reveal traces of brilliance—it’s playful and soul-moving to the point one only wants to keep peering into its dark interiors, waiting for the next truth to sprout”.

IN THIS PHOTO: The tracklist for Kendrick Lamar's album, DAMN./PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It is the most striking and talked-about video we have seen in many years. It got me thinking back to the Folk protest movements of the 1960s and '70s when Bob Dylan was singing about war masters and political deceit; the anti-war artists proffered peace and love over arming troops and taking innocent lives. The idea of protest and musical rebellion got tougher and more inflamed by the time groups like N.W.A. and Public Enemy broke through. From the (mostly) white Folk artists offering a peaceful, if angered, plea for calm and togetherness; the new wave of Hip-Hop artists were a more fierce and direct example. From Public Enemy’s calls to fight the power and N.W.A.’s observations of police violence and racist attacks – artists have always been able to offer direction and perspective. A lot of the advice from artists – from the Folk agents to Hip-Hop heroes – has centred around greater awareness and care. It is not about vengeance and striking back at those who perpetrate murders and continue to keep gun violence in the press. Whilst the need for common sense and a change of the law has been a consistent vein running through decades of music; the way artists are discussing gun violence now has changed. The piece I have just quoted talks about Childish Gambino’s video and its climax:

“…And in this, his ultimate trick is his most nightmarish. Throughout the video, Gambino and the school children are the lone people untouched, dancing with the history of Jim Crow alive in their feet, contorting and romping, faces plastered with sly, elastic grins. But it turns out to be a mirage—in the final flash, Gambino’s character is seen manically fleeing down a dark hall, a mob at his back. With harrowing clarity one last note boils, then pops: even when you play their game, they still turn on you. "This Is America," unlike so much protest music, ends as it began—with death, pain, blood. We never know what exactly comes of Gambino, but Young Thug’s closing lyrics bear the impact of a dagger. "You just a big dawg, yeah/I kenneled him in the backyard".

The message is clear: ignorance and accepting what is happening is not going to be a solution. Activation and education are needed; people to stand up and do something. Whilst the actual solution to gun violence might be years away (or impossible at any time) pacifism and turning a blind eye will not improve anything. Songs like This Is America do not point at easy answers and say how we can end gun violence and ensure peace come to the U.S. (and the world). It might be a lot to ask that of musicians but, right now, artists like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino are providing perspective and forcing us to open our eyes. Music videos are a powerful tool and can be more influential and revelatory than any political speech or news report. I feel, too, a lot of the powerful messages and call for action is coming from a very specific area of music. Black artists of music might have seen their race and people suffer the worse violence but, look at the statistics, and gun-related deaths affect everyone. I wonder whether more artists should be tackling the state of America and the endless spate of attacks. Maybe many feel they lack conviction or knowledge but that would be foolhardy – one need not be a gun expert or know the inner-workings of the N.R.A. (National Rifle Association) to realise what madness there is. The important thing to consider is bringing the subject to the people and getting them out of the assumption staying quiet will see the problem go away.

It is debatable how much constitutional change has been achieved from musicians’ messages but a well-timed song or extraordinary video can open up channels and educate. There are always those who will say music and certain genres have always had a rather spotty association with guns. Some have accused U.K. Trap music of influencing those who carried out gun-related murders in the capital earlier in the year. Others look at the so-called glamorisation of guns and that lifestyle in Hip-Hop videos as fuel for those who carry out murders and school shootings. If people think musicians are endorsing guns and saying it is ‘cool’, then that is motive enough to shoot. This debate has been going for decades and is usually aimed at the film and video game industry – are we all so impressionable we will copycat scenes of gun violence we see on our screens?! Another interesting article looked at those in the Rap and Hip-Hop communities not only opposed to changes in gun laws but culpable when it comes to associating guns with fashion and a normal lifestyle:

“Unfortunately not every rapper believes in supporting the changing gun laws. On Saturday (while not in attendance at a #MFOL event) Killer Mike appeared in an NRA video voicing his support for gun ownership. The division of rappers on “conscious” issues affects their persona and their music. Artists who take time in their discography to discuss gun violence can be considered conscious rappers, while artists who use guns in their music to show they mean business are classified as gangster rappers. It’s rare to see someone who creates a gray line between.

As Gangsta Rap was born out of Compton in the 1980s, aspiring rappers tried to follow N.W.A. by not only voicing their reality on police brutality, but their fashion, including a bandana and a glock on their hip. While these defining characteristics poised questions towards gang culture and not always about the music, guns became a centerpoint for toughness in the streets.

Their ability to take a life or at least to scare an unwelcome beef away, created a persona of being untouchable to outside groups”.

I think there is a long way to go regards galvanising people on the issue of gun violence and bringing it to an end. There are even splits and divisions in the music industry which leads me to believe there will always be those out there who feel gun ownership is intractable and acceptable; shootings are either a form of defence or a reality of living in certain communities. It is hard to change everyone’s voting habit but it is clear artists are not lying down and watching these senseless killings. There has been a blindness that has run through music (and society) for a long time. I posed the question regarding music as a whole and why more artists have not spoken out against the horror we see on the news. They need not be American and do not need to be a Hip-Hop artist: any artist is entitled to their say and is capable of provoking reaction. The crucial message that has been common music since the 1960s to the current time is sitting there and expecting change to come will achieve nothing. So much discussion has opened up on the strength of a single music video alone. Childish Gambino’s masterful This Is America – directed by Hiro Murai - has scorched its images and messages into the eyes and minds of everyone who watched the video. It is a protest for action and awareness; that America’s gun problem is not going away and the only way we can ever hope to see any change and improvement is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

TO come together and speak out.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Phoebe Bridgers

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Ray Lego for Under the Radar

Phoebe Bridgers

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I look out at music…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

and you have a clash between those artists with original spirit and personality and those who sort of fall out of the memory. It is hard, in a modern age, to grab attention and hold people spellbound and hooked – we often wander between artists and struggle to keep focused for too long. I tend to find those who hover on the fringes of the mainstream hold the most power and grace. Phoebe Bridgers is one of very few modern songwriters who tick all boxes and stay in the mind. I am not suggesting we lack great songwriters in the world but too often, to me, the modern artist lacks all the necessary qualities for longevity and stardom. There is something grounded and yet inaccessible about Bridgers. To me, she seems to be the ultra-cool and popular: someone people would flock around; she would attend the best parties and people would hang on her words. That said, there is no ego and arrogance from the American artist. At twenty-three-years-old, the L.A. musician is getting her music to the world and taking some big steps. She has been playing music for a while but her debut album, Stranger in the Alps, arrived last year. I find a lot of young artists, when they release debut albums, tend to sound either too nervous or similar to someone else.

There are exceptions but too many find their feet a couple of albums down the line. Listen to the first notes of Smoke Signals – the first song from Stranger in the Alps – and there is that confidence and brilliance. The fact the song is over five minutes shows how much Bridgers believed in it – an album where every track but Smoke Signals (Reprise) lasts over three minutes. It is the sound of a young artist in love with the music and not willing to cut anything too short; always willing to let lyrics breathe and choruses the time to bloom and flourish. A review of Stranger in the Alps, from Consequence of Sound, highlighted the natural and personality-driven nature of the music:

“The album’s also full of interesting cadences, both in terms of the rhythms employed and Bridgers’ verses. Her words sometimes spill out over the meter and convey the messiness of a thought in a way that matches the rough-hewn sentiment of a song. These arrangements complement her voice beautifully. Multiple tracks feature intricate guitar-picking sequences, while Bridgers sings out with a voice that reverberates in the spaces between the notes”.

The narratives that run through the songs draw the listener into the song and involve you in the imagery. One track might see you in a car with Bridgers as she observes the American landscape with thoughts of relaxation in her mind; another might look at a mortality and personal relevance. It is the beauty and inventiveness of the debut album that strikes me. Another artist that strikes my thoughts, when thinking of Bridgers, is Billie Marten.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Morgan Martinez of Hooligan Mag

She released her debut, Writing of Blues and Yellows, in 2016 and that record moved me immensely. I adore the beauty of the vocals and how (Marten) mixes Folk of the past with something modern to create her own world. It is the intimacy and sense of revelation that got into my soul. Marten does not push the listener away and hide: the British teenager wants people to come into her life and walk with her. The same can be said of Phoebe Bridgers. She, like Marten, seems like an older head on younger shoulders. There is elegance and wistfulness on some songs; in other moments, one gets the sense of a curious woman trying to get more from life and get out of a funk. I can imagine Bridgers’ early life and childhood was about exploring older artists and legends like David Bowie and Joni Mitchell; vintage representations of Los Angeles and dusty books. Maybe I am painting her as a heroine of a classic novel but, unlike many of her peers, it is the music and work that matters most. You get the sense so many artists are all about Instagram and followers; how to market themselves and lose any sense of personality, naturalness and physicality. Bridgers engages in social media but, looking at her Twitter feed, and she is much more personable, appealing and open. She might offer a random thought or ask questions of her followers – there is a loose and accessible aspect you do not get with a lot of songwriters.

In many ways, it will be fascinating to see how Bridgers follows her debut and what direction she takes. Worldwide attention and increased popularity could go to an artist’s head and change their music for the worse. That is a gamble for most but I feel, with Bridgers, she will produce something similar to Stranger in the Alps. There are so few artists able to produce such intelligent and scenic/story-like lyrics together with music that has grandeur, complexity and so many colours. It is amazing to think (Stranger in the Alps) comes from someone so young, making her first steps in the industry. Maybe there is a pressure to follow up something so great or an accompanying pressure regarding emerging talent and how Bridgers will keep her place. These anxieties are natural but she need not fear anything. Her debut is still gaining a lot of love and recently, she worked with Noah and Abby Gundersen on Killer + the Sound. It is a wonderful, haunting single that takes Bridgers’ voice in a new direction. Listen to the songwriter speak in interviews and she comes across as a typical, if more intelligent and cultured, American woman who wants to touch people with her music. There is confident and humour but she has a shyness and reservation that suggests, when she comes away from the stage or winds down, she shuts the world away and focuses on herself. It is hard to say either way: Bridgers has a slight enigma and mystery that add to the musical experience.

Bridgers conducted an interview with The Telegraph a few months ago and discussed her debut album and what she is doing next. She talked about her album and how she managed to make it on her own terms because of the commercial work - in 2013, while playing in a Punk band called Sloppy Jane, she was approached to record a cover of the Pixies song, Gigantic, for an iPhone advertisement – and did not have to sign with a label:

“Doing stuff on my own terms and making a record without being signed to a label – I credit that all to my commercial work,” she says. “I was playing so many shows at the time that I barely even went to my senior year of high school and was certainly not turning a profit. Then I did that commercial, which was only five days’ work, and it was like getting signed to a label. It was like a development deal”.

We have an artist who wants to make music on her own terms and, aside from a high-profile advert, is not willing to get into bed with labels and advertisers. The authenticity and sense of self is important to her; not bending to commercial demands and making an album that sounds right to a label. In the same interview, she talked about Ryan Adams – they brief dated not long after he turned forty (she was twenty) – and a song that was inspired by him.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Another snippet from the conversation showed a more child-like vibe – against the tales of dating an older musician and taking so being thrust into the public consciousness at a young age. The balance and blends you get with Phoebe Bridgers make her such an intriguing and captivating personality:

“Growing up in LA, with parents who never had much money – her father was a construction worker; her mother, a receptionist – Bridgers cloistered herself in a twee Harry Potter world. Her bedroom, she says, was a shrine to the J K Rowling stories. “I was totally obsessed until I was about 13 – I love that the female characters aren’t just accessories.” She gets out her phone to show me a picture of her posing gleefully at Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross station”.

It seems like Bridgers has a busy time ahead of her – a lot of touring and dates right through until the latter part of the year; interviews and promotional duties in-between those dates. After all of the gigs and manic whirl has died down; it seems like Bridgers will look ahead to another album and following up Stranger in the Alps. It will be an interesting experience and a different process to the one that created the debut. Bridgers has travelled the world and seen her profiled raised; she has experienced new love and downs – plenty of food for new material. Whatever she comes up with, it is sure to beguile and delight. In a music scene where there are few genuine stars and standout characters; a lot of people could learn an awful lot…

FROM Phoebe Bridgers.

FEATURE: Monday Motivation Music: Songs to Kickstart the Working Week

FEATURE:

 

Monday Motivation Music

ALL PHOTOS: Unsplash 

Songs to Kickstart the Working Week

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A lot of people are struggling in this heat…

and there are others who do not want to be stuck indoors whilst the sun is out! In any case; many of us are reluctant to get out into the working world and spend our time in a sweaty office! Every Monday morning is a challenge: it is getting harder to lift the energy rates and participate in a full day of rather tedious work. It is another hot and sweaty week ahead, and so, we all need a bit of a kick and motivation. For that reason, I am ending the weekend by putting together a Monday-ready playlist that should add a spring and sense of energy to the step! Put on the playlist and shut the world off; let the songs get into the head and, once they have done their work, they should keep you going…

UNTIL the weekend (or the end of Monday, at the very least!).