FEATURE: Groovelines: Lana Del Rey - Video Games

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

PHOTO CREDIT: Nicole Nodland for British Vogue

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

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I have written about…

PHOTO CREDIT: Nicole Nodland for British Vogue

Lana Del Rey recently. I think that she is the greatest American songwriter of her generation. Possibly one of the best songwriters from any nation. Such is the individuality, evocative nature and quality of her music, I cannot think of anyone like her. Rather than focus on her new music, I am going back to the start for this Groovelines. Her major label debut single, Video Games, was released on 7th October, 2011. Co-written with Justin Parker and produced by RoboPop (Daniel Omelio), I am going to highlight why it is one of the most revolutionary and important Pop songs ever. Not that you can put it in that genre. When it comes to Lana Del Rey and her style, it is cinematic, moody, beautiful, lush, baroque and divine. From her 2012 major label debut album, Born to Die, Video Games is often placed at the top of lists when it comes to Del Rey’s best songs. In fact, as you can see from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, GQ, and udiscovermusic.com, it is the queen! A song that everyone is compelled and fascinated by. I think Born to Die is an album criminally underrated. There was this mystery around Lana Del Rey in 2011. Her real name is Elizabeth Grant. That is the credit she used for the songwriting, so people were not sure who she really was or whether Lana Del Rey was a creation or someone else. It was a strange time. Maybe the media were confused by such a different sounding artist. Nobody like her was in music at that time!

I am going to get to articles about Video Games. The song’s co-scribe Justin Parker was interviewed by the BBC in 2012. A moment when Lana Del Rey was on everyone’s mind, it is bewildering nobody at the label liked her song! A big success in the U.K. but only a minor success in the U.S., there is no denying the fact that, now, Video Games is a hugely important song - and one that changed the face of modern music upon its release. Something blew through a mainstream that was struggling for inspiration or a move away from a lot of samey artists:

“The man who co-wrote Video Games with Lana Del Rey has admitted that "no-one liked it" from the record company when they first played the track.

Justin Parker co-wrote five tracks on Del Rey's Born to Die album, released by Polydor in January 2012.

Video Games is up for best contemporary song at the Ivor Novello Awards.

"They didn't think it was a single," Parker said. "It was quite amazing because me and Lana thought it was brilliant."

It was the weight of public approval that helped the pair convince record executives, he said.

"I think the video changed everyone's mind. It just took off didn't it?

"I mean they had no choice, they had to release it, it was forced upon them."

The video accompanying the song has now been viewed more than 38 million times on YouTube.

Quick hit

Justin Parker and Lana Del Rey wrote together for about 12 months, completing 12 songs together, five of which made the cut for Born to Die.

Despite the sombre tone of Video Games, Parker found composing it "a lot more fun than it sounds like musically".

"We wrote it in about three hours. It's quite a dark song, but it was an absolute blast."

The pair would meet up to write in London at weekends, Parker getting the train in from Lincoln, Del Rey flying in from New York "when she could afford it".

Parker found their collaboration simply worked: "It was a bit like writing with your younger sister by the end of it because we just got on so well - it just seemed so easy."

'The Adele effect'

Lana Del Rey joins the female-heavy nomination list for the 2011 Ivor Novello Awards.

Adele has four nominations while the album award is an all-female category for the first time in the ceremony's history.

Justin Parker feels "the Adele effect" can only bring good to the British music scene.

"It's great to have really classic song-writing being represented with Adele," he said.

"I think without Adele, perhaps Lana may not have happened because it kind of opened a door for people to look at that kind of song writing, a bit more classic style of song-writing”.

I will come to the reception and reaction for Video Games. Still hugely admired to this day, it is this beguiling and dream-like song that draws you into this amazing world! American Songwriter went behind the song for a feature in 2020. I think I first heard Video Games when it came out. I was awestruck by its sound. It provided this instantly reaction:

“Del Rey wrote the song with Justin Parker, who came up with the eerie, seesawing piano chords at the heart of the instrumental backing. When it came to the lyrics, the singer-songwriter looked to a pair of recent relationships, as she told the website Socialstereotype.com. “The verse was about the way things were with one person, and the chorus was the way that I wished things had really been with another person, who I thought about for a long time,” she said.

In the verses, Del Rey paints scenes of domestic tranquility and socializing with friends, 21st-century style. Her days and nights are filled with beer, darts, billiards and, of course, video games. “This is my idea of fun,” she sings at the end of the verse in a voice somewhere between deadpan and narcotized. These seemingly trivial pursuits are given meaning by the presence of the man in her life. With his strong arms, fast car and sexy patter, he seems more like an action-movie screenwriter’s construct than a living, breathing human.

The humanity comes in the chorus, when Del Rey snaps out of her monotone and confesses the depth of her feelings with genuine longing in her voice. “It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you,” she sings, and you can’t help but believe it. As opposed to the detached cool of the verses, Del Rey peppers the refrain with the moony sentiments of a schoolgirl, going so far as to borrow a line from Belinda Carlisle (“Heaven is a place on earth with you”) to get her point across.

 IN THIS PHOTO: AJ Numan/PHOTO CREDIT: for Wonderland Magazine

There is an undeniable hint of desperation in her voice when she sings the chorus, as if this bliss she’s describing can’t possibly last much longer. The haunting atmosphere in the music seconds that notion, that this love affair, rhapsodized by the lyrics, is actually built on fragile ground and doomed to expire.

In an interview with Q Magazine, Del Rey tried to put a fine point on the appeal of the song. “I know that it’s a beautiful song and I sing it really low, which might set it apart,” she said. “I played it for a lot of people (in the industry) when I first wrote it and no one responded. It’s like a lot of things that have happened in my life during the last seven years, another personal milestone. It’s myself in song form.”

When Del Rey appeared on Saturday Night Live in January of 2012 to perform the song and promote her debut album Born To Die, she found out about the downside of hype. Her shaky performance took a beating on social media, and the possibility that Del Rey would be swallowed up by the backlash seemed very real.

That she rebounded with 2014’s critically-acclaimed Ultraviolence is a testament to Del Rey’s talent and toughness. The hype machine has run its course, and the good news is that “Video Games” now seems like it will more likely be the first act of a long, impressive career rather than the product of a one-hit wonder”.

Before coming to another article about the song, this i-D interview from 2011 captured the thoughts of an artist who was creating a lot of buzz and fascination. It is wonderful seeing how she has blossomed and progressed since 2011:

“Video Games” went viral long before its release date. Did you anticipate its success?

I've been putting my music online for so long that I didn't expect “Video Games” to get more attention than any other song. It's strange that people would react to a five-minute ballad, it's great though.

What's the song about?

I spoke to some journalists yesterday and they told me they thought “Video Games” was a sad song, but to me it feels happy. Things hadn't been working out for me musically for such a long time. I wrote “Video Games” after I let go of my ambitions of becoming a noteworthy artist, and was just enjoying being with my boyfriend instead, living in a trailer park, watching him play video games. That was all my life consisted of and I was at peace with that, so to me it's a happy song.

How do you think your boyfriend of the time felt when he heard the song?

I think he would find it rad. It captures the simple things about our relationship — getting dressed to go out, sitting down to watch TV. The melodies are pretty; they're the perfect match for what I was feeling. It's like, when you get a lot of things you want, and you lose them, then you get them again, then you lose them, you become a simpler person. You realise that stuff is going to keep leaving… what you really want is to find someone you can have fun with and spend all your time with.

Do you remember the first time you saw someone perform and thought, ‘this is what I want'?

When I saw Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged I thought 'Fuck my life! That is so sexy!' I was young but you could tell there was something tragic going on. The undertone was dark, even the funeral flowers and candles on the MTV set. He was so much more epic than anyone else I had ever encountered on television, or in real life.

Who inspires you today?

Eminem. He's a big truth teller and a mastermind rhymer. He's completely autobiographical; he's funny and as smart as they come. He's smarter than anyone else in pop music, other than Weezy. Everyone knows that.

Were you hesitant about how people would perceive you as a singer?

If I had realised just how many people were gonna watch “Video Games” then I would have had my hair and make-up done. And maybe I wouldn't have shot it on my laptop! The downside of having the video online is that for as many people who really like it, there are an equal number who fucking hate it. The amount of hate mail I get in my inbox is crazy. They always talk about my face and say terrible things. It's one of the worst things I've ever encountered in my entire life. It sounds like a luxury problem, but it's not. I'm a pretty simple person. I don't know many people and I've kept myself to myself for a really long time, so it's not something I anticipated. I anticipated no one really listening to it.

In Video Games you show a clip of Paz de la Huerta falling down drunk at the Golden Globe Awards. Why?

She's perfect. She's perfect because she's a person who wanted fame all her life and then she got it, and she loves it.

Do you identify with her?

No, I mean yes. I guess that's why I put it in. I don't want the same thing, but I know what she meant. She loves falling down, she fucking revels in her own disaster. She knows exactly what's happening and she loves it. I put it in because I thought it was right for the song, in the same way the Super 8 footage of the kids by the pool was right. I let my intuition guide me. I have a very strong narrative in mind. Maybe you could say it's my take on the dark side of the American Dream… fame gone bad, but I just think it's funny.

Does writing come naturally to you?

It used to. Francis Ford Coppola said if you sit down at the same place, at the same time, every day, the muse will know where to find you. I was so inspired by the visions I was having and the sonic world I was creating [that] it was easy, but now I only sit down to write when it comes to me.

Do you enjoy performing?

Ummm I really like writing. I really like singing, taking pictures is easy, but performing is pretty fucking terrifying. Really fucking terrifying actually.

How do you prepare?

Fucking pray all night, I get sick, whatever. I'm hoping it will change. I haven't been on a stage in 16 months”.

I am going to get to an article that writes how Video Games altered the Pop landscape. At a time when there was this bright Pop music that wasn’t necessarily that deep, along came something that was much more substantial, serious and deep. It was a turning point. In 2010, the Lana Del Ray album came out. Her career was not in a terrific state in 2011. Even if Video Games was more of an international success, it would not take long until the New York City-artist was a much bigger and acclaimed name around the world (and in her native U.S.):

“Few songs have had as much impact on the direction and marketing of popular music as Lana Del Rey’s breakout hit. Officially released on October 7, 2011 (it had leaked months earlier), “Video Games” arrived at a time when Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ke$ha dominated the airwaves with their upbeat, electro-pop bangers. Lana, however, offered an entirely different proposition. Here was a sullen songstress with an understated ballad that sounded a hell of a lot sadder than the lyrics gave it any right to.

Not only was the sound completely different to her contemporaries, so was the aesthetic. Instead of rocking outrageous costumes, face paint and body glitter, LDR looked like she had just stepped out of a Life magazine shoot circa 1955. In other words, “Video Games” should never have worked and it was predictably ignored by pop radio. Instead, “Video Games” became one of the first songs to chart on the back of an outpouring of love from music blogs and, subsequently, rabid support on social media.

While going viral is considered a standard launching pad for a music career in 2019, it was uncharted territory in 2011. And Lana doesn’t get enough credit for mapping those badlands. “Video Games” also ushered in the age of the DIY pop star. All of a sudden, artists were not only expected to write their own music, but also corral fans online. Moreover, the success of the self-directed video resulted in a demand for greater input visually. In the wake of “Video Games,” authenticity (or at least the perception of it) was king.

However, the impact of “Video Games” goes well beyond marketing. It birthed the dark-pop movement that still persists to this day. While morose pop music has been a thing since Nancy Sinatra picked up a microphone (and probably well before it), Lana made it cool and commercial again. Suddenly, the interwebs were clogged with a flood of sad girls and even sadder boys with copycat sounds. On a more uplifting note, the song also introduced fans to Lana’s influences and opened the door for other artists that didn’t fit the industry mold.

“Video Games” ultimately peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100. Happily, it was received very differently abroad. The crushing ballad topped the charts in Germany and cracked the top 10 in major markets like the UK and France. A phenomenon was born, and America could no longer ignore it. On its 8th birthday, take some time to revisit one of the most influential songs of the 2010s. It sounds every bit as mesmerizing today as it did in 2011”.

There has been a lot written about Video Games, though I don’t think that enough has been written in the past five years or so regarding how Lana Del Rey’s Video Games changed Pop. How her evolution and influence since then has been profound and hugely unexpected – given the fact Video Games was such a slow-burning in many countries. In October 2016, five years after its release, DAZED discussed the enduring legacy of the song. I think its influence has widened and strengthened in the ensuring seven years:

“It was five years ago that Lana Del Rey first entranced the world with her distinctive, dreamy brand of what she called ‘Hollywood Sadcore’. The first glimpse came in the form of “Video Games”, a simple yet brilliant ballad which stopped an EDM-obsessed music industry in its tracks. Its instrumentation is minimal; the song opens with church bells and slowly develops as harps, strings and a plodding piano swell underneath the beauty of Del Rey’s distinctive vocal. Lyrics seem to be sighed instead of sung; there are hints of melancholia as well as that sweeping, cinematic sadness with which Del Rey has since become synonymous. It’s aged incredibly well due to its lack of reliance on musical trends: “Video Games” is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime track destined for critical acclaim regardless of its release date.

Then, there was the video. It’s a moving collage comprised of archive footage – think Disney vixens, American flags and flickering clips of a faded Hollywood sign – interspersed with webcam videos of a doe-eyed Del Rey singing wistfully at the camera. The song lyrics themselves rely on a juxtaposition of fantasy and reality; the verses depict a doting Del Rey dressing up to distract her lover from his aforementioned “Video Games” whereas the cinematic chorus sees the starlet romanticise the concept of romance, cooing “Heaven is a place on Earth with you.”

“The verse was about the way things were with one person, and the chorus was the way that I wished things had really been with another person, who I thought about for a long time”, she explained in a Dazed profile back in 2011. “‘Swinging in the backyard, pull up in your fast car, whistling my name’. That was what happened, you know? He’d come home and I’d see him. But then the chorus wasn’t like that. That was the way that I wished it was – the melody sounds so compelling and heavenly because I wanted it to be that way.”

“Retrospectively, the contrast between the reality of a relationship and a wistful longing for old-fashioned love remain the perfect introduction to Lana Del Rey’s work”

Retrospectively, the contrast between the reality of a relationship and a wistful longing for old-fashioned love remain the perfect introduction to Lana Del Rey’s work; the same themes continue to permeate her more recent work, and her commitment to her singular aesthetic remains unflinching. Back in 2011, the commercial viability of that aesthetic was astounding – “Video Games” went platinum in Australia, Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom as well as going double platinum in Switzerland and selling over 2.6million copies worldwide. To date, the video has been viewed over 128,000,000 times on YouTube alone and the song won a prestigious Ivor Novello award for Best Contemporary Song in 2012. Her most recent work may have never have reached the same commercial peaks as “Video Games” but the reference points remain the same – even if the budgets are now bigger.

It’s undeniable that the timing of “Video Games” release was pivotal – its unique soundscape seemed even more unique in a mainstream increasingly dominated by identikit EDM. In an interview with T Magazine, Del Rey explained that record labels saw her downbeat, melancholy output as a commercial risk which deterred them from taking a chance. “I would play my songs, explain what I was trying to do, and I’d get ‘You know who’s No. 1 in 13 countries right now? Kesha. ‘Video Games’ was a 4-and-a-half-minute ballad’”, she explained. “No instruments on it. It was too dark, too personal, too risky, not commercial. It wasn’t pop until it was on the radio.”

The moment the song did hit the radio, the reception was unprecedented – and also extremely short-lived. There was a quick backlash following “Video Games” success which saw Lana Del Rey elevated and subsequently crucified by the media before she even released her first album. It seems the backlash started around the time that ill-fated debut LP was unearthed online; entitled Lana Del Ray a.k.a. Lizzy Grant, the album hinted at the sonic potential that would later flourish; much like “Video Games”, these were downbeat, lovelorn ballads rooted in grainy, lo-fi Americana. Media outlets were, on the other hand, more incensed at the discovery of Lana Del Rey as a pseudonym; shattered was the illusion that she had appeared from nowhere on YouTube, a revelation which sparked a subsequent mission to crucify the starlet for a supposed lack of authenticity.

This criticism was bolstered by a widely-panned Saturday Night Live performance which many argued as a demonstration of her lack of talent. Del Rey was forced to defend herself, explaining that she wasn’t yet a trained performer and was, in fact, finding her feet in front of a global audience. Articles were soon released attempting to expose Del Rey as a case of style over substance; headlines exposed a millionaire father and drew attention to claims that Del Rey had been pushed by managers and lawyers to create an alias name for her music. Things went to such an extreme that SPIN published an article entitled Deconstructing Lana Del Rey – a meticulous analysis of fact and fiction designed to clear up the facts and myths surrounding the star.

From day one, Lana Del Rey was forced by press to deny rumours that she was the meticulous creation of a record label seeking success. She explained that her moniker choice stemmed from spending time with her Cuban friends, speaking Spanish frequently and eventually settling on Lana Del Rey due to it being exotic and beautiful. “Once you have a name, you expect certain things from it, so it was like something to aim towards,” she explained in the same Dazed profile. “I could build a sonic world towards the way the name fell off my lips. It’s helped me a lot.” Despite her honesty, the mainstream media was unsurprisingly reluctant to believe that Del Rey, a woman whose visual universe centred around archetypes and female sexuality, could truly have agency over her own image.

Still, the true legacy of “Video Games” lies neither in its commercial nor its critical success. Instead, it can be found on Tumblr. A quick search of ‘Lana Del Rey’ on the blogging site spews up thousands and thousands of gifs, photos and lyric quotes which draw from the same breed of cinematic melancholia so synonymous with Del Rey. Her lyrics have drawn criticism for glamourising death and depression, whereas “Video Games” seems to evoke a desperate longing for the affections of an unresponsive lover; it’s this distinctive juxtaposition of references that concisely encapsulates the self-coined term ‘Hollywood sadcore’.

“The mainstream media was unsurprisingly reluctant to believe that Del Rey, a woman whose visual universe centred around archetypes and female sexuality, could truly have agency over her own image”

On the other hand, the link between depression and Tumblr is well-documented; a combination of online anonymity, communal spirit and an endless well of content on sadness and struggle turned the site into a beautiful safe haven for sufferers to share their stories. Coincidentally, Tumblr was experiencing a boom in popularity around the same time that Del Rey emerged as a mainstream figure and immediately became a figurehead of what is still known as ‘sadcore’. A Dummy article written in 2012 succintly describes her appeal: “A beautiful woman with a curious voice, Lana portrayed a quasi-Perks of Being A Wallflower perspective on tortured young love with a wistfulness that appealed to an access-all-areas Internet generation desperately grasping for nostalgia”.

Such a distinct and astoundingly powerful song, Video Games might be a tad overproduced…though it is this dreamy, epic and almost haunting song that transports the senses. It was alien and an amazingly refreshing change in music in 2011. Announcing this immense and original talent who has since gone on to become one of the most important and talented songwriters in the world, I feel Lana Del Rey will go down in history as someone who radically changed music and opened the door for so many artists coming through. She plays Primavera Sound Barcelona next year. Her ninth studio album, Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, came out earlier this year (and is one of the best from this year). Video Games arrived back in 2011. It sounded like nothing else in music. Twelve years later, I still think that this…

IS the case.

FEATURE: Kerry, So Cool and So Clever… Inside Other Voices Dingle 2023

FEATURE:

 

 

Kerry, So Cool and So Clever…

Inside Other Voices Dingle 2023

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I was going to…

write about Primavera Sound Barcelona 2024, as they just announced their line-up. I might circle back to that nearer to the date of the festival. I am more interested in smaller festivals. Maybe ones that pass some people by. One that caught my eye is Other Voices. I am focusing on the event that takes place between 1st and 3rd December in Dingle (there was a streamed event, Other Voices Home at the Guinness Scorehouse, that happened on 21st November). With a lot happening, it is a chance to highlight an interesting festival event that hosts some terrific names. You can get some more details here. Go check them out on Twitter and Instagram. They are also on Facebook and TikTok. Before going on, here is some information and history about Other Voices:

“Songs for the Head & the Heart

Since 2001, Other Voices has brought some of the world’s leading luminaries to the most westernly tip of Europe to raise their voice and sing.

Glastonbury headliners, Grammy-winners and New York Times cover stars  have all joined us in West Kerry to experience the magic of our intimate, ethereal winter festival, creating a genre-defying time capsule of the musical landscape year-on-year.

Across two decades, our spiritual home the Church of St James has witnessed breathtaking performances by Paolo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, Sam Fender, Arlo Parks, The National, For Those I Love, Young Fathers, Little Simz and more, with Other Voices’ ethereal charm drawing back friends like Hozier, Loyle Carner, Sigrid, Dermot Kennedy and elbow to play for us time and time again.

We care just as much about showcasing emerging talent as we do about big names. Each year the brightest new artists make the pilgrimage to perform on our Music Trail in boats, caravans, cafes, record shops and anywhere else we can squeeze them in. Whether it's in West Kerry, Cardigan or Ballina our Music Trail is always about championing what’s about to happen and has been a right of passage for the likes of Fontaines D.C., Saint Sister and many more.

Produced by South Wind Blows, Other Voices Festival has become an established fixture in the Irish and international music calendar, a 'must attend' event for performers and audiences alike with thousands making their way to experience all that we have to offer each winter. ‍

Other Voices across the Globe

From Austin to Derry, Latitude to New York City via Berlin and London we’ve brought our Other Voices stage to some of our favourite cities and festivals, bringing pals like Snow Patrol and Lisa Hannigan with us and making new friends like Gregory Porter, Ed Sheeran, Martha Wainwright, Willie Nelson and Celeste along the way.

Courage

When the world stood still, we kept moving. In 2020 during the depths of lockdown, we launched our acclaimed ‘Courage’ series, beaming inspiring performances of new voices and familiar faces into homes around the world. Iconic performances by Denise Chaila, The Murder Capital, Lankum and more lifted our spirits and gave us all courage at a time when we needed it the most.

Other Voices Twenty Two

This December we celebrate our 22nd year, live and online with some of the world's most exciting acts. Stunning live sets will be beamed live tothe Other Voices' YouTube each night from The Church of St James, with dozens of Ireland's brightest new voices taken to the stages along the Dingle Gin Music Trail from 1 - 3 December. We want to share our plans with you before anyone else - sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know”.

Maybe you won’t be able to get a ticket at the moment but, if you can and are in the area, make sure that you do. I am going to end with a playlist of tracks from artists set to appear live at the event between 1st and 3rd December. There is also non-music guests such as comedian Aisling Bea who will be in conversation. I will discuss that. Further details and links can be found here:

“The Church of St James | 1 - 3 December | Live & Online

We're so excited to share the first six acts who'll be taking to the sacred stage of St James' this December!

CMAT

Following the release of her excellent sophomore record Crazymad, For Me, global popstar CMAT returns to Dingle after a triumphant couple of years! Equal parts “God, self-destruction and a Britney tune”, the Irish songwriting auteur has earned rave reviews at home and abroad for her trailblazing second full-length, which features John Grant and references to Vincent Kompany, Mark E Smith and Rebekah Vardy, but CMAT is holding down the spotlight all by herself. Famed for her live sets, St James’ Church awaits!

ØXN

Doomfolk supergroup ØXN makes their Other Voices debut. Their haunting debut record 'CYRM,' announced as Claddagh Records’ first new signing in 18 years, arrived last month to critical acclaim, gripping listeners with unique sonics.

GURRIERS

After playing one of the buzziest shows on the Music Trail last year, GURRIERS move straight into the Church this year.  Building a reputation as one of the island’s most energetic, riotous live acts, they've gained attention for their punk-driven performances all over Europe and secured a slot supporting legendary outfit Slowdive at their Irish shows.

 MICK FLANNERY

We'll be welcoming back the cherished songsmith MICK FLANNERY to the OV stage. Following a hugely successful collaboration with Susan O'Neill which even nabbed Phoebe Bridgers’ seal of approval, he recently signed to John Prine’s label Oh Boy Records releasing his eighth studio album Goodtime Charlie last month, marking the imprint’s first international signing.

JULIE BYRNE

Hailing from Buffalo, New York, JULIE BYRNE is one of contemporary music’s most astonishing singer-songwriters. July 2023 saw the release of her latest album, The Greater Wings, which was a collaboration with a beloved friend and former lover, who tragically passed away before the LP was completed. The resulting body of work pays tribute to her grief with breathtaking delicacy. The 33-year-old musician’s Irish great-grandfather was a multi-instrumentalist and a finger-style guitarist, whom Julie credits for her own bewitching creativity.

THE JOY

Last but definitely not least, South African group THE JOY have become infamous for their ability to spread euphoria through unmatched sonic energy. Transcending both genre and continents; the five-piece band’s first release was 2021 EP Amabutho. The combination of traditional Zulu music with contemporary a cappella elements effortlessly summed the band’s spirit. Collaborating with The Blessed Madonna, playing Jools Holland and performing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games was only the beginning; they’ve since caught the attention of artists like Alicia Keys, Sam Smith and Jennifer Hudson.

We'll be adding even more exciting names the Church line up VERY SOON so keep an eye out for news and chances to win some golden tickets to see them live in action!

Livestreaming & Tickets

All Church performances will be streamed live to world via the Other Voices YouTube. As a reminder you cannot buy tickets for The Church performances - find out why here. These will only be available via competitions. Follow us on socials for the latest news and stay tuned for many more acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

Special thanks to Reed, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, RTÉ, Kerry County Council and IMRO for making this year's OV possible!

 Dingle Distillery Music Trail - SOLD OUT

Over 50 of the island's best new voices and established talent will take to the OV stage across Dingle town this December as part of the Dingle Distillery Music Trail for three days of incredible live sets.

49TH & MAIN | ANNA’S ANCHOR | AOIFE WOLF | AONAIR | ARBORIST | BAYONETS | BIG LOVE | CÁIT NÍ RIAIN | CARSIE BLANTON | CHALK | CHRIS WONG | CHUBBY CAT | CONCHÚR WHITE | CURTISY | DANIEL LUKE | DECARTERET | DYLAN FLYNN & THE DEAD POETS | ELAINE MALONE | EOGHAN Ó CEANNABHÁIN | FAOI BHLÁTH | FIA MOON | FILMORE! |GEMMA COX | GRÁINNE HUNT | JOSHUA BURNSIDE | LEO MIYAGEE | M(H)AOL | MAIJA SOFIA | MEGAN NIC RUAIRÍ | MORGANA | MOUNT PALOMAR | NEIL DEXTER | NEALO | NEGRO IMPACTO | NEW JACKSON | PHIL KIERAN | POBALSCOIL CHORCA DHUIBHNE | PROBLEM PATTERNS | QBANAA | REALLY GOOD TIME | REBEL PHOENIX | SCUSTIN | SEBA SAFE | SEARCH RESULTS | SCULLION | SUBTERRANEAN SOUL | SWEETLEMONDAE |THE FULLY AUTOMATIC MODEL |THE LINE | THE PSYCHS | TRAMP | TOMMY & SANDRA O’SULLIVAN | WINNIE AMA | YARD

Tickets are sold out but you can join the waiting list now via Eventbrite

Please be aware that as always the Dingle Distillery Music Trail venues are intimate and access to each venue will be on a first come, first served basis with more artists playing more than once so you'll have more than one chance to catch your favourite act this year, but we do advise getting down early to your favourite shows.

Ireland's Edge

Ireland's Edge - the ideas and discussion strand of Other Voices - flies home to Dingle this December to present it's ninth edition.

This year's two day discussion programme  'Trust Issues / Muinín Faoi Amhras’, considers the breakdown of trust in the structures that uphold our society - public institutions, parliaments, hospitals, universities, broadcasters, the technology industry and business, and asks if and how it can be restored amid growing distrust posing challenges for our future.

Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs, U.S. National Security Council, Tony Connelly, RTÉ Europe Editor; Author, Mark Little, Founder of Storyful and Kinzen; Member of the Future of Media Commission Ireland, Professor Orla Feely, President, University College Dublin, Mark O’Connell, Writer, Aoife Moore, Journalist; Author of best-selling The Long Game: Inside Sinn Féin, Alex White, Senior Counsel; The Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA); Former Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications of Ireland, Dr Monica Peres Oikeh, GP with Special Interest in Women’s Health, Sinéad O’Carroll, Editor, TheJournal.ie, Claire D. Cronin, US Ambassador to Ireland, Professor Sara Burke, Associate Professor of Public Health & Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin, Brian Irvine & John McIlfuff, Founders and Artistic Directors, Dumbworld, Professor John O’Halloran, President, University College Cork, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, General Secretary, Irish Nurses and Midwives Association, Siobhán Holliman, Deputy Editor of Tuam Herald; Future of Media Commission //, Professor John Naughton, CRASSH, Cambridge University. There will also be a captivating performance by the extraordinary singer and composer Rachael Lavelle.

Day and weekend tickets are on sale now but moving fast. Books yours now before it's too late.

Book your ticket for Ireland's Edge here.

IN THIS PHOTO: Aisling Bea

BANTER

‍Jim Carroll’s legendary Banter series returns to Other Voices with a host of exciting guests including BAFTA-winning actor, writer and comedian Aisling Bea, historian and broadcaster Dónal Fallon, multi-award-winning author Mark O’Connell, journalist and Irish Times columnist Brianna Parkins, broadcaster and author Emma Warren, artist and designer Richard Malone, Chairman of the iconic Irish record label, Claddagh Records James Morrissey. Banter will also feature a special conversation with author Colum McCann and acclaimed Irish musician Colm Mac Con Iomaire with more names to be announced.

Held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the festival weekend, Jim Carroll will explore what makes his guests tick, through a series of fireside chats in Foxy John’s pub on Dingle’s Main Street. Entry to Banter will be on a first-come, first-served basis each day so make sure to get in nice and early!

No additional ticket required”.

One thinks that festivals happen in the summer and nothing happens later on. Although technically not a winter festival – 1st December is still in the autumn -, it is one late in the calendar that is worth highlighting. Whilst we are starting to get line-ups coming through for next year’s festivals, it is worth keeping in mind smaller festivals and events that are interesting and boast diverse talent. I like the fact that there are legends like Aisling Bea and Brianna Parkins in conversation. We also get music from CMAT and Julie Byrne. It is going to be a warming, rousing, inspiring and magical time in Dingle, Kerry. If you can see it live or online, make sure that you do not miss out on these…

CULTURAL gems.

FEATURE: Saluting the Queens: Jamz Supernova

FEATURE:

 

 

Saluting the Queens

 PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Almodovar for Beat Portal

Jamz Supernova

_________

I have spotlighted…

and celebrated Jamz Supernova before. You can follow her on Instagram.  Label owner at Future Bounce and recent winner at Music Week’s Women in Music 2023 Awards, I wanted to revisit this music icon and leader. Someone, too, who announced Ezra Collective as this year’s Mercury Prize winner. A head judge who made that incredible delivery. Someone, clearly, who is very important and influential in modern music. Broadcasting on BBC Radio 6 Music, there is no doubting the fact that Jamz Supernova is a queen of the music scene! I am going to come to a few interviews with her. One is a very recent one. First, here is some background and biography about a remarkable D.J., broadcaster, label boss and champion of new music:

“For Jamz Supernova, her goals in the industry are about more than sheer entertainment. “I'm playing this artist so far in the future, but we're remembering that it started right here,” she says. Rather, she’s using her position to inform, link musical timelines, and tell a story through sonics. “I’m trying to link the past, present and the future.”

A multi-hyphenate force in the UK’s music space, the labels she holds are as numerous as they are formidable. She is a label head, radio host, DJ, podcaster, and overall tastemaker broadcasting in the industry for over a decade at the age of 32. She’ll be known to fans for slots on BBC Radio 1Xtra (Best Specialist Aria Gold Winner 2021), BBC 6Music (Broadcast & Press Guild Best radio show of 2022) & Selector radio for the British Council, reaching over 4 million global listeners.

Known for selecting sounds that span musical genres and subcultures, what she enjoys is the intimacy of sharing music with her community over radio.  BBC 6 Music is where she sits as a storyteller, exploring global communities and unearthing exciting scenes through platforming underground music that rarely graces the mainstream.  On Selector Radio she gives her listeners an overview of British music as a whole, keeping her audience hip to growing trends and scenes as they emerge in real time. And throughout her time on 1Xtra she has been celebrated for picking out the most left-field modern music and giving an incisive look into the alternative music scene.

“There's the double prong-ness of supporting artists that I love, and then playing it to ears that I want to excite. I love being able to provide a platform for them, and then following them all the way from the beginning of their career,” she says, having been an early champion of the likes of Hak Baker, Greentea Peng, Pip Millett and more.

Set up in 2018, her label Future Bounce is another facet of her drive to support emerging artists. Working with musicians like UNIIQU3, Sola and Scratcha DVA amongst others, Jamz works in both an A&Ring and consulting capacity, helping her signees to progress their artistry where the industry can be thorny for up-and-comers.

“I do the due diligence of looking for music, but I know how hard it is for artists to get their music to me if you don't know me, or you're not on my radar,” she says. “So it's about selecting those artists that I'm going to shout about; I'm going to put you in front of this person, give you my phonebook – we attack it together.”

In her live DJing and club appearances, she plays an eclectic genre mix from broken beat, UK funky to Bass, techno and beyond. Inspired by sound system culture & music from around the globe, she has toured worldwide and is a mainstay on the UK festival scene, playing at the likes of We Out Here Festival, Worldwide Sete, Love Saves The Day, All Points East and more.

Her podcast DIY Handbook outlines the stories of how herself and other featured creatives got to where they are, including the ups and the downs. It’s a winning antidote to a perfectly curated social-media world, where the likes of DJ and Producer Conducta, Sunday Times Best Selling Author Otegha Uwagba and presenter June Sarpong can get real about the challenges and the slog. “I kind of made it for the 19-year-old me that entered the BBC for the first time, those who maybe just put their foot in the door,” she says.

“It's the openness and vulnerability of talking about things behind the lens of everything looking perfect. We see the end destination, but this is about all those hurdles, moments and life lessons you learn en route.”

Born Jamila Walters, Jamz lived the early months of her life in Birmingham before her family relocated to South-East London at around 9 months old. It’s here where she’d soak up her multicultural settings, something that would forge her musical identity. “It has all culminated in the kind of DJ and tastemaker that I am,” she says.

“A big part of my identity on air is learning about how people resonate with their heritage. I'm really fascinated by those intersections because I've been around so many different types growing up; African, Turkish, Vietnamese, Caribbean, Somali. It's so nice to be able to share that,” she says, herself being of Jamaican, Cuban and Irish heritage.

Music was a language in the household, a means of how her family communicated both then and now. “Sound system culture just kind of runs through us,” she says: this would be christened by her grandparents who met at a blues, and a love for music would trickle down over generations.

She spent her childhood dancing for hours in the living room with her mum, her dad turning up the music so loud she could feel bass vibrations on their windows. She’d watch her uncle DJ and groove to 7’’ vinyls, and her aunt would take her to raves. Her early clubbing experiences opened her up to a taste of UK funky and dancehall, genres that would lead her into d’n’b, hip hop and more.

Getting into the first steps of her career would prove less direct, though. “I feel like radio chose me,” she says. As a teenager, she wanted to be a TV presenter at first, only taking an interest in radio after accompanying a friend to a visit to BRIT School. It was an “epiphany moment;” Jamz enrolled in their BRIT FM at age 16, eventually joining the BBC aged 19 as a producer.

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A post shared by Future Bounce (@future_bounce)

She’d spend time at Reprezent Radio learning the ropes and hosting her own show, culminating in her first show on BBC Radio 1Xtra at 24. It wasn't an easy path though, and Jamz faced a lot of no’s along the way. “ I loved production, but I knew what I wanted. I had to fight to be on air,” she recalls. It’s testament to a supreme work ethic, summarized in an outlook retained over the course of her career: “There will never be a plan B. Plan B means you don’t believe in plan A.“

It is a vision that will only continue as she moves forward. Jamz will be moving into further TV. She has already filmed and developed documentaries for BBC Three & Newsbeat, also recently co-hosting music show Jazz 625 on BBC FOUR. For 2022, she has been announced as a guest judge for the Mercury Prize. Future Bounce are due to release Vol.II of their Future Bounce Club Series, and she is looking at further podcast ideas in music and the topic of motherhood, having recently given birth to daughter Forest.

World domination will continue to be in her orbit. But Jamz will continue to rise by doing what’s always worked for her – staying true to herself, and to those that resonate with her craft. “I don’t need the numbers and metrics,” she smiles. “But I want you to listen the shows, to come see me DJ and buy the music from the label because you're genuinely invested, and I'm doing something for you”.

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A post shared by Future Bounce (@future_bounce)

Whether you are looking to have your Friday night playlist taken care of or want to hear her celebrate and discuss the importance of global music, then there are precious Jamz resources available. Since I feature Jamz Supernova a year or so ago a lot more press has comer online. She has achieved even more, so it is well worth dipping back in. Rather than featuring interviews from 2021 and 2022, I am going to keep it fresh. 2023 has been a very important busy one for this legend. I am going to come to a very recent (last month in fact) interview, where Jamz Supernova talked about five years of her Future Bounce label. I will end with that. I am going to start with this Beat Portal interview. Among other things, she discussed her philosophical approach to music, and the effects of her (then) recent trip to Colombia:

“Her approach to finding music to play as a DJ goes back to that Rodigan sense of trusting your gut – “and really listening to it, you know if a song is good or not”, but for her label it’s slightly different. “There’s the ear of potential, like can you hear where this is going, does it need a little bit of development? Is this a longer-term project?” It was really important for her to work with women who produce, who, like her, might struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome and might want to take a little longer to send over tracks. “Every release from 2018 up until now, I can hear the label’s gotten better. The artists have, but the label in terms of sonics, too.” Bianca Oblivion, whose fierce fusion of baile funk and grime (“Bad Gyal“) was released on the label last year, Jamz describes as “really the future of dance music, I think – her name will keep on popping up.” Sola’s ‘Abide In U’, the latest release on the label, is a reflection of the jazz-inflected side of things, all rich production and fluttery drums courtesy of British drummer Moses Boyd.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Almodovar

Pulling together watertight releases from the likes of Lorenzo BITW, quest?onmarq and Murder He Wrote, the second installation of Future Bounce’s Club Series was created while Jamz was pregnant, having a baby and navigating motherhood. She was running the whole thing “like a crazy professor” from her living room, doing the PR, radio plugging, ingesting and uploading. At times she’d been quite literally flitting between breastfeeding and DJing (when she takes Forest to her sets, she says, she naps in the green room and seems to instinctively wake up during the last track). “It actually was really, really hard,” she says about running the label as a new mum, “but when I listened back to the whole thing – I just had the test presses back for the vinyl and I’m like, ‘This is really good club music that’s really strong and representative of me as a DJ’.” Gilles Peterson, who she just delivered a test pressing of Volume II to – and with whom she often exchanges gifts, like old magazines from the 2000s – gave her the seal of approval by instantly selecting four tracks.

Jamz might be a radio fanatic, but she’s not averse to the camera-led side of broadcasting. She’s a keen TV host and has presented live from Glastonbury 2022, and fronted documentaries like BBC3’s Is This The End of Clubbing? Moses Boyd and her teamed up on BBC Four show Jazz 625, a one-off celebration of the UK jazz explosion that looked at the grassroots movement that Jamz had a part to play in amplifying. Before wanting to be a radio host, she wanted to be a TV presenter, and her radio producer background meant she’s always been developing ideas. “I’ve never wanted to just be a talking head,” she says. People liked her and Moses as a double act, and she’s working on pitching something that sounds like a music version of Travel Man – a “very indulgent TV show that allows us to travel as friends, experiencing music and culture”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Almodovar

An avid music documentary fan – she mentions one about ‘70s Brixton band Cymande and God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, which looks at the Black origins of techno – Jamz sees documenting music culture as something of a “higher purpose”. “I’m sure some family members think I piss about all day, but when you watch these moments captured in time, you realise the power of music and what it can do for people,” she says. “It goes back to, what do I want to do with my platform? And for me, it’s telling stories. How do I tell the best stories through music?”

Centering herself is something that doesn’t come naturally to Jamz, but she’s working on taking herself out of her comfort zone this year. In April, she’s taking to Shoreditch’s Village Underground to throw the ‘Supernova X-Perience’, along with a mega selection of guests that are still under wraps, but looking at her bursting-at-the-seams contact book, you can pretty much guarantee it’ll have a gold standard line-up. “I’ve been running club nights for a long time, and I always built a line-up around everyone else, then inserted myself in there somewhere. But it was never about me, and I think there comes a time when you need to actually shout about yourself.” Even if that does mean having a few “anxiety dreams,” she adds, laughing. She’s working on a set “that feels like a live show,” she explains. “Like, I’m a DJ, I never gonna make music, I don’t want to make music. But I want to create that euphoria of dancing and I want to create moments within a set that make you lose your shit, basically.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Almodovar

But before that is the 6 Music festival which takes place in Greater Manchester next month, her second year doing it as part of “the family,” she says. “I love that element – I remember last year with Craig Charles, Radcliffe & Maconie and Steve Lamacq all drinking downstairs in the hotel ‘til like 5am, so I want more of that – more team building,” she says with a smile.

When Jamz broadcasts her carnival special on 6 Music, it’s a show celebrating the riotous holidays taking hold all over the world, informing listeners about the blocos and bandas in Rio carnival that play early ‘00s trance and brass band covers of Madonna. Jamz’s selection jumps from Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to New Orleans brass bands, which she tops up with a half-hour mix of Soca bangers at the end (“if you stay moving at the end of this mix, I’m not your friend any more!”) Dissecting the sounds with a warm quality, she has that rare ability to translate music for both an audiophile and casual listening audience.

Talking about her show a week earlier, she talks about the “immense privilege to be on national radio”. “I’ll never take it for granted,” she says, “but I’ve always wanted it on my own terms as well. I’ve always had this headstrong-ness of, ‘This is who I am and this is what I play, and I won’t bend.’ And I think it’s finally kind of paid off. It’s got me to a place where now I’m on national radio on a Saturday afternoon, I programme the whole thing and there’s no playlist. I do it all myself. Not many people get that opportunity to do that at this level”.

I shall come to the Music Week honour now. Receiving such a high and converted honour, it is not a surprise that the fabulous Jamz Supernova was awarded the Music Champion prize. Someone who is restless and always working when it comes to giving us the best and most interesting music coming through, they spoke with her about her incredible career:

“The winner of this year’s Music Champion honour is radio host, DJ, label head and podcaster Jamz Supernova.

Jamz, of course, has been a trailblazing tastemaker throughout her career. Known for her current slot on BBC Radio 6 Music, as well as her shows on BBC Radio 1Xtra and Selector Radio for the British Council, she brings fresh and diverse music to new audiences every week, reaching over four million global listeners in the process.

And that's just for starters. Her label, Future Bounce, was set up in 2018 and sees Jamz working in both A&R and consulting, releasing records from the likes of Bianca Oblivion, Suchi and Giulia Tess. Through her DJ sets, she is also a mainstay at festivals and clubs worldwide, spinning an eclectic mix of broken beat, UK funky, bass, techno and beyond at the likes of We Out Here Festival, Worldwide Sete, All Points East and more.

Having also hosted television shows for BBC Three, Four and Newsbeat, as well as music awards ceremonies such as the prestigious Mercury Prize, for Jamz, she has made a huge impact.

Here, we meet Jamz to reflect on her amazing career so far and talk the importance of pushing for positive change in the music industry…

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lambert

How does it feel to be honoured as a music champion?

“Awards are always a funny thing, and I’m quite an introverted person so I would never put myself forward for something, so it’s so nice to get a nod for doing the work I do! Being Music Champion feels like a great award to win because that's what I try to do, put the music first and trust my instincts with what I want to play, what I want to shout about on the radio or in my label, and my DJ sets as well, it feels like a very personal expression. So to have this award for it is really amazing.”

You have championed so many upcoming artists throughout your various radio shows. What made you want to dedicate your career to spotlighting artists?

“I was always that kid at school getting the hottest music and making mixtapes with people, I’ve always loved that element of sharing music with people and I really get a kick out of the discovery of it. I remember being in my late teens and my idea of a fun evening would be sitting on the blogs and coming across all these different things happening around the world and going on soundcloud – it’s always been how I spend my free time! To have an actual platform to share what you’ve discovered is just another element, so I kind of always knew I’d work in music, and because I was so enthusiastic about talking about new music, it just made sense that radio would be my first vehicle to do that.”

Who inspired you growing up in terms of the tastemakers and supporters of new music? Did you have a mentor?

“I had so many, I’m so thankful for all the mentors I had. I started off on Reprezent Radio, and I had a guy called Gavin [Douglas], who was a DJ I used to listen to called G Child. A lot of my generation and the generation after me credit him as being the mentor, and I was sort of one of his first radio children! From the age of 19, he was my mentor, in terms of getting out what I wanted to express within a radio show and teaching me the principles of radio. We had a really intense couple of years of really developing me as a broadcaster. It was like, ‘You know the music, but how do you share the music?’ and ‘You’re going to have to learn to DJ now because you’re a specialist and specialist DJs DJ!’ So that was really helpful.

“When I got to the BBC, I was surrounded by all these people who I admired. Meeting people like DJ Target, the dedication and passion that he had in finding all this music for his Homegrown show, I really loved watching him put it all together with his CDs, being really specific about the music he chose. There was also Toddla T, who did a really good job and showed [me] that being a music champion is not always a personal expression, it's also about leaning on different people and scenes around you, and learning how to spotlight them. I was very lucky to have different mentors throughout my career, even now, Mary Anne Hobbs, Giles [Peterson], they’re my music champions.”

You mentioned learning the importance of learning to DJ as a broadcaster. What is the relationship between the music you spotlight on radio and the music you choose to mix on the decks? Are the processes intertwined for you, or are they very different disciplines?

“To begin with they were quite separate, I had a DJ persona and I had a radio persona, and what I was playing had quite different expressions. Radio was a lot more down tempo and DJing was a lot more electronic leaning. As my career has grown, and I've had different spaces to explore, like in Radio 6 Music, it feels like all those worlds are coming together now and I’m coming across tracks like, ‘Oh I want to talk about that, but I also want to hear it in the club!’ They are quite interconnected now, but for me it’s all just about the education with both of them. I'm coming across so much music all the time, and that feeds my label as well, the people I sign and people I meet. It’s one big circle.”

Talking of your label, Future Bounce, what was the inspiration behind setting it up in 2018?

“It started off as a launchpad for artists that I was discovering through the radio, so much music comes out and it can be so hard for music to always get the attention it deserves, even if it’s really great. So for me, it was like, ‘Okay, I want to pick out a few artists, and what’s the next layer of support I can give them?’ That was setting up a label. Since then, the label has grown and also become more of an expression of my own taste, and it's an incubator for new talent, and for me to tell the stories of these artists and shine a spotlight on what they’re doing.”

What has your experience been like joining BBC Radio 6, has there been any resistance to you bringing in new music and voices?

“I mean, it’s such a privilege in terms of being a specialist woman to curate everything myself, everything I play on radio I have 100% picked, and to have that slot on a Saturday afternoon is massive. I was always very certain that the only way I wanted to do radio was in this way and I couldn't have been on 6 Music at the start of my career, but I can now because of everything that’s been leading up to it. I’ve been on daytime radio, I know how to make things feel accessible and comfortable, but I'm also a DJ so it’s important for me to stay true to what I play and not overthink whether people are going to like it. If someone doesn’t like it, I’d hope that they go somewhere else rather than trying to put me in a hole. There is always pushback when there is change, but I know that we’ve made some incredible radio and what I love about 6 Music is that I am constantly reaching new audiences.

“When I first started, there weren’t that many DJs of colour on the station, so you do get the pushback on that side of things, but I think that Saturday spot for me is a very safe space to be and I feel comfortable in being me. And I love 6 Music, I think it needed it, it is alternative music – whether that’s through the African diasporic lens or the SWANA lens, or anything, it’s new and exciting music we should be shouting about and hearing about.”

Especially with the dance music world, it’s quite male-dominated, so it’s my responsibility to make sure that we are spotlighting women or non-binary people to shift that balance. 

As a DJ breaking new music, you are known as the person that's always bringing the next great thing first. What are the kind of pressures you face as a tastemaker?

“With the 1Xtra show I felt like I came in with a mission which was to broaden the conversation around what Black music could be. We started off with the alternative R&B scene and we went into jazz and more electronic stuff, and when I was coming to the end of that I almost felt like I was coming back around again, a lot of the music we had been playing had become mainstream, especially with the alternative R&B. With 6 Music, there is new music constantly of course, but it's more about deciding what’s right for that specific show. I'm in this nice position where, on one hand I’m introducing an older listener to new music, and I'm also talking to a younger listener and they can learn about the stuff our older stuff would have been raving to! I’m also in a position now where I don’t have to always play stuff that’s new, I’ve built my name as a tastemaker, so it’s also about thinking, ‘What came before that might have informed what the DJs are playing right now?’ and, ‘What happened to these genres when they went underground?’ – things like that.”

Do you think the industry is championing racial and gender equality enough? What can be done better? And what role does radio play in this?

“I think we’re definitely doing better, you can see the progress. But I think it’s important to keep the pressure on so we don’t go back! We’re already starting to get the eyerolls around diversity, and some of pledges that were made around Black Lives Matter, how many of them are still being upheld? When it comes to gender equality, you’re still seeing big lineups that aren’t very reflective of diversity. It almost feels like it’s still quite a grassroots thing, when it shouldn’t be, and I think a lot of that comes down to infrastructures behind the scenes, which we need to be really transparent about. If the infrastructures aren’t changing, there won’t be long-lasting changes that are tangible. There’s no reason at all why we shouldn't be seeing equal lineups! The talent is out there.

"Radio is the easiest way to be inclusive, it’s really tangible. You can see when you’ve done five males in a row, at that point you have to think, ‘I need to do my due diligence here.’ Especially with the dance music world, it’s quite male-dominated, so it’s my responsibility to make sure that we are spotlighting women or non-binary people to shift that balance. Not to say we always get it right, but it’s installed me and I’m always trying to address the balance, and being aware that we all have a role to play in making things [more equal]. But I would like to see more change in the wider industry and the infrastructures in place to make them more diverse.”

And finally, what artists are you excited about right now?

“I’m loving Bikoko. She’s an artist I’m working with right now, she’s done a few events I’ve done, and I came across her on bandcamp like two winters ago. Some artists just have it, and she just has it! Her music is kind of glitchy, and she produces her own thing. She really just has the star factor and I’m excited to see where she takes the experimental lens. Also Lizzie Berchie, a soul singer, she is wicked! The UK scene for R&B and soul hasn't always been that easy, so that’s great to see. There’s also this band called 15 15, who are based in the outskirts of Paris, they have members from Haiti and they make this sort of warped [music] – it feels like it’s going backwards! It was so nice to be one of the first to support them, I’ve literally been their groupie! They’ve just signed to XL Records. There’s just so much amazing music coming out, it's really exciting”.

I will finish off with Sound of Life and their November interview with Jamz Supernova. I would compel everyone to do as much Jamz digging as you can. Tune into her BBC Radio 6 Music show. Check out everything happening at Future Bounce. I think she will go down, in years to come, as one of the most important people and tastemakers in music:

“Jamz Supernova (born Jamilla Walters in South-East London) is the epitome of a very particular kind of modern renaissance person.

In a music world too often driven by cynicism and algorithm-led lowest-common-denominator homogeneity, she is a beacon of positivity and belief in modern, diverse and thrilling sounds.

Jamz Supernova is best known to the wider public for her BBC Radio shows which dissolve the boundaries between experimental electronica, more hype club sounds, soul/jazz and modern “urban” styles. 

But just as important is her Future Bounce label, a hyper prolific outlet for sounds from these same interzones. Now celebrating its fifth birthday, Future Bounce remains, as it always has been, a celebration of community and grassroots subculture.

Jamz Supernova’s partner Sam Interface is also a label head – running the More Time imprint with his fellow bass music producer Ahadadream – and the pair are both in demand as DJs, so it’s entirely appropriate that Future Bounce has a family feel, nurturing unique individuals and micro-scenes within the wider flows of the music world. 

To celebrate the label’s big birthday, we caught up with Jamz Supernova to find out what drives this musical powerhouse.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lambert

Hi Jamz, what are you working on today?

Well this big Selfridges [London department store] residency I'm doing – we've opened this listening lounge, so I've been programming six weeks of events for them.

We're on week three now, so working on that: tonight, we've got a poetry night, and a sound bath this week, a creative workshop...  all sorts!

Right, so as ever, you've got loads going on. How do you define yourself among all that? Are you a DJ first, or...?

Sometimes I do switch around the order depending on what I want to be more prevalent.

Sometimes I'll be broadcaster/DJ/label owner, or it might be label owner/broadcaster/DJ/curator. Those are the kind of ways I might describe I it – to me they all interlink anyway, it's the sharing of music, that's what we do.

Did you always have the ambition to work across disciplines like this?

Initially, when I was younger, I was a bit more one-track-minded and it was always radio, radio, radio.

Then, as I got into the industry – I started when I was 19 at the BBC, things were moving so fast.

The technology was moving so quickly, and also being around other broadcasters and seeing how many projects they always had on the go, I realised you can't just be one thing – financially partly, but also just filling your time unless you're the rare person who's doing a five-day-a-week show.

So, on a lifestyle tip, looking at someone like Gemma Cairney who was a broadcaster but also writing a book and working in fashion as well, or like Toddla T, who I worked really closely under: the broadcasting was almost a back seat for him because he was a music producer and working DJ too.

Being around people like that made it feel more acceptable to wear different hats.

I remember someone saying to me when I first came to the BBC, “Don't be a Jack-of-all-trades, be a master of one” – but I quickly thought, I don't think that advice works now, maybe that's how it used to be but not anymore.

I definitely think it's been the best way for me. I've got a lot of ideas, lot of things I want to express, so having all these platforms is perfect for me. I feel creatively content.

And when did Future Bounce as a name and idea come about?

That was at Reprezent. It was a radio show. I did a lot of different shows at Reprezent until I found my feet – I did a show that was trying to be Mistajam, then I did drivetime for about ten months, then I went to more specialist music...

And I was spending so much time on SoundCloud at the time, I needed something to define what I was playing, then this artiste called LAKIM had a track called “Future Bounce” – and I was instantly like, yes that's it, that's the brand!

So, I ran with it. It started out as a radio show, I turned it into a club night which ran for a few years at Dalston Birthdays, and then it became a label.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lambert

Has the idea of what that represents sonically evolved over time?

Oh definitely, as my tastes evolved really. I always make a joke on radio about how I used to be so basic – but I do feel like the older I get, the more breadth of the music and my understanding of the music increases and grows.

Even if I listen back to some of the early releases on the label, it was very much in that SoundCloud world and quite linear – but as the label's developed, it's been more about how I'm into bands and stuff, so I might sign a funk band.

Or as my DJs accelerated a bit, I wanted to be able to have music I could play in my sets on the label as well.

So, we moved into the electronic space fully with even harder stuff – and now we're at a point where all those worlds are coming together: the R&B, the club stuff, the soul stuff, and the alternative stuff.

I think about all the labels I love, like a Ninja Tune or XL or Brownswood where they have a feel to them, but they're not necessarily genre specific, they're not just an electronic label or a jazz label.

It feels like 21st century music has steadily moved away from genre separation and towards different ways of mapping the connections between styles, right?

Yeah, again as a broadcaster or DJ I was told not just to try and be a master of one thing, but constantly asked what it's going to be.

Like, you've got a specialist show so what's it going to be? Are you going to be the hip-hop girl? The R&B girl? What is it?

But I just don't think that's how my generation consumes music. I think some of the best genres to come out of the generation that was raving and partying in the 2000s – things like dubstep and funky [also known as “UK funky” the bass-heavy house sound that absorbed African, grime and other influences] – they've all been hybrids of sound.

I think as a person of colour as well, it's easy to be boxed into what people think you should be. I've had assumptions made from the get-go.

For example, I worked with the Balimaya Project who describe themselves as West African folk-jazz, and people would be saying, “I thought you'd be doing drill,” or whatever

So, we're taking back the autonomy, showing we can be so many things.

My artiste Sola has a project called Warped Soul. That's her saying, “This is my version of soul music, I'm classically trained but I love Burial, this is my warped soul offering.”

So, letting artistes explore all those sides of themselves is important and Sola is a perfect example of that. When we met, we connected on all the different influences in the music we love.

And finally, do you have a long term plan for Future Bounce or is it contingent on what's working in the moment?

No, I do try and think ahead. It can be hard sometimes when you're so in it, and people will always say, “Be present, be present” – but sometimes you're so present in the firefighting that you forget to look ahead.

So, I have actually signed some stuff for next year. We've got the release schedule mapped this year, starting to think about next year.

I want to do another Club Series – this'll be Volume 3, but switch it up a little bit rather than doing the same model, which was 12 producers with one release every month.

I think streamline it with six producers, it's a four-track EP, and it really is with the intention of the artiste development side of it, and I want to focus on black and brown women and non-binary producers for that series.

And touring! I've never properly toured as a DJ, I've done gigs, regular gigs, but never toured.

So, while my little one is young, I want to explore touring and seeing that side of DJing. Radio can anchor you to one place, so I want to find pockets in the diary where I can take two weeks at a time off to go and play all these places.

I'm talking about global communities all the time on radio, but I need to be there as well! I think it'll enrich me as a broadcaster, and as a DJ – and for the label, I'm gonna meet so many amazing people!”.

I have a load of love and respect for the mighty Jamz Supernova. A legend, queen and modern icon, she is one of the best broadcaster and D.J.s we have. This year has been especially successful and exciting for her. I wanted to come back to her and add to what I wrote previously. In my new feature celebrating queens of music, I could not overlook Jamz Supernova. The music industry is so much richer for her being in it. We are all…

SO lucky to have her.

FEATURE: Revisiting… Betty Boo - Boomerang

FEATURE:

 

 

Revisiting…

Betty Boo - Boomerang

_________

ANOTHER edition of Revisiting…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Sandro Hyams (via The Guardian)

where I am heading back to 2022. A recent look back at some albums that were maybe overlooked or not played as much now as they should be. Betty Boo’s third studio album, Boomerang, was released on 14th October. It was her first new album in three decades. There was a lot of excitement and interest around the release of an album from one of the most distinct Pop artists of the late-1980s and 1990s. I remember owning Boomania (her 1990 debut) and falling for songs like Where Are You Baby? I really love her style and sound (and attitude)! Boomerang is a little different compared to her 1990s material, though there is still that colour and energy that defined her early work. There were some very positive reviews for Boomerang. Even though I cannot copy and paste this review, it is a five-star salute for Boomerang. I am going to come to a review very soon. There were interviews conducted with Betty Boo (Alison Clarkson). A shift from her first two albums in terms of the rapping and the bite, I do love the vibe and quality you get through Boomerang. Produced by Betty Boo, Gavin Goldberg and Andy Wright, it reached forty-five on the U.K. album chart. Super Deluxe Edition were pleased to speak to an artist who made a big impression when Boomania arrived right at the start of the 1990s. With this new era emerging, I wonder whether another album will come from Betty Boo:

“It’s exactly three decades since Betty Boo (aka Alison Clarkson) released a new studio album, a gap that would surely have even Kate Bush raising an eyebrow, but Boo is back with Boomerang, a new record co-written and produced with Andy Wright. SDE sat down with Betty to discuss what’s she’s been up to, why she’s returning to the spotlight and the song she wrote 20 years ago that won her an Ivor Novello award…

SDE: Hi Betty. Congratulations on the new album! I know you have been writing for other people, but aside from that, what have you been up to over the last couple of decades?

Betty: Well, a few things actually, I’ve been an executive producer on a couple of films, including The Art Of Rap, which was directed by Ice T and produced by my husband. The idea came about through me really, because I knew Ice T having been signed to Sire Records, years and years ago, through Seymour Stein. Many films have been made before about hip hop, the culture and stuff like this, but our film was more about rap as an art form. And so we had all the giants of rap in there like Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube, Chuck D etc. I took quite a long time to make, but I went to Dr Dre’s house, which was the best thing I’ve ever done! [laughs].

I bet he’s got a nice house!

Yes, a very nice house. It’s up Sunset Plaza, so his house overlooks the whole of Los Angeles and you can see South LA from the top of his house, which is where he’s from.

So have you missed the music industry? Why come back now?

Well, in the back of my mind, I thought, I’ll make another record one day. And then five years would go by and I still hadn’t done it! I did so much clinical songwriting, which wasn’t particularly satisfying for me; working in Los Angeles with some of the big names – it was all a bit sort of soul destroying. I didn’t use any of the things that I use as myself, as Betty Boo, because that doesn’t relate to a generic artist. But it’s very difficult for some artists or even producers, just to get that what I did. There are lots of people out there who are really good at it, but it wasn’t really for me. I did enjoy some of it…

What’s that process like? It sounds kind of intimidating, going to LA and sitting in some producer’s studio, trying to create something together?

Yeah, it was. It’s a bit like a blind date, although not really… Some of these sessions were like Masterchef for songwriting [laughs]. You had to come up with stuff and if you didn’t, you’d really feel the pressure. I mean, lots of producers were making songs, writing and producing songs, on the fly. Everything was sounding great, even if it was shit! [laughs]

Is it one of those things where everyone wants a writing credit, including the tea boy who walks in at the time…?

There’s that and also, a lot of these teams have like, 20 writers for one song. Really? And then one day I just thought, I must try and do it myself again, because it did just come to an abrupt stop, with what happened in my family [Betty’s mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer] and everything. It would have been sad if I didn’t do it.

Have you knocked that all on the head then, doing songwriting for other people or do you still dip your toes in every now and again?

Well, you know, if the right artist came along, and I had enough in the tank! [laughs]. I’ve got a great writing partner [for the new album] in Andy Wright, who’s legendary. I’ve known him for years actually, but we haven’t actually written together until about three years ago. So having that rapport with somebody like him is amazing, because he’s so good at programming beats and also is a brilliant musician and keyboard player. He’s got this pop sensibility and he really brings out the best in me. There’s never been one day in the studio where you’re like “Nah, I’m not feeling that idea…”.

Did it all come back to you quite naturally? Obviously, you’ve been doing lots of writing anyway, for other people, so it wasn’t like, ‘I haven’t written a song for 20 years’, but did the Betty Boo clothes fit easily again, in terms of the spirit of what you were doing?

I was very nervous, thinking, ‘how am I going to find my voice again?’ And to find the confidence as well, to think “I can do this”. I was always of the mind that if you’ve been a pop star in your 20s, or in your teenage years, trying to come back when you’re 50 is crazy. It’s mad. It was unheard of, in our day. Like Cliff Richard… I remember seeing him on Top of the Pops back in the day and he was about 50 then! It wasn’t ridiculous to me, but he seemed old, if you know what I mean.

It’s like Paul McCartney seemed old in the ’80s when he was in his 40s. And now everyone’s raving about him as an 80-year-old at Glastonbury

I know! So I just thought, “no, you’ve got to really stop that attitude”. Artists like Rick Astley and Bananarama have paved the way for me. People have fond memories of their music and it was part of an era where people didn’t have mortgages and kids and they had a nice carefree life. So I drew some confidence from that and then when I started writing with Andy, the first song we wrote was great, so it was just building blocks from there, really”.

I want to come to an interview from The Telegraph. It is no surprise that there was interest around this sort of great return. Boomania is the icon back at the front! Even so, there are collaborators to be found. One track features none other than the great Chuck D of Public Enemy. Given extra weight and brilliance to an otherwise superb album:

“Aged 25, Betty Boo left the music business. “It was a total tragedy,” she says of her serial bereavements. “And if I'm honest, I was in automatic mode and didn't deal with my own grief. I thought in the back of my mind, ‘yeah, I'll get back to making music.’ But I never did.”

As for the “what-if?” if she’d taken the Madonna dollar: “It's a really good question,” she muses. “I would have had to move to LA. I might have changed! I might have had loads of work! I might have listened to people who said: 'Hey, you know, I've got a great surgeon, girlfriend, his name's Saul,’” she says, now sounding like Ruby Wax. “’And look at me, I look fantastic!' That could have happened!" Clarkson laughs.

The plastic surgery didn’t happen, although the glancing observer – standing further away than, say, a breakfast bar’s width – might assume otherwise. At 52, Clarkson looks practically unaged from her early Nineties heyday. But her midlife youthfulness is entirely natural. Three decades out of the pop spotlight have clearly been very good for Alison Clarkson.

And for her music. Boomerang, her first album in 30 years, is a sparkling collection of gravity-defying pop belters. It opens with Get Me to The Weekend, which weaponises a sample of The Human League’s Love Action to thrilling, Peak Eighties effect, and features guest vocalists David Gray, Sophie Ellis-Bextor (one again “daaaahncing”) and Chuck D – an old friend ever since he invited Clarkson’s teenage rap crew She Rockers to support Public Enemy on an American tour.

IN THIS PHOTO: Betty Boo in 1990/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Clarkson, who enrolled herself on an audio engineering course aged 19, made most of it in the marital bedroom of her gorgeous, barn conversion home. And, once an independent woman, always an independent woman: she's releasing Boomerang on her own label, Betty Boo Records.

As she serves up lunch, complete with tomatoes from she and her film producer husband’s garden, Clarkson acknowledges the role hitting 50 played in her long-awaited comeback. Both her parents were dead by that age: her Scottish mum at 49, her Malaysian dad at at 46. “So I just thought: ‘What am I waiting for? This is stupid.’”

To be fair, Clarkson kept working in the interim, either as a backroom songwriter for other artists. – Girls Aloud, Hear’Say – or hiding in a band: she was one third of WigWam, a brief 2006 project with Blur’s Alex James and producer Ben Hillier. The writing “for other people was OK,” she says without much enthusiasm.

“I kind of enjoyed it. It was a way of finding an outlet for my creativity. But I didn't find it that easy. You're under duress… I did a stint in LA with these big hitters, and they'd expect you to just come up with stuff. They'd be writing and producing it on the fly, so by five o'clock in the afternoon, you had a nearly-made record.”

Barely into her twenties, Clarkson was constantly busy. She was her own woman, the catsuits and bob very much her own creation, as were the songs – a fact lost on many (male) industry observers. But she had to work like the clappers, constantly.

“Nobody considered logistics either,” she says. “If you had to go to Germany and then be back in England to do something else, and then go back out to Italy, nobody thought about whether or not you're going to be exhausted.”

 Things reached rock bottom during a live TV show in the Netherlands. Betty Boo’s exhaustion and stress manifested in a boil in a particularly unfortunate place.

“Have you ever had a boil on the bum? It's really painful! I had to go to hospital to get it lanced. It was awful,” she laughs. “But I didn't make much of a fuss, and then I went back and did the show. And then I let my bottom heal properly when I got back home. Yeah, it's an unnatural thing to be a pop star.”

In Mel C’s recent memoir, the former Spice Girl – a band recruited via an advert seeking “five Betty Boos” – writes of feeling exploited by the music business. But bum-boil be damned, Clarkson never felt that. “I was really lucky to be doing what I was doing, because it was against the odds: being a female, doing rap music, having control over my image, control over my music. Everyone else, the Kylies of this world, they were all puppets, really.

“Looking back, though, the BBC would have opinions about how you looked. I remember once my shorts were a bit too short for Top of the Pops. They were hot pants or something. And I was thinking: ‘Well, people get their baps out! It's no biggie to wear shorts.’ But things have changed a bit, haven't they?"

They certainly have. Has the sexualisation of pop gone too far? “No, because it’s about creativity. People should be able to express themselves. But because I'm a bit prudish, I find some of it a bit over-the-top and I'm not quite sure if I should be watching, But it's a great time to be a young female artist. And also, you've got artists who are [physically] larger than your average, and now they're being celebrated. Which is great.”

As a star-turned-hitmaker, Clarkson knows better than most the inner workings of the music industry. But her crucial role in the beginnings of the reality TV military-industrial complex evokes bittersweet memories. Clarkson originally co-wrote Pure and Simple, the huge 2001 hit that launched Hear’Say, the first winners of Pop Idol precursor Pop Stars, for Girl Thing. They were a short-lived girl band created by Simon Cowell as a rival to the Spice Girls. But their version of the song wasn’t even released in the UK.

“It was completely rejected. I remember my publisher hated it so much he excluded it from the contract I had with him, because he didn't want any part of it: ‘I don't want that s___ in my publishing company!’ And then he had to buy it back.”

That was at a significantly inflated price, after the song became a monster hit, selling over half a million physical copies in its first week of release. Still, Clarkson found the experience “cheap”, because no one bothered to tell her the song was being repurposed by Hear’Say.

“But it was a great surprise two years later. It shows that nothing's on the shelf... Then it won an Ivor Novello award, which made me think: wow, I probably wouldn't have won that for my own stuff.”

“So, yeah, I am bouncing back. Although somebody said to me yesterday, ‘yeah, but boomerangs don't bounce...’ I said, ‘well, they do ricochet. So if they ricochet, they bounce.’ It's a boomerang, and it does bounce back in my world”.

I am going to end with a review. Although it is a little mixed, it does go into detail regarding one of last year’s most important albums. I think that it is underrated and didn’t quite get the focus it should have had. Many of the songs from the album should be played on the radio at the moment. This is what SLANT had to say about Boomerang:

“Alison Clarkson, better known to beat heads as Betty Boo, was discovered by Public Enemy after freestyling for the group at a West London McDonald’s in 1987. The Malaysian-Scottish rapper, singer, and songwriter became a household name in the U.K., buoyed by hits like “Hey DJ/I Can’t Dance (To That Music You’re Playing),” a collaboration with Rhythm King stalwarts the Beatmasters. After her more pop-centric second album, the gloriously titled GRRR! It’s Betty Boo, landed with more of a purr than a growl, Clarkson left the industry, but not before turning down an offer to sign with Madonna’s then-fledgling record label.

Clarkson was embraced more by American club DJs than urban radio in the early ’90s, but her brand of dance-oriented pop-rap helped create the template for crossover hits by many of today’s female hip-hop artists. With its disco strings, cowbell, and rapped verses juxtaposed with luscious pop hooks, “Shining Star”—a standout cut from Clarkson’s belated third album, Boomerang—would sound inconspicuous alongside Doja Cat’s “Say So” or “Kiss Me More.”

But aside from that track, and the Auto-Tuned vocals of the rock-tinged “Nobody Can Bring Me Down” and the sinuous “S.O.S.,” there’s little connection between the album and contemporary hip-hop. Nor is there much in the way of the late-’80s hip-house that initially put Clarkson on the map. Boomerang exists in its own out-of-time universe, where Brit-pop, pop-rap, and disco coexist, and where gangsta rap, alternative hip-hop, and trap music never happened.

The effervescent title track is stacked with micro-hooks, while the reggae-infused “Bright Lights,” which finds Clarkson reminiscing about her salad days as a b-girl, is a mix of deep dub bass and sugary pop that recalls “Hollaback Girl”-era Gwen Stefani. But while it’s adeptly produced and mixed, Boomerang lacks the bite of Clarkson’s underrated debut, Boomania, whose cartoonish pop-rap was shrewdly tempered by sleek, unassuming house tracks.

Lyrically, Boomerang is less combative than Clarkson’s early albums, focused mostly on having a good time, though “Never Too Late” touches on the artist’s own personal and professional journey: “If you wanna go back to the way things were/Then you gotta find a way to start all over.” From the album’s frothy, Human League-sampling opening track, “Get Me to the Weekend,” to the rousing “Hell Yeah,” the album risks tipping into toxic positivity (Clarkson’s old pal, Chuck D, is sadly wasted on the terminally optimistic “Miracle”).

Clarkson’s lyrical references, which include Frank Sinatra and Kool & the Gang, are charmingly antiquated, and a subtle nod to Kriss Kross’s 1992 hit “Jump” during the bridge of the aptly titled “Stop Your Nonsense (Bubblegum Pop!)” lands on just the right side of clever given that the entire album pretends like the last three decades didn’t exist. Clarkson has called Boomerang “the record I should have made when I was 25,” and in many ways it sounds like it was, proving that sometimes what goes around really does come around again”.

An album that I want to shine new light on, Betty Boo’s Boomania arrived last year and was a welcome reintroduction from a legendary Pop artist. From her collaboration with the Beatmasters on Hey DJ/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing) to her 1990 debut, Boomania, this star has added something unique and distinct to the music landscape! A lot of people were comparing Boomerang to her earliest work. It should be judged on its own terms. A really solid and interesting album, I think that people should revisit…

THE superb Boomerang.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Wasia Project

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Wasia Project

_________

WITH a raft…

of live dates already confirmed for next year, it is a perfect time to get involved with Wasia Project. They were formed in 2019 by siblings Will Gao and Olivia Hardy. The duo are of mixed British-East Asian heritage. In terms of their music, Wasia Project incorporate a diverse mix of genres - including Jazz, Bedroom Pop and Classical. They released the E.P., How Can I Pretend?, in 2022 and have since released a few more singles. They were heralded and spotlighted in 2022. This year has been one where they have got on the radar of some big music publications. I want to include in a few interviews with the amazing Wasia Project. In fact, I want to take a bit from five different interviews from this year. In the U.K, U.S. and beyond, the brother-sister duo are getting a lot of acclaim and attention! I am going to start with an interview from Rolling Stone UK. It is interesting learning more about the start and influences of the incredible Wasia Project:

“Billie Eilish!” “Phoebe Bridgers!” “Boygenius!” “Frank Ocean!” “Agh, I don’t know, [my] mind’s blank… Beyoncé!”

Siblings Will Gao and Olivia Hardy are playing a game. They’re batting back and forth some of the names that influence their band, Wasia Project. Many of the artists are quintessential staples of Generation-Z Spotify playlists, but others, such as ABBA, Elton John, The Beatles and ELO, are exports from their parents’ CD collection. During their childhood, they’d spend evenings at home dancing to whatever was blaring from the speakers.

They haven’t yet touched on the influences, however, that make Wasia Project unique. Both Gao and Hardy have a background in classical — from both Western nations and East Asia — and jazz music, and both can play an instrument. Gao, who found fame acting in Netflix’s coming-of-age smash hit Heartstopper, took up classical piano at a very young age, while Hardy learned violin via the Japanese method of Suzuki, which favours learning by ear over using sheet music. “In the classical music world, it’s not been very beneficial,” she says, speaking over Zoom in a bedroom with mint-green walls, “because reading a lot of sheet music is an important part. But it’s helped with our creative process — it’s a lot more intuitive.”

What do they love about those styles? “There’s such pure emotion in classical music,” says Gao. “When classical music is tragic, it’s gut-wrenching. It can be really intense. I think that passion and intensity you can hear in it, and also in jazz, is equivalent to the kinds of music being created today.”

Their background in those styles bled into their contemporary alt-pop palette naturally and spontaneously. “We can’t not acknowledge or invalidate our past history with those genres,” Gao continues. “It’s inherent in our work, even when we don’t realise it’s there. I don’t think we could do it any other way.”

Classical and jazz are, arguably, an acquired taste, frequently dismissed as too highbrow, too stuffy or too dense. What the siblings have done with Wasia Project, however, is inadvertently wedge open a door that makes those sounds more accessible and contemporary for their audience, many of whom are their age, if not younger.

“It’s getting more and more difficult for people to get access to classical and jazz; it’s almost starting to become more of a closed shop in a lot of ways,” Gao acknowledges. “I think one of the ways forward is to make it accessible by blending [those genres and pop] and having sections where the music is very classically influenced, and that hopefully leads people to see [where that comes from].”

PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Patterson

“It’s all about trying to make them less rigid and making people feel like classical and jazz really is for them,” Hardy adds. “They’re such huge genres; there shouldn’t be this arbitrary shutting down of them, [like] ‘Oh, that’s not for me.’”

Gao and Hardy’s musical journeys weren’t identical, although their paths ran parallel to one another, and they both attended each other’s concerts “all the time” growing up. Gao — three years older than his sister, who at the time of writing is a few days away from finishing her A-levels — stumbled down the pop rabbit hole earlier than his sibling, too. “I had this realisation when I was 14, when I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you can write a song and it doesn’t have to be a concerto!’” he says with a grin. Their paths eventually converged when they began Wasia Project in 2019, uploading debut single ‘why don’t u love me’ to SoundCloud that same year.

Since then, the siblings have progressed from DIY recordings on GarageBand to working on their ethereal, eclectic creations in a studio with producer Luke Pinell for their 2022 EP ‘how can i pretend?’. Two further singles — the softly sunny ‘Petals on the Moon’ and the gently unfurling, intimate jazz-pop number ‘My Lover Is Sleeping’ — followed this year, with another two set to be released this side of Christmas. Those songs are set to become, in Gao’s words, “the ground floor of the building we want to create”.

I will come to some more regarding influences. I was also interested discovering their songwriting process and how, with their close-knit bond, the songwriting duties work. For that, it is to Vogue. They chatted with Will Gao and Olivia Hardy earlier in this year. A remarkable duo gaining traction and a growing fanbase, I think that 2024 will be their biggest year yet:

“How would you summarise the influences you both individually bring?

W: For me, quite traditional music – pretty early classical. I was in the school choir at school and we sang with organ and traditional church instruments. Also opera: it’s such an extreme, dramatic art form that is getting out of fashion now, but there’s something about it that fascinates me. So, I think I bring a bit of drama to Wasia Project.

O: I really look up to jazz vocalists, especially Ella Fitzgerald. But I think on keys, you’re very jazz influenced. We both are, actually.

W: And less is more – that’s what I’ve learned from Olivia.

O: You’ve always been obsessed by Paul McCartney and the Beatles, and Elton John – you sit down at a piano, and the piano and voice carry it. I’m in that crossover as well, but I’m more into a soundscape: ethereal vibe and a lot of melodies. That together creates Wasia.

W: You’re also more of a lyricist. The way we write songs matches really well, because her lyrics are very conceptual and poetic, whereas I try and just channel the emotion I feel and blurt it out. A lot of my lyrics are very blurt-y, and then she kind of goes in and works at them, she translates them in a poetic way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Patterson

Is that the process, you both come in with different lyrics on the same song and then edit each other?

W: I think so.

O: Every song is different. It’s not like, from scratch: “Let’s write a song about this.” It’s a pretty organic process.

W: Our collaboration really ignites when we go into a studio, and we’re with instruments and sounds. That’s when it takes off. It’s the most exciting part for me.

Where do you both draw lyrical inspiration from?

W: I love straight rhymes. Paul McCartney is a big songwriting influence. But self-expression: just feelings and thoughts as they come out.

O: For me, with that more lyric-centric sound, I’ve always loved Phoebe Bridgers.

W: Oh, yeah, so good.

O: One of my favourite procrastination things – I just finished my A levels but during my exams – I would just not do my work and Spotify was the worst thing, because I’d just go through the lyrics of so many songs. Phoebe Bridgers was one of the winners on that because they’re so gut-wrenching.

W: I’m listening to a lot of Loyle Carner at the moment.

O: Yeah, he’s got great stuff.

You’re both so young, but your songs centre around heavy relationships – is that drawn from your own life or more conceptual?

O: Both – I think it’s a bit of both for most people anyway. Overall, we always do write very personally and from the heart. You can do narrative songs that are incredible, but if you don’t have a sort of personal or emotional connection to it, you can’t make it as good as it could be… Like emotional blurting. But I think there’s a narrative element as well. I’ve always loved any song that has a name and [is] about a specific person, like “Eleanor Rigby”.

W: But again, “My Lover Is Sleeping”, the last single, is [partly] personal, but it’s about the character, it’s wondering where the character has been. So it’s a mix of conceptual and personal”.

When they spoke to HUNGER. In October, Wasia Project revealed how there is this pressure for artists to say something. Maybe make a statement and have important messages in their songs. What they are producing with their music is something hugely distinct and long-lasting:

“This past year has been so crazy,” she says, modestly. “It’s always a scheduling thing for us and trying to have one foot in one thing and one in another, trying to balance it all. It’s been challenging but really rewarding. Outlets are really important for us because there’s just nothing that compares to being in a studio or writing a song, and it is just a completely different way of expressing what’s going on in life compared to anything else. We’ve naturally gravitated towards it, despite everything.”

And for her older brother, there’s the small balancing act of doing the whole music thing while playing a main role in what might be Netflix’s most beloved and cherished LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age series: Heartstopper. The show isn’t just some side hustle that Gao does alongside his music career, it is what propelled him into global recognition, as part of a cast that is carrying the torch for young, queer storytelling on screen right now. In the series, Gao plays Tao Xu, and he’s close friends with co-stars Yasmin Finney, Joe Locke and Kit Connor. There are obviously lots of questions fans want to ask about Heartstopper, especially the new series. And you might be thinking that Wasia Project’s gigs are full to the brim with young kids wearing the show’s merchandise, but at Omeara that night, all the press attendees were asking, “Where’s the Heartstopper crowd?” That’s because what Gao and his sister have created isn’t piggybacking on their other creative successes. The way their audience has grown has been natural and organic, which makes their sold-out shows even more inspiring. With Gao and Hardy almost swallowed whole by endeavours beyond music, a question remains: why do this to yourself?

PHOTO CREDIT: Alexander James-Aylin

“I think the more outlets we have to express ourselves through, the better it is and the more balanced your artistic life becomes,” Gao says. “My work life is so in harmony because I get to express it through these different outlets. Getting to collaborate with Olivia is very different from collaborating with a group of actors in the theatre or with a director. That’s what I love. But it is hectic.”

It is difficult not to wonder whether a chaotic lifestyle, slammed work schedules and inevitable sibling tension would put a strain on the band’s working relationship. Many siblings probably wouldn’t last a day working with each other. But while we discuss whether it’s easy to make music together despite mounting workloads, a juggernaut of a Netflix series, A-levels, thoughts about university fast approaching, I can’t detect any release of pent-up anger in their answers. And as the pair go on to chat, their lӑolao (grandmother) enters the room and places small bowls of fruit in front of them. They laugh and apologise, but of course it’s OK; it even sets the scene almost perfectly for what they’re going to say next.

“I think you’d be surprised how helpful it is to be honest with each other on a level of being comfortable where you can just be like, ‘Yeah, shut up,’” Hardy says, taking the bowl of fruit from her grandmother. “It’s really beneficial in those busy moments. It’s gotten to the point where we’re completely comfortable with disagreeing with an idea or agreeing to disagree”.

The penultimate interview is from DORK. It is a chat from back in April. I wanted to include it here to show how far they come. Talking about ambitions and where they want to go, Wasia Project also reveal how they have a cooler façade than many might imagine:

“We’re opening up this sound we’ve created, which is kind of a fusion of a whole bunch of different influences,” Olivia grins. “I think we’re trying a lot of new things.” That is as much as she says before caution sets in. “I don’t know much I should give away…” With festival appearances set for this summer and more new music imminent (the band’s next single is set to drop early April), what we’ve heard so far is only the beginning.

“We’re very much going to experiment with sounds,” Will describes. “We’re also going to experiment with our live shows more. We’ve always been doing that, but we want to take things to the next level.”

He’s not wrong. At Wasia Project’s last live show in London in December, they not only added a trombone player and saxophonist into their ever-growing live band, but also partnered with a local bubble tea vendor to offer free drinks to their crowd. “We just wanted something to give to the fans,” Olivia states. “Like, why not?”

Taking to the studio like a duck to water, Wasia Project are entirely in their element. “We’re in this new studio space that’s basically a playground,” Olivia details. “We feel a lot more free than we have ever been.” With that freedom, the pair are having the time of their lives. Experimenting with their sound, playing with different genres and textures, working with new instrumentation and sound worlds, the siblings are building the bigger and better that the lyrics of their last single were yearning for.

“I feel like Wasia Project,” Will starts, then – after a quick amendment that “I mean, it should be very centred around the music” – continues, “I think it should be a real show, like a piece of theatre and cross all things. It should be an overwhelming stimulus for all the senses.”

Experimenting with and evolving their live show wasn’t the only reason they set up this partnership. It was also a way the siblings could say thank you and give back to their fans. “There’s this really intimate connection we have with the people who have supported us,” Oliva says. “It is very early on, and it’s very personal, and we want to keep this sort of connection.”

The fondness they speak of their fans with is every bit as enamoured and appreciative as the hype that surrounds them online. The band’s social media tags are full of devotion. There are dedications, memes, song covers, fan art… A community built around enthusiasm for the music Wasia Project are creating.

“The fact that the creativity we’re doing, and the art we’re making, is inspiring art and inspiring this journey of lots of very creative people, creating together and meeting and connecting,” Will describes, “it’s a really beautiful thing. That’s the beauty of communities, especially around musicians and artists. It’s this world of bubbling creativity.”

This is the world that Wasia Project create not only for their fans but for themselves, and they thrive in it. “We’re making a lot more music to release, and we’re releasing more music, and we’re in the recording studio a lot more,” Olivia details of their plans for this year. They aren’t sharing the particulars of any further releases yet, but from what they are hinting, it seems clear that it’s going to be something special.

“We actually did a demo with a string quartet, and it works really well. It added such a different kind of perspective,” Will enthuses. “We’ve both been brought up very classically trained; it’s not too unknown to us. To put these two worlds together, we’re really excited to do that”.

I am going to end with a recent feature from NME. Last month, they spotlighted a duo whose songs make the heart skip. Jazz-Pop gems that ensure that they can never be kept in a box and defined easily. This is an exciting act who I am sure we will see a debut album from next year. Go and follow them if you have not done so already:

“Music didn’t always feel quite so energising for Gao and Hardy. They were brought up in Croydon, a suburb of south London, by parents who encouraged them to “absorb culture” wherever possible. Their British dad had briefly worked as an actor and their Chinese mum, who moved to the UK in her twenties, really valued the siblings’ music lessons. “She was always like, ‘You’re gonna like this in the future, trust me,” Hardy says with an affectionate eye roll.

But at first, Hardy found learning the violin arduous. “It involved a lot of repetition, which was difficult for me because I’m very anti-monotony and always searching for new things,” she says. Gao felt equally restricted by his piano lessons until he turned “12 or 13” and realised he was skilled enough to deviate from the sheet music in front of him. “Something clicked and I was like, ‘Hold on. When you learn the notes and the techniques, there’s this whole other world where you get to make it up for yourself,’” he says. “That was the start of me discovering songwriting.” 

After Hardy had a similar epiphany, the siblings gradually gravitated towards making music together. Gao says they shared their first few singles “just for fun and our friends” with no expectations. According to Hardy, Wasia Project really began to take shape “because it fed a lot of creative hunger” in both of them. “It was all about stepping back and looking at something you’ve created, then picking at it to improve your skills,” she says.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bella Howard for NME

They only played their first gig in 2021. “It was at The Beehive pub in Bromley-By-Bow and around 30 people came to watch us – all of them friends,” Gao recalls with a laugh. But around a year later, when they played to a larger crowd at The Fiddler in Kilburn, they noticed a real change in their audience. “It was just after the release of our EP and the place was packed with people singing our music,” Hardy says. “It was the first gig where we didn’t know the majority of people personally. It really felt like a community for our music was building.”

Since then, Wasia Project have continued to hone their live chops. When they performed at Latitude Festival in July, they were worried about their 1pm time slot, but walked out to what Hardy calls a “beautiful tent full of people”. She clearly relished the learning curve. “It’s very different to performing for a venue full of your fans,” Hardy says. “It’s another technique to be learned, I guess – it’s about winning people over, but also making them feel welcome.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Bella Howard for NME

Building their live reputation is now a priority for Wasia Project. Next February, they will embark on their first full UK headline tour; all seven dates have already sold out – a sure sign their community of fans is growing fast. They also want to focus on making what Hardy calls “an extended body of work”. Since she finished her A-levels this summer, she has more time to pour into music. “It’s been fun doing singles – especially while Liv was still at school and I was doing other things,” Gao says, alluding modestly to his acting career. “But when I picture Wasia Project, I see our songs fitting into two-year brackets. We’re just coming to the end of a bracket, but I see our next brackets as being [filled with] albums.”

At this point, they throw in another, absolutely pivotal influence – Kamaal Williams, the visionary artist-producer who mixes jazz, hip-hop, R&B and EDM into a shape-shifting style he calls ‘Wu funk’. “Everyone tries to put you in a box,” Gao says. “And that’s something I used to be frustrated by, but now I’m kind of at peace with it. You know, it’s a great challenge to blur the lines and keep running away from being put in a box. Kamaal Williams is doing that and so are we. But we’re not doing it in an active way; it’s just inherent to us.” The only possible response? Long may Wasia Project keep ‘the box’ at bay”.

A duo that are amazing and should be on everyone’s playlist, I think that there will be a lot of brilliant music from Wasia Project next year. I am a fairly new discoverer of their music. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. With so much support from publications, radio and a loving fanbase, there is no stopping this…

AWESOME duo.

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Follow Wasia Project

PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Patterson

Official:

https://wasiaproject.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wasiaproject/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@wasiaproject

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wasia_project

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgIjUYl5i3LDBRFPHkiLULA

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7poQNrOwZoUcoqihg4Xex0

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: The Best New Music from November

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Staves

The Best New Music from November

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AS I did last month…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa

I have compiled all the best new music that has come this month into a playlist. I don’t think December is going to be a big one for music. It is going to be a lot quieter in terms of interesting or different sounds. There will be quite a few Christmas tracks I am sure! This month has bene a pretty incredible one for new music. We have seen some amazing tracks come out. The Beatles’ last track, Now and Then, arrived. If you have missed out on the tracks that were released this month, then I hope that the playlist below is of some use. I am looking forward to hearing what arrives in 2024. There are some great rumoured albums. For now, and sticking in 2023, here is a playlist that contains some gold…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles

FROM November.

FEATURE: What I Was Made For: Power of Women: Billie Eilish, Female Resilience, and Triumphing Over Adversity

FEATURE:

 

 

What I Was Made For

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish photographed for Variety in November 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Victoria Stevens

Power of Women: Billie Eilish, Female Resilience, and Triumphing Over Adversity

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THIS is my second feature…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish (far right) alongside fellow Power of Women LA inductees/guests including Fantasia Barrino (second from right) on 16th November, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Buckner/Variety

related to Variety’s recent Power of Women event that took place in Los Angeles recently. It was a celebration and recognition of women in entertainment. Those who have achieved and inspired. Those who have overcome adversity and triumphed. In fields that are not that open and accepting of women or have struggled to striker a gender balance and create a fair and equitable landscape, it is important that we shine a light on amazing women through entertainment. I am going to come to an interview from Variety with Billie Eilish. She was an honouree at the event. Her words and the interview made me think more widely about women through music. Eilish says, even now, it is a war being a woman. There is constant pressure and double standards. I will come to something she said about body image and judgement/objectification that some have challenged. There are parts of that interview that got me thinking:

“That tenuous relationship with femininity and womanhood has only recently started to change for her, following the July release of the “Barbie” song. The soaring, somber piano ballad is placed at the emotional climax of the Warner Bros. blockbuster, scoring a scene where Rhea Perlman’s Ruth Handler teaches Margot Robbie’s Barbie what it means to be a woman. “Take my hands. Close your eyes. Now, feel,” she says, offering Barbie visions of real women’s lives.

The scene spawned a heartwarming TikTok trend in which more than 1.3 million users made video collages set to the song, sharing their own experiences of girlhood. “It was so moving, dude. It was so, so touching,” Eilish says. “I feel like I helped bring people together, and it felt so special. I wasn’t expecting to have women around the world feel connected.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish arrives at the 2019 Variety's Hitmakers Brunch at Soho House on 7th December, 2019/PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Edwards/FilmMagic

In the song’s official music video, which the singer directed, Eilish faces earthquakes, wind and heavy rain as she unpacks a small box with Barbie-sized versions of her most iconic looks: mostly oversized T-shirts and sweatpants. That signature style provoked praise, attention and even Halloween costumes — but with it came unwanted speculation. What was Eilish hiding?

“I wasn’t trying to have people not sexualize me,” she explains. “But I didn’t want people to have access to my body, even visually. I wasn’t strong enough and secure enough to show it. If I had shown it at that time, I would have been completely devastated if people had said anything.”

She takes a deep breath. “Maybe my not really caring about being sexualized is because I’ve never felt desired or desirable.” Eilish leans back into the couch and wraps herself tighter in a big blue baseball jacket, her jet-black hair peeking out from under a black beanie.

PHOTO CREDIT: Victoria Stevens

“I’ve never felt like a woman, to be honest with you. I’ve never felt desirable. I’ve never felt feminine. I have to convince myself that I’m, like, a pretty girl,” she says. “I identify as ‘she/her’ and things like that, but I’ve never really felt like a girl.”

As she wrestled with these feelings growing up, Eilish also had to contend with the media’s mounting curiosity about her developing body. The rare moments when she wore tighter clothing were irresistible fodder for tabloids.

“I have big boobs. I’ve had big boobs since I was nine years old, and that’s just the way I am. That’s how I look,” she says, becoming exasperated as she recalls the media frenzy when she first dared to wear a tank top in public at age 16. “You wear something that’s at all revealing, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, but you didn’t want people to sexualize you?’” She scoffs and answers the trolls: “You can suck my ass! I’m literally a being that is sexual sometimes. Fuck you!”

Eilish went on to say that men are not judged when it comes to their body. Whether stick-thin, muscular or podgy, that is all cool. The thing that girls and women do not say anything negative because they are nice. Whilst it is true that women are less cruel and obsessed with the men’s bodies fitting an ideal, some noted how plenty of men get judged. I don’t think it is a major thing. Boys in schools get picked on. Some men get critiques regarding their bodies. If Eilish’s statement isn’t 100% true, she did have a point regarding objectivity and standards. It is terrific that there are events like Power of Women. With so few award ceremonies and evenings that specifically spotlight the achievements of women, it is so vital that we discuss and keep alive events such as Power of Women. Check out the other Power of Women (or Power of Women LA to be precise) interviews. They make for fascinating reading. I am always interested in reading what Billie Eilish had to say. What she said about not feeling like a woman/desirable is really compelling. Is there this perception that women should be ‘feminine’, and anyone who does not dress in a certain way is not desirable? Music still sexualises women so much. Women have to be dressed glamorously at award ceremonies and pose in particular ways. It is very odd and incongruous. So many other artists and young fans of Eilish will feel the same way. I do think other genders are conscious about their bodies and will have pressure and judgement from others. Even so, it is women who will have the most scrutiny!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish photographed for Variety in November 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Victoria Stevens

Her song, What Was I Made For?, has so many depths. Featured in a film (Barbie) where the central character is concerned about being anything other than stereotypical and perfect – but then goes into the real world and wants to be among normal people -, Eilish asks some probing questions. The chorus lyrics are especially striking and thought-provoking: “Cause I, I/I don't know how to feel/But I wanna try/I don't know how to feel/But someday, I might/Someday, I might”. Maybe I am not the most qualified person to discuss women’s sexuality and bodies in relation to sexist and misogynistic standards and the way the industry and many people sexualise them, though I am a big fan of Billie Eilish and she is someone who inspires so many others. As a hugely relevant and popular young women in the public eye, she is boldly and openly talking about her body and how she has been viewed. The standout quote from that interview, to me, is “I have to convince myself that I’m, like, a pretty girl,” she says. “I identify as ‘she/her’ and things like that, but I’ve never really felt like a girl”. That idea of, as a woman, she has to identify as ‘she/her’. Eilish questioning what it is to be a girl/woman and whether she is slightly abnormal. It is such a fascinating thought. Maybe not something men have to deal with, the way the media and society in general has an idea of what a woman should look like and how sexual they should be. It reminds me of the speech in Barbie delivered passionately and beautiful by America Ferrera (Gloria). One portion/section stands out in this case: “It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean”.

I think that it is going to take a long time for this to happen. So many women are wrestling with identity and sense of self. The media either obsessed with their bodies and objectifying them or calling them prudish if they dress normally or in baggy clothes. The idea that they need to be elegant and sexy. It is that Barbie speech and all the contradictions that are imposed on women. They can’t do right for doing wrong! Eilish does feel sexual sometimes, though she is not someone who always is going to feel like a woman – if that makes sense?! This woman in her twenties asking big questions and discussing sexuality, femininity, her body and the media’s lure is something that will resonate with so many women in music. And, yes, I know men are non-binary people are objectified and get abuse and judgement around their bodies, though I don’t think there is such a savage and relentless obsession and critique from the media. If empowering women like Dua Lipa want to perform and promote themselves looking provocative or sexy, that somehow gives the media a green light to objectify and be salacious. The view that all women need to be like that. Female sexuality and expression is a spectrum and is down to them. Even so, as Bille Eilish has said, there is confusion as to who she is meant to be and what a woman is – or, as her song title says, What Was I Made For? It is almost like art bleeding into real life (or vice versa). The idea that she (and so many other women) are not sure of how they should look. That constant war and battle they have with themselves and the larger world.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa

Even if the Variety interview suggested an artist still struggling with womanhood and whether she feels like a woman, the speech she gave suggests things have changed. Maybe Eilish, in her twenties, is embracing her womanhood and not having to feel bad or apologise. Her speech was very emotional and tear-filled. It has been a tough road to acceptance, realisation and self-worth/love:

“The pop star, 21, was among the honorees at Variety’s Power of Women event on Thursday and shared an emotional speech about how she’s become very “proud” of her womanhood after having “never felt truly like a woman.” Throughout the speech, the Grammy winner reiterated that she’s “not a crying person,” but continued to tear up while reflecting on how she “resents” her past “internalized misogyny.”

Barbie star Ariana Greenblatt presented Eilish with the honor — reportedly with a speech about her “authenticity and fearlessness” and how much she cherishes their friendship. The “Bad Guy” singer then took the stage while still crying and joked about being on medication for laryngitis and having a hard time holding back her tears.

Once the hitmaker collected herself, she began opening up about her identity and experience in the spotlight. “I don’t like doing speeches because I would rather give my platform to people who know what the f--- they’re talking about,” she said “I was so young — I’m still young — but coming up and being 15, it’s really f---ing me up a little bit to think about. I don’t be crying, like I’m not a crying person. Like, I’m zooted right now, sorry.”

“But it’s really hard to be a woman out here guys. It’s hard,” she continued.

The singer-songwriter then spoke candidly about her own experience with her gender. “I’ve said this a lot recently, so if anybody’s heard me say this, I’m sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I’ve never felt truly like a woman,” she admitted. “I’ve spent a lot of my life not feeling like I fit in to being a woman.”

“I think for a couple years because of that insecurity, I became almost very ‘pick me’ about it, and I would be like, ‘Oh, I’m not like other girls because I don’t do this and this,” the Oscar-winning songwriter revealed. “I’ve grown to be very resentful of that period of time because I’m so much more interested in being like other girls because other girls are f---ing tight, and I love women.”

“This sounds kind of f---ed up, but I have a lot of internalized misogyny inside of me and I find it coming out in places I don’t want it to,” the songwriter shared. “And I have to say, with full transparency, I feel very grateful to be a woman right now. I feel very proud, and I feel very honored to be here”.

It is good that Eilish, in some way, is now more comfortable in her own body. I know this is a very recent transformation. Her words earlier this month will no doubt hit many girls and young women. Many other artists too. A more confident and less apologetic and confused artist who has the confidence to dress how she wants. Not having to ‘fit in’ or apologise for her body. Neither someone against being sexy nor feeling that this is what she needs to be heard, accepted and validated. I was completely entranced by the Variety interview and the speech she gave. Some different views on how she feels in her own skin. How she feels as a woman and what it means to be feminine. Eilish is someone who is going to go down in history as a music icon. Her fashion choices and way she speaks in interview is so refreshing and honest! At a moment when many women are being sexualised or feel they have to be a certain way in the industry to succeed and be merely on a level with men, Eilish’s mixture of some lingering questions and newfound acceptance of herself will give them strength and power. If some in the industry feels she needs to show her body or be a certain way, it is clear that the Los Angeles-born icon is not going to conform or do fit into this industry ‘ideal’. She is here to let her words speak and inspire and connect with others. That is…

WHAT she was made for!

FEATURE: Thank God I Do: Songs of Praise: The Importance and Significance of the Church for Legacy and Contemporary Singers

FEATURE:

 

 

Thank God I Do: Songs of Praise

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé performing in Boston, Massachusetts in August 2023 as part of her Renaissance World Tour (as a child, Beyoncé was a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church, where she sang her first solo (and was a soloist for two years)

The Importance and Significance of the Church for Legacy and Contemporary Singers

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ONE thing that I have noticed…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift, a child, would sing every Sunday at church/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

when writing about various new and legacy artists is how many of them started singing at church. It is not just icons and legends that this applies to. I have written many Spotlight features where artists have said in interview how they got started at church. That is where they first remember singing. They might have been part of a choir, or it was part of a service when they had an opportunity to sing. Even though I am an atheist, I can definitely appreciate how churches and religion have really affected and shaped artists. That feeling that they are connected to something spiritual and higher. Not to say that all of the best singers ever started singing at church - though you can definitely feel that with many. Think about some of the Soul greats like Aretha Franklin (she was noticed singing at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan). One might feel it is a think of the past. That fewer young people are attending church, so you will not get that influence and route. That doesn’t seem to be entirely true. That said, there is a crisis in faith happening in the U.S. Fewer young people believe in God and attend church. I wonder whether this is a moral decision or there is less attraction attending church. Maybe, like sexuality, there has been a diversification and awareness beyond the binary. Young people embracing other spiritual/fulfilling avenues. I think, when the world is so fractured and horrible, it is understandable that many people’s faith would wane.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Aretha Franklin/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs/Getty Images via The New Yorker

It may sound unconnected, though I worry that we will get fewer of those mesmeric and hugely soulful voices emerge into music if young people attend church less. Regardless of their faith, it does seem that participation is declining. Last year, Deseret News presented statistics regarding a slide in church attendance from a young demographic:

“To Rod Dreher, author of “The Benedict Option,” the decline of faith and religious practice among young people portend a cultural transformation for which American churches “are not remotely prepared.”

“We are facing now the widespread collapse of the Christian faith among the American people. If you want to see what America is going to look like in 10 or 20 years, go to Europe. Politics cannot save us from that fate,” Dreher wrote recently in response to questions from the Deseret News.

Dreher says that many Americans have tried to “vote our way out of this crisis,” but says, “Political work is not the main work of the church: evangelization and discipleship is. If we don’t evangelize and disciple successfully, then there won’t be enough of us to make a political difference in our democracy.”

According to the Deseret/Marist poll, a majority of Americans delineate between their politics and their faith. Fifty-two percent said that religious beliefs and values should not influence their politics, while 45% said religious beliefs and values should.

PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Those numbers, however, reflect strong partisan differences. “Republicans (70%) are significantly more likely than Democrats (28%) and independents (45%) to believe someone’s politics should be influenced by their religion,” the Deseret/Marist report says.

Religious participation, however, has been in decline for decades across all demographics, although markedly less so for older Americans and Black Americans.

The new Deseret/Marist research found that 40% of Americans reported attending a religious service once or twice a month, a significant drop from a 2011 Marist poll that showed 52% attending a service at least once a month.

It’s possible that the pandemic has contributed to the decline in religious participation; the survey of 1,653 U.S. adults, which has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points, was fielded in January 2022.

Even so, the historical trends are not good for churches in America, as the poll makes clear the drop-off in religious participation by age: 43% of Americans 60 or older said they attend religious services at least weekly, as did 27% of 45- to 49-year-olds, 25% of 30- to 44-year-olds and 21% of 18- to 29-year-olds”.

Not that it is complete cause for alarm. I feel that, as I have featured so many artists – many of them in their twenties and thirties – who started in church and that is where they found their voice, how important its role is. It may not be solely about religion and anything spiritual. Church is a space where there is a community and song is present. Is it religion that young Americans are avoiding? Is it commitment to faith and going to church every week? Have their become dissolution and shocked by the modern world, thus questioning God and the purpose of religion? It is a turbulent and changing time. From a musical persecutive, even if many artists do not entirely credit church with their voice and connection to music, so many started singing at church. That was a significant revelation and bond. This Tone Deaf article from 2019 highlights famous artists who sang in church at some point. I have selected a couple of very different examples:

“Whitney Houston

Born in the early ’60s, Whitney Houston was always set to be involved in music, with her cousins being none other than Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. By the age of 11, she’d begun to learn to play the piano at her church, where she also began to perform as a soloist in their gospel choir.

Following these church performances, Houston soon found herself playing nightclubs with her mother, and before long had embarked on a solo career which would see her crowned as one of the best-selling music artists of all time

Jack White

“Wait a minute,” we hear you asking. “Jack White was never in the church choir, was he?” Well, famously, Jack White actually started out his career with a much different career path, and had originally planned to be a priest.

Having grown up in a Catholic household, White spent time as an altar boy before being accepted into a seminary. However, he’d also just gotten a new guitar amplifier and was worried that he wouldn’t be allowed to take it with him. Deciding instead to go to a public school, White found himself starting a few early bands, and as they say, the rest is history”.

As we can see from this article, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and Britney Spear are among these huge artists who no doubt were inspired by church and singing there. One wonders how their careers would have unfolded were it not for that exposure to church. Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and so many other artists that are hugely successful and inspiring now had roots in the church. Maybe not devout in their faith, that social aspect of church gave them confidence. They perhaps felt connected to a particular spirit or energy in that space. The spirituality and intimacy. Whatever the reason, and whether it was their decision or their parents’, so many artists attended church. As I said, many young artists I have written about recently either attended church as a child and got a love of music from there, or else they still attended as young adults. If fewer young Americans (mainly Democrats) especially are not attending church, I wonder how that will shape artists going forward. There does seem to be this connection between so many hugely admired and successful artists and the church. In a modern age, where we are less connected and more online, have things shifted to a point of no return?! Many people might think of the church and it being main Black artists who were inspired. This connection between church, Gospel and Soul music. That is not necessarily the case…

There are modern artists like Lauren Daigle who were raised in a Christian family and attended church. She is a terrific artist - though her politics and opinion in the past have caused some consternation. I wonder if there is a link between political affiliation and the church? Are fewer artists who are raised in more liberal households not attending church? Is there also too much risk for artists who are more conservative and faith-based? At a time when it is easy for an artist to say the ‘wrong’ thing and have questionable views regarding abortion, human rights, certain politicians and laws, is the church and religion in general less important? Maybe that is not the word. However, it is clear that modern American particularly is a more diverse and perhaps less ecumenical and religious landscape than in years past. It is good in many ways. For music, I keep thinking about how the church and religious spaces have compelled young artists. Opened their eyes and ears to music and its connective power. If the church has a less important modern role in terms of shaping young minds and providing guidance in a less spiritual world, are we also losing future greats of music?! That undoubted link between how church and being in a congregation/community can unlock something very special and powerful. With there still being Gen Z and Gen Alpha artists mentioning the church and how they started singing there, it is too early to say whether this is an end to the church’s role in nourishing and enlightening artists. I was reading back on recent features from young artists talking about their joy of singing in church and it got me thinking. Those 2022 statistics showing how there are fewer young people attending church in America also made me think about that impact on music and how things will change. I guess we will see if that relationship between early exposure to the church and this incredible vocal and musical talent changes…

IN future years.

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: A Variety Power of Women-Like Event for the Music World

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Margot Robbie at Variety’s Power of Women event at Citizen News in L.A. on 16th November, 2023 (she was among this year’s honourees; Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara received the Producer of the Year Award (the production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, co-produced Barbie)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

A Variety Power of Women-Like Event for the Music World

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I know that we have…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Wellington Cunha/Pexels

the incredible Music Week Women in Music Awards, which celebrates and recognises important women throughout the music industry. It is not overkill, isolating or wrong to celebrate women in an industry that does not fully appreciate them – and one in which they are dominating. With fewer opportunities open to them, it is so important to acknowledge and spotlight their vital work. I will come to a suggestion that we should have a mainstream or major award ceremony/’class’ that runs alongside Music Week’s incredible annual honouring of terrific and pioneering women in the music industry. I mention it because, last week, Variety’s Power of Women event honoured so magnificent women through entertainment. It was especially nice to see Margot Robbie recognised for her production work! Variety provide more details:

“Variety kicked off its Power of Women event at Citizen News in L.A. on Thursday night, and the carpet was filled with stars ready to celebrate the accomplishments of women in entertainment.

This year’s honorees include Carey Mulligan, Fantasia Barrino, Lily Gladstone and Billie Eilish, who will perform “What Was I Made For?” alongside her brother Finneas O’Connell. LuckyChap co-founders Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara will receive the Producer of the Year Award, and Emily Blunt will receive the Power of Women Alumni Award from premier partner Wells Fargo. Leonardo DiCaprio, Dua Lipa, Emerald Fennell, Ariana Greenblatt and Oprah Winfrey will each introduce an honoree at Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime.

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa at Variety’s Power of Women event/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

LuckyChap is a producer on this year’s highest-grossing film “Barbie,” which stars Robbie in the title role. Lipa portrays Mermaid Barbie in the hot-pink fantasy comedy, and her original song “Dance the Night” was also one of the breakout hits from the film’s soundtrack.

“It’s really just so exciting and such a dream to be part of such a mammoth movie. It’s unbelievable. I feel very lucky,” Lipa told Variety on the carpet. “It’s just nice to see people’s response — the whole energy behind the film, the meaning behind it, the solidarity between women. It’s been beautiful to see.”

Other celebrities that walked the red carpet include Meghan Markle, Greta Lee, Riley Keough, Sofia Carson, Emma Myers, Diane Warren, Addison Rae, Madison Bailey, Tia Mowry and more”.

I do actually think that the more women are spotlighted and get that special recognition, the more their importance and continuation are seen and heard. Hopefully, going forward, it changes attitudes and works towards greater equality. When it comes to Variety, their championing of women across film and beyond is a great step. We have some smaller events in the music world, though nothing quite like this. From amazing producers and songwriters through to incredible artists and live performers, there could be categories and special awards for amazing women. A lot of time, female artists miss out on festival spots or awards as they are dominated by men. This means that some phenomenal work and talent is overlooked and marginalised! I do feel there would be a welcome response to a Variety-like Power of Women crossover into music. I am not sure quite what form it would take and whether it would be held in the U.S. or U.K. It is obvious that a major publication could well do this. If it is NME, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Pitchfork or someone else, it is overdue in my opinion. I know that Billboard have their own event, though I think there could be even more categories. Would potentially a third major event celebrating women be too much?! I don’t think so! I admire Billboard and Music Week hugely, yet I don’t think either gets quite the focus they deserve. I think a lot of people assume film and T.V. to be the most powerful and influential industries. I guess because of the money films command and that side of things. I would say that music is more influential and important than any other cultural corner. Music holds so much influence.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Music Week

It would be nice that, in 2024, there was more balance and parity in general. Festivals need to get their act(s) together and book more women. This is especially true of headliners. Radio playlists across major stations are woefully male-led! As the Music Week Women in Music Awards showed, there are so many important and powerful queens across the industry that are making changes and doing remarkable work. Whether label bosses, champions of new music or those at labels or behind the scenes, we could go even bigger and wider. It would be wonderful if there was a major event that celebrated women in music. Awards for best albums, songs, direction, production and promotion. There are pioneers and groundbreaking women who are not being heralded and highlighted. I was inspired by Variety’s induction and inclusion of a range of wonderful women (including a nod to Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment work for Barbie). I do feel next year is one that should be a celebration of women. For so many years, there has been this inequality and real lack of support and progression from those in positions of power through the music industry. Whether celebrating powerful women at labels and studios or those delivering such amazing work and live performers, it would be wonderful if the music industry dedicated another major event celebrating and saluting…

INCREDIBLE women.

FEATURE: Inspired By… Part One Hundred and Five: Roy Orbison

FEATURE:

 

 

Inspired By…

Part One Hundred and Five: Roy Orbison

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ON 6th December…

PHOTO CREDIT: David Redfern/Redferns

it will be thirty-five years since the world lost Roy Orbison. He passed tragically young. Aged only fifty-two, ‘The Big O’ was one of the most respected and renowned vocalists of his generation. One of the most expressive and powerful voices the music world has ever seen, I wanted to use this occasion to include him in Inspired By… There is no doubting the fact many artists have been influenced by Roy Orbison. Though very few come close to his style and ability, you definitely can detect some or Orbison in other artists. He left behind this amazing legacy. Prior to getting to a playlist of songs from those who either cited Orbison as an inspiration or definitely have taken something from him, here is some biography from AllMusic:

“Although he shared the same rockabilly roots as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison went on to pioneer an entirely different brand of country/pop-based rock & roll in the early '60s. What he lacked in charisma and photogenic looks, Orbison made up for in spades with his quavering operatic voice and melodramatic narratives of unrequited love and yearning. In the process, he established rock & roll archetypes of the underdog and the hopelessly romantic loser. These were not only amplified by peers such as Del Shannon and Gene Pitney, but also influenced future generations of roots rockers such as Bruce Springsteen and Chris Isaak, as well as modern country stars the Mavericks.

Orbison made his first widely distributed recordings for Sun Records in 1956. Roy was a capable rockabilly singer, and had a small national hit with his first Sun single, "Ooby Dooby." But even then, he was far more comfortable as a ballad singer than as a hepped-up rockabilly jive cat. Other Sun singles met with no success, and by the late '50s he was concentrating primarily on building a career as a songwriter, his biggest early success being "Claudette" (recorded by the Everly Brothers).

After a brief, unsuccessful stint with RCA, Orbison finally found his voice with Monument Records, scoring a number-two hit in 1960 with "Only the Lonely." This established the Roy Orbison persona for good: a brooding rockaballad of failed love with a sweet, haunting melody, enhanced by his Caruso-like vocal trills at the song's emotional climax. These and his subsequent Monument hits also boasted innovative, quasi-symphonic production, with Roy's voice and guitar backed by surging strings, ominous drum rolls, and heavenly choirs of backup vocalists.

Between 1960 and 1965, Orbison would have 15 Top 40 hits for Monument, including such nail-biting mini-dramas as "Running Scared," "Crying," "In Dreams," and "It's Over." Not just a singer of tear-jerking ballads, he was also capable of effecting a tough, bluesy swagger on "Dream Baby," "Candy Man," and "Mean Woman Blues." In fact, his biggest and best hit was also his hardest-rocking: "Oh, Pretty Woman" soared to number one in late 1964, at the peak of the British Invasion.

It seemed at that time that Roy was well equipped to survive the British onslaught of the mid-'60s. He had even toured with the Beatles in Britain in 1963, and John Lennon has admitted to trying to emulate Orbison when writing the Beatles' first British chart-topper, "Please Please Me." But Orbison's fortunes declined rapidly after he left Monument for MGM in 1965. It would be easy to say that the major label couldn't replicate the unique production values of the classic Monument singles, but that's only part of the story. Roy, after all, was still writing most of his material, and his early MGM records were produced in a style that closely approximated the Monument era. The harder truth to face was that his songs were starting to sound like lesser variations of themselves, and that contemporary trends in rock and soul were making him sound outdated.

Orbison, like many early rock greats, could always depend on large overseas audiences to pay the bills. The two decades between the mid-'60s and mid-'80s were undeniably tough ones for him, though, both personally and professionally. A late-'60s stab at acting failed miserably. In 1966, his wife died in a motorcycle accident; a couple of years later, his house burned down, two of his sons perishing in the flames. Periodic comeback attempts with desultory albums in the 1970s came to naught.

Orbison's return to the public eye came about through unexpected circumstances. In the mid-'80s, David Lynch's Blue Velvet film prominently featured "In Dreams" on its soundtrack. That led to the singer making an entire album of re-recordings of hits, with T-Bone Burnett acting as producer. The record was no substitute for the originals, but it did help restore him to prominence within the industry. Shortly afterward, he joined George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne in the Traveling Wilburys. Their successful album set the stage for Orbison's best album in over 20 years, Mystery Girl, which emulated the sound of his classic '60s work without sounding hackneyed. By the time it reached the charts in early 1989, however, Orbison was dead, claimed by a heart attack in December 1988. Four years after his death, Mystery Girl outtakes were finished and released as King of Hearts.

Orbison's estate established the Orbison imprint in the late '90s, through which they released a number of live shows performed throughout the singer's life; the flagship of this series was 1999's box Roy Orbison: Authorized Bootleg Collection. Bear Family boxed up all of his recordings for Sun and Monument for 2001's seven-CD Orbison. Virgin released a 25th Anniversary edition of Mystery Girl in 2014, with Universal reviving Orbison's long out of print MGM recordings in 2015 through the release of hefty box set The MGM Years 1965-1973, which also featured the previously unreleased album One of the Lonely Ones; originally recorded in 1969, the album received its own separate release.

In 2017, original vocal tracks from Roy Orbison were overdubbed by the Royal Philharmonic for the album A Love So Beautiful. The album went Gold in the U.K., leading to the 2018 sequel Unchained Melodies”.

To mark thirty-five years since Roy Orbison left us (6th December, 1988), I wanted to celebrate his legacy and importance by compiling tracks from artists who were definitely influenced and moved by him. Still unmatched in terms of gravitas and sound, we are thankful for all the work he left behind. Whether solo or (briefly) part of The Traveling Wilburys, that beautiful voice scored so many timeless songs! The world is much poorer because Orbison is not in it. Even so, there is no way that we can…

EVER forget him.

FEATURE: Revisiting… Let's Eat Grandma – Two Ribbons

FEATURE:

 

 

Revisiting…

Let's Eat Grandma – Two Ribbons

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I want to go back to last year…

 PHOTO CREDIT: El Hardwick

for this Revisiting… That was a year when so many great albums came out and were being celebrated. One that got some good reviews but is not as played and discussed as much now as it should be is Let’s Eat Grandma’s Two Ribbons. Released four years after the hugely acclaimed I’m All Ears, their third studio album was co-produced by David Wrench. I am going to come to some press and reviews for a superb album that is sort of overlooked. Prior to recording Two Ribbons, Let’s Eat Grandma faced a difficult period. The duo (Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth) had their friendship tested. Rosa Walton moved from their native Norwich to London. She felt exhausted and isolated when she was there. Prior to moving to Norfolk she experienced a nervous breakdown. Most of Two Ribbons  was written separately – something that was a new experience for Let’s Eat Grandma. Their friendship did get back on track eventually. Also, a year after I’m All Ears came out, Billy Clayton, a Pop singer and boyfriend of Hollingworth, died from Ewing's sarcoma (a rare form of bone cancer). That caused strained and a period where things were strange and tense. Against the backdrop tragedy and the risk that Let’s Eat Grandma might have gone their own way, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth created some stunning! An album that definitely connected with critics. Reaching number four in the UK Independent Albums (OCC) chart,  many publications included Two Ribbons in their best of 2022 lists (CLASH ranked it seventeenth-best; The Sunday Times put it at number two).

There were some interesting and revealing interview from Let’s Eat Grandma around the release of Two Ribbons. This interview from The i revealed how Two Ribbons followed a period of dislocation and turbulence for the duo:

“A lot changed in quite a short period of time,” Hollingworth says carefully today, speaking over Zoom from her bedroom. “There was a lot of turmoil.” Their new album, Two Ribbons, explores it all. A fearless record full of club-ready euphoria and intricate soundscapes, it strips things back one minute (the sparse, 80s-inspired “Sunday”), dials them up to the extreme the next (“Watching You Go”, a scuzzy rock anthem complete with a twinkling stadium-sized outro).

Across Two Ribbons, Let’s Eat Grandma tackle friendship, self-discovery and defiant hope (“I still believe that I haven’t met the best days of my life” they sing on the buoyant dance of “Levitating”) while leaving plenty of room for the grief and loss to breathe.

“We both held on so tight that we’re bruising up,” they sing on the gut-wrenching title track. “Just think if we’d been together, we’d be breaking up now,” sings Hollingworth on “Happy New Year”, before they laugh at the idea of fighting for custody of a synth. When I ask whether the band ever considered breaking up, Walton says, “It didn’t even cross my mind.”

“Vibrant, colourful, emotional” is how they describe the record. “Sparkly, but also intense and vulnerable.” Yes, Hollingworth calls it “the perfect soundtrack to every kind of sobbing”, but she does so with a grin. Two Ribbons is an upbeat pop album with plenty of moments of joy. “We’re just fans of pop music,” says Walton. “Being able to put across complex, deep subjects in something as immediate and accessible as pop music can be really powerful,” adds Hollingworth. “Not that Rosa and I write music that’s easy listening.”

It took nearly two years to write the album. “It was a deliberately laid-back process,” says Walton. “I don’t think either of us particularly like pressure. It does feel like we know what we’re doing now though, in terms of songwriting, production and lyrics.” Hollingworth laughs. “That’s so weird,” she says. “I don’t feel like I’m ever confident writing a song. It always feels like I’m out of my depth.”

Still, creating Two Ribbons helped both of them to process what they had been through. “Making this album was like, ‘Life is not very good at the moment – let’s make some music about it and work out what’s going on with our relationship and in our lives.’”

“We were making it for ourselves,” adds Walton. “It took that pressure off because what was going on in our personal lives was bigger than the record.”

Hollingworth agrees. “We weren’t trying to prove anything – we were just making a record to express ourselves and have something to keep us going. It’s really hard to think of another project that I feel like I’ve put more into. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s just very special for me.”

“Definitely,” adds Walton. “The best songs are born out of having something that you really, really need to get out but can’t fully put into words in a conversation. It became almost like a necessity to write these tracks.”

It makes sense, then, that they are not paying too much heed to how the album is received. “It’s not because I think we’re so brilliant, or that we don’t have anything left to prove,” says Hollingworth. “This record is so personal, so emotional and made up of songs about grief and our relationship falling apart, that what other people think of it didn’t really feel like the main concern. I do want it to resonate, though”.

THE FADER also spoke with Let’s Eat Grandma. It is amazing how they managed to record such a cohesive and wonderful album at a very difficult time! There was a lot of transition, challenge and rebuilding that occurred when they were making their third studio album. One hopes that a fourth album will come soon enough – and it will be a much smoother and happier time:

“All of this; love, loss, new beginnings, bittersweet realizations, and the enduring power of platonic intimacy, is felt in Two Ribbons, the pair’s third album. They wrote separately for the first time, presenting songs that expressed their feelings like news reports from the other side. For Walton this was chiefly how the move to London was not all she had dreamed about, instead discovering the city to be an isolating and lonely place. She had recently split from a long-term boyfriend and was exploring her bisexuality. This rush of feelings is felt in the glittering synth-pop jam “Hall Of Mirrors” (“There wasn’t a girl that had made me shy until you… somebody tell me how I’m going to work this out?”), one of the many Two Ribbons songs that marry confused emotional states with piercingly sharp pop smarts. The death of Clayton also runs through “Watching You Go,” a tender vow to make the most of life that barely masks Hollingworth’s rage at losing someone so young.

Two Ribbons is an album that acknowledges friendship as a union between two individuals, not necessarily an entity in itself. Naturally, the return to that early closeness is where the album explodes with a kind of euphoria that lingers longest in the memory. At one point in “Happy New Year,” Walton sings “I’ve been thinking quite a lot about how I want the old us back” before adding “It's okay. Say what you wanna say / Now we've grown in different ways.” Speaking to The FADER earlier this week, Let’s Eat Grandma talked about those respective changes, as well as how they got their telepathic friendship back on track and what they learned along the way.

THE FADER: There’s a real sense of overwhelming emotion on Two Ribbons. Nothing is understated at any point. Was that rush something you felt was essential to the sound of the album?

Rosa Walton: I think that’s quite a signature part of our sound, mainly because we’re both very emotional people. We’ve always tried to put the vast scope of different emotions that you can feel into our music.

Jenny Hollingworth: Given the subject matter of the record, it being about grief and loss with different relationship changes, makes you feel closer to life in a lot of ways. The record deals with that a lot. There’s a real vitality that comes from thinking about death, they’re tied together for me. Realizing that life is fragile makes it more beautiful and exciting.

One message to take away from this album is that change isn’t something to be feared, but rather to be embraced…

RW: That is something I have always struggled with, especially in relationships. The idea that it’s not going to be the same as it was. That’s the saddest thing to me. We’ve both talked about different stuff on this record but we’re both at a point where that sort of thing comes up. Writing about it is one of the only ways I can process it and do something with those feelings.

JH: It’s a mix of changes where it’s been really difficult to go through but there’s things to take from it and then other changes where you’re still looking for the answers.

It’s not a record that offers any easy answers, is it? It makes it feel more human, I think. Have you been able to find any of the answers you were looking for since you finished making the album?

RW: There’s definitely been some acceptance on my part of things I have written about. I feel less in that really tense emotion now and have been able to detach myself from those feelings somewhat.

JH: Acceptance is a key word there. I’m never going to have the answers to something like losing someone so young, it’s never going to make sense to me. Acceptance doesn’t mean that it doesn’t upset me or make me angry but it’s acknowledging that it’s an ongoing thing. That is what a lot of the album is about; it’s about one of us looking for an answer and the other telling them that there isn’t one”.

I am going to end with some reviews. As I say, Two Ribbons received big acclaim. I am surprised it is not really played that much. Let’s Eat Grandma are one of the U.K.’s best artists. Always releasing such interesting music. This is what NME wrote when they spent time with one of 2022’s most overlooked and brilliant albums:

“Three years ago, Let’s Eat Grandma were hit with unimaginable tragedy. The Norwich-based experimental pop duo – comprised of childhood pals Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth – lost the latter’s boyfriend, the 22-year-old rising musician Billy Clayton, to a rare form of bone cancer.

It was, of course, understandable that they scrapped their forthcoming 2019 US tour. There had also been fractures in Walton and Hollingworth’s friendship, borne of miscommunication and a degradation in their “telepathic” bond of times past. In the years since the release of their Ivor Norvello-nominated second album ‘I’m All Ears’ (2018) and Clayton’s death, Walton moved to London, which gave the pair space to find the language and melodies with which to express themselves. The result is ‘Two Ribbons’, a mirror in part to the letters they wrote to one another as they tried to navigate new feelings about love, loss and friendship.

What’s sonically striking about ‘Two Ribbons’ is its accessibility compared to the peculiar, juvenile explorations of 2016 debut ‘I, Gemini’ and its potent, PC Music-influenced follow-up. Its first half largely consists of glowing synth-pop (‘Happy New Year’, ‘Hall Of Mirrors’), its second tripped-out acoustic and moving balladry (‘Sunday’, ‘Two Ribbons’). Time spent apart has certainly pulled their pop sentiments into sharper focus.

On quivering synth-pop banger ‘Levitation’, Walton details finding glimmers of hope amid a destructive, hedonistic episode. “I’m good at picking up the pieces from the bathroom floor,” she sings over precision-tooled drum machine claps, before seeing “a piece of something glittering inside the drain.” Coupled with the song’s effervescent tone, it makes for a listen full of heart and hope – and the desire to dance till you drop.

‘Strange Conversations’, a dreamy guitar-driven number that’s just one example of Let’s Eat Grandma’s improved, more mature singing, touches on seeking religious comfort amid grieving. “But even faith won’t soothe this ache tonight” highlights that there isn’t always a solution. A lack of resolution is also reflected in the lilting, glockenspiel-speckled ‘Two Ribbons’, which rhythmically teases a climax that never arrives. “I wanna find the answer, I just want to be your best friend,” they sing, before accepting that “like two ribbons” they’re “still woven, although we are fraying”.

The glorious quirks and inventiveness of Let’s Eat Grandma’s earlier work might be amiss on ‘Two Ribbons’, but its immediacy will likely win them new fans. This is the stirring sound of reinvigoration in the face of loss”.

I shall round off with The Line of Best Fit and what they said about the superb Two Ribbons. This is an album that I can recommend to everyone. You will definitely fall under the spell of Let’s Eat Grandma. I hope that, if they do released another album, it gets wider and more sustained airplay and attention. Two Ribbons was more than worthy of that:

“While in lockdown in Norwich, Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton – who together form the duo Let’s Eat Grandma – would take walks together to a nearby cemetery.

Graveyards were something Hollingworth had come to find a strange comfort in after the death of her boyfriend, electronic musician Billy Clayton, in March 2019. Walking with Walton was a chance to escape the stuffy melancholy of quarantine – to exist, and grieve, in the presence of nature.

Those moments are captured on “In the Cemetery,” a short interlude found on the latter half of the duo’s third full length album, Two Ribbons. The track – gentle and wordless, scattered with birdsong and insect chirping – is a reiteration of the running theme of Two Ribbons, charting a friendship that has been permanently changed through moments of loss and maturation.

It also sounds separate from the electro-pop psychedelic world that the two created in their 2016 debut I, Gemini, and its critically acclaimed follow up, I’m All Ears, in 2018. And while the glitz and oddities of their previous work still come through in Two Ribbons, the music still feels subdued in a way, as if covered by a sheer layer of organza. Here, you’re asked to listen more closely, to catch the unsaid words that float through an instrumental solo or a lyrical chant and hold them through the next verse.

The divide between Hollingworth and Walton has never been clearer in Two Ribbons, nor the subject matter more intimate. Hollingworth and Walton wrote separately on the album for the first time, and the resulting maturity in their musical style is both natural (the album comes four years after their last) and necessary. Both have talked at length about how their childhood sisterly bond began to fray at the edges while touring for I’m All Ears, a dissolution based not in fights or fundamental disagreements, but words that weren’t landing and thoughts that stayed hidden.

In that sense, Two Ribbons sounds like a conversation, the sonic space of the record built like an open-air confession booth. Hollingworth and Walton both have grievances, yes, but they also have the patience to listen and build upon them accordingly. Hollingworth adds a smooth, euphoric saxophone solo to Walton’s dream-pop anthem to bisexual discovery in “Hall of Mirrors.” Likewise, in the Hollingworth-penned “Watching You Go,” about her relationship with Clayton, Walton plays a wailing guitar lick to lift the kaleidoscopic dance track to devastating heights.

This interplay – already quintessential to a Let’s Eat Grandma record – elevates the album and makes clear the friendship between the two has only grown stronger. Two Ribbons illustrates that love isn’t fixed through grand gestures. It’s slowly pieced back together through mutual care and trust”.

If you are unfamiliar with Let’s Eat Grandma, I think that Two Ribbons is as good as any place to start. Go back and listen to their debut, I, Gemini, and its 2018 follow-up, I’m All Ears. Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth are tremendous artists. I love what they have put out. Erven though they had their close bond tested prior to recording their third studio album, what they released into the world was a work of…

PURE brilliance.

FEATURE: Happy 6Mas: Looking Back on a Successful Year for BBC Radio 6 Music

FEATURE:

 

 

Happy 6Mas

IN THIS PHOTO: The wonderful Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant host the Music Fix Daily show on BBC Radio 6 Music/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Looking Back on a Successful Year for BBC Radio 6 Music

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COMING up to the end of the year…

IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Laverne with Antony Szmierek/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

it is a good time to discuss, in my view, the best radio station in the world. I used to listen to BBC Radio 2 and Greatest Hits Radio in conjunction with BBC Radio 6 Music. Recently, I have forgone both of them and am exclusively with BBC Radio 6 Music. Not to slight the other two stations though, with their male-heavy playlists and lack of real variety, they are easy to let go. Too rigid and a little stale, BBC Radio 6 Music remains balanced, fresh and evolving. I shall come to some recent listenership success and highs. I also want to talk about some of the presenters across the station, plus the station’s Artists in Residence series. Earlier this year, the station announced a line-up change and new schedule. I am someone who has been critical of the station for its lack of mobility regarding introducing fresh blood and shaking things up. After ‘letting go’ of Shaun Keaveny in 2021. It was a shock and rather baffling move when they helped to force out one of their most beloved presenters. Keaveny has gone onto success since then with his Community Garden Radio and podcast, Shaun Keaveny’s Daily Grind (for Radio X). Even though long-term stalwart Steve Lamacq recently left his weekday show and is returning in a new slot in January, BBC Radio 6 Music has only made some minor changes. Not all of them were met with huge appreciation and acceptance. The BBC revealed the proposed changed when they were announced earlier in the year:

“On Monday 5 June, the UK’s most listened to digital radio station, with a weekly audience of 2.5m (RAJAR Q4 2022), will launch two brand new shows – New Music Fix Daily (Monday – Thursday, 7pm-9pm) and Riley & Coe, (Monday – Thursday, 10pm-12am) – with music and conversation at the core.

New Music Fix Daily will be dedicated entirely to new releases – the best of what is being made, performed and shared right now. Broadcast live from Salford, the programme will be presented by Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant, who will hand-pick and share their latest new music obsessions. Expect songs from any genre and from across the globe, as well as special guests, guest mixes and good company. Tom and Deb will be a familiar pairing to listeners, having previously presented Mercury Prize and 6 Music Festival specials together. Tom Ravenscroft has been a member of the 6 Music presenting family since 2010, and currently presents a weekly show on Fridays (9pm-12am) as well as his New Music Fix show (Fridays, 2am-3am). Deb has regularly deputised for Chris Hawkins, Gideon Coe and Now Playing on 6 Music.

SamLiddicott · Love and Thanks to BBC Radio 6 Music

Riley & Coe will see two of the station’s finest curators, Marc Riley and Gideon Coe, come together to play their music loves from every era and genre. Listeners will have the chance to get lost in their incredible record collections, recommendations and stories over the course of the week. On Mondays, Marc Riley will present his own show, featuring classic and cutting-edge tunes. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the two presenters unite to share their treasured tracks and musical knowledge with the 6 Music listeners. On Thursdays, Gideon will present his own show, featuring as many records as he can manage. Across the week, expect artists in session, as well as recorded-live performances from the BBC Archive for listeners to enjoy too.

Tom Ravenscroft says: “Every day, thousands of new tracks are released, bands are formed in bedrooms and the search for the perfect beat continues. Deb and I will be inviting listeners and fellow music lovers to join our conversation about some of our favourites.”

Deb Grant says: “It’s a total honour to be joining the 6 Music family for New Music Fix Daily, even more so to be working alongside a station legend like Tom on a show that champions something so fundamental to the station’s ethos - new music! There are so many bands I’ve fallen in love with having first heard them on 6 Music and the idea of being able to make that happen for listeners, not to mention myself, every day is beyond exciting. Truly a dream gig!”

Marc Riley says: “I’ve been calling Gid ‘The Guv’nor’ for the last 16 years so this is my chance to learn from the best in the business! We’ll be joining forces to do what we’ve both always done on 6 Music - sharing music and sessions from the artists we love.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Head of BBC Radio 6 Music, Samantha Moy

Gideon Coe says: “Marc plays great records and hosts fantastic sessions. I very much look forward to doing that alongside him. I also look forward to continuing to provide late-night radio for the 6 Music listeners. They remain the most important part of any programme.”

Samantha Moy, Head of 6 Music, says: “A love of music unites all of our 6 Music presenters. And bringing Marc & Gid and Tom & Deb together means even more music will be found and shared with our audience, giving a new sound to 6 Music at night.”

At the heart of the evening schedule (9pm-10pm), will be the artists themselves, as 6 Music’s Artist in Residence moves to Monday-Thursday from 5th June. Each series is presented by a musician, who takes listeners on a journey into their musical soul, with each episode based around a different theme or mood. Since Artist in Residence launched in November 2020, hosts have included Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoebe Bridgers, Fontaines D.C., Loyle Carner, St. Vincent, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee, IDLES, Jamie T, Perfume Genius and Father John Misty.

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On Fridays, Tom Ravenscroft will continue to share his passion for the underground club scene in The Ravers Hour (11pm-12am). The Ravers Hour, broadcast from Salford, is Tom’s curation of the finest emerging DJs and producers from across the globe. The show features the freshest and most eclectic mixes from these DJs, as well as from Tom himself.

All of these new shows will be broadcast from Salford, where BBC Radio 6 Music is increasing its presence as part of the BBC’s Across the UK plans, allowing the BBC to better reflect, represent and serve all audiences.

6 Music’s weekly New Music Fix and New Album Fix shows (Fridays, 12am-5am), will also continue, with Jamz Supernova joining the New Music Fix family of Steve Lamacq and Mary Anne Hobbs, curating an hour of her favourite brand new tracks for listeners, from 2am-3am. Jamz currently presents Jamz Supernova on 6 on Saturdays (1pm-3pm).

Jamz Supernova says: “One of the things I love most about my Saturday show is being able to share my new musical discoveries with listeners. There’s always so much to be excited about, and I can’t wait to bring you a whole hour of favourite brand new tracks every week”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Jamz Supernova/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

I hope the stations does more on their social media. Their Twitter/X page is not as updated as it once was. Their YouTube channel hasn’t seen much update in recent years (same with Facebook). Their Instagram is probably the best source for the most up to date happenings. I do hope they freshen up their other channels, as the station is growing in popularity. I like the fact that there were schedule changes. One of the best moves was making the excellent Deb Grant a permanent fixture (she now presents alongside Tom Ravenscroft on New Music Fix Daily). I hope that the station gives more airtime to presenters such as Emily Pilbeam. Music Week reported last month how BBC Radio 6 Music is going from strength to strength in terms of their listener numbers and demographic:

“BBC Radio 6 Music has seen ratings soar in the past three months, according to the latest Q3 audience figures from RAJAR (June 26 to September 17, 2023).

The digital-only alternative station has a weekly audience of 2.753 million, up 11.7% year-on-year and an increase of 3.1% on the prior quarter. It remains the biggest digital radio station.

The 6 Music Breakfast Show with Lauren Laverne had 1.4m listeners.

6 Music won the Radio Station category at the 2023 Music Week Awards.

An audience of 2.75m is not quite a record result – the station headed by Samantha Moy hit 2.85m in Q2 last year – but it’s impressive nonetheless at a time when other BBC networks are shedding listeners.

6 Music implemented a series of schedule changes in the quarter, including the launch of evening show New Music Fix with Deb Grant & Tom Ravenscroft in early June. 6 Music Artist In Residence (featuring acts such as Manic Street Preachers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Idles) was moved to a more high-profile schedule time of 9pm, while Marc Riley and Gideon Coe were paired in the 10pm to midnight slot.

6 Music has also brought back Cillian Murphy to his late-night show, although that was not covered by this set of RAJAR figures. Veteran presenter Steve Lamacq stepped down from his weekly show on Friday (October 20) after 18 years”.

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Before name-checking some of the wonderful talent on the station and looking ahead to Christmas and why BBC Radio 6 Music have been so essential this year, Music Week chatted with Deb Grant earlier in the year about her new show with Tom Ravensctoft:

“BBC Radio 6 Music's Deb Grant has told Music Week that the quality of new artists is "through the roof".

Grant's station triumphed at the Music Week Awards earlier this year and Samantha Moy is continuing to ring the changes, with supporting emerging talent front and centre in her plans.

New Music Fix Live, a four-day celebration of emerging artists and Glasgow’s music scene, will be broadcast from Monday, November 13 to Thursday, November 16 in extended editions from 7-10pm.

From Monday to Wednesday, Grant and Ravenscroft will broadcast from BBC Pacific Quay studios and their shows will feature sessions from post-punk band CG8, rapper and producer Miso Extra and genre-defying collective Corto.alto, as well as guest mixes from Scottish producers and DJs, Pub, Hudson Mohawke and Rebecca Vasmant. On the Thursday, the show will air from SWG3 in Glasgow, where Sofia Kourtesis will perform live and Sega Bodega will DJ in front of an audience of 6 Music listeners.

With Deb Grant's New Music Fix Daily show alongside co-presenter Tom Ravenscroft bedding into 6 Music's revamped schedule, the DJ sits down with Music Week to hold court on her favourite subject...

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How is the new show going so far?

“It feels really cool to have the responsibility of being a conduit for new music on BBC Radio 6 Music. It’s such a new thing for the station and we’ve been given free reign, we’re able to bring in stuff from every genre. Myself and Tom are just getting used to that. We instantly got along and we have a similar sense of humour, our music taste isn’t necessarily always the same. He tends to favour dance music, which isn’t necessarily my area of expertise, so I’ve been learning a lot of new things from him, and I’m bringing in more guitar-based stuff. To be a conduit for new music coming on to the station feels amazing.”

Is there enough new music coming out for you to play?

“Oh my God yes, there’s too much! We get sent new music from artists directly, from pluggers and so does our production team, and it’s completely ramped up recently. There’s only a certain amount of time that we have [to play it] each week, and by the time that week ends, the tracks aren’t necessarily new anymore and you want to make sure the show is fresh and cutting edge, so it’s hard to leave things out. There’s so much amazing new music.”

What do you hope your show does for the industry?

“I’ve always found the system quite weird, because you have so many talented musicians making beautiful music, then you have this period where pluggers are promoting it. Obviously, to make a great show we need great music and we listen to absolutely everything, whether someone approaches us with a demo, or whether it comes from a plugger or a label or wherever, it’s egalitarian in that way. Myself and Tom go to a lot of gigs too, so much stuff that I’ve found or been introduced to has come from seeing support slots at gigs or wandering into shows myself and finding stuff. I hope our show makes the process more egalitarian, making sure that people know that they can send us music themselves. Someone sent Tom this amazing cover version of Heart Shaped Box and we featured it on the show for several nights in a row just because we loved it so much, and that was something that came in directly. My goal is for us to be something that’s accessible to everyone making music. Why shouldn’t it be?”

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Given your passion for emerging talent, what does it mean to you to be able to play new music in such a high profile slot?

“When they proposed the show, I was amazed at the amount of freedom. It’s nice to be trusted in that way. I’ve deputised in so many different slots and in some of those the music hasn’t been entirely my own choice. I’ve sat in for Gideon [Coe] where it was three hours of whatever I want, then I’ve done playlisted shows as well. So to have something with such free reign at this time is really unusual, it’s great. I guess they trust us!”

Have you tuned in to the reaction to the show much so far?

“I disengaged from social media when the show started because I didn’t want anything - bad or good - to distract me. It’s much easier to do it when you have a co-host because it just feels like a conversation and you’re not really thinking about what the response might be. It takes a while to find your feet, but there are already people messaging in to say it’s their favourite show on 6. I think they’ve probably needed a show like this on the station for a while.”

The industry has debated the issue of a lack of domestic breakthroughs a lot of late. Is new music in a healthy state?

“With mainstream stuff, it scares me that labels seem to have got the formula down to a fine art. I don’t like how constructed it sometimes is. It’s not a meritocracy a lot of the time, it’s about a combination of factors that labels think will make a good prospect. That’s in terms of the mainstream, in terms of new music that we’re interested in, I’d say it’s in a very healthy state. There are so many artists who in my mind deserve to be incredibly successful. And it’s so hard to be in a band these days. It feels so thankless, you have to do so much work to get your head above the parapet. We’re so saturated, there is almost a jadedness, because people have so much access to new music they take it for granted. I really admire anyone trying to create music that’s different because it’s fucking hard, expensive and all the rest of it, but the quality is through the roof”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Gilles Peterson/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

I don’t think that the appointment of Tom Ravenscroft in that new slot is, as some have suggested, an attempt to reduce the average age of the station’s listeners. I know there are a load of people in their twenties and thirties that listen to 6. That said, they have a very wide demographic; much wider than sister stations like BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 I feel. A more diverse base in terms of musical tastes, sexuality, ethnicity and backgrounds. Their seems to be this community and family vibe one does not really get anywhere else. The schedule the station has now is incredible. Weekday early breakfast is covered by Chris Hawkins who is, possibly, the hardest-working human in broadcasting. Queen Lauren Laverne takes over before handing the baton to Mary Anne Hobbs. With Craig Charles and Huw Stephens broadcasting in the afternoon, we then get Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft and their essential New Music Fix. There is the BBC Introducing Mixtape alongside 6 Music Artist in Residence which, this year, has seen Mitski (the current host), The Last Dinner Party and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (among others) share their musical favourites. Riley & Coe ensure that the day ends with real passion and bang. The weekend features, among others, Radcliffe and Maconie and Jamz Supernova. It is a remarkable mix of shows and presenters that confidently sees BBC Radio 6 Music into 2024. Whilst I hope that one or two new names come to the station, the fact that the RAJAR figures keep showing a rise for them means things can’t be tampered with two much. The station announced their Artists of the Year fairly recently – which included everyone from Blur to The Last Dinner Party to boygenius to Say She She to Antony Szmierek (I am surprised that they did not include Iraina Mancini alongside them!). In spite of some minor improvements that one hopes will be addressed – social media stuff and going even further to freshen their schedules – there is plenty of scope. The station could even have their own award ceremony, so lauded and eclectic is their playlists!

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Alongside the presenters, there is also that listener interaction and regular features, together with regular guests. You have The Chain on Radcliffe and Maconie’s show. Craig Charles has his Trunk of Punk. Lauren Laverne had weekly contributors such as Professor Hannah Fry and film critics Rhianna Dhillon. I hope Matt Everitt gets more airtime too. His The First Time with… is essential listening! I also loved his New Album Fix series, which I hope that gets more focus in 2024. It is this mix of variety and stability that means people keep tuning in. A station that has its finger on the pulse of new music, I guess it could broaden (artists one would think perfect for the station such as Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo are either never played or very infrequently), though they do mix deep cuts, rarer artists and some great new stuff. They are one of the few radio stations who have a balanced playlist in terms of gender. BBC Radio 6 Music is naturally very cool and credible, yet there is never that feeling they alienate anyone and stuff is off limits. So inclusive and all-encompassing, it is a station even more people will be discovering in 2024. Rather than send the presenters each a Christmas present (what kind of budget to you think I work with?!), I thought I would write this feature and more personally – and cheaply and lazily! – nod to the station and its wonderful presenters. I know that they have provided so much comfort to listeners throughout the year. With Christmas (or ‘6Mas’) fast approaching, there will be more cheer, warmth (and maybe some Christmas classics) radiated from one of radio’s jewels! Growing success, new talent, a changed schedule and expanding fanbase, I wanted to offer huge thanks and love…

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TO the mighty BBC Radio 6 Music.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Say Now

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

 Say Now

_________

THIS is a rare case…

of me spotlighting the same group in a short space of time who have changed their name. I was a little miffed why the former needanamebro couldn’t come up with a name. It is a risk having a jokey/placeholder name and then changing your name. I am not sure what the logistics are when it comes to songs recorded under that previous name. Do you go on Spotify and now add your new name?! It may be the case that people think that this is two separate groups. In any case, I am relieved that the previously uninspired and uncommitted needanamebro are confidently Say Now. The London trio consists Ysabelle Salvanera, Amelia Onuorah and Madeleine Haynes. There are a couple of things I want to cover off before coming to them. Even if they have not released much new music under their new incarnation, I am including songs from the needanamebro period as, obviously, it is the same group – and that is where some confusion may creep in! In any case, we are in a time when girl bands are rarer than they were. Legends like The Sugarbabes are reformed and still going. Girls Aloud are getting back together for a new tour. Spice Girls are an ongoing concern and have been rumoured for Glastonbury 2024. I think that En Vogue, TLC, All Saints and Little Mix are, technically, still going and have not called it quits officially. What about the new crop?! I think a lot of attention has been put on FLO. Perhaps the most comparable group to Say Now, FLO is a London trio of Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer.

I wanted to focus on Say Now, as they recently played their first headline set at LAYLOW in Notting Hill. There are other girl bands around at the moment. Most seem to be coming from the U.K. We have K-Pop girl bands who are defining modern Pop in a way. Producing such strong and bright music, there is that difference with the more R&B-influenced sound that comes from groups like FLO and Say Now. That variety is welcomed. I wonder whether there will be a resurgence and fresh flow of girl bands, as these legends and icons who are either established or nearing their end will pass the touch to this generation. I am not sure even whether Say Now would class themselves as a traditional ‘girl band’. Does that term seem reductive and a little outdated?! Maybe slightly sexist, they are a group who incorporate elements of older-days U.S. and U.K. girl bands with something fresh and original. Ysabelle Salvanera, Amelia Onuorah and Madeleine Haynes have an incredible and close band. There is a lot of affection within the group. S.I.N.G.L.E., released last month, is one of the best releases from this year. I know there will be a lot of talk and interest around a debut E.P. from the three-piece next year.

I want to come to some press with them. Again, there is some crossover between needanamebro and Say Now. As I say, as they are the same group, albeit with different names, I can include everything, as they have not changed personnel or made any changes within their ranks. Before getting to them, here is some background detail:

“Yssy, Amelia and Maddie - formerly known as needanamebro - are the new UK girl group aiming for “worldwide domination!” (“humbly…”) and bringing their 300k-strong following alongside them every step of the way. Forget what you thought you knew about girl bands from the ones that came before: Say Now have already switched up the rules.

The evidence is there to be found on the @saynow TikTok account, where the girls have been documenting every step of the process. Over the past two years - inspired by artists like Yebba, SZA, Ariana Grande and the Sugababes - their growing fanbase has witnessed them singing covers of ‘Lost’ by Frank Ocean, dancing in a car park to a sped-up version of Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’, gaining a new member, moving into a house together, releasing their debut single ‘Better Love’, co-signed by Jack Harlow, Chlöe and Libianca, tipped by The Guardian, The FACE, Spotify and Apple Music, and all the chaotic little moments in between.

For Say Now - a shorthand reference to the band’s values and purpose as artists - inviting the audience to follow along with their progress is a big part of their mission statement, and with oversubscribed shows and songs playing on the radio, it’s already paying off”.

This is a time when a new wave of girl band are establishing their identity. Girls Like You were recently featured by The Guardian, where they spoke about their goals to establish themselves as the first big British Asian girl band. There is not a lot of written about Say Now. Not really any published/spoken interviews at the moment. I featured them as needanamebro back in July. As they have decided upon a name, I wanted to stay fresh and start again. As they revealed to Sam Thompson on Hits UK radio recently, they did struggle to come up with a name. Something that I would have thought would have been easy has not quite been the case. I guess you want something that is simple enough but has not already been taken:

“Say Now, consisting of Ysabelle Salvanera, Amelia Onuorah, and Madeleine Haynes, joined Sam Thompson on Hits UK to talk about their new song 'S.I.N.G.L.E', and how they got their band name.

Originally called needanamebro (Need a Name Bro), because they couldn't decide on their band name, the trio revealed how they asked their fans for some suggestions, with hilarious consequences.

Speaking to Sam, they revealed some of the suggestions were, Green Dragons, Pierce Soul, and Destiny's Sisters. Of course none of them were chosen, with the band deciding on Say Now.

The band have previously revealed that their current name is their 'life moto'.

Who wrote their song 'S.I.N.G.L.E'?

The band have now released their latest song 'S.I.N.G.L.E', which they revealed was written by them because Yssy had just broken up from her boyfriend. She explained: "We wrote it together. It was one of the first few sessions that we did together. Yeah, and I think I just broke up with my ex, who I'm now back with!"

She continued: "Amelia was also single and Maddie was having a rough patch, and we were like, we found a meme that said, 'stress is now gone. Life is easier. S I N G L E'.

"And then immediately we just started chantng S I N G L E and well that's now the chorus”.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding needanamebro when they emerged earlier this year. Guap revealed how they started life as a duo before recruiting a third member – and with it becoming this solid and unbreakable trio:

“The lovable girl group consists of three talented members Amelia, Maddie and Ysabelle – with many being surprised to find out that the tight-knitted trio initially started off with Amelia & Ysabelle being a duo. However, the girls were looking for a final member to complete their girl group which brings us to the addition of Maddie, who was introduced to their supporters via TikTok with a stunning cover of ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ on the 22nd of May 2022. The trio’s instant chemistry makes you feel like they’ve been a band forever.

Needanamebro released their first single ‘Better Love’ on the 19th of April 2023. ‘Better Love’ is the epitome of friends through everything as the girls remind each other that whenever you’re feeling too weak to stand, we’ll ‘lift you up’ and hold you through it. More and more fans began gravitating to their relatability, fast forward to the 24th of May 2023 and their second single ‘Not A Lot Left To Say’ was out for everyone to enjoy.

Their most recent single ‘Netflix (Better Now Without You)’ is a song that will have you screaming out the lyrics to your ex as you let everyone know just how good you’re doing without them. It’s catchy, it’s fun and you can’t help but sing along to it.

Needanamebro are authentically building their army of supporters in a way that’s so natural and personal to them, it feels like you already know them. From the TikTok’s to their behind-the-scenes videos. It’s clear to see that what they’re doing now is only the start of their journey so far and we look forward to watching the rest”.

I strongly suspect that 2024 will see more music from this awesome trio - and, with it, more interviews/chat with Say Now. I wanted to come back to them, as the girl band market in the U.K. is still a little under-represented and quiet. There are these new groups coming through still in the early days. Say Now sit alongside contemporaries such as FLO. These promising names that will join other Pop and R&B acts. With the mainstream dominated by huge names like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa, perhaps there is less room for and attention around these rising groups. Once was the time when girl bands were ruling and at the forefront. Maybe we will return to that time. You get something with them one does not experience with a Pop solo act. Say Now have this chemistry and harmony that came from in their previous skin and has been cemented with S.I.N.G.L.E. This year has been promising (if changeable) for them. I feel that next year is one where they will…

REALLY shine.

__________

Follow Say Now

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@saynow

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/saynow/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/saynow

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1p6HheoJqfYMiMC62yQIWn?si=D3VlI2rTQfqueSLXnMKd3A

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrigz9aEMzT3JwTOeIvCb-A

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/saynowsaynowsaynow/

FEATURE: I Just WhatsApped to Say I Quite Like You… The Changing Nature of Communication and Romance Through Songs

FEATURE:

 

 

I Just WhatsApped to Say I Quite Like You…

PHOTO CREDIT: Umut Sarıalan/Pexels

The Changing Nature of Communication and Romance Through Songs

_________

I think less and less…

PHOTO CREDIT: Anton/Pexels

there are fewer decelerations of love and real affection in mainstream music. You have certain artists who are Singer-Songwriter and write ballads. Maybe Pop still has that oldskool romance, yet the nature of deceleration and affection has changed. What is most noticeable is how communication has evolved through the years. The title of this feature refers to Stevie Wonder’s 1984 song, I Just Called to Say I Love You. The idea of someone calling someone up to say they love them. The idea of someone calling another personal full stop! Although Pop and other genres does still bring in the telephone and sometimes you get songs were lovers or friends are speaking and having that conversation, things have become less personal and more free-flowing. Not that this is a fresh observation. I just miss a certain something that has gone from music. Think of all the old songs where a phone was used. That thing where we’d we hear lovers’ calls and chat through song. The nostalgic nature of either using a home phone or a public phone to make that call. There are articles that discuss songs that deal with telephone drama, though when we think of phones and Pop, it normally relates to fans using them at gigs. That debate as to whether they are spoiling live music or they are essential when capturing that unique moment. I am heartened that a new song by Wild Nothing, Dial Tone, is very much about a missed connection and a telephone’s dial tone. This a rarity in modern music.

I guess it is not only love songs that have that connection to phones. Through the years, a variety of moods and situations have been documented through the phone medium. It is on my mind now as, more and more, commercial music is talking more about modern communication rather than that traditional medium. This article spotlights telephone songs and lists some of the very best:

“Telephone Songs

Some of the best conversations happen over the phone. No matter what mood you are in, you can always talk to someone over the phone. When you call a loved one or receive a call from someone special, it just makes you happy.

Through songs, singers and songwriters have creatively brought to life different aspects associated with phone calls. The conversations and talks that take place over a telephone call are showcased in different ways to convey a message.

What Messages Do Songs About Calling Someone Convey?

A wide range of emotions are conveyed in songs about phone calls. While a number of songs describe positive emotions associated with making and receiving calls, certain songs portray dark sentiments. The feeling of warmth and tenderness that comes over when you talk to the one you love over the phone is exquisitely captured in certain lyrics. A number of songs showcase the eagerness, enthusiasm, and restlessness lovers feel as they wait for the phone to ring.

The thoughts that run through the mind of the person making a call or receiving a call are exhibited in a breathtakingly beautiful manner through a sequence of flashback events in certain songs. The negative thoughts that invade the mind when a person you love does not take your call are essayed with powerful words in lyrics. Intimate phone conversations associated with love, lust, and romance are aesthetically brought to life in lyrics.

In certain songs, the despair of parting ways after a breakup is expressed through pleading conversations on a phone call. The different aspects of dirty talk are highlighted in a confessional manner over the phone in certain songs.

What Do Phones and Phone Calls Symbolize in Songs?

In songs, the telephone call symbolizes communicating matters of the heart and mind. Both happy moments and sad moments are showcased through music videos that highlight relationships through telephonic conversations. In certain songs, thoughts are expressed in the form of questions that demand an explanation from a person. Such songs often showcase bittersweet moments of a failed relationship through vivid perspectives during a phone call. The sentiments associated with long-distance relationships are poetically described with endearing words on a call.

Certain songs in alternative genres describe the nostalgic feeling of leaving a message on the answering machine. The naughty murmurs in late-night calls and romantic texting on smartphones are thoughtfully presented through a series of events in songs. Different aspects of chatting on the phone with a special friend are highlighted with compliments, awe, and admiration. A number of songs intricately describe a shy person’s inability to express feelings in person but overcome their shy nature with the most heartwarming words over a phone call. Although a wide spectrum of attributes is conveyed with phones and phone calls, in songs, different aspects of making calls and receiving calls symbolize or denote

Love

1. Care

2. Affection

3. Warmth

4. Feelings

5. Passion

6. Lust

7. Communication

8. Heartache

9. Emotions

10. Conversation

11. Happiness

12. Romance

13. Breakup

14. Seduction

15. Flirting

16. Declaration

17. Problems

18. Relationships

19. Sadness

20. Infatuation

21. Desire

22. Judgment

23. Connection

24. Suspicion”.

If modern songs are more about texting, I wonder how many tracks from recent times keep alive that dying art of speaking to a friend or lover on the phone. There has been debate through the years. The once go-to way of discussing connection between sweethearts, has Pop fallen out of love with the telephone? Back in 2009, The Guardian asked whether the phone has been replaced and updated. Whilst there were modern examples, in the fourteen years since, has the telephone become even rarer and more unusual?

“Songwriters have long used the telephone as a subject to express a multitude of emotions – the frustration in the so-near-and-yet-so-far conversations between long-distance lovers, the joy of running downstairs and hearing that special someone's voice, the anxiety of waiting for a call that may never come, or the despair brought on by the line that rings and ring to no reply. 

Pop music had already been singing about the telephone 20 years before Debbie Harry stood in that phone booth, the one across the hall, saying to herself: "If you don't answer, I'll rip it off the wall." In the 50s, the lead singer of the Four Top Hatters had a handful of nickels and a heart full of loving, but he couldn't ring his sweetheart because of the 45 men taking up room in the telephone booth, while in 1964 the Beatles bemoaned "I tried to telephone / They said you were not home / That's a lie" in No Reply.

But now that we all carry mobiles, it's rare for anyone to be inaccessible for anything longer than the duration of a tube journey. These days we have a choice of text, picture or video messaging, not to mention voicemail or email, so has a certain romance in conducting relationships over the telephone been killed off for modern musicians?

Debbie Harry could quite happily shop in Tesco's while waiting for her lover to answer. Gallagher wouldn't have to sit alone indoors waiting for that tormenting phonecall, he could just put his mobile on vibrate and watch Man City at the boozer. Meanwhile, the fact Soulja Boy even knows the number of his "future wifey" by heart seems remarkable given that we rely on our mobiles to do all the memorising for us. Besides, doesn't Johnny Borrell crooning "The girls are on their mobiles trying to get reception" just seem too prosaic?”.

To counter my argument, another article from The Guardian, this time from 2018, asked why there were so few songs about texting. I think that WhatsApp messages are coming into music now. In the five years since this article was published, artists have changed their tone. There is a bit of a delay now, as I do not think we are hearing too many songs about the telephone. For a generation that are sending WhatsApp messages and speaking less than they text, has Pop music undergone another shift? Perhaps. It did seem, in 2018, the telephone was in no real danger of hanging up:

“It’s a grand tradition. From Glenn Miller’s Pennsylvania 6-5000 to Drake’s Hotline Bling, pop’s obsession with telecommunications is long and glorious; Lady Gaga committed to the theme so strongly she wore a phone on her head. Phone songs have taken in anticipation (Abba’s Ring Ring), spontaneity (Call Me Maybe), popular hobbies (Village People’s Sex Over the Phone) and smartphones’ woeful battery life (Maroon 5’s Payphone). And that’s before you consider phones’ real-world connections to pop. Decades before Spotify, the nearest teenage fans got to “on-demand” was Dial-a-Disc, where you would phone a number and listen to music looping on reel-to-reel tape machines. Mobile phones made their own impact: from the ringtone boom of the 2000s to the way the Walkman of the past is now built into all handsets, and even the way songwriters’ melody ideas are stored first as voicenotes. In the studio vocal booth, lyrics are read off a phone screen.

“Phones are a very powerful trope,” acknowledges songwriter Jack Lee – and he should know. In the 1970s, he was a struggling musician in San Francisco. One afternoon, he received a call informing him that his phone line was about to be disconnected. However, there was time for one more incoming call, which informed him that a band were interested in covering one of his songs. The band were Blondie, the song was Hanging on the Telephone. From his home in Los Angeles, the 2018 version of Lee tells the Guide: “It changed my life, and it saved my life.”

The song came about when Lee was a busker in need of original songs. Reading an illustrated book of Beatles lyrics, he saw that All I’ve Got to Do (“ … is call you on the phone”) was accompanied by a picture of a girl entwined in a telephone cord. “Don’t ask me the psychological implications, but two days later I was messing around on the guitar and I got the lightning bolt. Over the next year I put everything I had into writing that song.”

Twelve months well spent: Hanging on the Telephone has since been covered by everyone from Def Leppard to Girls Aloud. In the 2012 movie Electrick Children, Julia Garner’s character experiences what she believes is a virgin birth as a result of hearing the song. “What the song captures,” Lee adds, “is the desire for connection and the frustration when you can’t make the connection. The intensity. The high stakes.” Beyond the drama, Lee says there’s something more subtle at play: “When young people got together in that period, there were things you could say on the telephone that you couldn’t say face to face. You could be more vulnerable. And that period lasted from the 1920s to the early 90s – a long time for the telephone to influence people’s lives.” 

But how true is this in the era of Generation Mute? In 2015, it was reported that phone use among young people had dropped by almost a quarter in just three years. Calling someone unannounced – or, God forbid, leaving a voicemail – is now an egregious attack on privacy. Let’s pick up the phone to Emily Warren, the co-writer of Dua Lipa’s New Rules. “Agreed!” she declares. “It’s a violation!” New Rules, she says, was inspired by the real-life predicament of co-writer Caroline Ailin, who was fielding texts and phonecalls from an ex. “We sat down to write a song that was a guidebook to ending that situation.”

Over at Little Mix’s label Syco, A&R manager Guy Langley remembers being at a house party with colleague Anya. Both sets of ears pricked up when someone put on Curiosity Killed the Cat’s late-80s answerphone banger Name and Number. A short while later, the song had become a Little Mix single, How Ya Doin?. Langley says there were no worries about the concept of answerphones seeming outmoded. Actually, they embraced it: “The girls’ mantra from the start has been about referencing harmonies of bands like En Vogue; the idea of answering machines felt knowingly throwback.”

In fact, Langley says, there’s a risk in trying to make songs too up-to-date. “We try to make lyrical content conversational but whenever you get too specific it starts to sound very ‘now’.” And not in a good way. “There was a time when the One Direction songs were being written and it was all ‘LOL’, ‘Message me back’, ‘BBM me this’, and it felt like an older generation trying really hard to connect with a young generation, and getting it wrong.” (Jax Jones concurs: “There is no room at all to talk about dating apps – that’s going too far. Something like: ‘You are the love of my life, for you I will swipe right’ – terrible. It’s Vengaboys territory.”)

Langley adds that he has seen an increase in submissions whose lyrics dwell on phone addiction, reflecting Gen Z’s love/hate relationship with nearly every smartphone app except the phone function. It’s the topic of another of Emily Warren’s songs, Phone Down. “I’m obsessed with phones in songs, actually,” she admits. “In the two years I’ve become really bothered by and aware of phone use and social media use. Phone Down is specifically about a phone ruining an intimate moment. It feels like there’s a disconnect.”

Explaining this disconnect (also referenced in the Clean Bandit and Marina single, er, Disconnect), Paul Lee, who conducts research into phone use in his role as global head of research at Deloitte, says that while people of pop-consuming age aren’t falling out of love with handsets, they are definitely moving away from voice-only communication. “But any text-based message is a simplification, stripped of emotion,” he explains. “For instance, ‘hello’ is five letters in an anonymous font when conveyed by text message. But when spoken it can convey an entire universe of emotions: curt, chirpy, angry, delighted … ” Or, in the case of Adele’s phone song Hello, it feels like a hundred emotions at once. No wonder she chose a pre-smartphone-era flip-phone for the song’s video. As for what might constitute a 2018 version of Hanging on the Telephone? Paul Lee has a plan. “It would be a song about a WhatsApp interaction that shows as being delivered and read – with two ticks – but is not responded to”.

I’d like to hear people’s views regarding modern music and communication. I cannot bring to mind many songs from the past five years or so that mention the telephone. There are few about texting and WhatsApp either. It makes me wonder whether artists are more direct in a way. Forgoing forms of communication as a tool or way of framing love and conversation. A lot of classic songs and some slightly old Pop is played on radio where you get this romance and interaction via phone. Even though there is some more modern-day forms of communication discussed in music – like texting, social media and WhatsApp -, I do think that this whole model and nature of conversation is dying away. People are more and more reliant on quicker communication and that stream of messages rather than a longer conversation. Perhaps less focused and with shorter attention spans, there are avenues and corners of music where the phone call remains. Less about landlines now, the smartphone and mobile has replaced that. This is tragic in its own way. The scene has gone from people at home on this fixed line to people being on the move. A sense of romance and intimacy gets lost when you move from the landline to mobiles. Once a staple for love songs and capturing either intimacy or tension, with it, there has been a loss of that openness and closeness. If the Internet and social media has perhaps replaced the telephone and text conversations, even that seems to be less common than you’d think. Have phone calls and conversation become less important regarding inspiration? Are we more disconnected? Rather than committing to a full conversation or composing long-form messages, most modern artists are…

KEEPING it brief.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Mega

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Mega

_________

AS a new fan…

of the supreme and queen Mega, I did not catch her 2022 E.P., Colour Your World, first time around. I have heard it since, yet with songs like Be Good Be Kind guaranteed to inspire and stick in the mind, everyone needs to check out this wonderful London artist. There is a new interview that I am going to work forward to. I want to go back to last year and some of the press around the E.P. Before I get there, here is some biography about a Soul artist who is going to grow bigger and bigger and take the world by storm:

“Mega is one of the strongest voices to surface from the contemporary soul scene in London. She made an instant impact with her debut single “Chariot” – which has amassed over 25m streams across Spotify, quickly cementing her status as a star.

Mega has gained early support from influential online platforms Mahogany, NME, Wonderland Magazine, The Clash Magazine and The Independent, as well as recognition from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC London. Her follow up single, “Let me Let You Go”, was picked by Jack Saunders for his Future Artists on BBC Radio 1 and was chosen by the Brit Awards for their Sunday Spotlight. Both singles appear on Mega’s 6-track EP ‘Future Me’, released at the end of 2020.

Taking inspiration from her past, she often takes themes of self-esteem, self-love and growth and turns them into emotive songs with enchanting melodies. She draws influence from the music that surrounded her growing up; power-soul songstresses such as Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston have deeply inspired her through the honesty they convey in their music.

In 2021, Mega signed with Nettwerk Music Group, since then she has been playing festivals and recording new music, set to arrive later in 2023.

Earlier in the year, Mega supported the Mercury Award winning artist ‘Self Esteem’ in her Headline UK Tour”.

Such a stunning artist with a pure heart, enormously powerful voice and sublime music that crosses genre boundaries and has this nourishing quality, it is no surprise that many were intrigued by Mega last year. The Line of Best Fit talked about a wonderous artist on the rise. It was interesting reading more about her childhood and musical upbringing:

“As a child, she began attending an opera choir in Highbury at nine, then going on to a gospel choir in Angel at twelve. She had followed her sister, also a singer, to these choirs, and the two would perform in from of their families: made-up songs, plays, and whatever was on MTV. Also, “anything that was on the radio – Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child – whatever was popular was what I loved,” she says. “But I also grew up listening to Ugandan and African music.”

Mega cites other British-Ugandan artists like George the Poet and Michael Kiwanuka as influences in a recent essay for Clash. You can hear the vibrant guitars in songs like "Smile" similar to bands like Afrigo Band that she also names as an influence. “It makes me happy – it’s just really happy-making, that kind of music. You know, high life, sunshine. It’s been very fitting now that we’ve had more sun, although climate change…”

As she got older, Mega was certain that making music was what she wanted to do. “I was so excited to do it properly – I was going to study, get the education under my belt at sixth form,” she recounts. “I’d often go to the studio on the weekend with some friends of mine who were producers, and we used to make music all the time. It was like, finally: I can start doing this full time and pursue it and see where it goes.”

But soon after, she lost her voice: “I was originally diagnosed with nodules, it turned out not to be nodules. They thought it was a phonatory gap, turned out not to be a phonatory gap – I mean, it was a bunch of things they thought it could be.”

As time went on, Mega gradually became more and more unable to sing. “It’s like breaking a leg and trying to walk or whatever it is, trying to learn to use that thing again,” she explains. “For me, it was trying to figure out how to get back into doing music. After not singing for so long, it was quite terrifying. I remember my voice therapist said she thought it might have developed into a fear. Every time I tried to, I was just super fearful, so sort of relaxing the mind and healing that first and foremost.”

During the period where Mega couldn’t sing, she resolved to go off to university. Like many, university was a time where you learn more about yourself – and for Mega, this was no exception. “I always loved psychology,” she explains. “If I wasn’t singing, that would have been my career path.”

Studying at university helped her to discover other talents that she had. “In that time, I was really forced to look inside. I feel like a lot of our identity is sometimes put into the things that people praise us for”

“Because I had the music there, it was sort of easy to hide behind that. It was like, now that I can't sing, what am I going to do? I put everything into this music career. And I just discovered my love for psychology and people and humans. I tried all different kinds of jobs. I did things that I probably wouldn't done if I was just doing the music straight away.” 

It makes sense once you meet her – Mega's voice is soothing, her presence calm, yet confident. She makes you feel like you can open up about anything, and that clearly had an effect on the work she did during university – volunteering, charity work with teenagers, the elderly, mentoring women in prison. “I love humans! It sounds really cliché, but I do, I’m such a lover of people. I’m so blessed to be able to connect to them through my music.”

Mega even managed to win an award for her dissertation on the unspoken burden of Black British women. The dissertation helped her to find out more about herself; it’s hard, however, to generalise or even define for an article.

“I don’t know if it’s definable. I can just say that I’m Mega first. People always want to discuss race all the time, and it’s not necessarily something I want to discuss. I like to focus on the music. I make music, I happen to be Black”.

I think that there is a healthy and growing Soul scene in London. In fact, the U.K. Soul scene is impressive and deserving of more attention. Mica Millar is one of my favourite artist. Putting Soul of the North (she is Manchester-based) on the map, Mega is very much representing London. CLASH gave the spotlight to Mega so that she could tell, in her own words, her story and journey:

“Hey, my name is Mega. I’m a singer from North London. My music journey pretty much began here too. At the tender age of nine I attended an opera choir in Islington. I’d travel there every Saturday morning; often waking earlier than necessary as I couldn’t quite believe that I was going to be able to sing and perform – just like the artists that I’d always wanted to be like.

This was the first time that I experienced performing to a crowd of people; I remember feeling liberated and in awe to be able to perform at beautiful venues such as The Royal Albert Hall. A few years later, I then joined a gospel choir at St. Mary’s music youth where I explored more solo opportunities, such as performing in various venues like Hackney Empire (which was awesome). St. Mary’s was a great and supportive place to create music, frequently putting on shows to showcase the talent that it produced, such as gifted musicians like the incredible Little Simz and Inflo who also attended. It has been so inspiring to see how they have carved careers for themselves, and have managed to keep true to their art; an important but difficult thing to do sometimes. My art and my music is a reflection of who I am, and I hope to be able to continue to stay true to that.

I find everyone’s unique music journey very interesting. Mine has been somewhat interesting to say the least. Shortly after finishing sixth-form, I had vocal issues which meant I physically couldn’t sing for three years. I graduated in that time with a Psychology degree, which was a slight detour from the route that I expected to take, but nonetheless educational and character building. The recovery journey is a story within a story, but upon getting my voice back it was great to receive support from MOBO Unsung to get me back on my feet again, as well as support from BRITs Spotlight Artist to give my first project a platform.

It has been amazing so far to have opened for such incredible artists and to play at many festivals and venues. But I have to say it is extremely special to be able to play in venues in my hometown such as; the Jazz Cafe, Islington Assembly Hall, KoKo, Clapham Grand, OMEARA and The Grace. Cross The Tracks was definitely a memorable festival for me that showcases many established artists within the same scene, and quite a few underground artists from the capital too including London’s African Gospel choir.

I find as human beings we are often used to categories and labels, and musically there is the pressure to feel the need to do that. I personally have been inspired by all kinds of music, soul in particular yes, but I prefer not to use genre to describe my music. Someone once described my music as taking themes of: self-growth, self-love and self-esteem – and turning them into emotive songs with enchanting/catchy melodies – I thought that was pretty accurate and interesting, and have now stolen that description for myself. Some of my music also incorporates some musical influences from my Uganda heritage, such as my ‘Colour Your World’ EP that has just been released.

It’s inspiring to see someone of Ugandan heritage too such as Michael Kiwanuka who is a native North Londoner produce such beautiful and authentic music – I love his sound.  Other powerful artists from London that I admire include Lianne La Havas, Cleo Sol and George the Poet. George is a native Londoner with Uganda heritage, and someone I have previously worked with quite a bit. To be able to see him create a completely new avenue for himself, and to express his true authentic self has not only been inspiring but very encouraging.

I’m very excited about my new EP ‘Colour Your World’, which is a product of my journey so far. It is an honest and raw exploration of my journey through self-acceptance, growth and healing; and my realisation of the power that lies within me. The process of creating this project has been empowering and I hope that when people listen to it that they will feel empowered too”.

I am going to finish with a new feature from The Line of Best Fit. I ama new lover of Mega’s music. It is great that her new E.P., Honour and Glory, is out there in the world. Whilst her 2022 E.P., Colour Your World, was colourful and quite playful, Honour and Colour seems more stately and vintage with its black and white cover. Whilst this does not represent a radical shift in sound, one can hear the differences in sound, confidence and tone on this E.P. I think this is Mega’s best release yet:

“As things began to open up, she released the graceful Colour Your World in the summer of 2022, continuing to grow with her music. While new EP Honour and Glory, out next month, demonstrates her talent for confident, elegant and edifying artistry.

Opening with recent single “Let You Down”, birdsong serenades the glowing guitar intro. While finalising parts of the recording with co-producer Ed Riches in her flat, Mega heard the bird-call out her window and decided to capture the moment. Incredibly, their song fit perfectly in key with hers. “It was just serendipitous, it was amazing. And it was raining, so we recorded it on the mic and it just so happened to be perfect timing as well,” she smiles.

The track itself has both a strong and delicate message, its vulnerability embraced by the tender, organic production. “I just feel like sometimes in life, when you lose a bit of confidence, everyone else’s voices feel a bit more important and louder and sometimes it's difficult to hear your own voice and trust that. ‘Let You Down’ is, it’s still there, even if it feels quite quiet and just to trust it,” she explains.

On lead single “Don’t Get Too Close,” Mega channels inspiration from her early love of Nina Simone to create a track that’s equally defiant and vibrant. “I feel like there’s different parts of me on this EP that are coming out, it’s not static,” she says. “Growing up I listened to everything. People can’t quite place the sound but they’re all me and I feel like you listen to ‘Don’t Get Too Close’ and it still sounds like Mega. I hope so anyway.”

Working with a small team of trusted producers across the EP, she brings together sounds and styles that reflect her childhood love of pop, soul and gospel as well as her Ugandan heritage. From contemporary beats to highlife guitars, Mega believes her music reflects the many facets of her personality. “In a lot of the production, I’m always very much involved in every part of it. I’m one of those people where every single thing, I want to be involved to the very end,” she says. “ The more you work with someone, they understand who you are.”

That sentiment is echoed on new single “Moment For You”, out today. From its delicate opening verse to its powerful chorus, it brings together subtle and soaring elements creating a work that’s mature, vulnerable, modern and empowering. “Again, it’s all exactly what I am - Ugandan heritage and then I’ve grown up listening to a lot of ballads, so to me, this is so me,” she says. “I don’t want to create songs that all sound exactly the same. It’s really important to express yourself and these are all still very much me. It’s just different sounds. I think this is exactly the same as stuff I’ve done, just a bit more evolved”.

The remarkable and hugely talented Mega is an artist I cannot recommend highly enough. Listen to her music and do keep your eyes peeled as we look towards 2024. I know that she will be touring widely and touching people around the world with her astonishing voice and hugely captivating music! I have said this about a few artists I have recently spotlighted, though it very much applies to my newest inclusion: the staggering Mega is someone who truly…

MOVES the heart and soul.

__________

Follow Mega

 Official:

https://www.megaishernameofficial.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/megaishername/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/megaishername

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/45xGatk4AWq9yzqOfolEWg?si=_57NyPvESAWB9Qnwq-_pMQ&nd=1&dlsi=db8ed81af00d411a

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCx89xtNxMYcAY8NZ0tYFlQ

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Megaishername/

FEATURE: All We Ever STILL Look For… Kate Bush: Will We Get to See the Rarities and the Unheard?

FEATURE:

 

 

All We Ever STILL Look For…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the studio of her brother, John Carder Bush, in 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Kate Bush: Will We Get to See the Rarities and the Unheard?

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A subject that I have…

PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bush News

covered and discussed before, I am briefly coming back to it, as a new edition of the Kate Bush Fan Podcast with Brian Bath.  A second part has gone out. I was excited that Seán from The Kate Bush Fan Podcast got to talk with someone who has been in Kate Bush’s sphere since the start. A friend before she recorded her debut album, The Kick Inside, in 1977, there was this fascinating chat, plus the airing of some unheard and rare audio (Bush singing Bath's Dream Island). Here are some details about a conversation with a crucial part of Kate Bush’s music and history:

“A very special episode! Few people have more of an insight into Kate Bush's very earliest career and rise to fame than her bandmate and friend, the wonderful guitarist and songwriter, Brian Bath. In this episode of the Kate Bush Fan Podcast, Seán talks to Brian about his growing up in London in school bands with his friend Del Palmer, befriending and making music with a young Paddy Bush in 1970, visits to the Bush family home, forming bands with Vic King and Charlie Morgan and ultimately forming The KT Bush Band in 1977 with Del, Vic and Kate to briefly take the London pub and club scene by storm before Kate recorded her debut album! Historic stuff. And this is only Part One of our conversation! p.s. Listen out for some never-before-heard audio treats too”.

It is great that, in 2023, there is this ‘new’ Kate Bush audio. It got me thinking about rarities and unheard material that there must be out there. I love that period where the KT Bush Band were playing pubs and clubs in 1977 prior to Bush getting into the studio and recording her debut. Some of her very early recordings, Cathy Demos, was the young Bush at home on the piano. Many of the early songs were considered for her debut. I know that there is stuff out there that has not been cleaned up and remastered. One song, Scares Me Silly (But It Gets Me Going), is on YouTube. The audio quality is not great. I can imagine that there are live recordings from those KT Bush Band days. Some unfinished sketches or some demo-versioned songs that were considered for her studio albums that never got worked into anything much. I can imagine Kate Bush would not want to have stuff she considered to be poor or insufficient put out into the world. I understand that some of those very early recordings are something Bush wants to put distance between. I can imagine there are things in the archives from her studio albums that are yet to be unearthed. During quite intensity and long hours, there would have been other songs that were recorded but never released. When tapes were running, maybe some chatter or ideas being exchanged.

What we have received officially from Kate Bush through the years has been very clean, controlled and without huge surprise. She has released an album with B-sides and covers on it. We have not had a surprise moment when something truly unexpected has been issued. Either something visual like a documentary or songs that were recorded during the album sessions but not released. Kate Bush is private and does want to have a say on what goes out there. Even so, as she has just reissued her studio albums and is not averse to retrospection and repackaging, she must be aware that all fans would love to hear something ‘new’. No rush regarding an eleventh studio album, yet putting something into the world we have not heard would be massive. I am not sure what form that would take. As we approach Christmas, a treat from Bush would be a little glimpse into the vault! I know that there will be stuff set aside. Whether that is a demo or something unreleased she recorded for Never for Ever in 1980, a gold piece of audio from the Hounds of Love sessions in 1985 or if we go right back to 1977 or earlier, I have been thinking about what must be in her possession. Though we would all really love a new studio album, there will also be that curiosity around older material and clips that we have not heard. Not that she needs to raid her archive and give us everything! Fans’ loyalty definitely should translate into one or two recordings. I suppose we will never see documentary footage at all. Cameras were not in the studio when she was recording her albums, so we will never get that Beatles/Get Back-style release. You know there would have been some home recordings and some photos taken that we have not seen (but Bush might want to keep those personal and private).

 PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bush/Fish People

It is amazing that Brian Bath has been talking about Kate Bush and memories of working with her. I really love the fact that we have access to people from her past, at a time when Bush is posting messages on her website but there are no new interviews with her. Not that we should always look to her past though, aside from the studio albums, there is not a tonne from those periods that has been released. Still gaps out there. Certain songs and albums not available on streaming services. Songs that are rarities but are in poor state audio-wise. Even her videos, as I have said before, would warrant a 4K HD treatment. The Tour of Life’s visuals and audio does not really exist in a brilliant and clear format. No footage from 2014’s Before the Dawn. Some interviews and live performance with scratchy and grainy footage. Such an important artist, I do hope there is restoration and revelation to come. I am going to wrap it up now. We are all grateful to Kate Bush for the communication she has put out. The reissues; everything she has done and given us in 2023. I have no idea what next year holds, though wishing too hard for album eleven might leave us disappointed! I stand by that desire for rarities and something ‘between albums’ for fans. Stuff we have not heard but is something Kate Bush feels comfortable releasing into the world. There must be more than a few examples! As we look towards Christmas and the idea of gifts, though Kate Bush has provided more than a few treats, an annual message on her website together with an audio gem that is an exclusive from the archives…

WOULD be the best gift ever!

FEATURE: A Truly Brilliant Year for Music… Part Two: My Favourite Albums of 2023

FEATURE:

 

 

A Truly Brilliant Year for Music…

 PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Part Two: My Favourite Albums of 2023

_________

FOR the first part…

IN THIS PHOTO: Blur

of this feature, I collated my favourite singles of the year. I crowned a bronze and silver medal option followed by a top ten. This dozen concerns the best albums of 2023. At least the ones that I see as the very best. It has been a remarkably strong year for music, so there are going to be some big omissions. I know that, as we close in on the end of the year, there will be more and more features that rank the best albums and singles of the year. I have been really engrossed by albums from established artists and some newer ones alike. I am looking forward to discovering what the next year holds in store. There are going to be some massive albums released, that is for sure! Below are my dozen wonderful albums from this year that I feel…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Corinne Bailey Rae

ARE hard to beat!

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BRONZE: Blur – The Ballad of Darren

Release Date: 21st July

Labels: Parlophone/Warner

Producer: James Ford

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/blur/the-ballad-of-darren-2

Standout Tracks: The Ballad/The Narcissist/The Heights

Review:

“While 2003’s ‘Think Tank’ emerged despite Graham Coxon and, twelve years later, ‘The Magic Whip’ was completed because of him, it’s tempting to assert that in 2023 it’s Damon Albarn who might need his bandmates around him more than at any point this century. He’s called it an “aftershock record,” following in the wake of the pandemic, losses like Tony Allen and Bobby Womack and, closest to home, the deaths of long-term tour manager Craig Duffy and his wife.

The desire to reflect on those most important to the band is immediately evident. The album’s title derives from Albarn returning to a track from his twenty-year-old, low-key, lo-fi solo effort ‘Democrazy’; ‘Half A Song’, which Darren ‘Smoggy’ Evans – another of the group’s work family – had begged him to finish ever since. Opener ‘The Ballad’ is gorgeous, fitting perfectly in the grand tradition of slow, aching blur beauties. Despite Damon’s lyrical tendency towards the abstract, it’s hard to escape a sense of emotional turmoil.

‘Barbaric’ is immediately one of their very best, melding heartbreaking lyrics to as memorable a melody as they’ve deployed since the mid-Nineties. The enormous chorus initially asserts: “I have lost the feeling that I thought I’d never lose, now where am I going?” before switching the pronoun to “you” and “we” as it progresses. When the strings ascend towards a conclusion, it arrives at a place of irresistible but unflinching vulnerability. It’s one of a number of tracks that serve as a reminder that Alex James is one of the most criminally underrated bassists in popular music.

‘St Charles Square’ features Fripping marvellous, raucous posturing, with screams in the chorus and tales of a fearful creature under the floorboards. It made for a visceral set-opener during recent gigs and was so clearly a delight to record. Some will cry for more like it, but what can initially feel a little one-paced is actually a nuanced exploration of the constituent parts of blur in 2023. The brief plunge from chorus to verse in ‘Russian Strings’, slowly intensifying orchestration of ‘The Everglades’ and barely controlled electronic vibrations of ‘Goodbye Albert’ all foreground the band’s distinctive DNA, fizzing with obvious chemistry from dynamic studio time.

Blistering first single ‘The Narcissist’ is a striking reflection on the effects of fame with a near-perfect hook. Coxon’s spacious playing continues on ‘Avalon’, sitting naturally alongside some slight but euphoric piano refrains from Albarn. Closer ‘The Heights’ appears to nod to the faithful, treasuring the connection that exists between band and audience. Tense, manic strings chop away at the languid celebration, presaging a gathering storm of noise that reaches its peak only to be plunged abruptly into silence. No neat resolutions here, folks. Onwards. 9/10” – CLASH

Key Cut: Barbaric

SILVER: Róisín Murphy – Hit Parade

Release Date: 8th September

Label: Ninja Tune

Producer: DJ Koze

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/roisin-murphy/hit-parade-2

Standout Tracks: What Not to Do/CooCool/Free Will

Review:

“The sublimity is also unmistakably down to Murphy’s painfully accurate reflection of the phantom intimacy that is unrequited or even forbidden infatuation: the power and powerlessness, the whiplash of obsession and rejection. Hit Parade starts with a dare, the dripping, dubbed-out shudder of What Not to Do, in which Murphy posits: “Whether you want it / Or you don’t / Whether we get on it / Or we don’t”, her voice a slackened, licentious sneer. Her proposition turns to delusion, convinced that only this other person could ever know her on the breathless, writhing techno of Can’t Replicate, one of the more straightforward songs here; imagining their union as something written in the stars in CooCool and The Universe.

And Murphy puts in the headiest performance of her life, revealing dimensions far beyond the stentorian disco maven of 2020’s Róisín Machine: she is ecstatically available on Fader as she admits “I lay eggs every single time I think of you”, harsh with self-loathing on Hurtz So Bad, a panicked blurt on The House, a doomed portrait of intimacy. There’s startling acceptance on the twinkling scrape of Eureka, about begging a doctor to cut this pain out of her; the sharpest bitterness on You Knew, a masterpiece of arid, throbbing, angry, forlorn dub-techno in which Murphy castigates the object of her desires for misleading her.

Her recriminations spill out in fast flurries, the speed eventually breaking them apart, like bits of a rocket falling off as it penetrates the atmosphere; Koze bounces her voice like a ball, letting it skid and skitter. The song is a cold burn, the anguished realisation that you’ve imagined yourself into a fantasy so intensely that you feel cheated of a reality that you never had in the first place. That sense of shattered illusions hits especially hard this week” – The Guardian

Key Cut: Fader

TEN: Jorja Smith – falling or flying

Release Date: 29th September

Label: FAMM

Producers: Blue May/DameDame*/Jodi Milliner/New Machine/P2J

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/jorja-smith/falling-or-flying-2

Standout Tracks: Try Me/Falling or flying/GO GO GO

Review:

“There’s always been something special about Jorja Smith. Since the Walsall-raised artist’s arrival in 2016 with her breakout hit ‘Blue Lights’, there’s been a certain magnetism about her: the voice is technically sensational, and there’s truth to every word sung. Early comparisons to Amy Winehouse, her idol, were not unwarranted, and her ability to resonate with listeners across the spectrum only blossomed.

Her 2018 debut ‘Lost & Found’ showcased that personality, if only in subtle ways: with the tasteful R&B and pop stylings, it felt like a safe first step to satiate the hype rather than a defining musical portrait. Musical collaborations with Drake, Burna Boy, and rising star Enny continued to build the star and myth around her.

It was 2021’s ‘Be Right Back’, a mid-pandemic mixtape, that simmered with Smith’s most intriguing material yet, like someone realising where their path was headed and how to harness it. She hasn’t looked back: ‘Falling or Flying’, her second studio album, is a triumph because of that conviction. Having decided that London was not conducive to her life and music-making, she moved back home to the Midlands, keen to rekindle the pre-fame Jorja that the industry didn’t want you to see but that existed every time the mic was off. In an accompanying statement, she says that formative years growing up in the industry had made her a “people pleaser” and that moving home helped her be “better at trusting myself, not doubting myself as much, and not being so affected and worried by other peoples’ opinions.”

On ‘Falling or Flying’, she teams up with DAMEDAME*, an emerging production duo who also happen to be Smith’s pals from back home; their presence is keenly felt, the trio coursing with ideas and freedom. From the mesmerising opener ‘Try Me’ to ‘Little Things’, a nod to UK funky that has potential to rival ‘On My Mind’ for her biggest dancefloor heater, ‘Falling or Flying’ reveals itself much like Solange’s 2019 album ‘When I Get Home’: an uncompromising and arresting treasure of a record. Even ‘Go Go Go’, a fairly formulaic, indie-indebted number, is the type of song that could only spring from febrile recording sessions with close confidantes: it’s not hard to picture the three thrashing along hard and laughing at each other above the din.

Scarcely any songs on ‘Falling or Flying’ sound the same, but the throughline of Smith trusting her gut remains and reconnecting with herself remains a guiding constant. ‘Greatest Gift’, a song about Smith reconnecting with her younger self, is as touching as she’s ever sounded as a pertinent message rings true: I promise to make sure you’ll never fall far from your grace / I hope that you know you are never too far from your purpose” she reminds herself. ‘Falling or Flying’ was the record she was destined to make, she just had to allow herself to get there” – NME

Key Cut: Greatest Gift

NINE: Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows

Release Date: 15th September

Labels: Black Rainbow/Thirty Tigers

Producer: S. J. Brown/Corinne Bailey Rae/Paris Strother

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/corinne-bailey-rae/black-rainbows-2

Standout Tracks: Black Rainbows/New York Transit Queen/Put It Down

Review:

“Her curiosity piqued by a photo of Theaster Gates taken in his workspace, Corinne Bailey Rae met the artist and activist the next time she played Chicago, where he welcomed her to the Stony Island Arts Bank, a gallery, archive, library, and community center. Bailey Rae felt profoundly affected inside the South Side monument to Black culture, and returned for an artist residency at the invitation of founder Gates. She wrote songs informed by her surroundings and experience -- everything from works of art to pages of Ebony and Jet to a dance party soundtracked by the preserved record collection of house pioneer Frankie Knuckles. Approaching the material as a side project had a liberating effect that allowed her to create without thinking about how the results would be received. Although Black Rainbows is a uniquely conceptual work and sticks all the way out from Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea, and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, it's at least as personal as any of the singer's first three albums. Contrary to her reputation for making pillowy adult contemporary R&B, Bailey Rae started in a punk band that was hard enough to be courted by Roadrunner Records. Black Rainbows taps into that spirit more than once. "New York Transit Queen" is a thrashing celebration inspired by a mid-'50s image of future fashion legend Audrey Smaltz. "Erasure," seething and thunderous, was written in response to examining graphically anti-Black postcards. On these songs, Bailey Rae's buzzing guitar is as much a lead as her full-tilt vocals. Other moments -- the bristly, knocking, and wailing "Black Rainbows," the unfurling incantation "Before the Throne of the Invisible God" -- sound unselfconsciously sculpted, teeming with unbound imagination. The solitary piano ballad, "Peach Velvet Sky," is also a progression; written from the confined and anguished perspective of abolitionist and author Harriet Jacobs, it features Bailey's most powerful lyrics and vocal performance. The house diversions are suitably carefree, delightfully weird, and just as meaningful. A futuristic paradise is imagined in "Earthlings" through a slow, off-center groove slathered in guitar and concluded by birdsong. In the eight-minute "Put It Down," Bailey Rae achieves hard-fought release, distressed over turbulent strings and synthesizers, then seemingly indestructible as her voice slides atop a stout four-four rhythm. "I put it down -- I feel so free" could be the album's subtitle” – AllMusic

Key Cut: Peach Velvet Sky

EIGHT: Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

Release Date: 15th September

Label: Dead Oceans

Producer: Patrick Hyland

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/mitski/the-land-is-inhospitable-and-so-are-we-2

Standout Tracks: Buffalo Replaced/My Love Mine All Mine/Star

Review:

“Many musicians would give anything to have a sound at once so distinctive and multifaceted as Mitski’s, which explores a unique, fragile heartache just as capably through piano ballads as in glitchy synth stomps. ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We’, her seventh record, is an achievement in that in such a diverse catalogue it manages to hatch its own identity without straying from her singular voice. ‘Bug Like An Angel’ clues in to a more subdued record populated by acoustic guitars and big vocal arrangements, but this is an illusion. Through songs that often seem to have bare-bones arrangements, the album becomes increasingly intense. For its entirety, guitars, pianos and whole orchestras are lost in vibrating soundscapes, and drums are rare. On ‘The Deal’, a lilting ballad morphs into an apocalyptic whirlwind, while ‘Star’ is at once discordant and glowing, as complex and delicate as anything off ‘Pet Sounds’. Taken individually these songs are all gorgeous, but as a whole they create an effect of being hemmed in by absence, that inhospitable land overwhelming in its minimalism. No other record today sounds so beautiful and full while being quite so sparse” – DIY

Key Cut: Bug Like an Angel

SEVEN: Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Release Date: 24th March

Labels: Interscope/Polydor

Producers: Jack Antonoff/Benji/Zach Dawes/Lana Del Rey/Drew Erickson/Mike Hermosa

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/lana-del-rey/did-you-know-that-theres-a-tunnel-under-ocean-blvd

Standout Tracks: The Grants/A&W/Paris, Texas

Review:

“I’d go on a seven-minute rant with a repetitive melody,” Lana Del Rey recently told Billie Eilish in an interview about her writing process for Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Indeed, many of the songs on her newly released ninth album do fit that description. They are long and can be repetitive, but truly, a rant has never sounded so alluring.

The six-time Grammy nominee, née Elizabeth Grant, returns this week with her latest album, two years on from a double release in 2021 (Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Banisters). Across eight records and 11 years, Del Rey has built a world and iconography of her own. Hers is one of cherry cola cans, white sundresses, sycamore trees, seedy dive bars and American flags that fly both defiantly and depressingly. More controversial in the Lana lexicon are the deadbeat boyfriends with fast fists that feel like kisses. (Her previous record, she said, was a defensive work written in response to criticisms, including glamourising domestic abuse.)

Her sweeping, layered ninth album is more ruminative than reactive: questions of family and legacy, memory and death swirl around one another until they’re one and the same. To hear Del Rey tell it, Ocean Blvd is “straight vibing”, an exquisitely sung account of her innermost thoughts. And with them comes a new level of specificity. “The Grants” is a testament to that. The album’s opening track is steeped in memory – practically sepia-toned as she recalls “my sister’s firstborn child” and “my grandmother’s last smile” in one heart-pinching line. Lyrics on this album tend to rebound off its walls; echoes of one song appear in another and another. Del Rey’s question in “The Grants” – “Do you think about heaven?/ Do you think about me?” – rings in the next title track, as she implores again and again, “Don’t forget me”.

“Ocean Blvd” is a patient, building ballad that shouts out not only a Harry Nilsson song but a timecode (2.05) within it during which his voice breaks with emotion. There are comparable moments all over her own record. “Ocean Blvd” enters with a stoic piano and swelling strings. It’s impossible, though, not to bend your ear towards her muted breathing; that whoosh of air is like hearing the inside of a conch shell and imagining waves.

It’s an album populated with references. There’s the same kind that her work is always chock full of (John Denver, Forensic Files, a Marielle Heller movie, a three-star hotel chain, the Griffith observatory all make an appearance) but as on 2021’s Blue Banisters, there are personal details, too. Del Rey sings about her grandpa, her brother, her dad, her sister, her sister’s baby, her Uncle Dave. Meanwhile, the record’s themes of legacy spiral into questions of motherhood. “Will the baby be alright/ Will I have one of mine/ Can I handle it even if I do?” she asks on the tender, orchestra-backed “Fingertips”. That song, “Did You Know”, and three others were written in one sitting with ex-boyfriend, director and cinematographer Mike Hermosa, who features as a producer on the album. Del Rey has said it was her familiarity with Hermosa that allowed her to open up as much as she did; they wrote the songs together in her living room on voice memos.

None of this is to say that Del Rey has put away her box of Lana-isms for good. Brazen lyrics such as “F*** me to death/ Love me until I love myself” would feel easily at home on her 2012 trip-hop debut Born to Die. Her winking braggadocio is intact on “Sweet” as she jeers “If you want some basic b****, go to the Beverly Centre and find one”. Images of “bruised knees”, “palm trees in black and white” and “skipping rope in the bayou” crop up, as predictable and familiar as Del Rey calling her paramour “baby”.

Did You Know is a 77-minute-long endeavour. And with a hefty chunk of its 16 tracks dedicated to similar swooning balladry, time doesn’t exactly fly. There is some pleasure to be taken in the trance-like way these songs flow into one another, but watching the tide of even the most beautiful ocean becomes boring. Thankfully, the water does get choppy at times. Take “A&W”, its title both a reference to an American fast food chain and an acronym for American Whore. What begins with the soft strum of a guitar and the heavy step of a piano is a folky reverie not unlike those found on 2021’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club. The masterfully slow fade at its four-minute mark, however, gives way to a sleazy, synthy bassline and later, an adult-rated interpolation of a 1959 doo-wop sample best known from Tom Hanks’s kids’ movie Big. The second half of the seven-minute track plays like an alien transmission from an entirely different Lana era. It’s thrilling – a testament to how an artist’s so-called eras are only as rigid as they want to be. “Fishtail” and “Peppers” – which features a sampled hook from a live performance by Canadian rapper Tommy Genesis – are similar treats. The latter track is a swaggering rap mashed-up into psych-rock. If only Del Rey’s voice wasn’t completely drowning in reverb.

This being a Lana record, a lot of it is about love. The familial kind, the platonic kind, the romantic kind. Album highlight “Margaret” is a pure paean to the latter. With its lovey-dovey lyrics (“’Cause when you know you know”) about finding The One, it is heartbreaking to learn that the song isn’t about Del Rey herself. It was written for her producer, the Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff, and his actor fiancée, Margaret Qualley. Elsewhere, there is love of the religious kind. Del Rey, who was raised Catholic, enlists the help of gospel singers in a number of songs, as well as pastor-to-the-stars Judah Smith, whose four-minute sermon forms one of the album’s two interludes. Jon Batiste heads up the other.

The album ends appropriately on “Taco Truck x VB”. Another reworking of a past Lana era. This time, it’s more explicit. Here, her nine-minute soft-rock lullaby “Venice B****” from 2018’s high-water mark Norman F***ing Rockwell! gets a grimier, trappier remix. Admittedly, there is something of the original lost in this new version, but it’s an audacious thing to sample yourself – and with a back catalogue as deep and sprawling as Del Rey’s undoubtedly is, it’s ripe for the picking” – The Independent

Key Cut: Kintsugi

SIX: Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

Release Date: 14th February

Labels: Sony Music/The Orchard/Perpetual Novice

Producers: Caroline Polachek/Danny L Harle/Dan Nigro/Jim-E Stack/Sega Bodega/Ariel Rechtshaid

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/caroline-polachek/desire-i-want-to-turn-into-you-2

Standout Tracks: Welcome to My Island/Fly to You/Billions

Review:

“The tight 12-track collection is doe-eyed, confident, and sonically varied – not only is it wholly different from its predecessor, it’s a portrait of someone in love. From its opening screams welcoming the listener to her world, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is an island where romance is meshed with clearly focus artistic vision.

Much more here than on Pang, Polachek writes almost as if to determine what sounds good sonically, instead of having songs with a clear thesis. The effect is lurid and fable-like, as if she’s telling you myths instead of truths, to the point where it can often be difficult to discern what a song is really about. Not necessarily a criticism – but on “Bunny Is a Rider,” she sings that it’s “dirty like it’s Earth Day / Tryna wet that palette,” and on the twinkling closer “Billions,” she describes herself as “Psycho / Priceless / Good in a crisis.” Okay, sure! Her abstractness is an asset: these songs read more like poetry, the sonnets she describes in “Billions.” She’s been vocal about this stream-of-consciousness style, particularly on “Pretty In Possible,” which advances almost as if she’s making it up on the spot.

Amongst these dreamy, loose works are ones rooted in the present – usually love-drenched song of longing and passion. “Fly to You,” which manages to balance features from both Grimes and Dido, shows someone vulnerable enough to go to their partner instead of retreating within themselves; “Crude Drawing of an Angel” is a snapshot of messy mid-morning beauty; and “I Believe” uses its stadium-bright synths to picture yearning at its highest form: “Violent love / Feel my embrace.” The best of which – and perhaps the album’s finest moment – is “Blood and Butter,” which could easily slot into a video game soundtrack centred in a cave. Backed by her own vocals, guitars, and bagpipes(!), she’s in awe of the body aura and gravity of her partner: “Look at you all mythicalogica land Wikipediated,” she sings, inventing words and emotions only she could create. “I don’t need no entertaining / When the world is a bed,” she admits, later revealing that she wants to get closer to her partner than their new tattoo. It’s otherworldly, blending the bizarre and romantic in pure Polachek fashion.

Desire operates at a higher caliber than Pang – it’s almost as if she’s gotten the ‘accessible’ music out of her system (if you could even call it that) and has made ample room to experiment with her own creativity. It makes sense that these songs exist in the liminal – she even admits that “real life is a rumor” in the slow-burn “Hopedrunk Everlasting.” In an ode to her late father on “Welcome to My Island,” too, she reckons with her distinctive creative process: “He says watch your ego, watch your head, girl / … Go forget the rules, forget your friends / Just you and your reflection.”

Polachek does things on her second effort that most artists never dream of achieving. A clear mastermind at work, her brilliance is in every nook and cranny of each song. The attention to detail – whether it be the layering on “Sunset” or “Blood and Butter,” or vocal melodies that branch between songs and albums – make her one of the most innovative artists today. The desire she sought to turn into on the title track is fully realised in these mesmerising and wholly unique soundscapes” – The Line of Best Fit

Key Cut: Crude Drawing of An Angel

FIVE: Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!

Release Date: 28th April

Label: EMI

Producers: James Ford/Stuart Price

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/jessie-ware/that-feels-good

Standout Tracks: Free Yourself/Begin Again/Beautiful People

Review:

“Jessie Ware, the British quadruple threat—powerhouse singer, author, podcaster, and children's fashion magnate—has spent the last few years reading up on queer history, and is looking to her forebears for inspiration. Disco is a long-explored touchstone for excess and emancipation, and the genre, or at least the concept of the genre, has certainly taken hold of the modern pop milieu, whether Beyoncé’s full-body immersions, Dua Lipa’s corpo-rave pleasers, or Lizzo’s feel-good bass funk. But That! Feels Good!, Ware’s fifth album, stretches beyond vibes and delves into the well-oiled mechanics of bands like Chic, Sister Sledge, the Trammps, and a little P-Funk, opening up the hood and pulling out all the parts to see if she can piece them back together. Alongside disco-savvy producers like Stuart Price (aka Thin White Duke/Jacques Lu Cont) and James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco), as well as co-songwriters Shungudzo Kuyimba and Sarah Hudson, Ware has achieved a rare feat: a genre revival album that’s painstakingly true to its source material, but doesn’t sound like a curdled rehash. This has everything to do with Ware’s unfailingly strong vocals—one of her generation’s preeminent white belters—and the wild joy she emits on every track, with a thesis that le freaking it on the dancefloor and in the bedroom is key to liberation, and that love alone will save the day.

Disco is familiar territory for Ware—2020’s What’s Your Pleasure looked towards Giorgio Moroder’s blueprint for arpeggiated synths and light-up dancefloor grooves, helping kickstart pop music’s disco revival. That! Feels Good! is a grittier affair, reminiscent of the small underground disco clubs of the early ’70s at individual apartments and lofts in downtown New York. Accompanied live by the preternaturally tight eight-piece funk/Afrobeat band Kokoroko, which has the freewheeling but precise instrumentation of disco down to a science, Ware floats into the sweet spot for her elastic soul vocals, somewhere between Donna Summer and Teena Marie: a glamorous libertine we’ll follow into any dingy club so she can show us the light.

It helps that Ware is a true believer, underscoring That! Feels Good!’s title track with a command that’s almost militant: “Freedom is a sound, and pleasure is a right. Do it again.” Like Donna Summer before her, she eliminates the distance between dancefloor ecstasy and sexual pleasure, suggesting an imperceptible difference between the two. With the thrust of funk bass and spontaneous yelps, she also conjures the physical release of a Soul Train line, transported by syncopation. And when she belts, “Why don’t you please yourself? If it feels so good then don’t you, baby! Don’t you stop!” she revels in the sensual prerogative of adult womanhood, of spiritual excess, staking out her own joyful territory. (She also suggests, over the driving piano of “Free Yourself,” that rapture doesn’t necessarily require a partner.) Her confidence fizzes and levitates with an assuredness that feels deserved but hard-won. “I’ve always relied on people that believe in me because maybe I haven’t believed in myself enough,” she told Pitchfork of her past experiences with music industry men, “but now, actually, I do, which is really wonderful.”

Having reached the point where she can own her vast talent, she’s in a position to extend the favor. On “Beautiful People,” she drops a perfect pride anthem, channeling her existential angst—“I wake up in the morning and I ask myself, ‘What am I doing on this planet?’”—into a purple leather outfit and a cocktail party. “Mix your joy with misery,” she reasons, before deciding that “beautiful people are everywhere.” It’s a vibrant exhortation fueled by cowbell and the band’s robust horn section, mining the eternal solution to life’s indignities—the dancefloor, with friends—and a song dying for a drag queen to lip-sync it. (Whither Sasha Colby!)

Largely, though, Ware’s focus is on the corporeal, celebrating self-determination and sexual versatility with cheeky metaphor: bottles that pop, lips that are underworked, and the mother of all innuendo, pearls. (She also works in time-tested double entendres of food and humping, linking her career interests by invoking limes, strawberries, and pink champagne.) On “Pearls,” she conjures the soul arias of Chaka Khan with another paean to dancing until your insecurities are moot and your clothes are in a pile. “Freak Me Now” ups the cosmopolitan allure by introducing French touch and a distinctly computerized synth whorl to the equation. While it steps away slightly from the ’70s lane Ware has so carefully carved, it sits comfortably among the analog piano and string jaunts. The only other track outside That! Feels Good!’s classic disco-ball rubric is “Lightning,” where Rhodes, strings, and layered harmonies sit next to a pitch-shifted vocal flourish and a boom-bap beat that zooms you right ahead to 2016. It’s a lovely song because Ware is an exceptional vocalist, but it takes you out of the fantasy, which any actor or drag queen can tell you is a mortal mistake.

But overall, That! Feels Good! stays focused on a mission that never feels like a chore. In its relatively brief 40-minute runtime, Ware takes her task extremely seriously, but she’s unencumbered by its immensity; actually, it seems to unleash her, as she experiments with vocal tricks—smoky, Grace Jonesian talk-singing; spirit-catching falsetto that’ll absolutely melt off your Halston—with the sure knowledge that the good-time, nighttime prima donna was always who she was meant to be” – Pitchfork

Key Cut: Pearls

FOUR: Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

Release Date: 8th September

Label: Geffen

Producer: Dan Nigro

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/olivia-rodrigo/guts-3

Standout Tracks: all-american bitch/vampire/get him back!

Review:

“Olivia Rodrigo knocked it out of the park on her first try, with her instant classic of a debut, Sour. So expectations have been sky-high for her next move. But the suspense is over: Her excellent new Guts is another instant classic, with her most ambitious, intimate, and messy songs yet. Olivia’s pop-punk bangers are full of killer lines (“I wanna meet your mom, just to tell her her son sucks”), but she pushes deeper in powerful ballads like “Logical.” All over Guts, she’s so witty, so pissed off, so angsty at the same time, the way only a rock star can be. And this is the album of a truly brilliant rock star.

As on Sour, O-Rod co-wrote the songs with her trusty collaborator-producer Dan Nigro. Last time she kicked off the album with the question, “I’m so sick of 17/Where’s my fucking teenage dream?” This time, she signs off with the ballad “Teenage Dream,” lamenting, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream.” But it’s America’s sweetheart blowing up into the self-proclaimed “All-American Bitch” and getting a few things off her mind. As she declares from the start, “I’ve got the sun in my motherfucking pocket.”

Rodrigo avoids all the typical second-album pitfalls — no songs about how fame is stressful, no songs about social media. The great lead single, “Vampire,” turns out to be a total outlier, because it’s the only song that goes for a celebrity-life angle. Instead, she focuses on the topic she really cares about as a songwriter: the gawky, insecure, ordinary American Every-Girl we met in “Driver’s License.” All over Guts, she shows off her amazing flair for detailed storytelling, making each line feel like she’s just spilling it out, one pained confession at a time.

“All-American Bitch” kicks it off with a fantastic pop-punk angst rant, with a title from Joan Didion, picking up where “Brutal” stopped. It’s full of slumber-party energy (“I’m light as a feather, stiff as a board”) as she sings about striving to live up to a perfect ideal (“I got class and integrity, just like a goddamn Kennedy”) but trying to hide her dark side. At the end, she sneers, “I’m grateful all the time/I’m sexy and I’m kind/I’m pretty when I cry.” (That line might feel like a shout-out to her pal Lana Del Rey.)

Her love life is brutal as ever, and she knows how to savor it as a great joke. In “Love Is Embarrassing,” she fumes, “You found a new version of me/And I damn near started World War 3.” But she’s always coming back for more, though she admits, “I’m planning out my wedding with some guy I’m never marrying.” The closest thing to a happy romantic connection is the ex she jumps in “Bad Idea Right,” who at least owns a bed.

“Get Him Back!!” rips into a bad-news boyfriend, with a brain-devouring pop-punk chorus and a Joan Jett-level air-guitar hook. Olivia goes full blast with putdowns like “He had an ego and a temper and a wandering eye/He said he’s 6-foot-2 and I’m like, dude, nice try.” She can’t decide whether she wants to “get him back” as in reuniting, or as in revenge, but she craves both at the same time, so she vows, “I wanna key his car/I wanna make him lunch/I wanna break his heart then be the one to stitch him up.” There’s also an intriguing personal aside when she quips, “I am my father’s daughter, so maybe I can fix him?”

But the best moments on Guts are her emotional piano ballads like “Logical,” “The Grudge,” and “Teenage Dream.” “Logical” is the most poignant and powerful moment on the album. Like so many of these songs, it’s the story of a young woman getting manipulated and humiliated by an older man. Rodrigo’s voice chokes with rage as she sings, “Said I was too young, I was too soft/Can’t take a joke, can’t get you off.” The song builds to the point where she sings the troubling line “I know I’m half responsible” (she’s not) and ends by asking herself, “Why didn’t I stop it all?”

“The Grudge” is at the same powerful level — she torments herself over a breakup, arguing with him when she’s alone in front of her bedroom mirror. As she sings, “I’m so tough when I’m alone/And I make you feel so guilty/And I fantasize about a time when you’re a little fucking sorry.” But she wonders why she couldn’t stand up for herself, confessing, “It takes strength to forgive, but I don’t feel strong.”

“Lacy” is a mournful lament about falling under the spell of a femme fantasy ideal, who’s a “dazzling starlet/Bardot reincarnate,” but turns out to be “made of angel dust.” (“Lacy” will be widely interpreted as a comment on alleged personal dramas she may or may not be having with another pop star, and Olivia does not exactly go out of her way to minimize this impression by singing, “I try, I try, I try.”)

“Pretty Isn’t Pretty” is a devastatingly candid exorcism of negative body image (“it’s in the phone, it’s in my head, it’s in the boys I bring to bed”) and the way it does damage to every level of life. As she sings, “I bought all the clothes that they told me to buy/I chased some dumb ideal my whole fucking life.” She goes into a different type of pain in “Making the Bed,” where she’s “getting drunk at the club with my fair-weather friends.” The former Disney princess is now old enough to go party with the chic set, ordering different drinks at the same bars, “another day pretending I’m older than I am.” But she wonders why this version of adulthood is no fun. She also confesses to having nightmares where she’s driving in the city. Weirdly, it’s one of the only moments on the album where Ms. I Drive Alone Past Your Street uses her drivers’ license.

Nigro’s production has all the punch and gloss of Sour, but also the knack for tension-and-release hooks he’s shown ever since his emo band As Tall As Lions. The bops go for a 1980s synth/guitar New Wave chug a la the Cars or the Go-Go’s, though you can hear surprisingly detailed echoes of Missing Persons (“Love Is Embarrassing”) or the Motels (“Pretty Isn’t Pretty”).

“Teenage Dream” ends Guts with a massively powerful piano ballad. The title might be a salute to Katy Perry, but Olivia sings about a very different kind of teenage dream. She comes clean about being a troubled ingenue, heading into her twenties, but wondering why she’s still bringing all her same old doubt and confusion. As she sings, “Only 19, but I fear they already got the best parts of me.” “Teenage Dream” evokes the pensive tone of “Nothing New,” Taylor Swift’s Red vault duet with Phoebe Bridgers, with a litany of questions. Olivia asks, “When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years, and just start being wise? When am I gonna stop being a pretty young thing to guys?”

The song never settles on an answer, but it soars into a Oasis-worthy piano-anthem crescendo. Olivia Rodrigo might not have her awkward teenage blues all figured out just yet. But all over Guts, she proves that she’s a voice that’s here to stay and a songwriter built to last” – Rolling Stone

Key Cut: bad idea right?

THREE: Kylie Minogue – Tension

Release Date: 22nd September

Labels: Darenote/BMG

Producers: Duck Blackwell/Cutfather/Jackson Foote/Jon Green/Oliver Heldens/KayAndMusic/Lostboy/PhD/Biff Stannard

Buy: https://www.kylie.com/

Standout Tracks: Padam Padam/You Still Get Me High/10 Out of 10

Review:

“Going two-for-two with early-2020s knockouts, global dancefloor queen Kylie Minogue moves the party from the shiny mirrorball disco to the sweaty, neon-lit club on the flawless Tension. Breaking that titular seal, this set is custom-made for living in the moment and embracing cathartic release, providing 11 laser-focused opportunities for sheer exhilaration. Taking additional cues from Fever and Aphrodite, Tension focuses on the light and happiness found through dance, proving once again that Minogue is peerless when it comes to unassuming crowd-pleasers, heard most explicitly on the surprise 2023 hit "Padam Padam." Carried by her catchiest chorus in decades, the unstoppable earworm pops through woozy production as a hypnotic groove throbs beneath the surface. She purrs that "I'll be in your head all weekend," and that's only partially true: like her defining 2001 single, listeners won't soon be able to get "Padam Padam" out of their heads. From there, Tension doesn't relent. The encouraging uplift of "Hold On to Now" sparkles like "All the Lovers," building to a joyous chorus atop intergalactic synths and subtle New Order-esque guitar noodling. The funky, bass-laden "One More Time," the playful Doja Cat-meets-Dua Lipa "Hands," and the saxophone-infused "Green Light" keep a platformed heel on the Disco dancefloor, as '80s-inspired bops like "Things We Do for Love" and the unfolding "You Still Get Me High" shift gears to hyperspeed with urgent singalong choruses, decade-appropriate synths, and dramatic sax breaks. On-trend, Tension lands in the '90s, updating that familiar house sound for the 2020s on the sensual title track (with another chorus for the ages) and the ballroom-ready "10 Out of 10" produced by Oliver Heldens. Even the heartwarming closer "Story" maintains the energy without sacrificing emotion, a swelling love letter to herself and her loyal fans that pushes Minogue's voice to joyous new heights. Much like Disco, Tension is a master class in pop wizardry and escapist bliss. Releasing an album this expertly crafted and stunning in her fifth decade in the business is an absolute wonder to behold” – AllMusic

Key Cut: Tension

TWO: boygenius – the record

Release Date: 31st March

Label: Interscope

Producers: boygenius/Catherine Marks

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/boygenius-2/the-record-5

Standout Tracks: Without You Without Them/Cool About It/Not Strong Enough

Review:

“The opening line of boygenius’ ‘the record’ doubles as a thesis statement for the album: “Give me everything you got / I’ll take what I can get / I want to hear your story and be a part of it”. On ‘Without You Without Them’ Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus harmonise a sincere request, their voices taking on complimentary choral tones to create the shape of a timeless Americana folk song: it is haunting, beautiful and piercingly vulnerable. You have to have radically honest to start an album with a song like this, an acknowledgement that you want to be known deeply and meet others at that depth as well, but as ‘the record’ proves, boldness is something boygenius have in droves.

The supergroup began working on ‘the record’ back in 2020, two years after the surprise release of their debut self-titled EP. Since then, the trio have been busy making and touring music of their own, positioning themselves as generation-defining songwriters, picking up Grammy nominations, high-profile collaborations and the respect of their peers along the way. Somehow however, just a week after Bridgers’ critically-acclaimed second album ‘Punisher’ dropped, they found time to flirt with the idea of getting the band together again, sharing demos, asking questions and collapsing their individual songwriting and musical propensities into something new. They are a supergroup worth their salt, and one that take on extra powers when working together.

The opening four songs came from solo writing, but they work as stylish introductions into their distinct styles. Baker brought in the frolicking and erratic ‘$20’, as a means for the band to have “more sick riffs” according to accompanying liner notes. “It’s a bad idea and I’m all about it” she sings amidst a chugging riff before threatening, “when you wake up I’ll be gone again”. When Bridgers and Dacus join in, a wall of emotion and delicate sounds form around Baker’s endeavour.

For Bridgers, it was ‘Emily I’m Sorry’, her slow-burning strumming and repetitive apologies demonstrating proclivity for melancholy love songs. And then, Dacus’ ‘True Blue’ which comes with  acute observations on relationships: “When you don’t know who you are / You fuck around and find out” she sings, eventually resolving “It feels good to be known so well / I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself.” Dacus writes with so much emotion it hurts; Bridgers oscillates from cynical to sincere; Baker’s piercing vocals make even the most ironic line feel genuine. Each boygenius may have separate artistic aims, but their talents coalesce to hit you right where it hurts.

Recorded at Malibu’s Shangri-La studios, the trio leveraged 10-hour days and pieced the LP together over a month, taking turns writing lines and making changes, allowing each other’s neurosis and perfectionism to guide the album’s phrasings and sound. The result is some of the most pristine songwriting Bridgers, Dacus and Baker have ever penned. The acoustic ‘Leonard Cohen’ shines a light on the inner workings of their friendship, the cracks that let the light in, in-jokes about “writing horny poetry”. The brash and witty ‘Satanist’ focuses on the limits of unconditional relationships, wondering if nihilism or satanism are deal breakers or would you, as my friend, just join in.

The band shines in the stripped-back moments of ‘the record’, but one of its brightest achievements comes halfway through, in the layering, arrangements and vocals of ‘Not Strong Enough’. It swings in like a typical indie love song at first, but towards the end of the tack, as the trio spirals out the words “always an angel never a god” in unison followed by a heartbreaking, voice crackling “I don’t know why I am / The way that I am”. Masterful stuff.

This debut is a gorgeous testament to what can happen when you allow yourself to fully be seen. Though each of the album’s 12 tracks could have fit nicely on one of their personal records, their work together takes on a brighter bolder existence, enabling them to light up individually and together at the same time. Bridgers, Dacus and Baker did the tedious work of getting to know each other artistically and collaboratively and then poured what they found out into the world. Now, we as listeners, get to benefit” – NME

Key Cut: Satanist

ONE: Iraina Mancini – Undo the Blue

Release Date: 18th August

Label: Needle Mythology

Producers: Jagz Kooner/Erol Alkan/Sunglasses for Jaws/Simon Dine/J.B Pilon/Ian Barter

Buy: https://needlemythology.tmstor.es/?ffm=FFM_fa0cd214aff8840f1859e65d11c2ae20

Standout Tracks: Cannonball/Sugar High/What You Doin’

Review:

“What does it sound like?:

What’s this? You ask. Dave Ross reviewing a new album? If the world wasn’t crazy enough already in 2023 this is too much. Let me explain. It’s no secret that as a hobbyist music writer Pete Paphides is the writer I wish I could have been. Fair to say I’m a bit of a fanboy. I mean I’m not about to turn up at his house or turn my living room into a shrine like the guy from Alan Partridge but I love his writing style. His love of ABBA, encyclopaedic music knowledge (he once referenced King’s Taste Of Your Tears as a good thing. I know!) and his general niceness is all the more reason to love him. Broken Greek is the book I wish I could write weaving as it does personal stories with the music of the time. However, full disclosure here. On Twitter he’s been bloody relentless and not a little annoying about Iraina Mancini and her debut album on his Needle Mythology label. Anyway, out of interest as it clearly means a huge amount to Pete I gave it a listen. I mean it must be good if it’s got Pete’s name attached right?

Iraina is a striking young woman with as I discovered an incredibly listenable voice. It also turns out her father, Warren Peace, was a childhood friend of David Bowie’s who contributed to several of Bowie’s albums and tours. So she was raised around a broad range of music beyond her 34 years as again I was about to discover.

The first song Deep End has an incredible brass intro and becomes a driving, breathless opener in the style of Republica’s Ready To Go. It certainly got me interested. Iraina gives us a 90s vocal masterclass. Intense and dramatic. OK, I’m in.

Cannonball is more of the same putting me in mind of Garbage this time. I suspected this was where Iraina’s influence lies before I found out more about her. It’s an era that almost passed this 80s boy by but this song has that voice, guitars, organ, passion and plenty of hooks to drag me along.

Sugar High is a lovely shift in styles. Jazzy and dreamy. Iraina’s voice sounds amazing and my crazy brain is getting Olivia Newton John pre-Grease during the chorus. Imagine Olivia doing a Style Council or Blow Monkeys song and we’re there. The string arrangement is exquisite. This is absolutely lovely.

The title track is another smooth delicious piece of pop. I’m going back to Dusty now or Lenny Kravitz doing It Ain’t Over. In fact, such is the range displayed here there it goes from those unlikely sisters Swing Out and Shakespears. It has a fabulous crescendo moment, harmonies and swoon. Some song this.

Do It (You Stole The Rhythm) and we’re back in the 90s with a baggy rhythmed slightly underwhelming song only elevated by Iraina’s voice. Maybe it’s a grower, a slow burner lost in an inferno.

My Umbrella has more than enough hooks for any one song. It’s the Astrud Gilberto moment. Even my old hips are moving (in their own time but moving none the less). I need a hot day, a fast car and an open road to seal the deal on this song. Ooh it’s very good.

Shotgun could be the theme to a smart 60s / 70s detective thriller. It’s no Shaft but it has that smokey late, hot New York night vibe. If Netflix don’t start developing Shotgun on the back of this then they’re not really trying. If Regé-Jean Page doesn’t get Bond somebody send him this song.

What You Doin’? Annoys me in a good way. I’m failing because there’s a 70s glam song in there that wants its groove back and I can’t bloody get what song it is. Suzi Quatro maybe? Showaddwaddy? Can someone help? I am also afraid that What You Doin’? the monster earworrm it is will be rattling round my head at 2 am denying me sleep. Especially if I can’t find what it reminds me of.

Need Your Love is, surprise surprise, a love song with a feel of a Bond theme. A great showcase for Iraina’s vocal range but doesn’t really get going until a lovely spoken section. I will grow to love it I’m sure. Just needs more listens.

In a flash we are at the last song Take A Bow. Come on Iraina let’s finish on a high. She goes back to the 60s again. Join her and float on a gorgeous ride through the great chanteuse of our time. Pick out the voice of your choice it’s in there somewhere. Take A Bow Indeed

What does it all *mean*?

I’d seen so much about this album on Twitter that it had become like white noise. I came to it with quite a bit of negativity. Come on then, prove you’ve worth all the fuss. I should have trusted Pete. This is something very special that I wouldn’t have listened to without the relentless plugging. Maybe this is the album that will prove to me that despite me being so entrenched musically there is other stuff out there for me. New stuff. You know that special place you always wanted to go but just couldn’t bring yourself to Dave? It’s right here now go and find some more. Cheers Pete. And Iraina obviously.

Goes well with…

Anything really. It’s the sort of album you could put on anywhere and it will lift yours and the mood of anyone listening. Dare I mention Sade here?” – The Afterword

Key Cut: Undo the Blue

FEATURE: Spotlight: Rianne Downey

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Rianne Downey

_________

EVEN though she has…

received some airplay from big stations, I still think there are some as-yet unaware of the brilliant Rianne Downey. The Glasgow-born, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter is a simply awesome artist! Someone whose music gets right into the heart and head; I think that everyone should check out what Downey is putting out there. Her new single, Beautiful View, came out this week. It is among her very best work. I am going to come to some fairly recent interview with her. If you are near any venue Downey is scheduled to play, then do make sure that you go and see her. She is a tremendous talent we are going to hear from for years. In February, Back Seat Mafia spent some time with a Scottish shining star. Since then, I feel Rianne Downey has been heralded and spotlighted by some major radio stations and publications. Surely she will be on everyone’s ‘Ones to Watch in 2024’ lists?! She is an artist who fascinates me:

“Give us a potted history of yourself

My name is Rianne Downey. I am a singer/songwriter from Glasgow, living in Liverpool.

Things kicked off during lockdown when I started to upload covers from my bedroom. Everyone seemed to love them and my following grew from there. The anticipation grew online for my own original music and so I released my first single in February 2021 and from there, things have grown bigger and bigger eg. My debut EP vinyl release selling out in a week. Having my songs played on BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6. Playing up and down the country at IOW Festival, Truck, TRNSMT and SXSW. As well as some amazing support slots – Paolo Nutini, Liam Fray, The Snuts, DMA’s, The Lathums, and The Coral.

In November 2022, I was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of The Year Award at the Scottish Music Awards.

Who inspired you to start making music

My mum always said I could sing before I could speak. When I was younger, I discovered Ska through listening to Amy Winehouse’s covers of The Specials. I was obsessed with the sound & became obsessed with their style & attitude. I became heavily influenced by Skinheads and Mods. I found a collection of my parent’s old CDs which is how I discovered Oasis, and The Stone Roses and from there I became obsessed with the 80s/90s indie movement and who inspired those bands which then opened my eyes to all kinds of amazing musicians throughout the years. I wanted to be able to express myself and have a voice of my own through music. Paolo Nutini was a huge inspiration to me, being from Scotland and writing unbelievable, universal tunes that became the soundtrack to my childhood. It made me want to do my country proud like Paolo, defy the Scottish small town mindset odds and perform for a living”.

Tell us how you write

I’ve never found a proper routine or strategy for writing a song. I tend to always be switched on and looking for lyrics/inspiration in everyday life. My brain doesn’t switch off. I’m constantly listening to music and singing to myself, hoping that the right melody will come out. I usually just sit down with my guitar and figure out what I want to say or what theme I want the song to have and go from there. I usually need to be in a room myself with no distractions.

Tell us about your live show What would be your dream gig

My live shows are about to kick off with a bang. It’s sounding and looking massive and the set list is flooded with bangers now. I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been working on. My bucket list gigs would be headlining the barras then the hydro. Glastonbury in any capacity and touring Europe and America! I’d also absolutely love to support Paolo Nutini again.

What can we expect from you in the near future

I’m not going anywhere anytime soon! I’ve got a load of songs ready to release to the world and each one is better than the last and I am so excited to show everyone. I head off on a UK Headline tour in March and onto a number of festivals in the summer. I can’t wait for the gigs to just keep coming and getting bigger every time.

Tell us your favourite records that are rocking your headphones/tour bus/stereo

Strangers – The Kinks

Every Night – Paul McCartney

Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

I Just Imagined You – Blossoms

Radio – Paolo Nutini

Reason to Believe – Karen Dalton

Under the Skin – Flyte

Little Bitch – The Specials

Bluebird Wine – Emmylou Harris

Devil to Pay – Johnny Cash”.

I hope that more people line up to speak with Rianne Downey. 2023 has been a busy and exciting one for her. No less because her ticket sales surged following her TRNSMT performances in July, where the legendary Paul Heaton introduced her as a Celtic fan! Hailing from Bellshill, Downey took to the TRNSMT main stage alongside Heaton, having previously played with him on the headline slot at Neighbourhood Weekender earlier this summer. There are some cool interviews out there with Rianne Downey. This is what went down when she spoke with Bodega Nottingham back in July:

“Hey Rianne, we’re really looking forward to welcoming you to The Bodega! How are you feeling ahead of the show?

Why thank you! I’m looking forward to coming. I’ve never even been to Nottingham before so the response to the gig already has totally blown me away. I can’t wait to meet a bunch of new folk, play my tunes to them and have a big ole sing song. Feeling very grateful.

You recently released your new EP ‘Method To My Madness’ and we’re loving it over here, how are you feeling post-release?

I’m glad you guys are loving it! The love and support my EP has received has been so heartwarming. I put my everything into this EP and the fact the songs are resonating with people really means the world, I feel like I’m doing my job right and the years of graft are paying off. Vinyl selling out in a day and being played on Radio 1 & 6, pinch me!! It’s given me the bug to keep writing and releasing songs. If my songs can help anyone in the way music has helped me, then I feel like I’ve made it!

Where does that distinct country tinged pop stem from? Is it something you’ve been surrounded by for a long time?

My granny and papa listened to loads of country on the radio growing up so I think its always been in my subconscious. I always loved country music. Johnny Cash’ Ring of Fire was the first song I had on my first mobile phone haha. I love how raw the music is. I think it’s an amazing thing trying to find the most simple but beautiful way to tell a story or to find the positives, humour, heartache and most importantly, the truths within our human experience and put them on a pedestal so that others can find the words or the answers they’ve been looking for. That’s what I think country/pop music is. Plus I love a good line dance.

 A lot of the tracks on the new cut are bitter-sweet, is it important that there’s an emotional depth to your music?

I feel like my best work comes when I write from experience and let myself feel everything that’s in my soul at that time. I think a lot less and just sing the words that need to be sang. Most of the songs I loved and that have helped me throughout my life always seemed to be the songs that came from deep within the writer’s soul and I’d love to carry that on through my music. It’s the best way to connect with yourself and with others when you can put it all out there. And I think that’s why a lot of us love music because it makes us feel connected to/part of something.

What goes into prepping for a tour as extensive as this one?

A lot of rehearsals, Travelodge bookings, setlist rearranging, outfit picking (cowboy boots are a given though)! A whole load of things to think about but I’ve got a lot of gigs over the summer at festivals and sharing the stage with Paul Heaton on his summer tour, that’ll get me match fit and ready to take to the stage in November. My main priority is that everyone who’s bought a ticket has a grand ole time at the gigs and I’ll make sure they do!

Lastly, if money wasn’t a factor, what would be your dream rider?

Unlimited pasta

Unlimited Vocalzones (cause they’re expensive

American Sour Patch Kids

Pornstar Martini’s made fresh”.

I am going to end with a pretty recent interview from Gigantic. It is exciting looking back and seeing what Rianne Downey has accomplished so far. As she says in her own words in the interview, next year is going to be a big one. I am sure that we are going to hear a lot of new music from a gleaming jewel in the new music crown:

“Fusing pop, country and folk, singer-songwriter Rianne Downey is the fresh new talent who is captivating listeners and fast transitioning from online sensation to becoming the latest recipient of the Breakthrough Artist of The Year Award at the Scottish Music Awards.

Born in Glasgow and now based in Liverpool, Rianne Downey first attracted attention as a lockdown star, playing viral bedroom covers of her favourite songs with just an acoustic guitar which revealed her tremendous talent and incredible voice. The rising star has continued to impress, writing prolifically and releasing three EPs in just two years including titles Fuel To The Flame which sold out in just a week, Come What May and her latest four-track offering Method To My Madness which dropped this summer.

When she isn’t in the studio, Rianne is now a major player on the festival circuit, having already made prominent appearances at Glastonbury, SXSW, TRNSMT, Isle of Wight Festival and Truck Festival. She has also played support for such major names as Paolo Nutini, The Coral, DMA’s and The Snuts!

And now, Downey announces headline dates of her own seeing out 2023 with shows at The Bodega, Nottingham and Crofters Rights, Bristol.

We were honoured to be able to fire off some questions at the prodigious six-string player, asking her about the influences on her music, her meteoric ascent and her favourite festival experiences.

What inspired you to start songwriting and who are your influences?

When I first heard Jake Bugg, I thought he was amazing. I was 12 and just discovering indie music. I loved Jake Bugg because he took country/folk music and made it indie. He made my favourite genres cool again! It inspired me to pick up an acoustic and learn to finger-pick. I didn’t have the confidence to properly start writing my own tunes ‘til during lockdown when my covers online started to blow up. I felt like I could actually be a proper musician, so I thought “it’s now or never”. My biggest musical influences for writing were definitely Johnny Cash, Dolly, Simon & Garfunkel and The Doors. I’ve recently been taking a lot of influence from Townes Van Zandt and Taylor Swift. Might be a mad mix but I love what I love and take what I need from it all haha!

You have an incredible voice. How did you build on your natural talent and become so exceptional?

Thank you so much! My mum said I could sing before I could speak, I think the music’s always been in me. It was the only thing in life that truly made me content. I feel alive and like I have a place in the world when I perform. I just spent all my time when I was younger practising in my room or going to theatre school or playing gigs of all kinds. I went to singing lessons for a few years when I wanted to be on Broadway too haha. I gave all of myself to music and I think that’s what’s helped me get this far. It was always all or nothing for me because I love it so much.

How did it feel to be named Breakthrough Artist of The Year Award at the 2022 Scottish Music Awards? That must have been a huge honour!

It was such an honour. I was so surprised but so buzzing. I didn’t expect such a prestigious award so early in my career. It’s literally just the beginning and I am so grateful for the recognition”.

Any plans to drop a debut album in the new future? What else have you got in store for Rianne Downey fans?

I don’t know how much I can tell you but let’s just say 2024 is the big one. That’s the year. I’ve got plenty more tunes on the way and a big, shiny set ready for all my gigs. It’s only getting bigger, better and a lil more country pop, yeehaw!”.

A phenomenally talented artist who I have so much time for, Method to My Madness is among this year’s best E.P.s. From the Scottish treasure Rianne Downey, here is an artist who will command some huge stages at festivals next year. I’d love to hear her collaborate with some major artists. That question about a much-desired debut album too. I am sure this will all come to fruition next year. Beautiful View is another slice of brilliance from Rianne Downey. Following a year with so many great memories, we look ahead to 2024 and those artists who will define it. I feel that the tremendous Rianne Downey is going to be…

RIGHT at the front!

__________

Follow Rianne Downey

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@riannedowney_

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/riannedowney/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/riannedowney_

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/254gmlnuhtyLCJmHiodIri?si=p21Ac6WWT-Km_KTtxj_2mw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/RianneDowney

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RianneDowneyMusic/

Store:

https://riannedowney.tmstor.es/

FEATURE: A Truly Brilliant Year for Music… Part One: My Favourite Singles of 2023

FEATURE:

 

 

A Truly Brilliant Year for Music…

PHOTO CREDIT: Orione Conceição/Pexels

Part One: My Favourite Singles of 2023

_________

LATER this month…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah

or at the start of December, we are going to see more features released where albums and singles of the year are selected and ranked. I think that there are quite a few out already that provide good guidance. Not to say that all of the best of the year has come out already – though November and December are generally quieter for albums and singles. In the first of a two-part feature, I have selected my singles of the year. It has been a very tough decision! Having to omit great artists like Blur and The Beatles (their final single, Now and Then, is one I am going to write about separately) was tough, though what I have done is choose the ten best, plus a ‘silver’ and ‘bronze’ medal – so, essentially, the twelve best singles of 2023. Many will have their own opinions. Coming to the end of such an amazing year, it has been a pleasure getting all this wonderful music. I feel bad about the artists I have left out! Rest assured, they are all brilliant and worthy of big success. Below are my views on the best singles…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Antony Szmierek

FROM this year.

_______________

BRONZE: Lauren Mayberry – Shame

Release Date: 10th October

From the Album: TBA

Label: EMI

Review:

“Shame” feels inevitable. There was little doubt that Lauren Mayberry, the effortlessly charismatic lead singer of the Scottish band Chvrches, would someday venture out with solo material, and there was also no reason to expect that the sound of that music released under her own name would be wildly apart from what she helped created in her main gig. A death metal track from Mayberry would certainly be attention-getting, but who needs that when she’s clearly got a gift for making synth-pop songs that shimmer brightly while smuggling through barbs in the lyrics.

On “Shame,” Mayberry’s second solo single, all the elements are in place, tidy as nested boxes. She might be the only current performer who can make lyrics such as “Tell me sweet things/ Just enough to make me beg/ I’ll learn to like it/ Or at least that’s what you said” come across as oddly triumphant. In her rendering, the forceful stating of those lines — the acknowledgement of miserable truths — is where the power lies. Go ahead and dance the pain away” – Coffee for Two

SILVER: SZA – Kill Bill

 

Release Date: 10th January

From the Album: SOS

Release Date: 9th December, 2022

Labels: Top Dawg/RCA

Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/sza/sos-5

Review:

“Solána Imani Rowe, known as SZA, is an American singer and songwriter. The stage name SZA stands for saviour or sovereign, zig-zag and Allah. The name was inspired by RZA from the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, on November 8th, 1989. She started making music in the early 2010s, releasing two EPs before signing with Top Dawg Entertainment, a hip-hop record label. In 2014 she released her third EP Z, and the same year she co-wrote “Feeling Myself” with hit rapper Nicki Minaj and hit singer Beyoncé. The song that made her most famous was “Good Days” released on Christmas Day in 2020, which became her first solo top hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. She has been nominated 66 times and has won 25 awards. “Kill Bill” is SZA’s second most popular song from her album SOS, with over 300 million streams to date on Spotify.

“Kill Bill” by SZA starts with a strong, eerie detuned synthesizer, which lures listeners. SZA’s smooth vocals and steady beats carry us to the song’s ending. While SZA raps in the verses and pre-choruses, she sings in the chorus, making the infectious melody stand out. “Kill Bill” is built around a midtempo, groovy rhythm and it has a retro, late 1990s–early 2000s sound, influenced by a subgenre of hip hop music called boom bap.

However, some may argue that the SZA’s bold lyrics are responsible for this song’s popularity. Many relate to the anger and frustration that comes with having an ex-partner move on to a new relationship and the underlying sentiments of doing whatever it takes for love. The song title references Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill (2003), in which the main character is shot by her employer and his crew and then seeks revenge. In contrast, Sza’s song replaces the employer with a boyfriend and discusses killing his new girlfriend. While the lyric “I might kill my ex” is the most memorable, the song is filled with hooky lyrics like “I’m so mature/I’m still a fan even though I’m salty/ rather be in hell than alone.” Critics praised “Kill Bill” for its exploration of SZA’s unfiltered, violent emotions.

The duration of the song is also an asset of the song as it conveys just the right amount of material lyric-wise to keep people hooked. Although some listeners might find the dark lyrics don’t match the light sounding beat, they may grow to appreciate the dichotomy between the music and its message.

According to SZA, the creation of “Kill Bill” was “super easy,” and she deemed it a “one take, one night” type of song. While writing a song about committing murder was a risk, the song has become SZA’s biggest success and is being streamed millions of times every day” – Met Radio

TEN: The Staves – You Held It All

Release Date: 14th September

From the Album: All Now

Release Date: 22nd March, 2024

Label: Communion Records

Pre-Order: https://www.musicglue.com/the-staves/#preorder

The Skinny:

“The Staves have shared new single ‘You Held It All’.

The group are currently in a state of evolution, with sister Emily Staveley-Taylor taking a slight step back. She isn’t present on this new single, the first to present The Staves formally as a duo, and their first release since 2021’s ‘Good Woman’.

Out now, ‘You Held It All’ marks their inaugural release on Communion Records, a moment of refreshment and overhaul. Produced alongside close friend John Congleton in Los Angeles, it finds The Staves tapping back into their core values, emerging renewed in the process.

Lilting melodies with a touch of West Coast sunrise to the arrangement, The Staves somehow manage to sound more mature, more rounded.

The group comment…

“’You Held It All’ is a song about understanding, and the knots we tie ourselves in when we don’t express our truth; and how much power and freedom there can be when we do” - CLASH

NINE: Hak Baker - DOOLALLY

Release Date: 18th May

From the Album: Worlds End FM

Release Date: 27th October, 2023

Label: Hak Attack Records

Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/hak-baker/worlds-end

The Skinny:

“DOOLALLY” is an unfiltered scene from the East End. Capturing Hak’s raw lyrical style that blends cockney dialect picked up from growing up in the Isle of Dogs, to Jamaican Patois from his mother and grandmother, Hak’s flow developed from his younger years as a Grime MC in B.O.M.B. squad.

“We thought we was big, big boys, going to MC at these little clubs in Romford. Don’t forget that Moet cost 30 quid back then so we were having it large,” says Hak Baker. “Everybody loves a house party. You’re talking to the house party king here. These are all the shenanigans rolled into 3.5 minutes, or all the ones I can talk about anyway - DOOLALLY!!”

"DOOLALLY" follows the previously released singles, “Telephones 4 Eyes” – which was A-listed at BBC 6 Music – and children of the Windrush generation chant “Windrush Baby”.

Hak Baker is set to play the Trevor Nelson hosted and curated Windrush 75 concert alongside Craig David and Beverly Knight at Royal Albert Hall in June” – The Line of Best Fit

EIGHT: Say She She – C’est Si Bon

Release Date: 8th June

From the Album: Silver

Release Date: 29th September, 2023

Labels: Karma Chief Records/Colemine Records

Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/say-she-she/silver-4

The Skinny:

“'C'est Si Bon' is Say She She’s discodelic anthem to seize the day and make your time count.

A tribute to the global dance floor; 'C'est Si Bon' is part Parisian playground, part 90’s LA shopping mall glamour,

with an enchanting explosion of 1970’s cool downtown New York, and the gutter glitter of London nightlife.

The She She’s beckon you to throw your hands up and declare your heart’s desires.

“Tell them what you want!

The time will soon be gone.

When all is said and done

The world keeps spinning on…”” – Bandcamp

SEVEN: The Last Dinner Party – My Lady of Mercy

Release Date: 9th October

From the Album: Prelude to Ecstasy

Release Date: 2nd February, 2024

Label: Island

Pre-Order: https://www.thelastdinnerparty.co.uk/

Review:

“If there were ever a song to define the band so far, My Lady of Mercy would likely be it. A delicate and rhythmic introduction which descends into a volatile and exciting piece. All of their songs so far do, and seeing them live is surely a similarly wild experience. Confident processes from the band bring out their very best, artistic singularity meeting with a defined quality. Only the best can manage it, and sometimes it takes them a decade to get there, as it did for Arctic Monkeys. Others, those bold enough to dive in at the deep end like The Last Dinner Party, are reaping the wild rewards of starting off where any band would hope to get to after a few years of working away. It just goes to show, with a little confidence and a hell of a lot of talent, a band can start off doing what they love and build from there. Hit it out of the park the first time around and producers let the Sparks influence out of the box” – Cult Following

SIX: VV Brown – Black British

Release Date: 27th March

From the Album: Am I British Yet?

Release Date: 27th October, 2023

Label: YOY Records

Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/vv-brown/am-i-british-yet

The Skinny:

“The singer-songwriter conceived, created, and produced the single and music video’s concept. The essay – due to be published along with the upcoming album by the “artist, mother, activist, journalist and teacher” – will explore Brown’s idea of being Black British and provide social commentary on her ethnicity and subculture.

This is Brown’s first release since she released her third studio album ‘Glitch’ in September 2015. ‘Black British’ also broke her six-year musical hiatus as she took time off to focus on her mental health and motherhood.

“The last six years have been a difficult mental health journey for me,” she said. “But I came to the realisation that I need music to feel alive.”

She credited living in the countryside to be “liberating” and allowing her “to create without that industry pressure.”

She continued: “Everything about this album, whether it be the artwork, the lyrics, the production or the visuals, is about starting sociological conversations” - CLASH

FIVE: Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For?

Release Date: 13th July

From the Album: Barbie the Album

Release Date: 21st July, 2023

Label: Atlantic

Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/various/barbie-the-album

Review:

“I’m more into rock and metal music, but when it comes to Billie Eilish’s music, I can’t he͏lp ͏but acknowledge her musical brilliance. The young star’s most recent song, “What Was I Made͏ For?” is proof͏ of her mesmerizing͏ talent.

In collaboratio͏n with her͏ brother Finneas, Billie Eilish poured he͏r he͏ar͏t ͏and soul into crafting this intimate ͏and emotionally ch͏arged song.

Created in their Los Angeles home studio, th͏e siblings’ creative synergy shine͏s through in every note and lyric. The outcome is a captivating an͏d moving composition that effortlessly re͏sonates with the listener͏.͏

The new single perfectly captures ͏the essence of͏ the film, acting as a backdro͏p to pivotal scenes throughout the storyline.

Billie Eilish’s signature ͏whisper-like ͏vocals, combined with ͏the delicate instrume͏ntation, create an ethereal͏ atmosphere that leaves a lasting impact.

The song not only complements the film’s narrati͏ve but ͏also amplifies its underlying message, making it a powerful addition to the overall cinematic experience.

Acco͏mpanying the release of the song is the official music video, which͏ showcases Eilish’s artistic vision as͏ a ͏director.

The vide͏o captivates viewers with its stunning visuals, perfectly synchronized͏ with the son͏g’s evocat͏ive ͏lyrics, offering fans a multi-sensor͏y experience that further deepens their connection to the song and its themes.

The timing of its creation couldn’t have been mor͏e serendipitous, ͏offering Eilish a much-needed outlet for her emotions.

This authen͏ticity and ͏vulnerabili͏ty shine through in the final product, making “What Was I Made For?” a truly special release for both the artist and ͏her audience.

Moreover, the inclusion ͏of “What Was I Made For?” in the star-studded “Barbie the Album” soundtrack further emphasizes its importance within the film’s overarching narrative.

With the production expertise of͏ Mark Ronson, alongside Greta Gerwig’s involvement as ͏writer͏, director, and executive producer, the soundtrack promises to be a ͏must-listen for both fans of the film and music enthusiasts alike.

The song’s emotional depth, paired wit͏h its seamless ͏integration in͏to the film “Barbie,” re͏sults in a sonic experience that is bou͏nd ͏to captivate audiences” – rocknheavy.net

FOUR: boygenius – Cool About It

Release Date: 20th September

From the Album: the record

Release Date: 31st March, 2023

Label: Polydor

Pre-Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/boygenius-2/the-record-5

Review:

“You may not have heard of Boygenius yet, but you probably know the three artists that make up the band: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. They had previously worked together as solo artists on tours but came up with the idea of collaborating after realizing that they had great chemistry. The name is a reference to the frustration they've experienced when working with some male egos in their separate careers. Despite this, it has given them a name to operate under, and we should be grateful for that because the sound they create is exceptional.

The complexity of the lyrics in "Cool About It" makes this song fascinating to listen to. Unusually, the phrase "Cool About It" doesn't appear in the song at all, but it reflects the situation that the song paints a picture of. We are taken on a journey through a relationship that leaves us feeling a sense of sadness towards the end, as one party's feelings towards the other are revealed.

The song starts with a wonderfully balanced guitar that gives the impression of a soft and calm thought-provoking song. The music gradually builds, with a banjo-sounding second guitar and strings accompanying the melody. The second verse and chorus feature string accompaniment that phases out in the third verse before gradually rebuilding. The harmonies build throughout the song in a way that keeps the genuine feel of the song, as the vocal leads change. The melody fits beautifully with the gliding lyrics, which paint a vivid picture of life in the modern world. This song has the potential to be the soundtrack to many people's lives, as the meaning of the lyrics and the power of the song echo through the track's concept” – Music Talkers

THREE: Antony Szmierek – How Did You Get Here?

Release Date: 20th October

From the E.P.: Seasoning

Release Date: 16th November, 2023

Labels: LAB Records/Underplay

Order: https://antonyszmierek.tmstor.es/

The Skinny:

“Antony Szmierek. Remember the name.

Across a handful of singles the Manchester-based talent has proved his worth, his emotive word play both revealing and challenging in equal measure. Half-spoken word, half-melodious, Antony’s delivery recalls everyone from Mick Skinner to John Cooper Clarke, while remaining committed to his own originality.

All upcoming shows are long since sold out, with the wordsmith aiming to end 2023 with a bang. New single ‘How Did You Get Here?’ amplifies the hype still further, a self-conscious indie-disco bop that erupts with energy.

There’s a tenacious pop aspect to Antony Szmierek’s work, with his fantastic immediacy aligned to n emotional richness, a revelatory passion for words. Out now, he comments:

“It’s an indie-disco banger with hidden depths. It’s about coming to terms with making the same mistakes twice. We like to think we learn from our failures but maybe we don’t, and maybe being fallible is okay. If the lyrics represent ego and insecurity, the music puts a hand on your shoulder and reassures you that you’re not alone” – CLASH

TWO: Iraina Mancini – Cannonball

Release Date: 5th April

From the Album: Undo the Blue

Release Date: 18th August, 2023

Label: Needle Mythology

Order: https://needlemythology.tmstor.es/?ffm=FFM_bec5377b4631ce490964930fc72eddf9

The Skinny:

“A full album is incoming, with new single ‘Cannonball’ online now. It feels like the lost theme to a 60s spy film, a kind of Modesty Blaize character updated for the modern era. A female-forward slice of action-packed pop, it was co-written alongside Simon Dine, and produced by Sunglasses for Jaws (with the redoubtable Erol Alkan on additional production).

The neat keyboard arpeggios in the background recall the Killing Eve soundtrack work constructed by Unloved, while the loping bassline is sheer McCartney. A psych-pop whirlwind, ‘Cannonball’ finds Iraina yearning for freedom.

She comments…

“I wrote ‘Cannonball’ about taking a chance in life and following your heart. It’s that moment where you meet someone or something and it knocks you for six! Your intuition kicks in and you’ve got to go with what it’s telling you. I really wanted to write something that grabbed people’s attention, I got lost in my head in an action packed, 60s stylish thriller film”- CLASH

ONE: Nadine Shah – Topless Mother

Release Date: 18th October

From the Album: Filthy Underneath

Release Date: 23rd February, 2024

Label: EMI North

Pre-Order: https://nadineshah.co.uk/

The Skinny:

“One of Britain’s most revered, powerful and resonant indie voices, Nadine Shah has just  shared the lead single and video from her upcoming album ‘Topless Mother’ which went straight onto the BBC 6 Music A-List. The track comes from her fifth album Filthy Underneath due to drop on 23rd February. The video release comes ahead of a special sold out preview show on Thursday 2nd November at London’s Lower Third. This follows a string of dates as a special guest for Young Fathers.

Speaking of the ‘Topless Mother’ video Shah said,

“I just wanted to muck about and play. Choreographer Lynne Page directed the video and encouraged that. She’s a big kid like me. Pam Hogg’s dress stole the show though.” “Three years might seem like a prolonged absence to some people, but it’s also a period of time in which the apparatus that holds your world in place can be dismantled and reassembled so that you can keep living, keep creating.”

Filthy Underneath chronicles a period of unprecedented turbulence in Nadine Shah’s life and yet, the experience of listening to it is oddly life-affirming – a parade of ghosts spanning the entirety of Nadine’s thirty-seven years, moving with balletic beauty to the music that Nadine and long-time co-writer and producer Ben Hillier have created around them, with renewed emphasis on placing melody and movement front and centre. On the album’s sensational lead single ‘Topless Mother’, her double-tracked harmonies converge with a physically irresistible groove.

Inspired by a series of comically tense exchanges with a counsellor, the song alights on that counsellor’s unorthodox tendency to burst into tears if she felt she wasn’t getting anywhere with her patient. The tone here is powerful, celebratory, an instant fan favourite to rub shoulders alongside her best” – God Is in the TV

FEATURE: One Heart and Two Legs: Why Margaret Glaspy’s Between-Tours Ultramarathon Got Me Thinking About Holistic and Physical Releases for Artists

FEATURE:

 

 

One Heart and Two Legs

IN THIS PHOTO: Margaret Glaspy/PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz

Why Margaret Glaspy’s Between-Tours Ultramarathon Got Me Thinking About Holistic and Physical Releases for Artists

_________

I have produced a few features…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz/ATO Records

that talk about artists’ mental health. It can be very strenuous when on tour. A lot of ways to cope with stress and the anxieties of touring do not work. Others are a bit hit and miss. Whilst exercise and getting out as much as possible can be very beneficial, something U.S. artist Margaret Glaspy said in a recent interview that caught my eye. Maybe an extreme way of relieving tension or setting a goal between tours, she decided to enter a twenty-nine-mile run: an ultramarathon. When speaking with Rolling Stone recently, we learned more about the reasoning behind this incredible undertaking:

“Margaret Glaspy was 17 miles into the race when she entered the pain cave.

It was always a question of when, not if, she would experience it. Her body was already jetlagged when she started, thanks to an international flight two days before. Tropical Storm Ophelia had been pummeling her with wind and rain throughout the entire race. (The message on the race’s website seems almost sadistic in hindsight: “Hopefully we are going to have a nice fall day!”) The course, which blended technical single-track trails, rolling hills, and double-wide gravel roads, could either be her best friend or hated enemy, depending on the terrain. None of it was a clear path, she realized. It was all boulders and roots — a lot of ways to fall.

But now, after around four hours of running in the Squatchayanda Trail Festival in New Jersey last month, Glaspy entered the pain cave, a visualization technique popularized by ultramarathoner Courtney Dauwalter to describe how to mentally power through the part of a race where your rational, logical, craving-for-calories body is begging you to stop.

It was Glaspy’s first ultramarathon — defined as any race past the marathon distance of 26.2 miles — and consequently, her first cave. She pushed through it against her better judgment and ran 12 more miles, only stopping at 29 miles because it started to get dark. She thought about running more, but there was still an entire U.S. tour to think of.

For many people, the idea of running an ultramarathon even in the best training conditions is a mentally questionable decision. The training for a 50-miler, 100K, 100-miler or beyond can be long, grueling, monotonous, painful, and all-consuming. Tell a person you’re doing a marathon and they’ll reply, “Good for you!” Tell them you’re doing an ultra and prepare for a bemused “Why?” There’s strength work, foam rolling, speed work, mental training, stretching, more foam rolling, prep races, yoga, nutrition and hydration planning, and even more foam rolling. Ten-milers become “fun runs” compared to Saturdays, which are usually 20- to 25-milers for months on end. Social engagements are planned and cancelled. Families’ patience is tested. And sleep is the most idyllic part of the week.

It’s a big commitment for anyone. Glaspy — the California-raised, New York-based singer-songwriter, who just released her superb third album, Echo the Diamond — chose to take it on between UK and U.S. tours. “I would say I’m not a masochist,” she tells Rolling Stone at the start of her U.S. leg. “It was not some challenge of, ‘Let’s see if I can go on tour and then run as much as I can.’ It was more like, ‘I just have these few months where I can train for this the best that I can. I have this little window.’ So I just did it.”

When Glaspy’s mother, also a distance runner, was in her mid-twenties, she had run parts of the Western States course, one of the most acclaimed and punishing ultramarathons in the country, to stay in shape. “When I was growing up, there was always a running energy in the air,” Glaspy says. “We woke up one day and there was a poster of Jackie Joyner-Kersee on the wall. There was this tone set: ‘You will run, and it will be a part of your life.’”

Glaspy herself ran casually in her teens and twenties, attending Berklee College of Music before releasing her debut EP, Homeschool ,when she was 23 and signing to ATO Records two years later. Emotions and Math, her debut LP recorded in “only three or four days,” arrived in 2016 to critical acclaim. “I make records almost the way that jazz musicians do in the sense that it’s just like, I like to play it down and then done,” says Glaspy, who remembers Miles Davis and John Coltrane on steady rotation in her parents’ home. “I don’t really like going back and pondering about it. It just is what it is as soon as you play it.” Her sophomore album, 2020’s Devotion, found Glaspy expanding both her fanbase and palette, mixing electronic flourishes and keyboards with her candid lyrics.

But as her musical career ascended, it was only “in the last couple of years” that she had a realization: She needed to run longer. 5K races turned into half-marathons, which morphed into a desire to push herself for even longer distances. “I started to promote this new record and it just took over and I just said, ‘All right, I’m gonna do this,’” she says. “Going from 13 to 29 miles is a big jump, but in being a fan of the sport, it’s absolutely nothing.”

It raises the question: Why not go from a half-marathon to a marathon like most people?

“I didn’t really relate to marathon culture; I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around why it was fun,” she says. “It was like, go big or go home, which is usually the case with me.”

Soon she set on the idea of a 50-mile run. “It’s such a beautiful thing to do and to find an activity and a community that is completely separate from music, and just dive headfirst into it was such a treat for me,” she says. She chatted with ultramarathoner Addie Bracy, who would become one of her biggest running inspirations. “I asked her, ‘Am I crazy to try and run 50 miles?’ But she was like, ‘No, just go do it”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: jasmin chew/Pexels

Maybe artists do not have to go to the same lengths, though there is something holistic and channelling about what Margaret Glaspy did. Taking on such a physical challenge and the preparation or that. With there being limited resources for artists in terms of support and therapy, there will be many who are struggling when it comes to touring. A lot of that is because of financial losses, though there is also a sense of drain and struggle being on the road and in such close quarters for so long. Many might feel that doing an ultramarathon might exacerbate any fatigue and strain. I do feel that physical challenges and something that commits an artist to the land, nature, the physical and enduring can be of massive help. I know many artists exercise regularly, though something singular and epic like a marathon/ultramarathon takes things to a new level. How about beyond that?! Like exercise and something physical demanding, enjoying nature and doing something similar and less strenuous has mental health benefits too. I do feel we need to hear about artists’ ways of unwinding or concentrating their mind. Charities and organisations are helpful when it comes to offer support and guidance. Every artist might have their own way of finding some sort of balance and calm. I am reading a new book by Camilla Nord called The Balanced Brain. It talks about the science of mental health. She discusses how there is this link between mental health and pleasure and pain. Everyone with mental health struggles has their own tolerance and threshold for pain. Doing something slightly painful or disconformable can boost mood and release stress. I think that the combination of pleasure and pain one might get from an ultramarathon would provide some benefits to mental health.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Vladislav Murashko/Pexels

I am just amazed by the revelation you get in some interviews. Margaret Glaspy’s ultramarathon before embarking on a U.S. tour. At a time when so many artists are struggling with mental health and many are burning out, I wonder if there will be more exploration from the music industry regarding ways in which artists can use a range of methods and activities to boost and balance their mental health. Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual provides resource for those in the music industry regarding mental health and what they can do. It is a brilliant book. I think that more routes need to explored regarding a growing mental health crisis in music. Not that exercise, new routines or challenges is going to be the answer for all those in the industry. It is just that there is this point where charities and help is out there and I think it can supplemented with other avenues. CLASH recently wrote about the growing concern of the mental health of those in the music industry:

“Over the past few years the general population have been faced with an increasing number of mental health challenges. Everything from the aftermath of COVID-19 and Brexit, to the climate and cost of living crises have added to the stressors of everyday life. However, research shows that those working in the music industry are more prone to mental health problems, and are up to three times more likely to suffer from clinical depression.

Joe Hastings, head of Music Minds Matter – the sister charity of Help Musicians, providing free 24/7 mental health support for this working in the UK music industry – reports a 200% increase in those seeking support over the past two years. Even prior to the pandemic, a 2019 study by Swedish platform Record Union highlighted that 73% of independent musicians struggle with mental illness, which rises to 80% when considering only those between the ages of 18-25.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mental Health America (MHA)/Pexels

This may seem surprising to those on the outside looking in. The romanticisation of working in music often means that the struggles of those within it can be overlooked or misunderstood. A 2022 independent survey carried out by Music Support reveals that 84% of people looking for help within the music industry would prefer help from someone with industry experience.

George Levers, head of service development and delivery at Music Support, is on the front lines, supporting people with addiction and mental health challenges. She leads the charity’s helpline and email service, which is predominantly run by people who have lived experience of both working in the music industry and their own mental health challenges.

“When somebody calls our helpline, we understand the industry that they’re coming from. And that’s really important to musicians and people that come from the music industry,” she explains. “I’ve had people that called and said, ‘I’ve had some therapy, but to be honest with you the therapist spent more time talking about how amazing it must be to work in the music industry, than actually what was going on for me.’”

IN THIS PHOTO: Tamsin Embleton’s Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual is invaluable reference and reading/PHOTO CREDIT: Luke Curtis

There are a vast range of compounding factors that increase the risk of mental health challenges to those working in the music industry: work overload, work underload, pressure to gain and maintain success, racism, sexism, homophobia, discrimination, performance anxiety, band dynamics, pressure from labels, lack of autonomy, social media toxicity and job insecurity, to name only a few.

“It can be complicated, but common contributing factors include poor working conditions, lack of recognition and unstable working patterns, all of which are likely to make it more difficult for people working in music to manage their mental health and wellbeing,” says Hastings. “Compounding these issues over recent times are external pressures such as the pandemic, Brexit regulations and the cost-of-living crisis, all of which have put the music industry under incredible strain, and those working within it.”

In the aftermath of the pandemic, challenges to the touring sector in particular, have multiplied. “When COVID happened the music industry was decimated,” says Levers. “People found other jobs, and when the music industry opened its doors again, it went from famine to feast. The people that were left needed to make up that income again, and so they went back into the touring life and became utterly exhausted and overwhelmed”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gabe Garza/Pexels

As awareness of the music industry’s mental health challenges proliferates, so does the ever expanding range of charities and initiatives seeking to help. There are the aforementioned organisations (Help Musicians, Music Support, Music Industry Therapist Collective and Music Managers Forum), peer support groups such as The Back Lounge run by tour manager Suzi Green, and it’s always worth speaking to your local GP. All of these encourage people in the music industry to reach out whenever things begin to feel too much, and will endeavour to offer support, or signpost to a service that can

“Reaching out and asking for help – I know that sounds really obvious, but that’s really difficult for a lot of people, especially for men. And that’s why we try to reduce the stigma around mental health and addiction,” says Levers. “A massive thing for human beings is connection. If we’re not connected to people that’s when our mental health starts deteriorating.”

Directory

Helplines

Music Minds Matter (Open 24/7) // Website
0808 802 8008

Music Support (Open Monday-Friday, 9:00am-17:00pm, except for Bank Holidays) // Website
0800 030 6789

Samaritans (Open 24/7) // Website
116 123

Organisations

Help Musicians // Website
Music Industry Therapist Collective // Website
Music Managers Forum // Website
PRS Members Fund // Website
Royal Society of Musicians // Website
Musicians Union // Website
The Back Lounge // Website
Back Up Tech // Website
Stage Hand // Website”.

For Margaret Glaspy and her ultramarathon, there was that idea of a new community. Something that was a bit fun but required a lot of work. It may seem like an impossible and arduous labour, yet it sounds like it was refreshing and revitalising in many ways. From spending more time in nature and the outdoors to taking on physical activities, or even finding a new crowd or project that will engage the mind away from music and provide some assistance is essential. When so many folk in the industry are struggling with mental health problems, any inspirations, positive stories or curious ideas that could be of assistance should be highlighted and discussed more widely. There is so much that grabbed and intrigued me when it came to…

MARGARET Glaspy’s ultramarathon challenge.