FEATURE: The Great American Songbook: Beyoncé

FEATURE:

 

 

The Great American Songbook

PHOTO CREDIT: Kennedi Carter for British Vogue

 

Beyoncé

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THIS is a series…

where I focus on a very special American artist and collate a twenty-song mixtape/playlist of songs from throughout their career. It is not necessarily the case of it being songs they wrote. I started off with one of the greatest songwriters ever, Paul Simon, and his amazing work. Now, Beyoncé is in the spotlight. Even though she is not as prolific and renowned as a songwriter as Paul Simon, her body of work – from the earliest days of Destiny’s Child to her most recent solo album – is testament to her genius and constant reinvention. COWBOY CARTER was released last year as is one of the best albums of her career. It was hard whittling down all of her albums to a selection of twenty songs! One of the most influential artists ever, Beyoncé has won numerous awards, including thirty-five GRAMMY Awards, making her the most decorated artist in GRAMMY history. I think that we will continue to see her changed music and culture for decades more. To celebrate her enormous contribution to music and a catalogue like no other, this Great American Songbook selection is dedicated to…

THE peerless Beyoncé.

FEATURE: Pride Month 2025: Spotlighting Munroe Bergdorf

FEATURE:

 

 

Pride Month 2025

 

Spotlighting Munroe Bergdorf

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THERE is a bit…

of housekeeping to do before getting to some interviews with the fabulous Munroe Bergdorf. As it is Pride Month, I am spending time highlighting incredible and empowering people from the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. I mainly focus on music but, in a slight break away from that, I am spending time with this incredible British model and activist. Bergdorf has appeared on several catwalks for brands including Gypsy Sport at both London and NYC Fashion Weeks. I am cribbing information from her Wikipedia page. I already knew that Munroe Bergdorf was the first transgender model in the U.K. for L'Oréal. She was dropped within weeks following  a racial row. It was a huge moment that made the news. I remember it well. In February 2018, Bergdorf was appointed as an LGBT adviser to the Labour Party. She resigned the following month. She also appeared in the Channel 4 documentary What Makes a Woman, which aired in May 2018. There is a lot more to say about her. However, I want to finish this section by mentioning that Bergdorf joined UN Women UK as an advocate in 2019, supporting its #DrawALine campaign, seeking to end female genital mutilation (FGM). Such an impressive and varied career. A trans icon who has given strength and voice to so many people, you can follow her on Instagram. It is also timely spotlighting her, as the new film, Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, is in cinemas 10th and 11th June. Here is some more information about a film that is so urgent and relevant. Especially at a time when discrimination against the trans community is at an all-time high:

“Trans model and activist Munroe Bergdorf is bringing us a close look at her life in a new documentary. It will explore her childhood, how her identity was silenced as she grew up and her mission to overcome the obstacles that society places in her way in order to be a voice for the LGBTQIA+ community. This comes after she presented a documentary in 2018 called What Makes A Woman.

Munroe announced the release of the documentary in a post on Instagram previously, opening up about how it made her step out of her comfort zone and gave her an opportunity to issue a rallying cry against transphobia.

She wrote: "Keeping this a secret has been so hard, but I’m beyond excited to finally be able to share it with you all…

"The past 3 years have been a rollercoaster filled with so many formative moments, in both my public and personal life. But this is more than just a film about me… This documentary is very much a love letter to our global trans community. It is a call for change within a world where transphobia has become the status quo.

“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve created, it’s been a wild, wild ride and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world.”

Munroe has spoken to GLAMOUR before about the importance of visibility and representation for the trans community, in the workplace, politics and everywhere else. “The best thing that we can do is stay together, and we can't expect to have trans rights protection if we are not standing up for abortion rights,” she added. “We can't expect women's rights to be protected if we are not supporting trans women.”

What is Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf about?

According to a synopsis, the documentary "tells the intimate and unflinching story of Munroe Bergdorf – author, model, leading trans activist, global pioneer of LGBTQIA+ equity, and creative force. As an international trailblazer in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights, Munroe faces fierce discrimination while living and embracing her truth. This powerful documentary not only tells Munroe’s personal story but also serves as a call to action, sparking a universal conversation of hope and inspiration.

"The documentary offers a raw, personal portrayal of Munroe Bergdorf, showcasing her journey from a formidable public figure to a woman reclaiming control of her life.  While it explores the challenges she has faced — including navigating a homophobia and racism and difficult relationships — it also highlights moments of resilience, self-discovery, and empowerment. Facing public scrutiny and personal obstacles, Munroe transitions from waiting for societal change to embracing her own transformation.

“The film weaves her memories with present-day moments, using stylised sequences and a sensory soundscape to reflect the complexity of her experiences. Through interviews and personal reflections, we learn about Munroe’s resilience, the importance of her chosen family, and witness her healing process as she moves forward to create a joyful future on her own terms”.

I am going to move to an interesting feature written by Munroe Bergdorf. If you are able to order a copy of DIVA, then there is a fascinating interview with her. I would urge people to listen to the latest episode of Happy Place, where Bergdorf spoke with Fearne Cotton. Writing for British Vogue in April of this year, Bergdorf reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision that the legal definition of a woman in the 2010 Equality Act excludes transgender women. It is a compelling response. I am quoting from the first half or so of the piece. I would urge people to read the whole thing, as it is a really compelling and powerful read:

“Having begun my own medical transition 15 years ago, I know first-hand the importance of hormone replacement therapy. I have seen and felt the potential that it has to save, change and sustain a life. Quite honestly, like the vast majority of trans people who medically transition, I would not be alive without it.

While, yes, medically transitioning is a choice, it is often a choice between life or a life of escalating despair; life or a life of self-destruction; life or no longer living at all… Gender affirming care isn’t the controversial, understudied or farfetched luxury it’s painted as by those invested in a relentlessly anti-trans agenda. For those who are waiting to medically transition, it is a lifeline – one that’s in desperate need of protection.

Across the UK, transgender people are being contacted by NHS doctors, notifying them that their access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is to be immediately withdrawn. HRT is a key element of gender affirming care that helps to alleviate feelings of gender dysphoria, to align a person’s gender identity with their physical appearance. Whilst the exact numbers of those who have had their care withdrawn or refused is still unknown due to an absence of official data, increasing numbers of trans people are taking to social media to express their concern, while NHS gender service workers are also reporting that the level of withdrawn care has increased over the last 12 months.

Danielle St James, chief executive and trustee of Not A Phase, a trans-led nationwide charity with a commitment to uplifting the lives of trans+ adults, tells me: “The sudden removal of access to hormones is having a devastating impact on trans+ adults, particularly those who were already facing barriers to healthcare. At Not A Phase, we’re hearing from people who are scared, desperate and struggling to understand how they will continue their transitions. For many, HRT is not just medication. It allows them to live in alignment with who they are, improving their mental health and overall wellbeing. Losing access overnight is not just distressing – it’s dangerous.”

In 2023 it was reported that some transgender people in England had waited up to seven years even for an initial NHS assessment. (After spending 1,023 days waiting for a first appointment, 20-year-old Alice Litman took her own life in May 2022. Following her death, Alice’s family said: “Alice described the years-long wait and the inadequacy of her care as leaving her feeling hopeless and helpless without an end in sight… We all deserve to live in dignity with access to the healthcare we need. We are asking NHS England to prevent further deaths by urgently addressing the crisis in trans healthcare.”)

Meanwhile, apprehension towards assisting medical transitions has undoubtedly been compounded following the highly critiqued Cass Review of April 2024, which resulted in a ban on the prescription of puberty blockers for transgender teens (even though they are still considered safe to use for cisgender teens). Add to this an overwhelmingly hostile anti-trans media bias, which frames gender affirming care as “unsafe” or “experimental”, with a disproportionate fixation on the subject of medical regret and detransition. In reality, gender affirming care is a diligently studied field that has existed since the early 20th century, in which regret rates for medical transition remain inarguably low.

In a 2022 study carried out by The Lancet, it was found that 98 per cent of transgender youth who had access to transgender healthcare continued their treatment into adulthood. These findings were reinforced by a 2023 study carried out by the Transgender Health Program, in which it was found that 99.7 per cent of transgender individuals were satisfied with their surgery, with a regret rate of 0.3 per cent – six patients out of a sample of 1,989. The study concluded that “a care environment that welcomes and normalises authentic expression of gender identity, affirms surgical goals without judgment, and destigmatises the role of mental health in the surgical process are foundational to mitigating the occurrence of any form of regret”.

While we should absolutely have compassion for the small number of those who do detransition, just as we should with anyone who regrets any medical decision, it’s important to acknowledge that a medical regret rate of less than one per cent should not be weaponised in this way. We wouldn’t restrict the ability for people to procreate because eight per cent of British parents regret having children, just as we would not ban knee surgery because six to 30 per cent of people express dissatisfaction with their knee replacements.

Yet we are witnessing our government and National Health Service encouraging and enforcing sweeping medical restrictions on gender affirming care. The politicisation of healthcare should never be accepted by anyone. If – due to an absence of policy – NHS doctors are allowed to refuse specific treatment to a specific minority group based on their personal beliefs or a lack of education, it creates a breeding ground for institutional discrimination and a dangerous, unacceptable precedent. What next? Access to abortion and birth control? Or HIV prevention? A targeted withdrawal of medication should alarm us all.

And so, the UK’s transgender community is now having to contend with yet another government making it harder to exist as a trans person, instead of addressing or fixing the mounting issues trans people face in their day to day lives. Systemic transphobia is being presented as the solution, while transgender people are reduced to the status of a “problematic ideology”. And it doesn’t stop at British healthcare policy – or indeed in Britain. We are living in an era of multinational governments clamping down on the existence of transness within public life itself, with our supposedly closest political ally, America, introducing some of the most shockingly restrictive anti-trans policies in history. A memo issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which could result in all international transgender people being banned from visiting the country, is just the latest in a recent run of epic discrimination”.


Published tomorrow (5th June), Munroe Bergdorf’s book, Talk to Me: How to talk about the things that matter is one that everyone should own. I heard her talking about the book (and the upcoming film) with Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 6 Music on Monday. It was a really good interview. I have known about Munroe Bergdorf and her work for years now but I am learning new things about her. I am interested to see what Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf delivers. Her new book looks incredible. Go and order a copy now:

“Have you ever felt really passionately about something but struggled to put it into words?
Or found yourself in an argument with someone who won't listen?
Or felt regret about the things you didn't say in the moment?

Conversations can be tricky, whether it's with friends, family, people online or a room full of strangers. And someone who knows this all too well is writer, activist and model, Munroe Bergdorf.

Covering topics from beauty standards, cancel culture, gender identity and more, Talk To Me gives you the tools to navigate tough discussions, change people's minds, accept when you're wrong and know when to step away.

We need to start talking now”.

I am going to leave things there. I wanted to put this feature out ahead of the release of Munroe Bergdorf’s book tomorrow. During Pride Month, of course I am spotlighting great L.G.BT.Q.I.A.+ artists. Also, I will look at hugely important figures outside of music who are influencing and inspiring the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. As a fan of Munroe Bergdorf, I am looking forward to reading reviews for Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf and Talk to Me: How to talk about the things that matter. As a member of The Trouble Club, I was wondering whether Bergdorf is in their sights and a possibility. She would be a brilliant guest! Not to sway them too much, though it would be incredible hearing Bergdorf speak to Trouble members about her life, career and new work. I feel so much sympathy for the trans community. A time when they are under attack and marginalised more than they ever have been, we have taken a huge step back regarding trans rights. I know that Munroe Bergdorf gives so much power and strength to other trans people. It has been a real honour shining a light on…


AN L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ role model.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Skye Newman

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

  

Skye Newman

__________

AN artist who is rightly…

being talked about as a massive star of the future, I am taking the opportunity spotlight Skye Newman. This is someone who I have known about for a little while now. This year has really seen her blow up. So many people looking in her direction. I am going to come to some interesting information about this exceptional artist. Before then, here is some biography that gives you some insight into one of the U.K.’s most promising artists. Someone who is beyond compare. Such a staggering young talent with decades ahead of her:

“Skye Newman is a raw and unapologetically authentic voice emerging from the UK music scene. Having moved countless times throughout her life, she considers South East London her true home – having shaped her artistry through its diverse cultures, working-class resilience, and the real-life struggles she witnessed firsthand.

Growing up in low-income households, and moving often, Skye references being surrounded by people who came from nothing, and channels these experiences into her music, offering a voice to those often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

Inspired by the storytelling of rap and the emotional depth of soul, Skye’s musical journey began with her aunt, a jazz and blues singer, who introduced her to the magic of songwriting and studio life. Later influences like Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bob Marley, and Eminem further shaped her sound – working closely with her musical friends, Skye found her sound, blending poetic lyricism, raw emotion, and a fearless approach to honesty in her music.

Backed by a fiercely loyal support system of family and lifelong friends, Skye’s artistry is deeply personal, yet universally relatable. Whether she’s pouring her heart into her lyrics, vibing with her girl gang, or finding freedom in creative outlets like ice skating, she brings an energy that is both electric and deeply introspective.

With a voice that carries the weight of real-life experiences and a passion for storytelling, Skye Newman isn’t just making music – she’s creating a movement”.

As she is quite a new artist, I can find no published interviews with her. Only a very small selection of useable photographs too. I hope that this changes very soon.. There is some filmed bits and pieces and some interesting TikTok and Instagram stuff but nothing really in the way of anything else. It is quite rare that I highlight an artist where there is nothing really from them. Rather than rely on personal insight and words from the artist herself, I am instead going to bring in other features and people. I found this article from Music Week, where Columbia Records President Dipesh Parmar has hailed the chart success of Skye Newman. She achieved top twenty lacings for her first two singles. Not many other artists can claim that:

“At a time when UK talent has faced increasing competition on the domestic charts from US superstars, there are now signs of a resurgence for British acts – with Sony Music leading the way so far this year.

Sony Music UK has released half of the new domestic tracks in the Top 200 streaming chart so far this year, including tracks from Myles Smith, Central Cee, Skye Newman, Calvin Harris, Rudimental, Denon Reed, Shallipopi and Jade. 

The Sony streaming results for the year to date cover UK-signed artists benefiting from investment from the major. If you included US-signed chart stars such as British metal band Sleep Token, who have made a Top 10 impact, the Sony market share would be even bigger.

Despite pressure from global hits on the domestic charts, Sony Music has managed to increase their number of domestic entries in the Top 200 streaming chart. The numbers were up in 2024 compared to 2023. So far in 2025, year-to-date domestic entries are in growth for a second consecutive year. 

Crucially, the results represent a growth in market share based on an actual increase in the number of tracks entering the Top 200. In other words, Sony Music is improving its results for new UK music rather than just achieving a gain in share based on a favourable comparison with other majors.

According to Sony Music, 41% of UK representation in the Top 40 is signed to the major (including The Orchard), which puts Sony ahead of both Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK.

South London singer-songwriter Skye Newman has secured a significant breakthrough with a Top 20 double in the latest chart. As well as a new peak for debut hit Hairdresser at No.16 (18,717 units – up 38.6% week-on-week), Newman secured her first Top 10 single with a new entry for Family Matters at No.8 (25,305 units). Family Matters was streamed 3.2 million times in the UK in the past week, according to the Official Charts Company.

Skye Newman is the first UK female solo artist to reach the Top 20 with her debut single and follow-up since Ella Henderson in 2014. It’s a rare chart achievement for a new artist to chart in the Top 20 with their first two singles – Jessie J did it in 2011, as did Ruby Murray way back in 1955.

Newman is one of several domestic success stories in the UK chart for Sony Music – the major has four British tracks in the Top 20, three of them signed to Columbia.

Calvin Harris has secured his 31st Top 10 single with Clementine Douglas collaboration Blessings climbing to a new peak of No.7 (28,055, up 14.5% week-on-week ). The track is charting in more than 15 markets worldwide on Spotify. 

Dipesh Parmar, president, Columbia Records, said: “Skye is a truly authentic artist and an incredible songwriter. I can’t remember a time where we’ve seen a British artist have two debut singles chart in the Top 20 at the same time, and this is only the beginning for her. 

“Artist development is the heartbeat of what we do and to see Skye have her first taste of chart success alongside a British superstar like Calvin Harris, who has achieved 31 Top 10 singles, demonstrates the breadth of talent we are working with at Columbia, and proves that great music and exceptional talent can cut through.”

Columbia has also seen the highest entry to date for Wolf Alice with Bloom Baby Bloom – the band’s first single on the Sony label – cracking the Top 75.

Meanwhile, BRITs Rising star winner Myles Smith is at No.13 with his latest Top 10 single, Nice To Meet You (525,191 units to date), while his global hit Stargazing remains in the Top 50 (1,399,028 units to date). He is now chasing a third Top 20 hit with new single Gold.

Having secured the biggest global breakthrough for a UK artist last year, Myles Smith continues to perform well in global markets. Stargazing remains on Spotify’s Top 100 Global chart (No.73) with 12 million streams in the past week (and approaching 800m to date on Spotify alone). 

On the albums chart, Sony Music has achieved four No.1s from UK artists so far this year – Robbie Williams, Central Cee, Sleep Token and Pink Floyd, following the rock legends' move to the major.

Central Cee became the first UK rapper in over a year to have a No.1 album domestically. With the release of Can’t Rush Greatness, he had the biggest streaming day of all time for a UK rapper globally on Spotify.

RCA-signed Jade won her first BRIT award as solo artist and saw a subsequent chart boost for debut single Angel Of My Dreams, which she performed at the ceremony”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Skye Newman alongside her pianist

In May, for NOTION, Skye Newman shared behind-the-scenes photos of her tour with Sienna Spiro. It would be nice to see some interviews with Newman. I am going to end with a review of Family Matters from Neon Music. There will be a lot of people excited about future possible music and a debut album.

“Skye Newman’s Family Matters doesn’t ease you in—it throws you into the middle of her story and dares you to look away.

After making waves with her debut single Hairdresser, a track that cracked the UK Top 30 with its dry wit and understated charm, Newman has followed up with something far more exposed.

Family Matters, released 16 May 2025 via Columbia, marks a shift from biting social commentary to raw autobiography.

Born out of what she’s described as “pure dysfunction,” the song doesn’t try to universalise trauma—it personalises it. It offers no resolution, only recognition.

The opening verse wastes no time on warmup.

“You’ve never worn these shoes / Don’t mean my new balance in blue”

It’s part clever wordplay, part accusation. A warning: this won’t be sugarcoated.

“Raised on pure dysfunction / But sleep I’ll never lose”

This isn’t about overcoming; it’s about learning to function with the mess still in the room.

“Got old wounds and fresh ones / But you won’t see me bleed”

What sounds at first like poetic stoicism lands more like a coping mechanism.

The line reads as someone who’s trained themselves to bleed internally—quietly.

The chorus carries a different kind of heat.

“Bitching ’bout problems / Like they’re stuck on your lips / You’re so dramatic”

It plays like a takedown—but not of a specific person. It’s the kind of resentment that builds when people trivialise your reality with gossip-level empathy.

“I could tell you ’bout me / But you won’t understand”

There’s a jadedness here. Not born from bitterness, but exhaustion. Explaining doesn’t help if the audience doesn’t have the language.

“No caller ID / It’s the police again / No pills to be out / But there’s no kids around”

Newman stacks these lines like flashes of a childhood she never asked for. Police, pills, absence. They don’t tell a full story, but they tell enough.

“Death knocked down my door / Walked in unannounced”

This is the lyric that’s stuck with most listeners. Not because it’s abstract—but because it’s terrifyingly plain. There’s no metaphor here. Just memory.

“A line meant two things / Since I was like five / Starved ’cause his words / But at least I’m alive”

Here, Skye Newman folds in dual meanings with eerie ease—“a line” could be punishment, drugs, expectation. Whatever it is, it’s shaped her since childhood.

“It is what it is / You call it traumatic / But it is what it is / It’s just family matters”

The refrain is devastating not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s numb. This is not catharsis. It’s emotional flatlining. A lived-in resignation many recognise and few articulate this clearly.

The second verse shifts from past to pattern.

“There’s times I can’t keep focused / ’Cause they’re all fucking raging”

The chaos didn’t end with childhood. It just got louder.

“A spliff stops my explosion / Bad habits I’m not facing”

She’s not romanticising the weed. It’s a pressure valve, not a plot twist.

“Then my brother’s drugs got harder / It became substance abuse”

The story expands. This isn’t just personal. It’s systemic. The kind of environment that passes down damage like a family recipe.

“So he’s a stupid bastard”

It’s blunt and bitter—resentment sharpened by helplessness.

By the time we reach the final stretch, the mask is fully off.

“I don’t eat, I feed / That’s who I am”

It’s not a line designed to impress. It’s a line that makes sense when you’ve grown up keeping everyone else afloat.

“You take the piss / Baby I burn / My fire’s hot / Yeah I’m fucked up”

This is where the polish drops. It’s the part of the song that feels less written and more confessed.

“But you haven’t met my family / So you’re in luck”

No fake smiles. Just the truth said with a half-smirk and a full scar.

The production here—by Boo and Luis Navidad—is intentionally threadbare. A fingerpicked guitar sets the tone.

A few background harmonies drift in and out, never overstaying. The effect isn’t lo-fi—it’s near-silent witness. Like being let into someone’s voice memo at 2am.

Newman’s delivery? Flatlined just enough to sound real. There’s no attempt to belt her way out of the pain.

Instead, she walks you through it in a steady, almost detached voice that hits harder for its restraint.

Listeners have said it feels like “listening to someone name the things you were never allowed to say.”

Newman’s writing doesn’t chase relatability. It invites discomfort. And that might just be what makes it essential”.

She has a couple of gigs coming up later in the year. There is a lot of understandable exactment around Skye Newman. She is a very special artist that is one of our very best. I am going to finish things here. Anyone who has not discovered her music yet, I would advise you follow her on social media. It may be early days for Newman, but you can see her ascending to the same heights as the best of the contemporary mainstream. When it comes to this simply incredible artist, it is clear that her…

FUTURE looks so bright.

____________

Follow Skye Newman

FEATURE: Spotlight: SAILORR

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Tray Nguyen

 

SAILORR

__________

I am using this feature…

PHOTO CREDIT: Tray Nguyen

to discuss the unique and truly brilliant SAILORR. I am new to her music though there are some interesting interviews out there that shed more light on a wonderful artist who is going to go very far. Her debut album, FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST, is one I am digging into at the moment. I will end this feature with a review of that album (or whether she would call it a mixtape). To begin, I want to explore a few interviews with SAILORR from earlier in the year. I am starting out with an interview from FADER. They spoke with SAILORR about her upbringing and the crash-out anthem, Pookie’s Requiem. I want to source the opening of the interview:

“The thing about SAILORR is that she’s Florida through and through. The 26-year-old Vietnamese-American singer from Jacksonville curves her words slightly when she speaks, especially prominent when she peppers in words like “hella” and “vibe.” It shapes the way she croons “To whatever bitch you got in Bushwiiick” on “Pookie’s Requiem,” the November 2024 song that introduced the world to her lovelorn R&B. The single that followed, “Cut Up,” takes its title from slang used widely across Florida and the South (to cut up: to start acting up over something). SAILORR is built different, and her music’s approach to love — finding it, losing it, and crashing out — reflects her distinct structure.

“Growing up [in Jacksonville], I feel like I didn't really adhere to any social norms or whatever boundaries and binaries people tried to put on me,” SAILORR says on a recent March morning. We’re talking over a video call and she’s still in bed, dressed in a slouchy black tee and out of her usual uniform of pink, frills, and bows. “The South, it’s very traditional and almost conservative there. When you find your little pockets in communities that you do resonate with, it's a very beautiful thing.”

She’s speaking to me from her new home in Los Angeles, where she moved in January as her life began to change. In the five months since “Pookie’s Requiem” became ubiquitous on TikTok, SAILORR skyrocketed from being a virtual unknown to an artist covered by Halle Bailey, posted by Justin Bieber, and remixed by Summer Walker. In March, news broke that her label BuVision, run by Akon’s brother Abou Thiam, would be merging with Atlantic Music Group, sending her further into the big leagues. All the attention has brought countless new eyes, and she’s feeling it.

Growing up in a large, traditional Vietnamese family to blue collar immigrant parents, SAILORR found refuge watching music videos on MTV during family functions and stealing her sister’s iPod to put herself on: “André 3000 and Erykah Badu,” she lists. “I have a very deep love for neo soul.” An avid journaler and performer, she took up the musical theater track at a local performing arts high school. But after realizing she didn’t enjoy “telling other people's narratives,” she pivoted to teaching herself how to make her own beats: first on a SP-404 digital sampler, then D.A.Ws like Fruity Loops and Ableton. From there, she integrated herself in a community of music-making friends.

Before she was SAILORR, she released music under the name Sailor Goon, a moniker inspired by the Japanese anime Sailor Moon that nodded to the “soft but also hard” style of her personality. “I have gone through a lot of shit in my life and had to grow up to be a super, hyper-independent person,” she says, declining to go into detail. Her early sample-driven songs showcased her fluid runs and deep, resonant voice (most, if not all, of these songs have since been taken down). But it was in “Pookie’s Requiem,” her first major release under the abbreviated name SAILORR, where she found her pocket”.

The next interview I am sourcing is Teen Vogue. Published in May, SAILORR discussed FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST, cultural appropriation and being a reformed crashout. If you have not heard SAILORR and are fresh to her music then do make sure that you spend some time with her. Someone who is very much carving her own path through the music scene:

“TV: When you're creating music, do you think about how people are going to receive it, or do you just do it for yourself, and then whatever comes next is up to fate?

SAILORR: I don't feel much pressure or constraints to create anything, thankfully, because I know that pressure does build over time for many artists. My music is definitely for me. I feel like maybe three-quarters into writing, I'll think about it and be like, “Is this going to hit with people? Is it going to resonate with anybody?” But if it resonates with me, that's all that really matters. I don't get too heady.

TV: You previously said that music has always been an intimate thing for you, and you didn't expect people to see what you were creating. Has that changed since “Pookie's Requiem”? Has it changed your approach to making music?

SAILORR: No. It is very much an intuition thing. I'm always going to follow my gut and what feels right… Censoring how I feel or what I say just goes against my entire ethos — of course, with limitations to not harming other people and not harming yourself. I think that, in general, you should never put any boundaries on yourself because then that's stifling a lot of solid groundwork that you could be making on getting to know yourself.

This project in itself was a huge learning opportunity for me as a certified people pleaser all my life. I was always told to just be as small as possible and not be true to what I actually want and say. It was a challenge for me to get over that and be like, “This is my music. Nobody else is gonna write this sh*t for me.” I needed to bear how I really feel and think about what the f*ck I want to say and just say it.

TV: When you released “Pookie's Requiem,” you got a lot of attention but a lot of detractors and critics. Speaking to The Fader, you said that you always try to pay homage to the artists that came before you, but also show respect and not piss people off. How do you toe that line? I would love to get your thoughts on how artists as a whole can approach the whole cultural appropriation versus appreciation conversation thoughtfully.

SAILORR: At the end of the day, there's a multitude of ways you can cause harm to people that you may not even be aware of, and that's the root of cultural appropriation. I think that when you make music and art, it needs to be genuine to your authentic self. That's all you really know, and that's all you can really stick to.

The key is to try your best to just continue learning because there is always [so] much to f*cking know — so much history and so much future. I feel like I took a lot of time to just be a student of music in general and just the world and learn where my place [is] in it. Art makes the world go around, and you have to be aware of your place in it before you put it out there.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Figs

TV: When did you realize that art made your world go around?

SAILORR: Probably a couple of years after high school. 2020 was when I really wanted to delve into it. That's when I started learning how to sample and make beats in Ableton. I actually started in Fruity [Loops or FL Studio], but that was a feat within itself. Honestly, the pandemic really set that sh*t off. You're at the crib, you literally have nothing else to do with your time, so it definitely sparked that first catalyst.

TV: I feel like you mention your pen a lot. Did you do any writing before you started playing around with sampling?

SAILORR: I feel like I have a strong basis in writing scripts for the stage and film because I’m just bored. I was helping my friend Liz at the time with her short film, and we just had a lot of aspirations and fun making really low-budget things at home. That was my basis, I suppose, is just making scripts that probably nobody would ever read and I would never ever produce, but it’s for me. It's my practice.

TV: What's your main goal when you're making music?

SAILORR: I go into the studio trying to find the most niche way possible that I can relate to somebody — like “DONE SHAVING 4 U.” It's fun to find very specific situations that most people can relate to — well, really, women. I write songs for ladies. I don't give a f*ck about the boys.

No, that's not true, but this entire project is about ingenuity and femininity and just literally having to make something out of nothing my entire life, and I think that that's what women have to do in general. We fight the good fight. So I'm going to find the most mundane ways to just hit home for people that also really exhibit a certain feeling or a memory.

TV: It's funny that you said you make music for women, because I've read another quote from you where you said everything you do is inspired by women. Who are the most influential women in your life?

SAILORR: Within my inner circle, I would say probably my grandma and my older sister, but generally speaking… [beat] I've never actually been asked this. I'm like, “Damn.” I think Nikki Giovanni, as a person overall, has always inspired me. She's fire. There are so many women out in the world who just do great things, but that's off the top.

TV: Right now, while we're speaking, the album is days away. What's going through your mind at the moment?

SAILORR: I'm like, “Finally! Damn.” The day that we turned in the project, I was like, “This just doesn't feel right. I'm like, what do we do?” I mean, obviously, there's so much more work to be done. But in terms of the actual music itself, I just wasn't ready to let go of it. I could sit here for another three years and think about this. But I had to force myself into the mindset of “I'm ready to put this out.”

It's weird listening back to a lot of the music sometimes, because some of it I don't resonate with anymore. Of course, I love the music and I love all these songs, but I think that in general it was writing from a place that I'm not in anymore, so it's like opening a random page on your diary and being like, “Damn that's what I was doing that day?”

TV: How does it feel to see your thoughts from that time period? Because there are a lot of breakup-inspired songs, and speaking to Apple, you said you're in a happy relationship now…

SAILORR: Thank God. If anybody stresses me out like that again, I'm crashing out. But no, it's cool. I think it's also because healing is so nonlinear. I'll listen back to the songs and I'll be like, “Damn girl, I know what you're talking about.”

Similar to that diary entry, when you read it back, you love that other person still — not my ex. I'm talking about me. The younger version of myself who wrote that entry. I mean, I got love for my ex, too. It is very important to the human experience to reflect back on all of that time because it does force you to see the imperfections and makes you have grace for yourself and for that other person.

Hearing the songs, I wish I could go to my younger self and tell her it was going to be okay, because it's great now! I can still feel those things. They will never go away. But I definitely don't resonate with trying to go fight somebody's mom. I'm definitely not going to do that.

TV: How did you go about selecting the singles? What made them stand out to you to be like, "Yeah, this needs to be out before the album"?

SAILORR: I wish I could say I was more calculated about things, especially when it comes to my rollout, but honestly, I literally was just like, "This feels good. Put it out." Boom. I really like [Martin] Scorsese, you know what I mean? It wasn't super calculated to where I knew what the next five singles were, but it definitely felt like I was tracing a bit of a world, and I knew that I wanted to open up the project with at least the five pillars of what makes the music me.

I wanted people to hear the writing. I wanted people to just feel the production, because I feel in general Zach [Ezzy] and Adam [Krevlin] are so crazy. Two geniuses, bro. I love them so much. We just all crafted such a unique sound, so I really wanted to spend my time with the singles sharing that”.

The final interview I want to highlight is from NME from earlier in the year. There are other interviews I want to direct people towards. This UPROXX interview is well worth a read. You need to go and follow SAILORR now. She is an exceptional talent. I am excited that SAILORR is coming to the U.K. She plays London’s Jazz Club on 2nd July. That is going to be a very special gig. She has a lot of fans here, though I feel she will pick up plenty of new ones that night:

“What inspires you?

“It can be anything: a feeling, a colour, or a scene out of a movie. Honestly, I pull a lot from memes. I’ll find a funny ass one and take a one-liner from it and build around that. That’s pretty much how I’ve been making all of my music for the past year. The only way for you to cut through to people is by balancing honesty and vulnerability with humour and wit.

“[When I was in sixth grade,] I finally got my own means to listen to music and dove into stuff like Lana Del Rey, Modest Mouse, and, of course, Odd Future. Tyler, The Creator made me feel like, ‘Damn, you can be alternative and people will fuck with you.’”

“When I made ‘Pookie’s Requiem’, I was really talking shit in the studio. I was really on one”

You sing a lot about love…

“Being a recovered people-pleaser, I have had to unlearn a lot of shit about love growing up. Without all these relationships and experiences, though, I wouldn’t have a very clear view of what I want and what I stand for. When you have intimate relationships with people, even friendships, it’s a huge teller of what your boundaries are. So, yeah, what can I say – I love love!”

What moment made you realise music was for you?

“I don’t think I ever felt that. I never knew it was going to work. I just did it because it was the only thing that made sense to me.

“That feeling of your music falling on deaf ears is one of the fucking worst feelings ever because this is your art and it’s so personal, so I’ve conditioned myself to [say], ‘Look: you don’t do this for the listeners, you don’t do this for anybody else but you!’ Once I tapped into that, that’s when shit started working.’”

Is it important to bring your Vietnamese heritage into your artistry?

“With everything I do, I want to give proper respect to those who came before me: whether that’s R&B and Black culture in general – like, all music is Black art, let’s be for real – or, of course, my own heritage. Having grown up in an immigrant family, that already bleeds into who I am. So, it’s not a conscious thing for me to be like, ‘Oh, I want to do a fan dance [for From The Block] because it’s going to highlight me as a Vietnamese person. That’s a product of my environment.”

What do you hope your music does for years to come?

“I do music to open myself and those I love up to opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have. In the world of art – we all mesh them together to make the world a better place. With my music, I want to make people feel like, ‘Yeah, I can and I will do what I want’”.

I will finish with another piece from NME. This is a review of FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST. It is one of the best albums of the year. I do hope that SAILORR has more gigs planned for the U.K. I am not sure if I have heard her music played on the radio here. She does deserve for more stations to feature her stuff. It is wonderful and needs to be heard by as wide an audience as possible:

“That ability to cry one moment and crack up the next defines ‘From Florida’s Finest’. Between emotional verses and tender melodies, Sailorr peppers the tape with unhinged skits that feel lifted from her camera roll. There’s the snot-nosed outro on ‘Pookie’s Requiem’, her hyping up a friend’s freestyle on ‘MSG’, and trying to wrangle her delusional “male-centred” friend after she hits the curb on ‘Gimme Dat Lug Nut’. These aren’t throwaway moments – they’re windows into her world, blurring the line between heartbreak and voicemail, pop and parody.

She blurs the lines well. ‘Down Bad’ and ‘Grrl’s Grrl’ are moreish servings of fluttery vocals, trampoline-like 808s and comedic storytelling. But ‘Done Shaving 4 U’ and ‘Itadakimasu’ are the funniest tracks on the mixtape. The former calls out all the “bums” who’ve played with Sailorr’s heart, delivering an earnest track about cutting ties with a man who can’t make an effort, all wrapped in a signature Sailorr-ism: “Couldn’t get me no drink from the corner store / On the bed, no frame, straight on the floor / Boy, you a waste, so I ain’t shaving my legs for you no more.”

Meanwhile, ‘Itadakimasu’ sparkles with twinkling chimes and lush organ chords, evoking a nostalgic 2010s minimalism found in Tumblr-era hits. Lyrically, it’s one of her funniest, commanding a potential suitor to “come bless this (meow) for you” and joking, “I like my men soft-spoken, but real loud with their pockets.” That cheek, paired with her silky tones, places her squarely in the orbit of SZA, Doja Cat, and Summer Walker – and on ‘From Florida’s Finest’, she belongs right alongside them.

However, that comparison doesn’t always work in her favour. ‘Cut Up’ – although a sultry and soulful toxic tale of unrequited love – does feel like a watered-down version of a SZA song. ‘Bitches Brew’ is twinkly and slick while dripping with baddie energy, but its overly glitzy production and sugar-coated chorus veer dangerously close to ‘Planet Her’-era Doja Cat. Although the ethos of letting chaos boil and getting your lick back works well in theory, the song’s syrupy, subdued style weakens her usual bite and stops it from becoming the empowering anthem it could be.

When Sailorr doesn’t compromise her artistry, she strikes gold. Yes, she sometimes slips unknowingly into repetitive pop formulas, but her headstrong flair and inimitable pen game elevate her beyond just another viral sensation. She’s not quite gunning for a spot next to Doja, SZA or Summer Walker, but she’s circling the same orbit, carving out a lane with just as much attitude. ‘From Florida’s Finest’ is more than an introduction – it’s a love-soaked, meme-sprinkled dispatch from the generation of oversharers”.

Do make sure that you seek out SAILORR. This is an artist that I really know is going to enjoy this very long career. Even though I am new to her music, it made an instant impression on me! I am determined to follow her career and see where she goes from here. This is an artist that you…

CAN’T miss out on.

___________

Follow SAILORR

FEATURE: Snowed In: For Those Who Do Not Rate Kate Bush’s Modern Work As Highly As Her 1980s Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

Snowed In

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2005, around the release of Aerial/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton

 

For Those Who Do Not Rate Kate Bush’s Modern Work As Highly As Her 1980s Albums

__________

I do think that…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 2011’s Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

there is assumption in the Kate Bush fan community that her very best work came in the 1980s. That is hard to argue against. 1980’s Never for Ever was a step forward from her 1978 albums, The Kick Inside and Lionheart – even though the former is my favourite album ever - and there are some all-time best Kate Bush songs on that album (including Babooshka, Army Dreamers and Breathing). 1982’s The Dreaming is experimental and dense. Kate Bush creating something more akin to art rather than music. The Fairlight CMI creating this sonic world. Hounds of Love is ambitious and grand, and has more accessible moments compared to The Dreaming. The classic singles on the first side and the sublime and genius The Ninth Wave on the second side. The brilliant yet underrated The Sensual World in 1989. Bush’s best decade for album releases, when we rank her output, many people will put Hounds of Love first and then The Dreaming will be top three. Maybe Never for Ever will come in the top three or possibly fourth position. However, as hard as it would be to say 2011’s Director’s Cut should rank alongside her very best work, I do think it gets dismissed out of hand without people giving it a chance or truly listening. Understanding the importance of the album and the fact Kate Bush reworked and re-recorded songs from The Sensual World and 1993’s The Red Shoes. However, 2005’s Aerial and 2011’s 50 Words for Snow should be seen as among her best work. Again, when it comes to album rankings, Aerial fares better than 50 Words for Snow. That said, neither album scores as highly as it should. People perhaps unable to get past the 1980s and being stuck in this assumption that nothing can beat those albums. That work that came later is vastly inferior. I confess Hounds of Love especially has this incredible production sound. Bush, as producer, creating so many pages of notes; spending so long with the songs. She created this masterpiece.

Listen to Aerial and the masterful production on that album. I would argue the album is grander and more evocative than Hounds of Love. Bush consciously having another conceptual suite, twenty years after she recorded one for Hounds of Love. Aerial’s second disc is A Sky of Honey. The songwriting is exquisite. The diversity of themes. From celebrating her young son to talking about Pi through to memories of her mother, it is an album that has home and family at the heart. I have talked about this before. Some of its most beautiful moments come on the first side. Underplayed songs like Joanni, How to Be Invisible and A Coral Room are not only unique and extraordinary songs in terms of their lyrics. The production on those songs is phenomenal. The almost cinematic A Sky of Honey one of the best things Kate Bush ever recorded. 50 Words for Snow, again, is defined by its flawless production. Bush able to bring the listener into the songs. Maybe people were less awed of this album because it has longer songs and requires a bit more patience. At seven tracks, it focuses more ion songs unfurling and creating this sonic world. Kate Bush, by 2011, no longer concerned with radio playlists or recording songs that are obvious singles (though Wild Man was released as a single, possibly as it is the shortest track on the album!). There is this division between Bush’s 1980s best and her ‘modern’ albums – those that came in the twenty-first century. I am very much a fan of her later work. Not to say people are ignorant to the brilliance of Kate Bush’s recent albums. I just think there is this sweeping view that her earlier albums, particularly Hounds of Love, are the very best and that the likes of 50 Words for Snow are not in the same league. It bring to mind another interesting point to consider. Look at the reviews for Aerial and 50 Words for Snow and there are more four and five-star reviews than there are for The Dreaming or Never for Ever. Maybe Hounds of Love tops them but, in terms of aggregate reviews, there is not a lot of space between Hounds of Love and Aerial/50 Words for Snow.

Reviewers in 2005 and 2011 dolling out massive praise to albums that they viewed to be among the best of that year. It is strange that, when they rank Kate Bush’s albums, releases that were reviewed more poorly are seen as superior. I would say there does seem to be this instant and understandable rush of love for any new Kate Bush album. However, when it comes to putting some distance between themselves and the albums, critics will perhaps consider them less fondly. Even if 50 Words for Snow got quite a few five-star reviews, that does not mean it will be ranked alongside Hounds of Love. I guess it is a subjective thing. The albums are vastly different. I do hope that those who feel Aerial or 50 Words for Snow are not as interesting or worthy as the albums Kate Bush released in the 1980s to properly investigate these albums. These newer works. I have considered this before. However, today, I wanted people to listen to the production. The arrangement of the songs and the atmospheres that Kate Bush summons. The track sequencing as well. They are sublime and fascinating albums that have so more depth to them. Many people do not recognise this. I am going to wrap up in a minute. However, I was keen to almost come to the defence of Kate Bush’s more contemporary work. Of course, 50 Words for Snow is her most recent album. When she does release a new album, you know it will get ecstatic reviews. In years to come, will this album gain the same sort of affection as Hounds of Love or The Dreaming?!

Here is an example of an album ranking list where 50 Words for Snow was placed tenth (out of ten) and Aerial was fifth; this one a little kinder to 50 Words for Snow. I guess fifth place for Aerial is not too bad. However, the album does not get played as much as others. Not discussed widely. It turns twenty in November, so let’s hope it is given overdue appreciation and spotlight. Perhaps this 2019 NME ranking is the fairest when it comes to the power and potency of Aerial and 50 Words for Snow. I know rankings are subjective. Even so, you can argue that two of Bush’s best albums remain underrated. How do we get past that? Can you ever really turn people’s opinions?! I guess we need to highlight the brilliance of the albums and the incredible production work. People need to listen to Kate Bush interviews from 2005 and 2011. I wonder if a new generation of Kate Bush fans even know about Aerial or 50 Words for Snow. They are albums not really featured much on TikTok or played on the radio. They do not feature on T.V. shows or film and they are albums that demand the listener is immersed and focused. Aerial is a double album and is very long whilst 50 Words for Snow has no typically ‘short’ song. Compared to the tracks on Never for Ever or Hounds and Love and it might be understandable why these are seen as more digestible. I would love to see someone produce short videos and clips online backed by songs from the 2005 and 2011 albums. Interspersed by Kate Bush interview audio. There are not that many features written about Aerial or 50 Words for Snow. This really needs to change. I cannot begrudge people for heralding Kate Bush’s 1980s albums. I love them too. However, we need to give Aerial, 50 Words for Snow and even Director’s Cut more props. Once you truly listen to the albums, you understand Kate Bush is as fine a producer and visionary as…

SHE was in the 1980s.

FEATURE: Pride Month 2025: Modern L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ Tracks

FEATURE:

 

 

Pride Month 2025

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Nash/PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Marcovecchio

 

Modern L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ Tracks

__________

BECAUSE it is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Markus Spiske/Pexels

Pride Month, I am keen to put out a few features. The first one is a playlist of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ tracks. Ones from the past year or two. I have talked recently about Kate Nash’s new pro-trans song, GERM. It is one of the best tracks of the year and also one of the most needed/important. Not only does it take swipe at supposed feminists who are anti-trans – such as JK Rowling -, but it is a song that shows solidarity with the trans community – one that constantly comes under attack. With their rights being stripped and with the Supreme Court stating a woman is defined by sex (and not their gender), it is another attack on the trans community. Glamour reacted to the new Kate Nash single:

“Kate Nash has released a scathing track condemning TERFs (and specifically J.K. Rowling), titled “GERM.”

The singer dropped the song and its accompanying lyric video on Wednesday. It opens with a refrain that explains the meaning behind the acronym: “Girl listen up / You’re not radical / Exclusionary, regressive, misogynist / Germ! Germ / Nah you’re not rad at all.”

The rest of the song consists of Nash speaking over an instrumental, percussion-heavy track. With each verse, she dispels TERF talking points with some cold, hard, surprisingly well-researched facts.

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For example, part of the second verse is, “Women are facing serious dangers / Not during boxing matches or from trans people needing a piss / But from actual violence that is carried out against them every week / According to End Violence Against Women, every 3 days a woman is killed / By a man / More than 100,000 girls are at risk and living with the consequences of FGM, forced marriage and honour-based abuse.”

But as with all good protest songs, Nash includes not just data, but feelings, including the memorable couplet, “It’s just a social construct / It’s all a load of bollocks.”

That research-heavy tone is likely due to the fact that the song originally took the form of an essay, as Nash explained in an interview with Attitude. But when the UK Supreme Court issued its recent ruling, stating that trans men and women cannot legally be considered men and women, the musician “just reacted.”

“I just wanted it to be on record, in music history and in feminist history, for there to be somebody else in culture that is saying that I just don’t believe that’s feminism,” Nash told the magazine.

It was especially meaningful for her as a British public figure “Because at the moment, the loudest cultural voice in the room, who created one of the most successful things ever to come out of the UK, Harry Potter, is transphobic, and is very cruel online and very crass, and it’s just become so nasty.” Nash was referring to J.K. Rowling, who recently founded an organisation that will provide funding for cis women pursuing court cases against trans people.

The J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund (JKRWF) website reads, “JKRWF offers legal funding support to individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces. It provides women with the means and confidence to bring to justice cases that make legal precedents, force policy change, and make positive contributions to women’s lives in the future.”

Nash even went so far as to post a picture of Rowling on her Instagram story (and specifically, the photo that the author posted to X after the ruling was announced). Over the photo, Nash wrote, “A trans exclusionary feminist will always be a GERM. Even if it decided to identify as a feminist for the purposes of this celebration. It would remain objectively provably & demonstratively… a GERM”.

The mixtape at the end not only are songs relating to the L.G.T.Q.I.A.+ community. There are many brilliant songs by artists who are L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ I have not included every artist, though I have featured quite a nice selection. I will do other features to celebrate this Pride Month. It is such an important time to recognise and support the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. Whether that is through sharing posts, spotlighting artists or putting together a playlist, there are many ways to…

PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Mcknight/Pexels

SHOW your solidarity.

FEATURE: Ringo Starr at Eighty-Five: His Best Beatles and Solo Tracks

FEATURE:

 

 

Ringo Starr at Eighty-Five

IN THIS PHOTO: Ringo Starr in 1965/PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History/Photograph by Richard Avedon/@amhistorymuseum

 

His Best Beatles and Solo Tracks

__________

STILL a very busy man…

PHOTO CREDIT: Dina Litovsky

Ringo Starr is currently on tour. In fact, he is between dates at the moment but has had a busy June. His new album, Look Up, was released earlier in the year and is one of his best solo efforts. I am celebrating Starr as he turns eighty-five on 7th July. There are a few big Beatles anniversaries this year. Rubber Soul turns sixty-five later in the year. That is probably the biggest one. I am thinking about Beatles projects and why the next thing will be. Whether we will get a reissue and expanded edition of one of their albums – maybe Rubber Soul or A Hard Day’s Night. In terms of Ringo Starr’s career, he is very active and has a lot on. However, he is always keen to talk about The Beatles and his glorious time with the band. I am going to come to a mixtape featuring Ringo Starr’s Beatles songs – ones he write and also sang lead vocals on – and a selection of his solo tracks. Before I get to that, I want to include some bio from his official website:

“Ultimately what’s most impressive about Ringo Starr isn’t what he’s been, but rather who he is,” wrote Rolling Stone rock critic David Wild. “The man’s great heart and soul, his wit and wisdom.” Indeed, his music has always emanated from his warmth, humor, and exceptional skill, manifesting in songs we know and love: With A Little Help From My Friends, Don’t Pass Me By, Octopus’ Garden, Photograph, It Don’t Come Easy, Back Off Boogaloo, You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine), Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go, The No No Song, and Never Without You, to name a few. Since beginning his career with The Beatles in the 1960s, Ringo has been one of the world’s brightest musical luminaries. He has enjoyed a successful, dynamic solo career as a singer, songwriter, drummer, collaborator, and producer – releasing 18 solo studio albums to date. He is also an acclaimed actor appearing in over 15 films. Drawing inspiration from classic blues, soul, country, honky-tonk and rock ‘n’ roll, he continues to play an important recording, touring, and unofficial mentoring role in modern music.

Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940 “at a very young age” he knew from very early on what he wanted to do. “When I was 13, I only wanted to be a drummer,” remembers Ringo. Four years later, he joined the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Band, and in 1959 hooked up with the Raving Texans, who later became Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Just three years after that, Ringo was asked to join The Beatles. Worried that he might cost the Hurricanes a summer-long residency if he left, he delayed his departure until they could find a replacement. On August 18, 1962, Ringo Starr officially joined Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in what would become one of the most important popular music acts of all time, or as Ringo says, “the biggest band in the land.”

In 1970, EMI released Ringo’s first solo album, Sentimental Journey. It was exactly that: a record of the music he’d grown up with and which remained close to his heart. (He later said, “I did it for my Mum.”) Ringo followed up a year later with Beaucoups Of Blues, a country and western album recorded in Nashville with Pete Drake in just two days. That same year, The Beatles disbanded.

But Ringo’s passion for creating music continued to propel him and those around him forward. In 1971, he began his unprecedented run as the first solo Beatle to score seven consecutive Top 10 singles, starting with “It Don’t Come Easy.” His second hit single, “Back Off Boogaloo” followed in 1972, and was written with and inspired by T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. Ringo released his eponymous smash hit album in 1973. It yielded three Top 10 singles, including the #1 hits “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful And You’re Mine). The album Ringo also marked the first time since The Beatles’ break-up that all 4 band members participated in the same project (though not at the same time).

The 1970’s also saw Ringo expand on his film career, which began in the 1960’s with The Beatles films, Hard Days Night in 1964, Help! In1965 followed by Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. In 1968 he starred in Candy and in 1969 he co-starred opposite friend Peter Sellers in the critically acclaimed Magic Christian. In 1970 the documentary Let It Be was released, and in 1971 Ringo starred in Blindman. In 1974 he joined his best friend Harry Nilsson in The Son of Dracula, narrated Harry’s animated film The Point and appeared in Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels. In 1973 he co-starred as a Teddy Boy in That’ll Be The Day, in 1975 in Ken Russell’s Lisztomania and in 1976 joined The Band for their legendary final concert filmed by Martin Scorcese, The Last Waltz.

Between 1974 and 1978, Ringo released such hits as the Top 10 singles “Only You (And You Alone)” and “The No No Song,” and the albums Goodnight Vienna (1974), Blast From Your Past (1975), Rotogravure (1976), Ringo The 4th (1977), and Bad Boy (1978), which was complemented by a television special, Ognir Rats, with Art Carney, Angie Dickinson, Carrie Fisher and Vincent Price. In 1979 he appeared in the documentary on The Who, The Kids Are All Right and in 1981 Ringo starred in Caveman, where he met and soon married his beautiful co-star Barbara Bach. “I fell in love with her the moment I saw her getting on the plane, and I’ve been blessed that she has loved me since.” That same year he recorded Stop and Smell the Roses, his most critically acclaimed record since Ringo, followed two years later by Old Wave, for which he teamed up with producer Joe Walsh of The Eagles. In 1984 he appeared in Paul McCartney’s film Give My Regards To Broadstreet. A hits collection, Starr Struck: The Best Of Ringo Starr, Vol. 2, was released in 1989.

In 1989 Ringo assembled his first All Starr Band and he found consistent success as a live act with his revolving All Starrs. “I got asked if I’d be interested in putting a band together,” Ringo would later recount. “I had been thinking the same thing, and so I went through my phone book, rang up a few friends and asked them if they’d like to have fun in the summer.” Those friends included Joe Walsh, E-Streeters Clarence Clemmons and Nils Lofgren, former Band members Rick Danko and Levon Helm, Dr. John, Billy Preston, and Jim Keltner. The tour met with great success, yielding his first live album, Ringo and His All Starr Band, in 1990. “I’ve said this over and over again,” Ringo remarked, “but I love being in a band.”

The 1990s saw some of the best records of Ringo’s career. In 1992, he released Time Takes Time, which The New York Times hailed as “Starr’s best: more consistently pleasing than Ringo, it shows him as an assured performer and songwriter.” Later that year, Ringo put together his second All Starr Band, featuring Zak Starkey (his son), Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds, Nils Lofgren, Todd Rundgren, Timothy B Schmidt, and Joe Walsh. It marked the first time Ringo had toured Europe since his Beatles days. The band’s second incarnation also yielded a new concert album, Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band – Live From Montreaux. The third All Starr Band toured the U.S. and Japan in 1995, again featuring Zak Starkey, as well as John Entwistle, Felix Cavaliere, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, Mark Rivera and Randy Bachman; Ringo Starr and His Third All Starr Band, Vol. 1 was release in 1997. The fourth band — with Gary Brooker, Jack Bruce, Peter Frampton, Simon Kirke and Mark Rivera — toured the U.S. and Europe, and with them Ringo became the first former Beatle to play in Russia.

1998 brought the release of Vertical Man, recorded with Mark Hudson, and the first collaboration between Ringo and “the Roundheads.” It was one of his strongest records, due largely to his deep involvement as drummer, singer, co-writer, and co-producer. He followed with an appearance at NYC’s Bottom Line and on VH1’s “Storytellers.” 1999 began with the creation of the 5th All Starr Band, consisting of Gary Brooker, Jack Bruce, Timmy Cappello, Simon Kirke and Todd Rundgren. In October that year, Starr released the irrepressibly festive holiday album I Wanna Be Santa Claus, mixing classics like “The Little Drummer Boy” with originals like the title track. The 6th All Starr Band was launched in 2000 and featured Jack Bruce, Eric Carmen, Dave Edmunds, Simon Kirke and Mark Rivera touring the U.S. together. The following spring, Ringo put together the 7th band, including the first female All Starr, Sheila E, as well as Greg Lake, Roger Hodgson, Ian Hunter, Howard Jones and Mark Rivera. He celebrated more than a decade of All Starr tours with the release of Ringo and His All Starr Band: The Anthology, So Far.

In 2003, The Roundheads launched the release of Ringo Rama with another impromptu Bottom Line performance. 2003’s 8th group of All Starrs — Paul Carrack, Sheila E., Colin Hay, Mark Rivera and John Waite — hit the road, their tour resulting in another live album, Ringo Starr and His All Star Band: Tour 2003 and DVD. “If you look at all the bands I’ve put together, it’s an incredible array of musicians, all these different people,” Ringo said of the All Starr experience. “Everyone has hit records, hit songs. The show consists of me up front and then I go back behind the kit and support the others. It’s just good music and I’m having a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about – great music and fun.”

Genesis Publications printed a limited edition 2004 run of Ringo’s book, Postcards From The Boys, the proceeds of which went to the Lotus Foundation charity. He described it as “a presentation of postcards John, Paul and George have sent me over the years. What’s incredible about them is that some are actual art pieces.” His Choose Love album, full of inspired songs of innocence and experience, was released in 2005. Two years later, Capitol/EMI Music Catalog Marketing released the first-ever career and label-spanning collection of Ringo’s best solo recordings, PHOTOGRAPH: The Very Best Of Ringo Starr, featuring 20 standout tracks released between 1970 and 2005.

Ringo released Liverpool 8, his first new album with Capitol/EMI since 1974’s Goodnight Vienna, in 2008. He co-wrote its 12 original tracks, recording them in the UK and California, and the title track became the first in a series of autobiographical songs. That summer, he toured with his 10th All Starr Band — Gregg Bissonette, Colin Hay, Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart, Edgar Winter, and Gary Wright, across the U.S. and Canada, winding up at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles with a show recorded and later released as a live DVD by UMe. That summer also launched a tradition of celebrating his birthday, July 7, in and with the public and a global call to action for to say, think or do “Peace & Love” at Noon your local time, the birthday wish being a moment of “Peace & Love” would spread around the world. The first event occurred outside the Hard Rock Café in Chicago.

Y NOT, the first album Ringo himself produced, came out in 2010, showcasing collaborations with old and new friends, Paul McCartney among them. Their duet and the album’s stunning first single, “Walk With You,” served as a moving tribute to the power of friendship. Ben Harper also sang on the album, his band supporting Ringo on a promotional tour for the release. Ringo received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and launched a tour with his 11th All Starr Band: Gregg Bissonette, Rick Derringer, Wally Palmer, Richard Page, Edgar Winter, and Gary Wright. Over the following year, the band would tour the US, Canada, Europe and Latin America. On July 7, 2010 Ringo celebrated another “Peace & Love” birthday with family, friends and thousands gathered outside the Hard Rock Café in Times Square, New York City. The following year, while on tour with All Starrs, Ringo held a “Peace & Love” birthday event outside the Hard Rock Café in Hamburg Germany.

Ringo 2012, again produced by its namesake, featured 9 tracks, including new versions of “Wings,” and “Step Lightly.” In June that year, Ringo assembled His 12th All Starr Band — Gregg Bissonette, Richard Page, Steve Lukather, Mark Rivera, Gregg Rolie and Todd Rundgren — who would, by 2013, tour through the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Mexico, and South America. The live DVD Ringo at the Ryman was recorded with this band as well, on Ringo’s birthday, July 7, 2012. Earlier they all convened for a moment of “Peace & Love” in front of the Hard Rock Café Nashville.

In June 2013, The GRAMMY Museum opened “Ringo: Peace & Love,” a record-breaking undertaking that drew more than 120,000 visitors and was the first major exhibit to focus on a drummer. In September 2013 Ringo was awarded the prestigious French Medal of Honor, being appointed Commander of Arts & Letters in recognition of his musical and artistic contributions.

December 2013 saw the publication of Photograph, a limited edition collection of never-before-seen material, including Ringo’s photos and exclusive images from his own personal archives, was published that December. It featured over 300 photos and 15,000 words of text.

On January 20, 2014 Ringo Starr’s musical legacy was celebrated when The David Lynch Foundation honored him with the ‘Lifetime of Peace & Love Award’. The event included star-studded tributes to Ringo’s extensive catalog that was broadcast on AXS July 13, 2014.  Participating artists included Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Ben Folds, Brendan Benson, Bettye LaVette, The Head & The Heart and Jesse Elliot and Lindsey McWilliams of Ark Life, with an equally stellar backing band featuring Don Was, Benmont Tench, Peter Frampton, Steve Lukather and Kenny Arnoff.

January 26, 2014 saw Ringo perform his song “Photograph” on the GRAMMYS, followed by him jumping on the kit during his old band mate, Paul McCartney’s performance. Ringo and Paul then performed together again the following evening, this time playing several songs for the Emmy Award-nominated taping of CBS’ “The Beatles, A Grammy Salute; The Night That Changed America,” celebrating the 50th Anniversary of their first U.S. visit and appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.  It was broadcast on the exact anniversary, February 9, and aired again February 12. It has also been broadcast internationally.

In February 2014, Simon & Shuster published “Octopus’s Garden”, a children’s book based on Ringo’s lyrics. That summer Ringo took the 12th All Starr Band back out on the road, adding another leg in October 2014. “I just love this band and I’m doing anything to keep it together – we keep looking for places we haven’t played yet and we’ll end up playing clubs,” Ringo joked with reporters when the band launched the summer dates in June 2014.

In July 7, 2014 Ringo celebrated his birthday with his traditional Peace & Love event at Capitol Records in LA, this time joined by John Varvatos who revealed Ringo would be the model for his 2014 Fall Fashion Advertising campaign, coupled with a social media initiative, #PeaceRocks that raised funds and awareness for the David Lynch Foundation via The Ringo Starr Peace & Love Fund. “I’ve waited a long time to become a male model,” Ringo said with a laugh, “and what a great way to do it – all for a good cause.

In March 2015 Ringo released “Postcards From Paradise” (UMe) featuring 11 original tracks and his very first single written and recorded with his All Starr Band, “Island In the Sun”. “I have tried for 25 years from the first All-Starr band to get us to write songs and record. It’s just something that I’ve wanted to do,” Ringo explained. “the song started as a jam at a soundcheck. We all wrote it and we all played on it, and it’s the first time ever!”

In April 2015 he was inducted by Paul McCartney into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist for Musical Excellence, performing his songs with Paul, Joe Walsh and Green Day. In July Ringo returned to Capitol Records for his 75th birthday joined by family, friends and gathered fans for a special “Peace & Love” celebration. In September 2015 Ringo’s book Photograph was released worldwide in a mass hardcover edition, and in October 2015 Ringo and the All Starrs went back out on the road performing 21 shows in 31 days throughout North America.

Throughout his career he has received 9 Grammys, has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first as a Beatle and then as solo artist. Between 1970 and 2015 Ringo has released 18 solo studio records. He has acted in over 15 films, received an Academy Award, and was nominated as an actor for an Emmy. Ringo has published three books; had a stint as a male fashion model and that same year went behind the lens for the Foo Fighters PR shots.

For all his many creative successes, Ringo is and always will be first and foremost a musician, a drummer. Ringo’s candor, wit and soul are the lifeblood of his music. As he sang on the autobiographical Liverpool 8, “I always followed my heart and I never missed a beat.” Peace and love are his life’s rhythm and melody, and he propels this universal message in everything he does: his evocative artwork, his enthused live performances, his legendary songs, all imbued with the joy, reflection, and wisdom of the music icon the world knows and loves simply as ‘Ringo’”.

I am going to end there. A very happy eighty-fifth birthday to Ringo Starr for 7th July! One of the greatest and most important musicians ever, below is a selection of his wonderful work with The Beatles, together with some solo gems. In the same way he signs off his social media posts with these words, I want to offer the great Ringo Starr…

PEACE and love.

FEATURE: I’m a Feminist, But… Trying to Reverse My Male-Heavy Music Listening Habits

FEATURE:

 

 

I’m a Feminist, But…

PHOTO CREDIT: Moose Photos/Pexels

 

Trying to Reverse My Male-Heavy Music Listening Habits

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ON the podcast…

PHOTO CREDIT: John Tekeridis/Pexels

The Guilty Feminist, there is this question asked of guests that starts “I’m a feminist, but…”, where the women interviewed reveal something that means there is this guilt or negative habit that maybe puts a dent in their feminism. For me, that very much applies to music. I am someone who promotes so many women on my blog. Most of my Spotlight features are about female artists. So many other features around women. Even if most of my content relates to women, my listening habits do not necessarily reflect that. Of course, I listen to the female artists that I promise. However, away from that, I tend to listen to mostly older music. A lot of that is from male artists. I was raised mostly on music by men. In the 1990s, a lot of what was promoted and put into music magazine was by male artists. Of course, there were some amazing women from that time that I loved and still listen to today. However, so much of my parents’ music is from men. Also, you get into this habit of falling back on what is comfortable and familiar. I explore new music as much as I can, though I find I have this awful habit of going to artists that I have heard so many times before. Maybe it is an issue with algorithms on streaming sites. The way you are regurgitated what you already listen to and there is not this more expansive and smarter way of discovering music. Spotify and others going beyond the recycled and predictable - and feeding suggestions and interesting musical avenues. I do think I get into this cycle of relying on mixes and playlists suggested to me. This features a lot of male artists. As a feminist who finds it really important to promote and spotlight women, I feel this guilt of listening to more men than women. This is something I am compelled to change in years to come.

I do wish it were easier to have all these incredible new artists in one place. Streaming sites rely heavily on a small number of mainstream artists of today and classic acts. I often find that many of the artists from yesteryear that I love that were female-fronted or women tend to get buried. I would love to be able to have a daily listening schedule that meant there was this balance. However, I do find it harder and harder to. Many might say it is easy to change. Do we often gravitate towards music we grew up on? I am discovering a load of new music, though I tend to find I listen to that less than artist I have known for years. Not that it makes me a bad feminist, thought I do feel this regret. I need to do better and listen to more women. Go discovering incredible women that I have not yet written about. However, as I have said, streaming sites do not help with that. I need to expand my horizons and get out of some bad habits. It is Pride Month, so embracing more L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ women and trans women. Promoting their work and discovering their incredible music. I can’t blame entirely streaming services or habits we all have. I do feel this pang of guilt when I keep listening to male artists. Maybe others have this same regret. It is not necessarily bad that most of the songs I listen to are by men. However, as I am someone talking about gender equality and giving women more airtime and headline slots, it does seem a littler hypocritical that I listen to so many male artists. As much as anything, I am getting slightly bored of the way of I listen to music.

It is nice to have that access to a world of music. The nostalgia I get when listening to artists I grew up on. Whoever, I feel like I am depriving myself of so many incredible artists. These women from decades past and around today whose music I do not listen to enough – or at all. I am not sure what the best way is to engage that way and reverse the trend. However, I have come to a point where I am aware of the male bias when it comes to the music I listen to and the artists I promote and discuss – who are mostly female. As I write this, I am listening to the radio and HAIM are on. They are incredible group that I am well aware of and do not listen to enough. I have been talking about Kate Nash recently and do not listen to her enough. Artists I featured years ago such as GRACEY. Classic artists who I grew up with. The likes of Madonna, for example, I tend to play less than many of the groups I admired when I was a teenager. I do need to make a change but, once you get into this routine of leaning on the same songs, it can be very hard to break out of that. I do need to act. I am depriving myself of so much great music and, as much as anything, it is important to me that I give more time to female artists. Suggestions for classic and new artists would be much welcomed. I will dip into my archives of the artists I have spotlighted and try and listen to as many mixes and playlists where women dominate. Getting out of that headspace of going straight for the same songs and artists. I do genuinely have a lot of guilt. Me being this hypocrite! It does bug me. It asks a bigger question regarding music tastes. Do we tend to listen to less new music when we reach a certain age and tend to listen to the music of our childhood and teenage years? Maybe so. It is not really giving me much satisfaction listening to the same songs over and over. Because of that, I do need to listen more to music made by women. I feel that my listening experience will be…

RICHER for it.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: Incredible Motown Tracks

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

 

Incredible Motown Tracks

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I did explore this subject…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Temptations in 1965

for a playlist back in 2020. However, I wanted to revisit Motown songs for this Digital Mixtape. I am going to include a selection of classics from the legendary label. I have been listening to groups like The Temptations. Get Ready, one of their classics, has been in my ear and head for a while. I can see it opening a film. A title sequence song that could lead to something incredible. Even though is problematic celebrating the song’s writer and producer Smokey Robinson at the moment, I wanted to put the focus on the group rather than the song’s creator. Put The Temptations alongside other greats like Mary Wells, The Four Tops, and Martha and the Vandellas. There is a lot to celebrate about Motown and its legacy. However, as this article from earlier in the year, Motown also empowered many female artists. Giving the spotlight to women:

“From the very beginning, Motown, as we know it now, would never have been built successfully without women. Berry Gordy Jr’s mother, Bertha, was a successful business owner alongside her husband, Berry Gordy, Sr. It may not be so vast a leap, then, to assume that she instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in her children – particularly Berry and his four sisters. Through them, a spirit of Motown and female empowerment was fostered, with the company giving chances to women in almost every aspect of its running, from overseeing the finances to shaping the label’s iconic fashion sense, launching the careers of its biggest stars, and penning the songs those stars recorded.

Esther Gordy, the eldest sister, worked as the Senior Vice President of Motown and joined the family business in 1961, remaining there until 1972, when Berry Gordy relocated the label to Los Angeles and Esther chose to remain in Detroit. She would go on to found the Motown Museum – which remains a popular tourist attraction to this day. Loucye Gordy, Berry’s third sister, died suddenly in 1965, but in her short time at the label she proved vital to the Motown structure, overseeing both Motown’s finances and its publishing arm.

But perhaps it is sisters Anna and Gwen Gordy whose impact on Motown can be most readily felt. Anna Records, founded by Gwen and Billy Davis in 1958 and named after Gwen’s sister, issued Barrett Strong’s stone-cold classic, “Money (That’s What I Want)”. Anna was also a songwriter who, along with her husband, Marvin Gaye, co-wrote “Flyin’ High (In The Friendly Sky)” for Marvin’s 1971 album, What’s Going On, and also earned a credit on “Just To Keep You Satisfied,” which closes 1973’s Let’s Get It On. Together, Anna and Marvin also wrote songs for The Originals, including their biggest hit, “The Bells,” which would later be covered by the singer-songwriter Laura Nyro.

Gwen Gordy Fuqua, the youngest Gordy sister, was also an entrepreneur and songwriter, who, along with Berry, wrote hits for Jackie Wilson during the 50s. Gwen was integral to the evolution of Motown’s style, as she hired Maxine Powell to oversee a finishing school to ensure that the label’s roster looked and behaved the part. By teaching its artists to walk, talk, and dance like stars, Motown launched its performers into the mainstream, demanding that audiences take notice of these polished and talented artists – pushing against racial and gender barriers to show that these were incredible talents worthy of radio play and TV appearances and that their skin color or socio-economic backgrounds shouldn’t define them, or hold them back. Arguably it was the Motown girl groups who really got the most out of this experience.

Signed, sealed, delivered: female songwriters

It wasn’t just the female singers who gained successful opportunities during their time at Motown; some of its finest female songwriters were also given a shot. Much like Martha Reeves, Syreeta first worked for Motown as a receptionist. After a brief spell recording for the label in 1968 (under the name Rita Wright) she began dating Stevie Wonder and the pair started writing songs together, including The Spinners’ glorious “It’s A Shame.”

Other female songwriters to collaborate with Stevie Wonder include Yvonne Wright (“Evil,” “You’ve Got It Bad Girl,” “Little Girl Blue”) and Sylvia Moy (“Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “My Cherie Amour”), the latter of whom who also established herself as a producer. Even Stevie Wonder’s mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, received writing credits on Motown releases – including on one of Wonder’s biggest hits, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”

Gloria Jones, whose “Tainted Love” has become a Northern soul classic, also spent time at Motown and provided material for The Supremes and Gladys Knight & The Pips, writing “If I Were Your Woman” alongside Pam Sawyer – whose own writing career is phenomenally varied and extensive.

Enduring successes: feminist subjects

When it came to recording material, there were plenty of interesting topics for Motown’s female artists to sing about. Alongside the standard fare of romantic numbers or songs about heartbreak, there were occasional songs laced with socio-political concern, such as Martha & The Vandellas’ “Dancing In The Street” or even, to an extent, “Nowhere To Run,” with its tale of a stifling and damaging relationship. But on their 1968 album Love Child, Diana Ross & The Supremes addressed more delicate topics, such as pregnancy, illegitimacy, and motherhood”.

I am going to end with a mixtape of some wonderful Motown cuts. Many of them by amazing women who no doubt inspired many artists who followed them. A distinct and extraordinary sound, I do wonder how many artists working today know about the rich history of Motown. There are various documentaries that are worth seeking out. Motown: The Sound of Young America is worth getting and reading. Some might notice the omission of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles but, given the accusations of sexual assault and rape against him, I could not include him for this playlist – even though he helped define Motown. For those familiar with Motown or completely new to it, below are some of the incredible artists that…

HELPED define the legendry label.

FEATURE: Hello, Philadelphia! Live Aid at Forty

FEATURE:

 

 

Hello, Philadelphia!

 

Live Aid at Forty

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EVEN if some feel that…

PHOTO CREDIT: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo

Live Aid has a complicated or corrosive legacy, one cannot deny that it was hugely important in raising money and awareness. In terms of it as this global concert, it is one of the most notable and incredible events in music history. As 13th July marks forty years since Live Aid was held, I wanted to look inside the concerts. The shows were held at Wembley Stadium in London and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Africa, specifically Ethiopia. It is amazing that over one and a half billion people watched the sixteen-hour concert broadcast worldwide. The concert raised over £110 million. A Live Aid musical, Just for One Day, hit the London stage but gained some mixed reviews. I know that the BBC is celebrating and spotlighting Live Aid at forty:

“This July, BBC Two and Radio 2 will mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, which took place on Saturday 13th July 1985.

BBC Two and BBC iPlayer broadcasts Live Aid at 40, which reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 concert that brought the idea of charity to a new generation. Exclusive interviews include iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono and Sting - along with US President George Bush, President Obasanjo of Nigeria and Birhan Woldu, the woman who as a dying child, became the abiding image of the Wembley concert and the famine.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the landmark 1985 concert that reshaped global aid, Brook Lapping, a Zinc Media label, announces its latest documentary series in association with Ronachan Films. A coproduction between the BBC and CNN Originals, Live Aid at 40 delves deep into the complex, sometimes controversial, stories behind this historic event and its legacy, in Britain, in the US, in Ethiopia and Africa as a whole.

The series weaves the back room stories of two gangs of musicians, from the UK and the US with the political stories that both inspired them and brought them to a worldwide audience. Featuring exclusive interviews with iconic figures such as Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting and Midge Ure, the series chronicles how musical legends from both countries mobilised billions worldwide: first to answer a famine in Ethiopia, and later inspiring global leaders like George Bush and Tony Blair to begin to address the true causes of global poverty. Live Aid forever altered the perception of charity and humanitarian efforts. Starting from small donations, to the donations of thousands of pounds, the story ends in billions of government aid.

Archive of the performances and back stage of the record and the concert feature Paula Yates, Boy George, Status Quo and George Michael whilst interviews with Nile Rodgers, Lenny Henry, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Patti LaBelle, Roger Taylor and Brian May are set against the memories of the Ethiopian politicians at the heart of the relief effort, Dawit Giorgis and Berhane Deressa. These combine with the stories from political heavyweights including President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Condoleezza Rice, George W Bush and Tony Blair. The series offers a gripping account of Live Aid’s impact on music, politics and global awareness over the twenty years between Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005.

Emma Hindley, BBC Commissioning Editor, says: "The series takes the audience on an irresistible and entertaining ride through the 40 years since the biggest live concert ever was shown on TV. Featuring exclusive behind the scenes interviews with an array of stars of rock & pop, Live Aid at 40 revels in the music, unravels the politics and explores the legacy of Live Aid."

Also coming to BBC Two in July is Live Aid the Concert (w/t). On a dazzling summer’s day in 1985, the UK came to a standstill to watch a concert on the BBC - 16 hours of music, performed by some of the world’s greatest artists, including David Bowie, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, Queen, Spandau Ballet, Sade, Sting, Status Quo, Tina Turner and U2. This concert was Live Aid, which was brought together by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, following the success of the Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Approximately two billion people watched the broadcast in more than 100 countries. Now, for the first time since 1985, BBC Two gives viewers a chance to relive over 6.5 hours of extended highlights of the London and Philadelphia concerts, in addition to backstage footage, including interviews with Bono, Brian May, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Howard Jones, Roger Daltrey, Spandau Ballet, Sting, The Style Council and a transatlantic interview with Phil Collins on Concorde.

Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV says: “This summer we’re delighted to be giving viewers a chance to relive one of the biggest concerts in history for the first time on TV since it was originally broadcast on the BBC. By providing over 6.5 hours of footage that was captured on the day Live Aid took place, we want viewers to feel transported back to 1985, and to enjoy all those classic songs that we all still know and love to this day, as they were performed on that stage.”

The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas, which was broadcast on BBC Four in November 2024, is available for viewers to enjoy on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Radio 2 will be marking the anniversary on Sunday 13 July, exactly 40 years since the concert, as the station broadcasts Live Aid – The Fans Story (12am-1am and then available on BBC Sounds).

This special is introduced by Radio 2’s Paul Gambaccini who sets the scene and recalls his involvement on that seminal day back in 1985, broadcasting backstage for the BBC. Midge Ure and Bob Geldof reflect on the event, and we then hear from some of the big-name performers of the day: Francis Rossi of Status Quo, Dee C. Lee of The Style Council, Howard Jones, Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Billy Ocean, Nik Kershaw as well as Iain Parkhouse of the Coldstream Guards.

Plus, Radio 2’s host of Sounds of the 80s Gary Davies, as well as Michelle Visage (who watched from her home in New Jersey) and Michael Ball also share their memories of where they were and how they watched the event. We hear the stories of pop fans Jayne, Laura, Simon and Lucy who travelled from different parts of the UK to be at Wembley on that day, recalling a pre-internet world of holding physical tickets and enjoying the moment, without documenting it for social media.

Packed with fascinating insights from backstage, onstage, in the audience and viewing from home, soundtracked by some of the most iconic performances ever recorded, we are bringing Live Aid back to life 40 years on”.

There articles like this that discuss the problematic side of Live Aid and the messages that it sent. Maybe this idea of white saviours trying to solve famine and poverty, did many of those artists who performed at Live Aid genuinely want to change things? Was it lip service? How genuine was Live Aid in terms of its goals? It raised a lot of money but it is clear that it also changed the nature of fundraising. I want to focus on the more positive side of Live Aid. In 2020, Mark Beaumont wrote for The Independent about Live Aid thirty-five years later. I would advise people to read the whole article as I have sort of mangled it a bit! I know there will be new features around Live Aid closer to its fortieth anniversary on 13th July:  

“With a nebula of stars queueing up to perform at two simultaneous stadium shows in London and Philadelphia, Live Aid wasn’t just the greatest gig on Earth, it was the birth of music as a formidable humanitarian and philanthropic force, a defining peak of the Eighties musical pomp and splendour and the culmination of rock’s decades-long expansion to critical mass. It was also a gigantic leap of faith built from Bob Geldof’s determination to hustle, bully and cajole the greatest show he could imagine into reality.

Following the 3 million-selling success of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” the previous year, which became the fastest selling UK single ever and raised £8m for Ethiopian famine aid, the perception might well have been that Geldof now possessed a golden Filofax and had the biggest names in rock at his beck and call. In fact, when Boy George suggested organising a star-studded concert after Geldof and assorted Band Aid alumni joined Culture Club for an encore of the single at Wembley Arena in December 1984, it took every ounce of Geldof’s single-minded guile and resolve to pull it off.

“He was a charismatic leader,” says Live Aid’s UK production manager Andrew Zweck today. “He was inspiring, he motivated us. The greatest legacy of Live Aid for me personally, is the example of how Bob Geldof’s leadership demonstrated the power of the individual. How the voice and action of just one person could start a movement that could make a difference.”

Then a lesser-known act, U2’s set proved a breakthrough, even though their closing song “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” had to be cut as Bono, sporting one of the Eighties’ lushest mullets, noticed 15-year-old Kal Khalique being suffocated as the crowd surged towards him (at Bono’s beckoning) and the band elongated “Bad” to 14 minutes while he leapt off the stage to help rescue and dance with her; Khalique later claimed Bono saved her life that day.

Bowie also cut the song “Five Years” from his set in order to screen a video of footage from the famine accompanied by The Cars’ “Drive”, a film so moving that phone donations – which had reached £300 per second when a tired and emotional Geldof had visited the BBC booth to demand viewers empty their pockets – rocketed further. Speaking to The Tube backstage after his performance, Bowie was asked about his plans for the rest of the evening. “I’m going to go home,” he said straight down the camera, “and I’m going to have a really good f***.”

It was Queen’s magical 22-minute set, however, which has come to epitomise Live Aid. Introduced by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones dressed as policemen investigating a noise complaint from Belgium, Mercury jogged onstage for a career-defining performance: the piano intro of “Bohemian Rhapsody” gave way to stadium-wide cult clapping for “Radio Gaga”, “We Are The Champions” turned Wembley into a sea of swaying arms and Mercury bestrode the event like a moustachio’d Colossus with a baton-mike sceptre. “I remember a huge rush of adrenaline as I went on stage and a massive roar from the crowd,” Brian May told The Observer, “and then all of us just pitching in. Looking back, I think we were all a bit over-excited, and I remember coming off and thinking it was very scrappy. But there was a lot of very good energy too. Freddie was our secret weapon. He was able to reach out to everybody in that stadium effortlessly, and I think it was really his night.”

As for Geldof, it was a stressful and highly strung experience. His mood ricocheted throughout the day, aggravated by pain from a sprained back that kept him slightly hunched. By the time he was gathering a stage full of stars for the finale of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” he was thoroughly exhausted, carried shoulder-high by Townshend at the show’s end towards a much-needed rest.

In Philadelphia, the party raged on. At 1am in a second-floor suite at the Palace Hotel, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Bob Dylan chatted with Jimmy Page and Stephen Stills about their various onstage mishaps. “Fun?” said Dylan of his three-song set with Richards and Wood. “No, we couldn’t hear anything.”

“Would have been better if we’d gotten paid,” Richards joked to Rolling Stone. Indirectly, though, most of them did. As the CD era was dawning, sales of the acts involved with Live Aid soared. Collins, Madonna, U2 and Queen saw their records catapulted back into the charts, and one of the most immediate legacies of the show was its cementing of a top tier of heritage musicians who would hob-nob with Charles and Diana at similar events over the coming years – a rock’n’roll royalty of their own.

IN THIS PHOTO: Crowds at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features

Financially, the success of the event would come into question. Huey Lewis was right to be concerned about how effectively the money raised was being used to help the victims of famine. In the wake of the Band Aid single, relief food was left to rot in Ethiopian docks as the country’s dictatorial leader Mengistu Haile Mariam – who had helped to bring on the famine by napalming farmland – prioritised the unloading of weapons for his four internal conflicts. The $127m raised by Live Aid helped to break the trucking cartel that was stopping relief getting into the country but, according to investigations by Spin in 1986, much of it was funnelled through Mengistu’s government, who used the money to purchase hi-tech weaponry from the Soviet Union and the food to lure his people into a brutal resettlement programme that killed hundreds of thousands. “I’ll shake hands with the devil on my left and on my right to get to the people we are meant to help,” Geldof said in response to warnings from aid group Medicins Sans Frontiers. But both devils were channelling his charity away from the starving.

The beneficial legacy of Live Aid, however, cannot be underestimated. In its wake governments woke up to the swell of public support for humanitarian global relief and began to place it at the heart of foreign policy decisions. “We took an issue that was nowhere on the political agenda,” Geldof told The Guardian, “and, through the lingua franca of the planet – which is not English but rock’n’roll – we were able to address the intellectual absurdity and the moral repulsion of people dying of want in a world of surplus.” The ripple effect of Live Aid, in terms of lives indirectly saved, is incalculable.

“What I’ve seen over the 35 years,” says Zweck today, “is the awakening of the social conscience of the music industry, with artists realising they had a power and they could do good with that power. We saw after that Bono and Sting, Roger Waters, using their voice, their position and their platform to push for causes they believe in. It would change people’s perspective of charity and mobilise public opinion to such an extent that government policies in the developing world and other areas would be altered thereafter. You can look back at Live Aid and see that’s where it started. Governments now listen, and that all started with a pop concert”.

I am going to write another feature about Live Aid at forty. I will end this one with an article that discusses perhaps the standout and most celebrated moment of Live Aid. That is when Queen rocked Wembley! Freddie Mercury getting the crowd united and singing. One of the greatest and most important live moments in music history. Something people still talk about to this day:

“Queen’s Live Aid performance

Queen were immediately preceded at Wembley by the comedians Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith – who were dressed as policemen and joked about receiving a complaint about the noise “from a woman in Belgium.” They introduced “the next combo” as “Her Majesty… Queen.”

A truly charismatic Mercury, who looked full of confidence, jogged out on to a vast stage whose top was adorned with a banner saying “Feed The World.” Mercury, sporting his trademark mustache and wearing white jeans, a white tank top, and with a studded band around his right bicep, began by sitting at the piano and playing a short, inspired version of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“The note heard around the world”

During “Radio Ga Ga” he got up and strutted around the stage, using the microphone and stand as a prop, and getting the fired-up crowd to join in with the chorus. The next few moments were remarkable, as Mercury led the 72,000 spectators in some spine-tingling vocal improvisation, as they sang along to “ay-oh.” His final, wonderful vocal was dubbed “the note heard around the world.”

The singalong fun was followed by a version of “Hammer To Fall,” a song written by May. Mercury, who had strapped on an electric guitar, then addressed the crowd. “This next song is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight – which means all of you. Thank you for coming along, you are making this a great occasion,” he said, before launching into an energetic, exuberant performance of his own composition, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

After a short version of “We Will Rock You,” the swaying, delirious crowd were treated to a finale of “We Are The Champions.” Mercury was simply mesmerizing. “I’d never seen anything like that in my life and it wasn’t calculated, either… it was the greatest day of our lives,” said May.

“You bastards, you stole the show”

It wasn’t only Queen who realized they had been sensational. Paul Gambaccini, who was part of the BBC broadcasting team at Live Aid, recalled the awe among other superstar musicians watching backstage. “Everybody realized that Queen was stealing the show,” said Gambaccini. These were the very words Elton John uttered when he rushed into Mercury’s trailer after the set. “You bastards, you stole the show,” joked the charismatic star.

“Queen smoked ’em. They just took everybody. They walked away being the greatest band you’d ever seen in your life, and it was unbelievable,” said Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. “And that’s what made the band so great; that’s why they should be recognized as one of the greatest rock bands of all time, because they could connect with an audience.”

“It was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world”

Two months later Queen began work on the album A Kind Of Magic, which sold six million copies and was promoted with a record-breaking world tour.

The choice of album title was apt. Queen provided magic on that summer day in 1985. Their impact was summed up by Geldof. “Queen were absolutely the best band of the day,” the Live Aid organizer said. “They played the best, had the best sound, used their time to the full. They understood the idea exactly, that it was a global jukebox. They just went and smashed one hit after another. It was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world”.

On 13th July, Live Aid turns forty. I was only two when it took place, so I can’t remember whether I saw it. It must have been really exciting tuning in and watching the biggest live event ever! A roster of huge artists united for a vital cause. In years since, there have been documentaries about Live Aid, though the BBC’s new one will be fascinating. For those who were there in person on 13th July, 1985 in Philadelphia or London to witness Live Aid were in the presence of…

SOMETHING spectacular!

FEATURE: Kate Bush’s Babooshka at Forty-Five: A Hugely Important and Pivotal Moment in Her Career

FEATURE:

 

 

Kate Bush’s Babooshka at Forty-Five

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during a performance of Babooshka in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Adrian Boot

 

A Hugely Important and Pivotal Moment in Her Career

__________

IN my second…

feature around Babooshka and its forty-fifth anniversary, I wanted to concentrate on how important this song was and is. Released on 27th June, 1980, it reached number five in the U.K. The second single from Kate Bush’s third studio album, Never for Ever (1980), it was a bigger commercial success than the lead single, Breathing – which went to number sixteen in the U.K. I am going to bring in some words around the song and also some from Kate Bush regarding its inspiration. Kate Bush fans will know the origins and story. In terms of its subject matter and angle, it was very unusual for an artist. Bush was never one to write conventionally or like her peers. However, this idea of fidelity being tested and a wife disguised herself to test her husband. Where does that come from?! Bush drew a lot from literature and film, though Babooshka seems like it came to her in a different way. Bush did not even know that Babooshka is similar to the word, ‘babushka’ – which is Russian for an old woman or grandmother. Thought I feel uncomfortable highlighting Russia and its influence, for the sake of this song, we have to mention how the country was relevant. I believe that Bush had heard the Russian word somewhere and locked it away subconsciously. However, as I wrote in the previous Babooshka feature, Bush inadvertently helped foster a greater understanding of Russia and its history. People who heard the word and connected it to the Russian word, Babushka. There is a Kate Bush tribute act, Baby Bushka, that obviously are inspired by the Kate Bush song and its relation to the Russian word. I am going to come to my theories and points soon. Before that, I want to revisit some text that I have definitely highlighted before.

A track that has been covered quite a few times and Kate Bush pleasingly got to perform live more than once, it is among her most beloved and respected singles. Before going any further, this article from the Kate Bush Encyclopedia brings in some interview archive where Bush spoke about the inspiration behind the mighty Babooshka. One of her most extraordinary moments:

“‘Babooshka’ is about futile situations. The way in which we often ruin things for ourselves. (Kate Bush Club newsletter, September 1980)

Apparently it is grandmother, it’s also a headdress that people wear. But when I wrote the song it was just a name that literally came into my mind, I’ve presumed I’ve got it from a fairy story I’d read when I was a child. And after having written the song a series of incredible coincidences happened where I’d turned on the television and there was Donald Swan singing about Babooshka.

PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

So I thought, “Well, there’s got to be someone who’s actually called Babooshka.” So I was looking throughRadio Timesand there, another coincidence, there was an opera called Babooshka. Apparently she was the lady that the three kings went to see because the star stopped over her house and they thought “Jesus is in there”.’ So they went in and he wasn’t. And they wouldn’t let her come with them to find the baby and she spent the rest of her life looking for him and she never found him. And also a friend of mine had a cat called Babooshka. So these really extraordinary things that kept coming up when in fact it was just a name that came into my head at the time purely because it fitted. (Peter Powell interview, Radio 1 (UK), 11 October 1980)”.

I have said in previous anniversary features how you can hear the influence of the Fairlight CMI in the song. It was a new acquisition by Kate Bush so it is not all over Never for Ever the same way as it is the follow-up, 1982’s The Dreaming. However, one cannot deny its impact and how even the addition of the sound of breaking glass you can hear was a sonic step up from the songs you hear on 1978’s The Kick Inside and Lionheart. Technology starting to come more into play and exert bigger influence. The wonderful backing vocals from Paddy Bush and Gary Hurst; brilliant electric bass from John Giblin.

I have said how there was breaking glass heard on Babooshka. It may actually be plates, as I think Bush used some crockery and plates from Abbey Road Studios and broke them to get the effect and then apologised afterwards (I think she sent an apology note or box of chocolates for the staff!). Recorded at Abbey Road Studio 2, this wonderful song was a definite turning point for Bush. I shall discuss that. First, I want to bring in this feature. They talk about the influence of Peter Gabriel and the Fairlight CMI on the song. How it adds something distinct to Babooshka:

“The song ends with the sound of breaking plates, perfectly in key, one of the earliest examples of a sample created with the Fairlight CMI synthesiser, which had only become available in UK during the latter half of 1979. The pioneering synth, used in many 80s hits, came with a piano keyboard, monitor, and computer keyboard. An 8" floppy disc provided sampled orchestral instruments but musicians found it was best to create synthetic sounds and strange effects, such as bottles breaking or running water, which could be incorporated into songs.

Its first adopter in the UK was Peter Gabriel, who soon introduced it to Kate Bush. Her album Never For Ever (released September 1980), which includes Babooshka and Army Dreamers, was the first to use Fairlight samples; they were programmed by Richard Burgess and John Walters of Landscape, famous for the 1981 hit Einstein A Go Go. Although tech-savvy musicians loved it, the Fairlight was not universally appreciated. After the BBC science series Tomorrow's World highlighted the possibility that orchestras might be redundant in the future, the Musicians' Union railed labelled it a "lethal threat" towards its members. The year before the union has also tried to ban Gary Numan and synthesizers from Top Of The Pops for the same reason.

So did the wife ruin the marriage? That's up to the listener to decide. One interpretation is that when the husband fell for Babooska, the wife's fears were realised, and she walks away from the broken marriage. Alternatively, the husband falls in love all over again with his wife, saving their marriage; it just needed a bit of excitement. Your conclusion will depend largely on whether you are a cynic or a romantic. For the record, we believe the breaking plates are a strong hint, but who doesn't like a happy ending?

This track has it all: a wonderful narrative, melodic verses, a dramatic chorus and a memorable title. Not surprisingly, Babooshka became one of Kate Bush's biggest hits, although it never reached No.1 in any country”.

Its B-side is the underrated and extraordinarily odd Ran Tan Waltz. I love the quirky live performances of Babooshka. I think this song is one of the most important moments of Kate Bush’s career. It started with Breathing, though it was a real shift in terms of who Bush was and what her sound was. If the singles from The Kick Inside and Lionheart are more piano-led and people labelled her as this squeaky-voiced and rather demure and weird artist, Babooshka changed things – though only a little. Breathing is this epic and political song that was a smart choice of a leading single. Never for Ever is that bridge between the teenage creations of her first two albums and the more experimental two albums that followed. Babooshka is the first track on Never for Ever. A listener would put the needle down and hear this incredible song. The video too was a definite revelation. Sexy and unusual, those who thought Bush was immature or witch-like would have been taken aback by the video! Bush was only twenty-one when Babooshka was released. Even so, it seemed like the song and video announced her as a woman and grown-up artist, rather than someone much younger. Not that this was deliberate. Critics pigeonholed her on her 1978 albums. Bush did want to be taken more seriously and, as a producer on Never for Ever, she could evolve and push her sound.

The music video sees Bush alongside a double bass (contrabass), used to symbolise her husband as she wore a black bodysuit and a veil. That quick and notable switch where Bush changes into this sparse ‘Russian’ costume as her alter-ego, Babooshka. An illustration by Chris Achilleos was the basis for the costume. So bold and unique, I would argue Babooshka is the most important single release to that point. It did help to change the narrative or at least push some more positivity her way. Even so, there were these critics who still attack Kate Bush and dismissed her. NME, when they reviewed Babooshka, still mentioned this “high-pitched” and “weirdness”. In my view, Babooshka was Bush entering this new phase of her career. A revelation where new technology and lyrical inspiration came into the mix. The production sound and the striking visuals. Babooshka was a bigger commercial success than Breathing, though once cannot call Babooshka commercial or conventional. That is why its success is so wonderful. People connected with the song in 1980. As it turns forty-five on 27th June, I wanted to write about Babooshka. I hope that others share words about this track. If some critics were still beholden to cliches and wrong impressions of Kate Bush, the impact and brilliance of Babooshka…

SILENCED many other critics.

FEATURE: Footnotes: Believing Women, A Rare Pro-Trans Musical Moment and a Disappointing Thom Yorke Statement

FEATURE:

 

 

Footnotes

IN THIS PHOTO: Thom Yorke issued a lengthy statement on 30th May following criticism around a perceived silence on genocide in Gaza, and for previously performing in Israel

 

Believing Women, A Rare Pro-Trans Musical Moment and a Disappointing Thom Yorke Statement

__________

THIS feature…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Nash

allows me opportunity to do a round-up of music news and talking points from recent weeks. Rather than try and make individual features out of bits of news and happenings, instead, I get the chance to do a sort of news round-up. To start with, and what happens when men in music are accused of sexual assault and abuse, there are people who instantly think that the women who accuse men are lying. That they are standing to profit or exploiting them. There are the same arguments brought up. For one, the women are just in it for the money. The vast majority of women who accuse men of sexual assault are not doing it for the money! They are doing it because they need to find justice and because they have been the victim of something horrible. I am sure there are women who have fabricated stories and are in it for the money but, for the vast majority, they are neither lying or trying to get a pay-out. That is another point. That women are lying. What is the motive for women lying about a sexual assault? People’s assumption to side with men or disbelieve women. People should always believe women. The vast majority of these accusations are based or fact. Why do so many women come together so long after the events and do so together? The insinuation being that they have conspired and made something up. Ganging up on an artist to get money from them! Women often come forward to police so long after they have been assaulted or abused because, at the time, they fear not being believed or being fired. If they work with a musician then there is the worry they will lose their income. Women not being believed is something that means they often do not come forward at all. They will be attacked or doubted if they do speak out. Also, the trauma at the time is not something they want to relive straight away. We need to get over this mindset that women are lying and that they are trying to ruin the reputation of an artist! The idea that they took so long to say anything. Look at the case of Russell Brand and Diddy. Women have come forward a long time after they were abused/raped and they are not lying. They bravely do come forward after so long because they feared repercussions before. That police would not do anything. They want to make sure other women do not experience the same thing. It is not about getting a massive pay-out and doing it for money. It is about justice and not letting men get away with it! The reason I bring this up is because I have seen some backlash against the women who accused Smokey Robinson of sexual assault and rape.

IN THIS PHOTO: Smokey Robinson

In an ironic twist, Smokey Robinson is suing the women who he claims have tried to extort him. Why sue them for a huge amount and extort them if you think they are trying to extort you?! It smacks of someone being found out and revealed and trying to punish women for accusing them. So many people doubting the women and their motives. Smokey Robinson is very old and not the first person you would think of extorting and having millions of dollars spare. What would their motives be? If they wanted to financial ruin him, then why wait so long to do that? Why go to such lengths?! For them, it is not about seeing how much they can get. They want what every woman wants: to be believed and to make sure that the men who abused them are brought to justice. It happens a lot in music where women are often scrutinised more than the men who committed the crimes. Rather than cast aspersions of women and, in a misogynistic way, doubt them and call them liars, we need to believe them. Yes, as I have said, a small minority will be lying and want to get money from someone. Considering how hard it is for them to get police to believe them, for cases to get to court and for abusers to be punished, they would not go through such hardships if it were not true. Also, considering how many recent cases of women accusing men in music of sexual assault and abuse, why do people assume that women are lying?! This is an epidemic that has been going on for many years. Rather than channelling energy questioning the women and doubting their version of events, we need to shine a spotlight on the men who do this and why it happens so often. Whether the industry does enough. Many men (such as Marilyn Manson) still able to work and earn money. If it were a woman who was accused of a sexual assault, then she would be dropped by the label, banned from touring and attacked ands abused constantly. There are these double standards!

Before coming back to another somewhat heavy story and topic, there is a moment of positivity. I have said in previous features how I want to write an album, American Grammar, that tackles big themes and important issues in a Steely Dan style. Because, when it comes to women’s body autonomy, abortion rights, trans rights, the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community, sexual abuse and assault, gender equality and the genocide we are seeing in Palestine, how many artists are writing about this? (On another point, it annoys me how many people write about L.G.B.TG.Q.I.A.+ issues and miss out the ‘I’ and ‘A’. Why do people finds it so hard to get that right?!). It is quite deafening and disappointing to see how few are using their music to talk about this. As I will discuss in the final part of this feature, many artists either not having a say or issuing statements that are obfuscating, vanilla and ‘balanced’. Rather than get angry and call out abuse, genocide and evil, they water down their words and often come out on the wrong side. In a rare case of an artist using their platform to speak up – unsurprisingly it is a female artist! -, Kate Nash’s GERM. It is a feminist and pro-trans song that also takes shots at high-profile TERFs like JK Rowling. Someone (Rowling) who uses their platform to fuel their transphobia and misogyny, as someone considered a strong feminist, she is a disgrace to that word. Kate Nash knows this and calls it out. How many other artists are doing this?! What holds back what should be a massive movement of conscientious songwriting? Marginalised and attacked people given support and voice?

IN THIS PHOTO: Bruce Springsteen

I know artists like Bruce Springsteen speaking out against President Trump can divide fans, but that is the risk they have to take. The artist is in the right, so it doesn’t matter if some do not agree! The same with women’s reproductive rights. It needs to be addressed heavily and powerfully through music. There are artists like Nadine Shah posting about genocide in Palestine. Others who use their social media platforms to speak out. However, when it comes to recent musical output, this is something relatively unexplored. Even women’s rights and equality is not being talked about that much. By women, maybe, but few men add their voice. At a time when there are so many enormously important and divisive subjects being discussed, so much modern musical output is still around the personal and predictable. GERM is a very rare case of an artist somewhat going against the grain and empowering a community often attacked, abused and mocked. I do hope that the music industry does more. I know being ‘right’ is subjective. However, when it comes to things like trans rights and women’s body autonomy, it is not that difficult or complex. There is a definite correct stance and anyone who disagrees is wrong! Why are artists so worried about repercussions or financial loss?! It does seem that they are being held back by something. Whilst in private they voice their disgust, their music does not really reflect that. It is such a shame that we do not have that many people using the stage and studio to bring about change. Irish group Kneecap created anger and condemnation when they called for people to kill their local M.P.s. Whilst it is wrong to say that, they seem to have been the victim of scapegoating. The attacks they have received is not about the danger and insensitivity of asking people to kill M.P.s. They have spoken out against the genocide in Palestine and Gaza and that seems to be the biggest issue. Those who say artists have no right getting involved in politics and that they are not qualified to speak about it (both wrong). I was listening to the podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, and a recent episode argued this: how Kneecap were wrong and should not get involved in politics. If we discourage artists from being political and exorcising freedom of expression then that is censorship. There should be some censorship in music, though the argument around genocide and their disgust is not a political matter. It is a moral one. People who try and shut down Kneecap are those, sadly, who do not want to offend Israel and feel that what the country’s leaders are doing is acceptable.

This takes me to my final point. Musicians are coming out and having their say on the genocide in Gaza. Many across various cultures genres and mediums. In a lot of cases, either that person seems to come almost to the defence of Israel or they words their statement in such a way that it does not take a position. Something like genocide does not need a carefully-worded statement, poetry or something watered down and ‘balanced’. Artists need to call it what it is and call out Israel. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has issued a statement that has rightly gained backlash because it is so disappointing. It also seems to show more sympathy and understanding to Israel. Fellow Radiohead bandmate Johnny Greenwood being accused of sympathy and support towards Israel means the band are going to lose a lot of fans. The Guardian reported on what Thom Yorke wrote:

“In October 2024, he was heckled during a solo concert in Melbourne by a man who asked Yorke: “How could you be silent?” regarding the death toll in the war. A flustered Yorke rebutted him and briefly left the stage.

More broadly, Radiohead have been criticised for performing in Tel Aviv in 2017, with Yorke saying at the time: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government.” Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has recently been criticised for performing with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, with UK venues cancelling his concerts after protests.

Yorke has now made a statement about the Australian incident and the situation in Gaza, saying the October concert “didn’t really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Afterwards, I remained in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity, and I struggled to find an adequate way to respond to this and to carry on with the rest of the shows on the tour.

“That silence, my attempt to show respect for all those who are suffering and those who have died, and to not trivialise it in a few words, has allowed other opportunistic groups to use intimidation and defamation to fill in the blanks, and I regret giving them this chance. This has had a heavy toll on my mental health.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Palestinians evacuate following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi Mosque in Gaza on 9th October, 2023/PHOTO CREDIT: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images 

Yorke said he thought it would be “self-evident” from his music “that I could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanisation of others.” He added:

I think Netanyahu and his crew of extremists are totally out of control and need to be stopped, and that the international community should put all the pressure it can on them to cease. Their excuse of self-defence has long since worn thin and has been replaced by a transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently.

I believe this ultra-nationalist administration has hidden itself behind a terrified & grieving people and used them to deflect any criticism, using that fear and grief to further their ultra-nationalist agenda with terrible consequences, as we see now with the horrific blockade of aid to Gaza …

At the same time the unquestioning Free Palestine refrain that surrounds us all does not answer the simple question of why the hostages have still not all been returned? For what possible reason?

Why did Hamas choose the truly horrific acts of October 7th? The answer seems obvious, and I believe Hamas chooses too to hide behind the suffering of its people, in an equally cynical fashion for their own purposes.

He then turned his focus to “social media witch-hunts” saying that pressure on “artists and whoever they feel like that week to make statements etc do very little except heighten tension, fear and oversimplification of what are complex problems”.

He concluded his lengthy statement by saying: “I have written this in the simple hope that i can join with the many millions of others praying for this suffering, isolation and death to stop, praying that we can collectively regain our humanity and dignity and our ability to reach understanding ... that one day soon this darkness will have passed”.

There is no denying the fact Hamas should be condemned and release the hostages. That they committed horrendous atrocities in 2023 where they killed hundreds at the Supernova Festival. If it is true that Hamas have been siphoning aid supplies meant for those affected by genocide then that is something that needs to be highlighted and condemned. However, when you think about the daily reality and numbers. Israel constantly pulverising and obliterating Palestine! Turning Gaza into a wasteland. The countless number of fatalities. It must be tens of thousands who have been killed. There is no doubt who the aggressors are and the fact that this is not a war or conflict: it is genocide. Because of that, if you are issuing a statement about Israel and Palestine, then the realities needs to be reflected. Thom York’s wording caused a lot of anger. He seems to be blaming Hamas as much as Israel. Weak platitudes when it comes to those affected by genocide. The same crap that politicians trot out when it comes to tragedies and warfare – thoughts and prayers (the ‘prayers’ part of especially idiotic because, if you believe in God and want to offer prayers that he will stop this, then you might ask why he f*cking started this and let thousands die!). I am going to leave it there. A few news items and events that I wanted to discuss but could not break up and make three individual features about. I might do this in a couple or few weeks. There has been a lot of exciting new music and announcements, so there is plenty to focus on. From women in sexual abuse and rape cases not being believed to artists being passive or silent when it comes to speaking out, through to those who do react but reveal some ugly and horrible things about themselves, it is troubling! Even though there have been cases of artists being in the right and using their platform right and for good, so many do nothing or show their true (and bleak) colours. In spite of some steps forward, there is still…

SUCH a long way to go.

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: The Very Best of Jehnny Beth

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Johnny Hostile

 

The Very Best of Jehnny Beth

__________

RATHER than put together a mixtape…

IN THIS PHOTO: Savages

around an artist’s birthday or on a particular theme, I wanted to focus on the incredible Jehnny Beth. Former lead of Savages, her debut solo album, TO LOVE IS TO LIVE, was released in 2020. A new album is out on 29th August. You Heartbreaker, You will be released through Fiction Records. I would urge people to pre-order the album. New single, Broken Rib, is among Jehnny Beth’s very best. A fascinating insight into her upcoming album. Prior to getting to a mixtape of Jehnny’s Beth’s finest songs, I want to bring in part of a new interview from NME:

“NME: Hello Jehnny Beth. It’s been a while since we last spoke before ‘To Love Is To Live’. How have the last five years been for you?

Jehnny Beth: “They’ve been interesting. I’ve been doing lots of different things. Surprising things happened. ‘To Love Is To Live’ came out around the pandemic so all the plans around it were cancelled. That wasn’t an easy time. I know that for some people, confinement was a great experience for them creatively. But for me it was the time I was supposed to be out there. It dragged everything, even financially, into a difficult spot.

“I was very lucky that I got some offers in films that year. I was asked to star in Jacques Audiard movie [Paris, 13th District] and the next year we went to Cannes. These non-music based things were new, so they were new and I was curious about it. A few other acting jobs came. I knew I wanted to make a new record, but it just had to hit the point where I couldn’t sleep at night over it.”

A record that needed to be made?

“That’s it. I was still making music, but I don’t think it felt as urgent as it felt when I decided to write ‘You Heartbreaker, You’.”

Paris, 13th District got so much attention and then Anatomy Of A Fall had pretty phenomenal critical success. How did it feel to be seen by so many in a different light? Did that confidence and new sense of identity bleed into the new album?

“When I go into the studio to write music with [creative partner and longtime collaborator] Johnny Hostile, the world outside disappears. Although it is within me and the sum of all these experiences add up to be part of who you are. However, I was not thinking about my experiences as an actor when I was writing – but there are links between artforms. Acting is an interpretation. What they have in common is that you have to think of what you want to say in the world, where your places is and what your point of view is.

“Singing or acting – they spring from that place of ‘What do I want to say?’ You’re not thinking about the superficiality of it of ‘Where do I place my hands?’ The need comes from within. What I wanted to do with this record was to reconnect with the urge of my time in Savages – maybe adding something more dangerous to it, perhaps a sense of humour as well.

“I think it was the first time I was not overthinking what I was doing. I was just enjoying the process with an unconditional trust and belief. Maybe that’s me watching too much Ted Lasso…”

Is the album basically saying, ‘Everything’s fucked, but we must move’?

“I like that! They’re your words not mine, but yes. The world is better with a good song in it, and music is a way to bring things back together. Nothing really makes sense in the end, but it’s a way to cope. It’s the same for live music: it’s a great thing that we do as a species that we should be proud of. The times are traumatic, there’s a lot of drama and pain in the world. We still consider love with a very prehistoric approach.”

And that’s what inspired the album title, right?

“The artwork of the record is a reference to all the car tags you see when lovers break up and attack their ex’s car by spraying a massive ‘TWAT’ or something like that. Me and Johnny Hostile came across a few in London. One was, ‘You cheating bastard – I’m pregnant with your child’. It’s very violent and aggressive. My friend tagged my car to make the record sleeve. That’s the echo of the world that I receive.

“Yasiin Bey said in a recent TV interview that if your heart’s not broken then your heart’s not working. If you find yourself displaced in a society that’s sick then it probably means you’re sane. One of the lyrics on the record is: ‘Anyone who does anything with their heart knows one day they’ll have it broken’. That was the starting point of the record”.

I am really looking forward to You Heartbreaker, You. One of the most distinct and remarkable artists of this time, Broken Rib shows what a compelling and brilliant talent Jehnny Beth is. If you have not dug into her music or know her from Savages, then I hope the mixtape below gives you a good impression of who this artist is. I am including some hits from Savages and Jehnny Beth and some deeper cuts. An extraordinary artist, when you look at her body of work and listen to what she is producing now, there are few others…

BETTER than her.

FEATURE: Debbie Harry at Eighty: Bringing Her Life to the Screen

FEATURE:

 

 

Debbie Harry at Eighty

PHOTO CREDIT: Louie Banks for The Times

 

Bringing Her Life to the Screen

__________

I have written about this…

IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry in 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Stein

before when it comes to Debbie Harry. The Blondie lead turns eighty on 1st July. Because of that, I have been thinking about the way that she has inspired so many people through the generations. One of the most talented and coolest band leads who has ever lived, she is hugely important. I don’t think there has ever been a biopic of Blondie. It seems like an oversight. I think that Debbie Harry would not object to having someone portray her on the screen – whether film or T.V. Blondie have been portrayed in projects before but not them at the centre. Harry is someone who has also inspired so many other musicians. I am not sure who could bring her to life, though I do think that there needs to be some form of representation very soon. As Harry is eighty very soon, I am thinking about Blondie and their rise. If not a biopic about the band, then something that is all about Debbie Harry and her life. I want to bring in a new interview from The Times. In the interview, Debbie Harry talks about the thought of turning eighty. She also discusses her 2019 book, Face It: A Memoir:

“That she looks so fabulous certainly belies much of what has happened since her bombshell heyday. With classics such as Hanging on the Telephone, Call Me and Rapture, Blondie sold millions of records before they split up in 1982. Harry partied at Studio 54 with Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Paloma Picasso. But by the mid-1980s things were bleak. She and her bandmate, long-term boyfriend and co-songwriter, Chris Stein, had been dealing with heroin addiction and his serious illness caused by an autoimmune condition that Harry nursed him through. After being hit with a huge tax bill (their accountant hadn’t paid their taxes for two years), the couple had their possessions seized by the Internal Revenue Service, including their Manhattan townhouse. In 1987 they split. Stein subsequently married and had children, Harry didn’t, but they’re still best friends. “Those were tough times,” she says, characteristically deadpan. “But they were also very creative. Creativity and chaos often go hand in hand.”

During the 1990s, Harry, by now long since cleaned up, found herself virtually back where she started, fronting an obscure jazz outfit. But posterity has rewarded her. In 1997 Blondie re-formed and had another No 1 with Maria. Charli XCX and Sia wrote songs for their 2017 album Pollinator. One Direction and Miley Cyrus introduced the band to a new generation with their respective One Way or Another and Heart of Glass covers. There was a storming 2023 UK tour, which included playing Glastonbury.

What does Harry think her teenage self — growing up in suburban New Jersey — would have thought of a septuagenarian rocking a festival? She hoots. “She woulda thought, ‘Send the old bitch back!’ I was a snotty little ageist thing.”

In fact, her star just continues rising. Her latest role is as a face of Gucci’s Cruise 2025 collection, shot for its We Will Always Have London campaign in the back of a black cab by the renowned photographer Nan Goldin. “I just love Nan, she’s a sweetheart and a talent …” she says before being interrupted by her phone, which she squints at and then chuckles. “That was a butt dial.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Louie Banks for The Times

This career twist happened after Gucci’s creative director, Sabato De Sarno, relaunched the Blondie handbag — a 1970s archive piece — at the Cruise 2025 show, held at the Tate Modern, London, last May, with Harry in attendance. “There was a long, rampy staircase. They said, ‘Sabato is up there,’ so I was huffing and puffing up them and almost ran into him. We had an explosive moment and then … ” She was handed the campaign? “Yes, I don’t know what their thinking was but I was surprised and excited to be looked at.”

Having such an archetypal New Yorker front a London-based campaign may sound counterintuitive but, as Harry points out: “Blondie was part of the culture over there for such a long time.” It’s true the band broke the UK before the US, with their first tour here starting in Bournemouth in 1977. “Bournemouth may not seem punk now but it was then. I went back recently and thought, ‘Oh! It’s gentrified.’” Hasn’t everywhere? “Yes, everywhere’s changed.”

Yet Harry is resolutely unsentimental about the past, refusing to be drawn into any old-fogeyish praising of the good old days. “I don’t think anything can go backwards,” she says. Of today’s female pop stars, she likes Doja Cat and SZA. She loves making new young friends. “Doing this Gucci thing I’ve met a whole bunch of different people. [Her fellow Gucci campaign star, the musician] Kelsey Lu is one of them, she’s absolutely adorable.”

She’s equally unemotional about the many obstacles she has overcome. Her 2019 memoir, Face It, briskly — often humorously — lists events most people would categorise as traumatising, from having a stalker (the inspiration for One Way or Another), to being raped at knifepoint, to escaping from a car that she’s convinced was being driven by the serial killer Ted Bundy.

“Well, I had to make the book exciting,” she says. “But I’ve never been prone to hysterics. I have bad moments when I’m tired but most of the time I take things philosophically. So much the better for me — why would I want to rock my boat? I was on stage once when a bunch of Hell’s Angels took it over. I kept singing away but all of a sudden Chris yanked me off. Everyone was worried but I wasn’t. The bikers were absolutely charming, they were just so into the music”.

Some might say that it is a bit niche to have Debbie Harry biopic. Maybe it would attract fands of Blondie, though it could gain a wider audience. I know that music biopics are a risky thing. In terms of the story and who is cast in the lead. However, when it comes to Debbie Harry, she could consult and could have a direct say in who plays her. Supervise the script and direction. I am going to end with a Blondie playlist. Demonstrate and illustrate just how amazing their music is. I am not certain whether a Debbie Harry biopic or Blondie one would be best. There are other great interviews with Debbie Harry that I would advise people to check out. She is this fascinating artist who I hope records more music with Blondie. Even though their drummer Clem Burke recently died, that is not to say the band will discontinue or disband. I think that we are going to see them continue for a while. Look back at their incredible catalogue of work that it is among the most important in all of music. Debbie Harry is this icon and source of inspiration who has weathered so much. If you read Face It: A Memoir, “Harry, who is now 74, outlines the influences and events that led to her rise to fame. Written with the music writer Sylvie Simmons, the memoir is based on a series of lengthy interviews, which makes for a conversational style, though anyone looking for an excavation of the soul might be disappointed. Harry has rock ’n’ roll stories to burn but the memoir as a confessional isn’t her style. For the most part, the Blondie character remains”. On 1st July, Debbie Harry turns eighty. In addition to the celebration around that, I think there will be this sense that she needs to be brought to the screen. If done with care, passion and conviction, it could be among the best music biopics of recent years. I am sure that Debbie Harry would not object. Shining a light on the life and work of one of the greatest artists…

OF all time.

FEATURE: The Great American Songbook: Paul Simon

FEATURE:

 

 

The Great American Songbook

 

Paul Simon

__________

THIS is a run of features…

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Simon with Art Garfunkel

where I compile a twenty-song playlist from some legendary American artists. In future parts will be Taylor Swift and The Beach Boys. I am starting out with one of the greatest songwriters ever: Paul Simon. From his earliest years as part of Simon & Garfunkel through to his amazing solo albums, his contribution to music has been immense. Not to disrespect the actual Great American Songbook, but this feature is my own spin. Looking at artists from the 1960s through to the modern day whose catalogue is among the most impressive and influential in all of music. It will be fun to explore some truly titanic artists. Starting out with Paul Simon seemed like an obvious choice as, alongside the likes of Bob Dylan, he ranks as the greatest songwriter the country has ever produced. Some people might know all of his music and be superfans, whilst some might only know the bigger hits. This twenty-song mix goes right back to the earliest days of Simon & Garfunkel and drops in a song from his latest album, 2023’s Seven Psalms. For those who love the work of the mighty Paul Simon, then I hope that this playlist is up to scratch. It goes to show that his songwriting is…

LIKE nobody else’s.

FEATURE: A Wake-Up Call for the Music Industry: Inside Linda Coogan Byrne’s Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change

FEATURE:

 

 

A Wake-Up Call for the Music Industry

 

Inside Linda Coogan Byrne’s Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change

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WITH her book…

written “For the Girls”, Linda Coogan Byrne’s Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change is an essential and urgent read. One of a few books this year that I have come across that I feel everyone needs to own. Released on 11th April, you can buy the book here. I am going to come to some thoughts regarding the book and is aims. It is a project that its author put her heart and soul into. Someone who tirelessly campaigns for gender equality and recognition of women in music. Her statistics and words regarding Irish female musicians and how they are overlooked on playlists is especially shocking. How there are always excuses that they are in the minority. You can follow Why Not Her? here. Taken from Linda Coogan Byrne’s book, when it comes to Irish women they “are releasing music independently — without the label support, playlist backing, or radio airplay their male counterparts get. The odds are stacked. And still, they rise”. I am going to explore that thought and sad realisation. Before that, here is more information about a book every music fan needs to own:

“Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Culture Change—A Bold Call to Action from Linda Coogan Byrne

Author, Activist, and Award-Winning Music Industry Consultant Demands Systemic Change in Music and Beyond

London/Dublin – April 11, 2025 – The wait is over. Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Culture Change is here to challenge the status quo and shake the foundations of the music industry—and beyond.

Written by Linda Coogan Byrne, a leading voice in gender equity and diversity, this manifesto is a fearless exposé of the systemic barriers that have long kept women and marginalised voices locked out of opportunities. With over two decades of experience in music, activism, and data-driven advocacy, Coogan Byrne lays bare the stark inequalities in the industry, weaving together powerful research, personal testimony, and an urgent call to action.

"This isn’t just about playlists or festival lineups. It’s about power—who gets heard and who is silenced," says Coogan Byrne. "This manifesto is my refusal to comply with a broken system. It’s about rewriting the rules and demanding better."

IN THIS PHOTO: Linda Coogan Byrne (photos via Irish Examiner)

Through her Why Not Her? movement, Coogan Byrne’s reports on gender and racial disparity have reached millions of people, forcing industry leaders to confront their biases. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, BBC, RTÉ, and Music Week and has driven tangible policy shifts across the media sector of the government.

A core message of the book is clear: silence is complicity. Resistance is not just necessary—it is imperative. With sharp analysis and firsthand industry insight, Coogan Byrne not only exposes injustice but also lays out a blueprint for real change.

As she writes in the book’s final chapter:

"Equality is not a gift to be granted—it is a right to be reclaimed. When one voice speaks up, it sparks change. When many voices rise together, it becomes a revolution no system can silence."

This is more than a book—it’s a movement. For industry professionals, policymakers, artists, and anyone committed to dismantling exclusionary structures, Why Not Her? is an essential read”.

Radio stations genuine gave these excuses when asked why they do not feature more women: “We don’t make the rules” (they do); “Women just moan” (they don’t); “We actually had some women on a special Friday night show back in February” (how generous of you!). The situation is bad for U.K. female artists but it is positively bleak for Irish women. This time last year, Why Not Her? published a report that outlined how Irish female artists made up just 2% of most-played songs on Irish radio in past year. The situation has not got much better. Think about incredible Irish women who are played on U.K. radio such as CMAT, and I wonder how her career would fare if she had to rely on Irish radio for support. The reality is Ireland has so many incredible women shaping and pushing the music landscape in exciting new directions. The fact that radio stations and festivals there marginalise them means many move out of the country or feel like they are trapped and cannot stay where they are. Gender imbalance is slightly improving in some areas. I have said how a massive festival like Glastonbury, whilst attempting to create greater balance across its bill, is taking steps back when it comes to female headliners.

Two last year (SZA and Dua Lipa) was the first time more than one women headlined the Pyramid Stage. Count the number of female artists who have headlined Glastonbury is the past fifty years and it makes for astronomically depressing reading. This year could have been a chance to keep moving in the right direction, though a festival with two male headline acts on the Pyramid Stage – Neil Young and The 1975 – seems like the festival settling into old (and bad) ways, in spite of a broader and fairer shake for women across over stages. I am going to bring in some passages from Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change. I am starting out with this:

“The gender disparities evident in festival lineups (and on radio and streaming playlists - which we will look at in the next few chapters)  are  more  than  isolated  industry  phenomena—they  are symptomatic of deeper, systemic inequities that ripple across all facets  of  society.  Festivals,  as  public  spaces  of  cultural  expression,  provide a striking lens through which we can explore these issues. While the music industry serves as the primary focus of this mani-festo, it also acts as a microcosm of much broader societal structures that  dictate  who  gets  opportunities,  whose  stories  are  heard,  and  who is left behind. By  stepping  back  from  the  music  industry,  we  can  see  how  these patriarchal frameworks not only shape creative spaces but also 11

influence how we define success, handle adversity, and allocate value in our lives.The music industry is but one thread in a much larger tapestry. The  inequities  we  observe  there—from  who  gets  booked  at  festi-vals to whose voices dominate airwaves—mirror the structures that dictate opportunities in every other sphere of life. These patriarchal frameworks seep into education systems, workplaces, and even our homes, shaping not just who succeeds but how we perceive success itself. To truly understand systemic inequality, we must broaden our perspective beyond the stage and playlists.These  structures  don’t  just  dictate  opportunities  or  gatekeep  success—they  shape  everything  from  career  progression  to  men-tal health, impacting men, women, and gender-diverse individuals alike. The pressure for men to adhere to outdated notions of mas-culinity is as damaging as the systemic silencing of women’s voices. This conditioning runs deep, with consequences that are undeniably severe,  particularly  regarding  mental  health,  as  evidenced  by  the  harrowing realities of suicide”.

I am going to come to my own thoughts and opinions to end. However, there are a couple of other extracts from Linda Coogan Byrne’s new (and essential) book that caught my eye and caused shock. Aside from fascinating statistics and urgent calls for change, there are passages like this that makes it clear how sexism and misogyny runs right through music. It seems especially severe and prevalent for Irish women:

“For generations, Irish women’s voices, much like the banshee’s, have  been  dismissed,  feared,  or  outright  silenced.  The  warnings  they sounded—about inequality, about exclusion, about the cultural erasure they were experiencing—were waved away as exaggeration, just as the banshee’s cries were once shrugged off as superstition. But the truth always reveals itself. The banshee’s lament wasn’t a myth; it was a reckoning. And so too were these reports. In  some  myths,  the  banshee  isn’t  just  a  signal  of  doom  but  a  figure of mourning, keening for the loss that has already happened. In  that  way,  she  mirrors  the  women  in  this  industry—forced  to  carry the weight of exclusion, their warnings dismissed, their voices trailing into the wind until, finally, someone listens. I remember poring over the data late at night, seeing the reality of what was happening to women in Irish music laid bare in cold, hard numbers. The eerie thing was, we already knew this. Women in the industry had been crying out about it for years—just like the banshee, their voices trailing through the air, only to be met with denial, discomfort, or outright refusal to listen. There’s a long tradition in Ireland of women being seen as too emotional,  too  dramatic,  too  much.  The  banshee  herself  is  feared  not because she causes harm, but because she forces people to con-front something they don’t want to face. And isn’t that exactly what happens when women speak uncomfortable truths? They are called difficult, disruptive, hysterical—anything but right .But here’s the thing about a banshee’s cry: you can’t un-hear it. Once she keens, the message is out in the world, and nothing can take it back. These reports were our own banshee’s wail—undeniable, Linda Coogan Byrne26

impossible to ignore, and signalling that a long-overdue reckoning was at hand”.

You can see the facts and statistics and get a numerical and graphical representation of the inequalities that affect women through radio playlists, festivals and beyond. However, it is what the industry does with that data that is important! There does need to be action and activation from those in power. Especially in nations like Ireland where women are such a minority across playlists and when it comes to the most played artists, it cannot be for women to fight for themselves. At a time when women are producing the best music and ruling the industry, they are not being rewarded with opportunity or parity. It has to change:

“Understanding the facts is the first step toward consciousness, which leads to change. Facts alone are insufficient; they need to be combined with compassion, tenacity, and a will to confront embed-ded inequalities. This art is not about pointing fingers; it is about constructing bridges. The reports were more than simply critiques; they were blueprints, outlining specific strategies, offering actionable steps even, to break down the walls that had held so many people back. From redesigning radio playlists to broadening festival lineups, the idea was not to demolish what existed, but to reconstruct it in a way that acknowledged the contributions of all voices. Change is not easy, but it is always worthwhile. Using statistics to open doors and start conversations made me realise that when we face the truth and commit to improving, progress is not just possible but inevitable. With this important work, each step forward brings us closer to an industry that values talent and artistry over bias and tradition. The journey to equity is more than creating space; it’s about reimag-ining  and  reconstructing  the  foundations  of  our  systems  to  serve  everyone equally. This transcends the music industry. It’s a blueprint for collective liberation—a vision where the power of unity, diversity, WHY NOT HER? A MANIFESTO FOR CULTURE CHANGE33

and shared purpose propels us toward a more inclusive world. And at the heart of this transformation lies the undeniable strength and indeed vast potential of women, whose leadership will, one day, light the path forward. This path has always been about more than just discovering the truth  or  inspiring  action;  it’s  about  reimagining  what  is  possible.  The  data  may  have  opened  the  doors,  but  by  Jesus  the  countless  conversations kept them open, and it was during those chats that I realised something fundamental. The fight for equity is more than just a professional endeavour; it is a deeply emotional reckoning”.

I admire the work that Linda Coogan Byrne and Why Not Her? do. Publishing annual reports that look at the date around women being represented across the industry, including radio stations. I know that some of those highlighted in the report take note and improve but, too often, there are these excuses and ignorance. If men supposedly are requesting only men – which is not the case, and if you only play men then, funnily enough, that is all they will know! -, then it is down to those who play the songs and book acts to make change! If it means disappointing those listeners (sexists) then that is what need to happen. It is not about upsetting people or grand gestures. It is about levelling things up. That is the absolute minimum! The music industry should be gender-balanced when it comes to festival line-ups, playlists and including women (and non-binary artists). Women are dominating so should actually be in the majority in that respect – though we have to be realistic and realise the music industry might never go that far! I dread to think how Irish music will evolve if women feel they are not being heard and have to move to other countries so they can have a career. Festivals are still imbalanced and it is easy to make big leaps. Organisers hiding behind their own excuses. The data is out there, and Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change is a book that argues consistently why this data cannot be ignored. Women practically backlisted in an industry that they are making golden and extraordinary. It is not about quality, demand or tradition. It is sexism and misogyny. It is also a music industry that is stuck in its patriarchal ways. Why make any change if people are not screaming en masse? There needs to be greater male allyship and calls for change. Incredible organisations like Why Not Her? do amazing work, though this needs to be met with similar commitment and outrage across the industry. What will the story be in a matter of weeks when Why Not Her? publish another report around gender and racial disparity across U.K. radio. The statistics on Irish radio. Despite some steps forward in some areas last year, I suspect we will have more questions than solutions this year. This needs to stop! Women need to be given more respect. The industry needs to realise their invaluable contributions and how the industry has, for decades, overlooked and side-lined them. If major changes do not happen, then it will be a massive disservice. Go and buy Why Not Her? A Manifesto for Cultural Change, as it is one of the most important books…

OF the past few years.

FEATURE: Spotlight: The Pill

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

 

The Pill

__________

MAYBE not an area…

of the U.K. that is getting as much attention as it should, the Isle of Wight has given us some huge modern artists recently. Lauran Hibberd among them. The brilliant Wet Leg. One more to add to this growing list of Isle of Wight treasures to follow are The Pill. Lily Hutchings and Lottie Massey might get compared to Wet Leg’s Rhian (Teasdale) and Hester (Chambers), but their music and vibe is different. Having just released their new long-E.P., THE EP, they have this incredible release that is connecting with fans and critics. The duo have tour dates coming up. If you have not heard of them or only one or two songs then please do some more exploration. Spend some time with them. Before coming to a few recent interviews with The Pill, God Is in the TV Zine highlighted this amazing new E.P. from an act who are going to playing some big festival stages before too long - I predict that will happen. I know I say this about a lot of new artists, yet it is true in the case of The Pill:

“The Pill have released their hotly anticipated debut, The EP, featuring the fierce, witty new jank-punk track ‘POSH’, first heard on BBC 6 Music earlier this week.

The EP brings together their recent red-hot run of singles that have put them firmly on the map.The EP is their first body of work, and comes just over a year since their joyous and urgent debut single ‘Bale Of Hay’, a track that instantly grabbed the attention of key tastemakers like Steve Lemacq. They quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting new duos in town, with ‘Scaffolding Man’ and ‘Woman Driver’ tracks setting them apart with their chaotic brand of DIY punk. Live, they are a sensation. Serving satire, their fresh, frenetic sets light up the venue. GIITTV were delighted to chat with them after their Rockaway Beach set earlier in the year. Read here.

Behind their bubble gum lyrics and fierce hook-laden riffs hides whip-smart, witty, searing social commentaries on gender stereotypes. Their stagecraft, banter and synchronicity are phenomenal. With basslines that would make The Breeders proud, they gloriously juxtapose a lightness of lyrics with a buzzsaw of riffs and breakneck guitars. Their songs are freewheeling, frenetic and hook-laden, giving them the potential to be huge.

Speaking of their new track, the band say,

“Written on a night out, about a night out. ‘POSH’ is drawn from the point of view of the messy, bratty, party girl personas we put on for a laugh after a few too many drinks. It’s a wild, stupid parody of ourselves and our music.”

The band just played to a packed crowd at The Great Escape in Brighton which follows spectacular dates with Big Special and HotWax. They’re currently on tour with Panic Shack before heading back to London on 18th June for their first headline show there at The Grace. Alongside ‘The EP’ they have announced a string of dates across the UK in September”.

I am going to move to an interview from DIY. It is a great introduction from a duo who are growing their fanbase and are getting respect and love from radio stations and many corners of the music press. As they have an E.P. – or is it a long-E.P., technically?! – out there, I know they will be bringing these songs to the stage very soon. I would love to see them live, as I can imagine they really connect with every crowd. Such an incredible electrifying act:

“Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

This week, we’re sitting down with The Pill - the no-holds-barred, no-fucks-given duo who marry serious shredding with a hefty dose of fun (think synchronised dance routines, winking lyrical quips, and a brilliant line in slogan-sporting merch). Though they only have four singles to their name so far, the pair - comprised of guitarist/vocalist Lily and bassist/vocalist Lottie - have already stirred up trouble in all the right places: last year’s ‘Woman Driver’ playfully skewers automobile-related gender stereotypes, while latest cut ‘Money Mullet’ decries the comeback of the world’s most Marmite hairstyle. Ahead of what’s set to be a busy old year of gigs and grooves, we find out more about The Pill’s story so far…

You hail from the Isle of Wight - musically, what was it like growing up there? What were the first gigs you ever went to?

Growing up on the Isle of Wight is definitely a unique experience, but definitely not a negative one. I mean, we still live here with no plans of leaving! We wouldn’t say there’s an enormous amount of things you can do on the island, but we see that as a good thing as it encourages you to make your own fun, be creative, get drunk in a field etc etc.

Due to the island being this way, there’s definitely a very strong community - we’re so grateful to be a part of the music scene here. Growing up and being surrounded by other creative people has been so influential to us. We have one venue here, Strings, which we and all our friends regularly frequented when we were younger. They weren’t our first ever gigs, but we would say they were the most poignant - we owe so much to going there and watching our friends play multiple times a week!

Your latest single, ‘Money Mullet’, is a bit of an anti-mullet anthem. But what are the worst haircuts / ill-advised fashion moments you’ve ever had? And if you could ban one item of clothing/hairstyle/accessory etc from ever coming back into fashion, what would it be (and why)?

Lottie has definitely had a lot of questionable phases, which means a lot of questionable haircuts. She actually even had a mullet at some point - what a hypocrite. But the worst was definitely the emo fringe, we even nicknamed it ‘the wall’ because it was so ladened with hairspray.

And not to be basic, but we’re still big haters of skinny jeans - I know everyone says that, but maybe everyone is right. Oh, and those really tight suits men wear, with the slight sheen and the pointy shoes. Get rid.

What were the first songs/albums/artists you developed an obsession for?

Lily: It definitely wasn’t the first album I got obsessed with (as I didn’t wait till 2017 to listen to music for the first time), but I was definitely obsessed with the Baby Driver soundtrack - it helped me walk really really fast to college every day.

Lottie: Talking of soundtracks, my most listened to album of all time is probably the soundtrack from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Every single song is a masterpiece and I refuse to only listen to it at Christmas or Halloween - all year round, 365 days, I’m spinning that bad boy.

You recently played one of DIY’s Hello 2025 shows at the Old Blue Last, and things got a bit crazy… How do you go about gearing up for a live show - any rituals, weird rider requests, or hype songs? And what would you say people who have never seen The Pill should expect from a gig?

We had so much fun at that show! Thank you so much for having us and embracing our chaos, it definitely got a bit crazy. Before we play live, we would say the main thing is just trying to get as riled up as possible, a bit like Jack Nicholson before he shot the infamous Shining scene - you know that clip of him jumping up and down with the axe? That’s like us.

Lily: I always have to have at least four Redbulls, and if there’s a bottle of gin hanging around I’ll be very happy.

Lottie: I’m a simple woman, some beers are all I need. Oh, and we always listen to ABBA - without fail.

For anyone wanting to come to a Pill show who hasn’t already (why? Where have you been?), just expect a lot of noise, a lot of shouting, a lot of chaos and lots of giggles”.

I do like how The Pill started out as a joke/fake band. They sort of manifested something online. I like hearing how artists start and how groups come together. A lot of the stories can be run of the mill and boring. No such issue with The Pill! Lily and Lottie have this amazing background and story. They seem almost sisterly in their bond. There is this chemistry and connection that comes through in their music. I am moving to an interview from February from DORK. I do think that the Isle of Wight is this treasure trove of artists that we should all be focused on:

“We actually originally started the band as a joke. Shocking, I know, as we’re so serious now,” explains Lottie, one-half of the band’s core duo. “Back in 2019, we made our Instagram page and hid our identities and tried to build up some fake form of hype over our fake band – obviously bored and procrastinating school work to engage in some sort of weird social experiment.”

The experiment took an unexpected turn when their mysterious online presence began generating genuine interest. “People actually started getting interested, so we thought ‘maybe we should actually do this?'” Lottie continues. “Then promptly booking our first rehearsal and arranging our first ever show, which actually sold out – crazy.”

The band’s formation story becomes even more remarkable considering that guitarist Lily hadn’t even played before The Pill. “We had never done anything like this before, Lily actually learnt guitar for the band,” Lottie reveals. “I don’t think in a million years we would’ve expected what is happening with The Pill today when we were sitting in my bedroom making that Instagram account.”

Their musical foundations, however, run deeper than their playful beginnings might suggest. Both members grew up immersed in rich musical environments. For Lily, The Cure provided an early soundtrack: “The Cure was a huge part of my growing up; I remember listening to their ‘Greatest Hits’ album in the car with my dad on holiday when I was 10, and it stuck with me ever since.”

Lottie’s musical awakening came through both parental influence and popular culture. “I grew up very influenced by my dad’s favourite music; I was a die-hard Queen fan from about the age of 6 months. ‘Radio Gaga’ was the first song I ever danced to,” she shares. A pivotal moment came while watching a certain Jack Black vehicle: “I have a core memory where I was watching School of Rock when I was around 10 or 11 and thinking the bass guitar was the coolest thing ever – I swiftly started learning, and the rest was history.”

The Pill’s trajectory has been marked by a series of increasingly confident singles, each maintaining their signature blend of sharp wit and frenetic energy. Their latest offering, ‘Money Mullet’, takes aim at a particular subspecies of the controversial haircut. “We have had a handful of run-ins with some mullets, a particular kind of mullet,” they explain. “They inspired us to write the song, so we will thank them for that, but nothing else, particularly not the hours wasted cutting them. New drinking game: take a shot every time you see a mullet in London’s financial district.”

Their rise has been particularly meaningful given their roots in the Isle of Wight’s close-knit music community. “The Isle Of Wight is a scene we are very grateful for; you can be creative with all your friends,” they reflect. “Most of our teenage years were spent going to our friends’ shows in our local venue every week, so you’re constantly surrounded by music and creative people.”

This foundation has served them well as they’ve expanded beyond their island beginnings. Recent highlights include commanding the River Stage at the Isle Of Wight Festival and making their European debut at Eurockéenes. The connection with their growing audience remains central to their mission. “Anyone who listens to our music or comes to our show and has fun – that is probably the biggest compliment to us,” they share. “Seeing people laugh at our jokes or our lyrics is very surreal, but an amazing feeling.”

Looking to the year ahead, The Pill’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. “We have a very crazy 2025 coming up. It is going to be the year of The Pill, so will 2026,” they declare. “New music is in the works, too, so keep your ears ready. It’s going to be a big bimbo summer.”

When not crafting sardonic punk anthems, the duo pursue distinctly different interests. “Most days, you can find me outside as I’ve started trying to tame crows, so I’m feeding them to tempt them into a beautiful friendship,” Lottie shares. Meanwhile, Lily has developed a creative side hustle: “I try to spend as much time as I can in my workshop twiddling away at jewellery making. I would like to put my hand to rally driving this year, though?”

I am going to finish off with a review of THE EP by DORK. Before that, I am coming to a great interview from CLASH. Even the duo have a lot of humour and there is this sense of fun about them, they do have a love of drama. The Pill are on the precipice of hitting the big time, so I am not sure whether they will leave behind the Isle of Wight and will reside permanently in London or elsewhere. I forgot to mention that another great Isle of Wight export is Coach Party – a band I spotlighted years ago. I love how CLASH write in their interview: “There’s an “island mentality” insofar that these artists tend not to take themselves too seriously. This homegrown authenticity by putting fun foremost is getting them noticed”. A great chat with the incredible Lily and Lottie:

“The Pill get a real sense of satisfaction when it comes to irritating punk rock music’s self-appointed gatekeepers. Which, by and large, tend to be middle-aged men flooding their Instagram uploads with angry comments.

“Ohhh yeahhh,” Lily Hutchings and Lottie Massey mischievously reply in unison when asked if that’s the case, an impulsive yet perfectly in-tune response which says as much about their mission statement as a band as much as their tight bond as best buds.

“That’s one of my favourite parts of being in a band,” guitarist and singer Lily continues, before bassist Lottie adds, “every day there’s so many men that are so angry. ‘This isn’t punk’ etc. Ok, well I wasn’t fucking asking you. The problem is with social media, I’ll get a bottle of wine, absolutely pissed, and will just be like ‘I wasn’t actually asking you stupid man’ [in a parodying nasal voice], or just lean into it and be like ‘omg you know so much about punk music that I don’t know’. We do rejoice in it, but sometimes it’s a little intense. As a woman, if you’re pissing off men you’re doing something right.”

“It’s funny, now we’ve started to see a few people in our merch,” Lily chimes back in, keeping a chuckle at bay. “It’s hilarious seeing middle-aged men in a t-shirt that says ‘I’m just a girl with big tits’. It’s incredible. It’s probably those guys going home and saying we’re fucking shit online.”

Later that same night, the Isle Of Wight duo played a hometown show for Independent Venue Week at Strings in Newport, the island’s capital. Seeing the crowds double-taking the band’s t-shirt slogans emblazoned with ‘Bimbo, Butthole, Tits’ as they trickled through the venue’s doors was indeed a sight to behold. An amusing one at that.

Throughout their five singles to date – the latest being ‘Problem’, a pogo-ing sub-two minute track that bristles with a kind of cheerleading satirism – The Pill’s approach to making music has been to lampoon provincial attitudes towards women and the stereotypes that come with it, prodding fun at modern life’s many absurdities as well as their own romantic misadventures. Deploying a knowingly cutesy, piss-taking vocal style and with their tongues firmly in their cheeks, you can’t help but snigger along with them. In naming themselves after the contraceptive, they were “just thinking about a girl-centric thing that when we explain to a dude might get slightly uncomfortable.”

Stuffed into one of the venue’s frosty corridors for the interview, Lily and Lottie exude the energy of a chaotic comedy duo with droll senses of humour, bouncing off each other and off the proverbial walls for the most part. Starting out in school as initial rivals – “I was such a jealous little ratbag,” Lottie confesses – the two soon befriended one another and have been virtually inseparable since. After Lottie cites her musical influences which included Amyl and the Sniffers, The Slits, and PC Music, Lily provides hers: “Bit niche. Rain sounds, some atmospheric things going on. No words, just vibes.”

“We can’t be serious,” Lily shrugs. Writing songs with a humorous, satirical slant came naturally to the pair, shuddering at the thought of ever being po-faced in their songwriting. But it also comes from growing up on an island where you’re twice-removed from knowing everyone in your age bracket, so the fear of being judged and mocked is perhaps more acute. “I think because there’s so little of us, you feel weeded out if you do something serious,” she continues. “There has to be an edge to everything you do, to save face.” “If I wrote a serious song, I’d be so cringed out,” Lottie agrees, before admitting “even though I mostly listen to serious music”.

I will end with that review of THE EP from the brilliant DORK. I do love how artists such as The Pill (and Panic Shack) can take everyday subjects and comical angles and mix it with social commentary and deeper subjects. They can address some big themes and inequalities but wrap it around this humour and wit. It makes the music more powerful and nuanced in my view:

“Life’s most cringe-worthy moments deserve their own soundtrack, and The Pill have appointed themselves as chief composers of the uncomfortable. Their debut EP – fittingly titled ‘The EP’ – bundles together their string of infectious singles with new track ‘POSH’ to create a perfectly formed snapshot of why they’ve become one of the UK’s most exciting new bands.

Opening with ‘POSH’, the Isle of Wight duo immediately showcase their talent for wrapping sharp social commentary in irresistible hooks. The track’s tongue-in-cheek take on class tourism and party personas – “No babe, don’t cum on that, it’s Gucci” – deftly demonstrates their knack for finding humour in social dynamics while keeping the energy cranked to eleven.

Across the six tracks, Lily and Lottie’s dual vocals ping-pong between sweet (often sarcastic) melodic moments and urgent calls to arms, while their instrumental interplay creates controlled chaos that’s incredibly danceable. ‘Scaffolding Man’ exemplifies this balance perfectly – its jumpy guitar riffs and playful narrative about unexpected encounters manage to be both pointed and really very funny.

‘Money Mullet’ continues their winning streak of commentaries; what starts as a straightforward critique of dodgy ‘dos evolves into a meditation on identity and social conformity. ‘Problem’ and ‘Bale of Hay’ carry the same urgent energy that made them standout singles, their scuzzy guitar work and hook-laden melodies proving just as effective in the context of a larger release.

The EP ends with a bang, ‘Woman Driver’ taking tired stereotypes and flipping them into weapons of empowerment through clever wordplay and an absolutely massive chorus.

While many of these tracks might already live on your playlist, hearing them together highlights the sharpness of The Pill’s songwriting and their ability to balance serious musical chops with humour. They’ve created a sound that’s smart, funny and ferociously energetic all at once: an absolute riot”.

Anyone who does not know about The Pill needs to follow them now. Go and listen to THE EP and add them to your playlists. They have some great dates coming up. They play London’s The Garage tomorrow (28th May) in support of Panic Shack. Their headline tour begins on 18th June starts at The Grace, London. Maybe labelled as a ‘rising act’ at the moment, the simply incredible The Pill will…

BLOW up very soon.

___________

Follow The Pill

FEATURE: Ringo Starr at Eighty-Five: With a Little Help from My Friends: An Artist I Admire and Envy

FEATURE:

 

 

Ringo Starr at Eighty-Five

PHOTO CREDIT: Dina Litovsky for The Atlantic

 

With a Little Help from My Friends: An Artist I Admire and Envy

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I am going to come to…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles in 1963/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

a couple of recent interviews with Ringo Starr. He released his new album, Look Up, on 10th January. It won a lot of critical praise. One of the best albums of this year. His twenty-first album, it arrived almost fifty-five years to day after his debut album, Sentimental Journey, came out (27th January, 1970). Even though Starr now resides in the U.S., he was born in Liverpool and holds the city dear in his heart. He turns eighty-five on 7th July, and I know there will be a lot of articles about him. Such celebration from music journalists and fans. I wanted to write a few about him, so I am starting out with one where I write why I both admire and envy him. I used to live in the same village as Ringo Starr back in 1999. He moved to Cranleigh, Surrey then and moved out not that long after. He sort of did the Rock artist thing in reverse. They normally start out in the U.S. then retire to a quiet village in England! I love how Ringo Starr is in the U.S. As I have theorised in a previous Ringo Starr feature, I think that is a way of being closer to John Lennon. Lennon was living in New York when he was killed in 1980. Lennon would have turned eighty-five this October. On 8th December, we will remember him, forty-five years since he died. It is strange he is not around. I think Ringo Starr wants to be close to Lennon in that way. Perhaps he has different reasons for being in the U.S., but I would like to think it is because of John Lennon! Starr occasionally performs with Paul McCartney. The former Beatles have been on stage a few times recently. I do hope they record together again and there is some collaboration. As Sam Mendes is making four Beatles films – biopics of the four members that will be released in 2027 -, that might bring Starr and McCartney together. I want to include a couple of recent interviews with Ringo Starr. Promoting Look Up, it must be a fascinating experiencing getting to speak with such a music legend. The Times interviewed Starr. He explained why he always wants to be in a band. He also reveals why Liverpool has always been the capital of Country music:

“At 84, and following that pre-Christmas live reunion at the O2 in London playing Helter Skelter and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with his mate Paul McCartney, 82, Starr has just unveiled his collection of 11 new country-leaning tunes. From start to finish Look Up is a delightful surprise — although perhaps it shouldn’t be, given Starr’s lifetime love of the music; he sang lead vocals on the Beatles’ version of Buck Owens’s Act Naturally on the Help! album nearly 60 years ago. That at a time when most British listeners’ idea of country music was more Jim Reeves than Johnny Cash.

But the affair began earlier, in Richard Starkey’s teenage years in working-class Merseyside, even before he became Ringo. Like his former bandmates, he has always accredited his love of rock’n’roll and soul to living in a port town where young men in the merchant navy returned home with exotic 45s from their travels. But they were also his introduction to the down-home music of the southern states.

“Country’s been good to me,” he tells me. “My idea of country is, ‘The dog’s dead and I don’t have enough money for the jukebox.’ Hundreds of records about the jukebox. I keep saying Liverpool was the capital of country music. In the streets I lived in every other house had some 18 to 25-year-old who was in the ‘merch’. And you could always tell those kids — there’d be a camel saddle in the living room because they’d been to Egypt,” he says with a laugh. “But they also went to America and came back with all the records, so we were getting them before everyone else.”

Look Up is produced and largely written by that most assured studio superintendent, T Bone Burnett, the man who oversaw Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s award-hoovering 2007 collaboration Raising Sand. Burnett has won 13 Grammys, including for his work on soundtracks for such classic Americana-fuelled movies as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Cold Mountain and Walk the Line.

“There was no plan to make a country record,” says Starr, who first met Burnett socially in the 1970s. When they reconvened more recently at an event hosted by Olivia Harrison, Starr asked T Bone for a song. “He sent me this beautiful country track, and that blows me away even today. I thought he’d be sending me a rock-pop sort of song, because you’re just in that world.” The song was Come Back, a splendidly old-fashioned lullaby in the style of “Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry, complete with Starr whistling.

Burnett then proceeded to present Starr with no fewer than nine tracks, inspiring the drummer to sidestep his recent policy of making EPs and go the whole hog with an album for the first time since 2019.

These songs are the best Starr has been involved with for decades, Burnett’s sage production sympathetic to his unmistakable if limited voice, and making sparing use of vocal partners from the modern Americana scene, including Larkin Poe, Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings. Krauss accompanies him on the closing Thankful.

That track features an unusually personal lyric by Starr. “I had it all, then I started to fall,” he sings, acknowledging his place in the most famous pop group of all time and then his descent into a drink-induced haze, before he and his wife got sober in the late 1980s.

“There is a nod to the past, because I’m thankful for Barbara being in my life,” he says sweetly.

“I’m thankful that my life has changed. [I was] at the top of the mountain, and gradually it worked its way down. And then I looked up and life came back. I truly believe in looking up. You’re always in a better mood if you’re looking up. It’s one of those things you notice, walking around London, or it doesn’t matter where. They’re all looking down. There’s nothing down there.”

The album was also a full-circle moment for an artist whose second solo album, Beaucoups of Blues in 1970, was an arch-traditional country record, cut in two days with the American producer and pedal steel player Pete Drake. “Pete realised I liked country music and said, ‘You should come to Nashville and make a record.’ I said, ‘I don’t want to go anywhere for two months.’ And he said, ‘What are you talking about? Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline was made in two days.’ I thought, ‘I can handle that.’”

We talk about how much country music has changed since then, and its latter-day adoption by stars of R&B and hip-hop. “It’s just popped up. I mean, in a pop music sort of way,” he says. “I know Beyoncé made a record and it was No 1 for, like, ten years,” he says, laughing. “But no, I haven’t heard it”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney and Ringo Star together at the O2 in London in 2024/PHOTO CREDIT: Raphael Pour-Hashemi/Mega

I am going to move things on in a minute. However, The Atlantic’s interview with Starr from March is incredible. It goes into such depth and detail. Someone who seems incredibly funny and charming in interviews, Ringo Starr is near the top of my wish-list of artists I would love to interview – though I realise it won’t happen. I am so glad that he is putting out music:

“What does “normal” life look like for an 84-year-old former Beatle? I was able to ascertain some details about Starr’s day-to-day. Does he drive? (Yes.) Does he have a trainer? (Yes: three days a week, weights, yoga, pilates, treadmill.) Streaming? (“Yeah, I love TV,” he told me.) What shows?

“Well, I’m not going to plug anybody,” he said, and I withdrew the question.

Naturally, Starr is a fan of Liverpool FC of the Premier League, but also the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He saw me wince when he mentioned the Cowboys and asked why. “Just like everyone loves the Beatles, everyone hates the Cowboys,” I explained. Starr objected—mostly to my choice of words.

“Why would you hate them?” he wondered. “That’s a strong word, to hate. Dislike is a better word.”

Confronted with more inner-directed questions about what it’s like to be Ringo Starr, the man can be stubbornly understated. “My name is Ringo, and I play drums,” he said when he entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2015. On the topic of how he came to join the Beatles, Starr is similarly laconic. “They wanted me to join the Beatles,” he told me. “I got this phone call, and that’s how it all happened.”

In 2022, Starr was given an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music, in Boston. “I don’t have a lot to say, just ‘Thank you,’ ” he said.

“You know, I just hit them. That’s all I do. I just hit the buggers,” he added, “the buggers” being the drums. “In a way, it’s like some strange fairy tale.”

Perhaps the strangest quality of this fairy tale is that it’s still unfolding. Starr’s country collaboration with T Bone Burnett, Look Up, is one of Starr’s most successful albums in years, hitting No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Country Artists Albums Chart and selling briskly in the U.S. as well.

Coverage of Look Up has noted that Starr is one of several pop acts who have recently made country albums, as if Starr has latched on to some new crossover fashion, chasing the likes of Beyoncé and Post Malone. But Starr sounds genuinely oblivious to the bandwagon he’s supposedly hopping on. “I know Beyoncé made a record and it was No 1,” Starr said in an interview with The Times of London. “But no, I haven’t heard it.”

In fact, Starr’s life and career have always been steeped in country music. As a boy, he loved Westerns and worshipped Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy. His early music idols were Hank Williams and Hank Snow; later, he admired Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. He dreamed of escaping the Dingle for Texas. He even wrote to the Houston Chamber of Commerce after resolving to live close to the country-blues icon Lightnin’ Hopkins. As a general rule, this was not something poor Liverpool boys aspired to do.

Burnett says he always considered Starr to be the Beatles’ resident country ambassador. He thought of him as “rockabilly.” Burnett pointed to “What Goes On,” from Rubber Soul, and “Don’t Pass Me By,” from The White Album. “Even ‘Octopus’s Garden’ is country,” Burnett told me. “It sounds like Chet Atkins playing guitar.”

Country also played an essential part in helping Starr adapt to his post-Beatles life. The withdrawal was difficult at times: eight years of manic, identity-warping hysteria and creative intensity. Then, suddenly, nothing. Starr wallowed. He drank, a lot. The plaintive strains of country music made for a fitting companion. “The wife’s left, the dog’s dead, or I need some money for the jukebox” is how Starr sums up the standard trajectory of country tunes.

“I sat in my garden, wondering what to do with myself,” Starr told me. “And get over, really, missing and playing with the other three boys. And I thought one day, I’ve got to get up.”

He talked with Pete Drake, an American producer who worked with Harrison on his album All Things Must Pass, about making a country album. Beaucoups of Blues would be Starr’s second solo release. Hearing it now, it’s striking how well suited Starr’s voice is to country singing. He sounds playfully mournful—or mournfully playful—like someone perfectly at home in the genre.

“Are you worried at all?” Jimmy Kimmel asked him. “Why would I be worried?” Starr replied.

Starr has long been a casual acquaintance of Burnett’s, who has won about a million Grammys (13). In November 2022, the pair encountered each other at a reception for Olivia Harrison’s book of poems about her late husband. Starr mentioned that he was making an EP and asked Burnett if he wanted to contribute a track. Sure, Burnett said. He came back with a song, and then Starr asked for more. He sent nine, all of them country songs, figuring Starr could pick one or two. Starr said he liked them all.

Look Up is a vibrant and gentle compilation with recurring themes of despair, resilience, and, especially, gratitude. “Thankful” (with Alison Krauss), the record’s second release, is an homage to hard-won lessons and, in some ways, a countrified rendering of Starr’s post-Beatles trajectory.

His descent into alcoholism and long path to sobriety is a clear subtext. “ ‘Thankful’ is the most personal song he’s ever written,” Burnett told me. “It starts off, ‘I had it all and I started to fall,’ ” Burnett said. “It’s about being in the Beatles, and being on top of the world, being the most famous person in the world. And then being an addict.” A central figure of Starr’s recovery—and the main object of his gratitude—is his wife of more than 40 years, Barbara Bach. Together, they embraced sobriety in the late 1980s, which was around the time Starr convened the All Starr Band and resumed his touring career.

“Thankful” resonates with familiar Ringo refrains (“hoping for more peace and love”) and contains echoes of some of his signature songs (“I needed a friend to help me along”). After I listened a few times, I came to hear the song as an updated version of “It Don’t Come Easy,” conveyed by a blessed old soul, who had lived, thankfully, to sing the tale”.

I couldn’t let Ringo Starr’s upcoming eighty-fifth birthday slip by. I wanted to write about him. He is the musician above all others I envy. In terms of how he has lived his life. Looking so young and vibrant at the age of eighty-five, he has lived his life right! Even though he has made mistakes and no doubt indulged in more than his fair share of excess and drug-taking with The Beatles, he is now in a place in his life where he seems happier and healthier than ever. Living a relaxing life in the U.S., he is still performing a lot and recording music. We hope to get more Ringo Starr albums. Many who are in older bands put distance between themselves and the group. Starr loves The Beatles and recalls his time with them fondly. He is close with Paul McCartney but also does not forget John Lennon and George Harrison. Starr always proffers peace and love. He is someone who has had the same values since he was young. One of the most conscientious and nicest people in all of music, Starr is someone to look up to. A really positive role model still! His new music is among his very best. I also love how he has had this amazing career.

In my mind the best drummer who has ever lived, he was the heartbeat of The Beatles. Responsible for some of their best moments. Perhaps the most respected member of the group, as the eldest member, there was this sense of authority and wisdom. Songs that Starr sung on – like With a Little Help From My Friends, Boys and Yellow Submarine – are among the most joyous. His bandmates always delighted to be backing him! The things he has seen and his experiences with The Beatles. Though we hear a lot from Paul McCartney and there have been a lot of books about him and his legacy, there has not been the same focus on Ringo Starr. His role in transforming popular music and culture really cannot be underestimated. I admire him because he has remained so modest and ego-free. You can check out Ringo Starr’s books here. Like Paul McCartney, Starr is someone whose photography is another strand worth spotlighting. I hope that Ringo Starr writes a memoir or autobiography sometime soon. I almost think his times with The Beatles is more interesting than the other three members. The biopic of Ringo Starr – Barry Keogh will play Starr – is the one I am most looking forward to. This music icon turns eighty-five on 7th July. There will be so much love for him on the day. I hope that we get to celebrate his ninetieth and ninety-fifth birthday. Someone who is in rude health and is looking ahead, I do feel this jealousy. Starr has had this life that I could only aspire to. Those two interviews I included are really engrossing and worth reading. He has this passion and energy for music that seems undismissed. Such humour and wit. I do hope that he has something big planned for his eighty-fifth birthday. Salute, peace and love to a musician I admire…

ABOVE almost everyone else.

FEATURE: In His Own Write… The Dream of the In-Depth Interview with a Major Artist

FEATURE:

 

 

In His Own Write…

IN THIS PHOTO: Lorde/PHOTO CREDIT: Theo Wenner for Rolling Stone UK

 

The Dream of the In-Depth Interview with a Major Artist

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IT is bittersweet…

PHOTO CREDIT: Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels

being an independent music journalist. There is the autonomy to write what I want when I want. I do not have to stick to a particular writing or formatting style – which is a relief, but it also something I might change in the future -, and there is the freedom to work the hours I want. I can react to music news stories and do my own features. There are strict rules with music magazines and magazines where you have to pitch ideas or it can be difficult to get your work seen. It is hard to sustain a blog when you are independent. Making money can difficult unless you have advertising or subscribers. Most do not. Because of that, sustainability and growth is very hard. Many blogs call time. Also, if you have quite a small following (like me) then getting post engagements and traction is tough. You can dream big but the reality is that it is hard to lure big artists. However, as I have been doing this for nearly fourteen years, there is the possibility of making a blog a reality that is a long-term thing. There are not enough working-class music journalists around. More than there were, yet many who work for bigger sites and magazines are privately educated. There are flaws of being an independent. You can miss out on so much. Those huge interviews with mainstream artists. The sort of access to locations and artists that are out of reach. Having a big following that means your work can get seen by thousands of people. However, there are plenty of advantages in terms of flexibility. My blog has been going for a while and has never made any money. The costs are not that high. Away from domain and the annual registration and upkeep of my blog on Squarespace, I am not really incurring big costs. I don’t go to gigs much and I can keep expenses quite low. I realise that things are difficult for sites that I go to all of the time. Whether you are NME, Rolling Stone, The Line of Best Fit, CLASH, The Forty-Five, DIY or anyone like that, there are going to be challenges staying afloat.

IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah

I can do pretty much anything that bigger websites can do in terms of reviewing albums and songs and highlighting artists. The thing that I aspire to is doing a long interview with a major artists. There are many that I have in my sights. Nadine Shah and Billie Marten are artists I have always wanted to interview. Big dream interviews like with Paul McCartney. There are many more that are in my mind. I am glad that this side of music journalism is still flourishing. One of my favourite recent interviews is from Rolling Stone UK  and their talk with Lorde. The interview is brilliant and it is such an immersive and engaging read. The photography is wonderful too. It is an extensive piece, but I want to highlight the final parts of Brittany Spanos’s interview. It is such a vivid and fulsome interview. That sort of long read that is music journalism at its very best:

“Lorde had been reading her own Wikipedia page recently while in a meeting. There’s a quote she had given as a teenager that stuck out to her: “I have nothing against anyone getting naked… I just don’t think it really would complement my music in any way or help me tell a story any better.”

“That’s the evolution right there,” she says. An hour earlier, at the shoot with Brown, she had draped herself over a sofa in her underwear.

As a teenager, Lorde felt protective of her body and her sexuality. Her clothes acted as a kind of armour: long sleeves, high necks, opaque colours. It was a double-edged sword, though: Lorde debuted around the same time that a generation of teen superstars were starting to grow up. Artists like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez were shedding the purity rings and forced modesty of their Disney careers in order to embrace their bodies and sexual agency. Lorde, by contrast, became a symbol of some type of moral purity, and her modesty was, in essence, used to slut-shame her peers.

“I remember vividly in that first year of being famous, so many people saying — I’m paraphrasing — ‘It’s so good you don’t take your clothes off like these other sluts,’” she says. “I was up on a pedestal because I wasn’t employing the same tools. And I remember being like, ‘No, no, I will take my clothes off one day. Be ready.’ I’ve always known that having those qualities ascribed to me so young [meant that] me being more open with my body, with my sexuality, [would] carry real weight and agitate and alienate.”

There were expectations placed on Lorde about how a girl becoming a young woman should act. It was another way she made herself small, trying to please the world and be good. But as she oozed, she redefined herself, and she saw that her gender identity could get bigger, too. On Virgin’s opening track, she lays the tale of her rebirth bare: “Some days I’m a woman / Some days I’m a man.”

I ask her how she identifies now, what it means and what’s changed. “[Chappell Roan] asked me this,” Lorde recalls. The pair have become close friends over the past year. “She was like, ‘So, are you nonbinary now?’ And I was like, ‘I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man.’ I know that’s not a very satisfying answer, but there’s a part of me that is really resistant to boxing it up.”

Though Lorde still calls herself a cis woman and her pronouns remain unchanged, she describes herself as “in the middle gender-­wise,” a person more comfortable with the fluidity of her expression. In some ways, she feels like her teenage self again, back when her friends were mostly boys and there was a looseness in how she dressed and acted.

PHOTO CREDIT: Theo Wenner for Rolling Stone UK

In 2023, she went shopping at clothing store C’H’C’M’ and tried on a pair of men’s jeans. She sent a picture to Stack to get his opinion. “He was like, ‘I want to see the you that’s in this picture represented in the music.’ This was before I had any sense of my gender broadening at all.”

Towards the end of that year, she went off birth control for the first time since she was 15. “I’ve now come to see [my decision] as maybe some quasi right-wing programming,” she admits, presumably referring to years of far-right influencers pushing anti-contraception disinformation. “But I hadn’t ovulated in 10 years. And when I ovulated for the first time, I cannot describe to you how crazy it was. One of the best drugs I’ve ever done.”

She wrote the album’s opening track soon after, as well as ‘Man of the Year’. She felt like she had superpowers, like being off birth control had peeled a film off her life. But the “best drug” came with bigger crashes than she had ever experienced. She would be diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric ­disorder, a severe form of PMS that causes debilitating mood swings, among other ­symptoms; she has since inserted the IUD visible on her album cover. The experience opened up an avenue of discovery she hadn’t anticipated. “I felt like stopping taking my birth control, I had cut some sort of cord between myself and this regulated femininity,” she explains. “It sounds crazy, but I felt that all of a sudden, I was off the map of femininity. And I totally believed that that allowed things to open up.”

When Lorde wrote ‘Man of the Year’, she was sitting on the floor of her living room, trying to visualise a version of herself “that was fully representative of how [her] gender felt in that moment”. What she saw once again was an image of herself in men’s jeans, this time wearing nothing else but her gold chain and duct tape on her chest. The tape had this feeling of rawness to her, of it “not being a permanent solution”.

“I went to the cupboard, and I got the tape out, and I did it to myself,” she tells me. “I have this picture staring at myself. I was blond [at the time]. It scared me what I saw. I didn’t understand it. But I felt something bursting out of me. It was crazy. It was something jagged. There was this violence to it.”

We talk about the Trump administration’s war against the trans community. While opening up about her own identity terrifies her, she knows she has less on the line than people whose gender identity does not match what they were assigned at birth.

“I don’t think that [my identity] is radical, to be honest,” she says. “I see these incredibly brave young people, and it’s complicated. Making the expression privately is one thing, but I want to make very clear that I’m not trying to take any space from anyone who has more on the line than me. Because I’m, comparatively, in a very safe place as a wealthy, cis, white woman.”

As the candle burns down, Lorde recalls a moment after her second psychedelic therapy session. She found herself searching for the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape. She’s not sure why, but she watched the whole thing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Theo Wenner for Rolling Stone UK

“I found it to be so beautiful. And maybe it’s fucked up that I watched it, but I saw two people that were so in love with each other, and there was this purity. They were jumping off this big boat… They were like children. They were so free. And I just was like, ‘Whoa. Being this free comes with danger.’”

The consequences of freedom have been on Lorde’s mind a lot lately. She’s realised the consequences of not taking these risks would be worse. “It feels worse to keep it all bolted down,” she says. “But God, of course, I’ve had many moments in the last couple years where I’m like, ‘If I could just have a nice normal life where you don’t elicit any strong reactions from anyone.’ But that’s not my path.”

In late April, Lorde shoots the final scene for the ‘What Was That’ video. The idea is to dance and lip-synch to the single in the centre of Washington Square Park’s fountain at dusk, surrounded by fans, whom she tipped off via a texting service she’s been using to communicate with them. Lorde was genuinely not sure how many people would show up. She had also started to get cold feet about the video being shot on iPhone, “pre-party jitters” getting the best of her.

She decided to cast a wider net for a crowd to join her, posting a shot of the park’s fountain on her Instagram story. Within a couple of hours, thousands had showed up — so many that the NYPD shut it down.  Lorde was getting ready in her apartment when she got word.

Her team and video crew were in panic mode. It seemed like weeks of planning had just come crashing down. On Instagram, she removed her story announcement, then told everyone to disperse, due to orders from the NYPD. But just a few blocks away, Lorde wasn’t worried. “I get very calm in a crisis,” she says. If Virgin, in its clearness, is about keeping the scars visible, then this hiccup fitted perfectly in the world she was about to build. “I was like, ‘This is amazing. This is such a good thing.’”

In the chaos, she called up Dev Hynes, with whom she regularly walks through the park. He was there already, en route to play football with friends, and stopped to play Lorde’s new single for the fans while she looked on via FaceTime. Meanwhile, Lorde watched the sunset from her building’s rooftop.

Sometime after 8:30, dusk had passed and the park had emptied out just enough for Lorde to finally emerge; by then, riot police were on location at the park (“and Counterterrorism, or something,” she says). She and her small crew were able to shoot one, three-minute take in the fountain — and they nailed it. The video was edited that night and posted online just two days later. Virgin came to life. By the weekend, ‘What Was That’ would become her first number one song on US Spotify since ‘Royals’.

When Lorde first moved to New York City, she used to avoid walking through Washington Square Park. With its throngs of young people congregating in all corners, it was a space that forced her to confront the fact that where she lives is no longer separate from where she exists as an artist.

Once she let go, she began to embrace the intimate one-to-one conversations with her fans that are part of her everyday life. It was again in the park that she recognised what this was all about: the very pure, clear channel between her and her uncasual listeners. “I’m kind of an intense bitch,” she says. “I’ve connected with the mission to do what only I can do. It’s enough”.

There are so many more examples. Rolling Stone/Rolling Stone UK are particularly fine examples of publications/websites where you get these detailed and long interviews. The New Yorker and The New York Times. NME do some deep dives too. I think a lot of what we get in terms of music news and information is quick and short. Hannah Ewens is someone who has conducted so many engrossing interviews for Rolling Stone and Rolling Stone UK. It is always a thrill reading these interviews because you picture yourself in the scene. A real sense of time and space. Background and biography. Modern context and some incredible exchanges. I wanted to highlight the Lorde interview as it is one of my favourites of this year. However, there are so many other examples. This great interview from Lucy Dacus from The New Yorker is another gem. I do love these long-rolling magazines and publications like The New Yorker. That has been going for a century now! Even though it focuses on more than music, I love their music journalism and style. Rolling Stone too. The fact that there are a lot of British music websites still going strong is cause for hope. At a time when music journalism is not as healthy and prolific as it once was, we are still seeing these phenomenal interviews and features. Many websites do have paywalls, though it is a gift that you can access many without payment.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lucy Dacus/PHOTO CREDIT: Lenne Chai for The New Yorker

Advertising revenue is the reason behind that, though it is also nice to give people a taste of what you produce and then seeing if they would like to subscribe. It is not a luxury many independent blogs and websites can do. It is something I want to do one day. Beautiful and interesting photos and an in-depth interview. There is a chance of it happening, though I think you have to have a bit more experience than me to get that sort of chance. Bigger interviews. I would love to head to the U.S. and interview Ringo Starr. Nadine Shah in a London interview. I want to approach legends and modern-day greats. I look at these new interviews coming out and it sparks something in me. However, it does seem far-fetched at the moment. A lot of my work gets overlook and people are mainly interested in Kate Bush stuff. That is a mixed blessing. I would like for more of my other features to get noticed and shared. However, I do have this platform where I can write what I want. I have been going for years, so I do not have much cause for complaint. It is only natural to dream bigger and have that sort of ambition. I hope one day I can get a commission for a big music website and feature a wonderful artist. I guess I need to keep putting the work in and do some more interviews soon. I am not sure whether I will branch out and do podcasts and audio interview. Maybe not at the moment. Perhaps expand what I post to Instagram and get noticed that way. I will come up with a solid plan going forward. I guess I should be proud I have a blog that is still being read (though not as much as I would like) over thirteen years later. Not many independent journalists can say that! Putting the effort and dedication in, it is something that I have…

IN THIS PHOTO: Ringo Starr/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

WORKED so hard to achieve.

FEATURE: Alright: D'Angelo’s Brown Sugar at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

Alright

 

D'Angelo’s Brown Sugar at Thirty

__________

1995 is a year…

when some all-time classic debut albums were released. One of the absolute best was Brown Sugar from D’Angelo. Among the very best albums of that the 1990s, it turns thirty on 3rd July. I want to celebrate that upcoming anniversary by exploring  the album. Fusing contemporary R&B and traditional Soul music, Brown Sugar sprinkles in other genres and sounds to create this heady and intoxicating brew! I love how D’Angelo played so many of the instruments and was very much at the centre. A prodigious talent and incredible voice, Brown Sugar still holds up thirty years later. It is one of those classics that is not played and talked about as much as it should. Perhaps not as celebrated as its follow-up, 2000’s Voodoo, I know there will be people writing about Brown Sugar at thirty. I am going to end with a couple of (the many) positive reviews for this 1995 jewel. An album that sounded unlike anything around it at the time. I will start out by bringing in some retrospective examination of Brown Sugar. I am starting out with a twenty-fifth anniversary feature from Albumism. An album that arrived on 3rd July, 1995 in the U.K. and the following day in the U.S. It remains this flawless masterpiece:

“D’Angelo’s DIY approach to recording was a rare phenomenon, particularly so among new R&B artists who typically surrounded themselves with marquee producers and peppered their albums with cameos from other artists. His record label was more than a little skeptical of their superstar-in-the-making’s independent streak. “I wrote [Brown Sugar]—the majority of that record—in my bedroom in Richmond,” D’Angelo explained during a 2014 Red Bull Music Academy interview. “All of the demos for it were done on a 4-track, in my bedroom. And I think EMI was a little leery of me being in the studio producing it on my own, which was what I was fighting for. So it was important for them that I go in with someone, an engineer. I picked [revered studio engineer] Bob Power, because of my love for [A Tribe Called Quest] and what they were doing [together].”

The consummate virtuoso with multi-dimensional expertise, D’Angelo supplied the majority of the vocals and played the lion’s share of the instruments heard on the album, taking after his musical hero Prince. “Everything [Prince] did was the bomb,” he reflected to Wax Poetics. “And, he could do it all himself. I was one of those kids reading the album credits. I knew back then that I wanted to do that type of shit.”

As further testament to his unparalleled ambition and self-sufficient work ethic, D’Angelo also produced all ten tracks, with help from Power on a handful of tracks, as well as Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Raphael Saadiq, who co-produced the title track and “Lady,” respectively.

By the middle of the decade, soul music had stagnated and was starved for revitalization. Whatever creative energy had flowed during the early ‘90s apex of the New Jack Swing movement had effectively been sapped by 1995. Only a small handful of adventurous artists—Tony! Toni! Toné! and Meshell Ndegeocello most notable among them—were pushing the sonic envelope for soul music at the time, so to speak. While there were a few stellar soul albums released that year, most offered little to nothing beyond the predictable fare squarely calculated for mainstream airplay and sales.

The then 21-year-old D’Angelo arguably reignited the artistic flame of contemporary soul with Brown Sugar, and his motivations for doing so were fueled by purer forces of unbridled passion and perfectionism. Shortly after the album’s release, he clarified to the Los Angeles Times that, “I just want to make some dope black music, some good soul music. I could [not] care less about a hit song. This is only my first album. I feel like I’m growing musically, that now I know what I want to do, and how better to do it. I just want to keep elevating my music to a new level.”

D’Angelo always envisioned the album’s sound as more organic, less artificially polished.  Although he has since alluded to harboring at least some dissatisfaction with the final output—which he has referred to as too “buttery”—D’Angelo’s original vision was largely fulfilled. From vintage analog instruments (Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ) to more modern digital technology (drum machines, computers), the mélange of sonic ingredients used during recording coalesced to form a savory gumbo of an album founded upon a warmer, more natural sound.

Brown Sugar expanded beyond its obvious classic soul evocations to integrate hip-hop flavors, jazz stylings, traditional blues and gospel inspirations throughout. In other words, this was quintessentially neo-soul, the marketing-driven term that the early D’Angelo champion Massenburg would coin a few years later as a way to differentiate the emerging sound and aesthetic from those that came before.

Propelled by D’Angelo’s southern drawl-drenched falsetto vocals layered atop lushly languid grooves, Brown Sugar’s filler-free ten tracks exude a palpable swagger, an effortless cool. Nowhere is this more richly manifested than on the album-opening title track. As the first of four singles released from the LP, the hypnotic “Brown Sugar” was our formal introduction to D’Angelo’s many charms, though the song’s innuendos may have been lost on some. Not, in fact, a tune about one of D’Angelo’s lady friends, “Brown Sugar” was a slyly clever ode to Mary Jane, in the same spirit of Rick James’ 1978 hit song. Check the lines midway through the song’s first verse (“See, we be making love constantly / That’s why my eyes are a shade blood burgundy”) and you’ll wonder how you could have missed the true meaning all along.

The rest of the album is largely comprised of laid-back love songs awash in thick bass lines and heavy organ and piano riffs, the highlights of which are “Alright,” “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine, “Lady,” and “When We Get By.” Two additional standouts are the gospel-tinged “Higher,” an impassioned hymn to the power of love, and the funky “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker,” a slowly smoldering lament for a cheating wife that ultimately takes a twisted, fatal turn.

Twenty-five years ago, Brown Sugar redefined the soul long player as we knew it then and ushered in a crucial pivot point in the history of the genre. Merging critical aplomb with commercial viability, it became the new prototype for contemporary soul—subsequently branded as neo-soul—and one that countless artists would work hard to emulate during the latter half of the 1990s and beyond.

And while D’Angelo’s recorded output to date may be sparse relative to others who have been in the game for nearly three decades, from a consistency and quality perspective, his body of work is unparalleled and it all began with Brown Sugar”.

I love reading about the background of Brown Sugar. This incredible and young talent who burst through with this amazing album. Though it did not get the same hype and spark as other albums from 1995, it is one of the most accomplished and enduring albums of its time. I want to come on to a great feature from CRACK. In 2020, they spent some time investigating a listening experience like nothing else. I think I first heard Brown Sugar many years after its release. I regret I did not hear it in 1995, as it would have opened me open to artists like D’Angelo:

“Just out of his teens when he recorded his debut record, D’Angelo – real name Michael Archer, the son of a preacher man – surrounded himself with equally funky creatives like Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Raphael Saadiq and music producer Bob Power. The result is an LP that sounds like it was cut in the dead of night by bugged-out geniuses; you can almost hear the sound of weed smoke blowing from the speakers and the creative spirits of Al Green, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye and Prince circling overhead. Like The Purple One, there was an aura surrounding D’Angelo. In real life, he was shy, difficult to read, more mystic than man. Unlike Prince, his powerlessness to create the body of work his genius demanded became the stuff of legend as he spent years struggling with his demons.

The D’Angelo mythos starts on the jazzy opening chords of the title track. D’s impossibly high falsetto rings with a carnal sensuality as he croons about sex or weed or maybe both. He sounds equally stoned and surly on Jonz in My Bonz, allowing his funky fingers to run over his organ as the beat summons the dusty sounds of New York hip-hop. Like most numbers on Brown Sugar, the song has a free-spirited feel, as though the whole record was laid down on analogue tape during the most perfect late night jam session that the gods and goddesses ever bore witness to.

D’Angelo’s Christian roots stir on the gospel opening of Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine and sanctified closer Higher, while there’s an underground jazz club feel to the plucked double bass and tinkling piano of tap-along classic When We Get By. It’s not all saintly: D gets nasty on Shit, Damn, Motherfucker, calling out the dude his wife’s been creeping with. “I’m ‘bout to go get my nine/ And kill both of y’all behind,” he threatens, a whole six years before Ronald Isley gained significant pop culture traction by playing a similar role in The Isley Brothers’ Contagious. Brown Sugar’s own songs for the radio come in the form of a lustrous cover of Smokey Robinson’s Crusin’ and Lady, a pretty pop track D’Angelo supposedly hated. That was, until fans started telling him their kids had been conceived to it.

This aversion to Lady probably stemmed from the simplicity of its structure, and D’Angelo’s hunger to experiment with arrangements would manifest on the darkly hypnotic psych-funk album Voodoo five years later. In the process, he dumped the oversized leather jacket and pudgy-cheeked look for a more overtly sexualised styling. His unhappiness with the image almost buried the singer as he collapsed into substances and depression. A 14-year album drought was finally broken in 2014 when D’Angelo dropped Black Messiah with band The Vanguard, another instant classic. All the while neo soul lived on through Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, India.Arie, Eric Roberson and Alicia Keys, offering a raw, lustful alternative to the sensibilities of most contemporary R&B. And so Brown Sugar helped start a musical moment. Twenty-five years later, it still feels out of step, out of time, eternally innovative, and just as gorgeous as it did on first rotation”.

There are two reviews I want to highlight a 2017. I will start with a review from Pitchfork. An expanded edition of Brown Sugar was released. It showcased this incredible genius who arrived fully formed in 1995. There is not a weak or insincere moment on D’Angelo’s debut album. I wonder whether the man himself will post anything to social media on 3rd July. He should be incredibly proud of what he released in 1995. One of the finest albums ever in my view:

“Brown Sugar arrived during the peak of hip-hop’s golden era, when rappers like Nas and The Notorious B.I.G., and groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest were at the height of their powers. D’Angelo instantly fit the mold. With his straight-back cornrow braids and baggy clothes, he looked like a rapper of that period, yet his music countered that which dominated the airwaves. Until Brown Sugar arrived, Top 40 R&B skewed very much toward hip-hop, from the upbeat tick of its beats to the guest rap verses that felt obligatory for almost every single. Songs like Monica’s “Don’t Take It Personal,” Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” and Adina Howard’s “Freak Like Me” seemed influenced by Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing-style production, which dominated urban music in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

D’Angelo was different, the perfect amalgamation of modern rap and old soul, and Brown Sugar was a masterclass in this alchemy. It was as if, from the very beginning, he wasn’t trying to go against the grain, he just wanted to keep things low-key. For instance, in the video for “Brown Sugar,” the scene unfolds in a smoky jazz club on what looks to be open mic night. It harkened back to the essence of soul and jazz music, live records cut at the Village Vanguard or Five Spot. The title track and the album felt honest and organic; you could feel the lush instrumentation, the sincerity in the lyrics, the warmth of the keys. This wasn’t R&B purposely intended for younger ears; Brown Sugar was grown folks music, it just so happened that a 21-year-old created it.

All these years later, Brown Sugar is still just as resonant, emitting a strong vintage quality that works in any era. It had everything: “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker,” a dark tale about death and infidelity, became a gritty street anthem that soundtracked a pivotal scene in 1999 film The Best Man. With its upbeat gospel sway, “When We Get By” was an uplifting tune in the vein of Ray Charles, as a track that meshed the genre’s traditional and contemporary aspects. On “Cruisin’,” the Smokey Robinson classic of the same name, D’Angelo kept the integrity of the original—the fluid guitar riff and wafting strings—yet he quickened the pace just slightly, and added weight to the drum kick. The finished product paid rightful homage to Smokey and might be a little better than the 1979 cut. The two-disc deluxe edition of Brown Sugar includes four remixes of D’Angelo’s “Cruisin’,” one apiece from producers King Tech and Dallas Austin, and two others labeled “Wet Remix” and “God Made Me Funky Remix.” Of the “Cruisin’” renditions, Austin’s is closest to D’Angelo’s portrayal; canned drums give it a distinct ’90s knock, but the strings and vocal arrangements are unchanged. The title track, “Lady” and “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine” also get a few different a capellas, instrumentals, and remixes here.

Listening to Brown Sugar’s deluxe edition is like walking through the mid-90s. The record feels like an artifact in that way, capturing D’Angelo at a nascent stage in his creative development while dusting off rhymes from Kool G. Rap (who originally appeared on King Tech’s remix of “Brown Sugar”), Redman (featured on the Def Squad remix of “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine”) and AZ (himself a featured rapper on DJ Premier’s “Lady” remix). Where Voodoo and Black Messiah felt especially grainy and dark, Brown Sugar feels especially lush and radiant, an outcome of Bob Power’s and Russell Elevado’s masterful engineering work. (Conversely, for Voodoo, Elevado and D’Angelo recorded everything on tape, which gave the record its lo-fi sound). Brown Sugar shifted modern soul, not only putting pressure on himself to exceed expectations moving forward, but it opened a door for a new movement in black music”.

I am going to finish off with another review around the reissue of Brown Sugar. Marking twenty years of a classic, The Line of Best Fit shared their thoughts on an album that has this incredible legacy. There are articles like this and this, that give you more insight into the seismic Brown Sugar. An album, as I said, that still sounds fresh and new. You can tell which artists recording today are influenced by D’Angelo’s masterful debut album. It will continue to inspire artists for generations:

“What’s remarkable about Brown Sugar is that it doesn’t fall prey to either of the likely fates for a solo record that draws on so many influences and was born of such a range of instrumental ability; it feels neither disparate nor like a kitchen sink job. In fact, on the contrary; Brown Sugar is masterfully restrained, an exercise in tasteful minimalism. The rhythm section drives the record, yet rarely seems to amount to much more than the crackle of the snare and a wandering bassline. The piano lines are unobtrusive, yet crucial; on the jazzier tracks - “Smooth” and “When We Get By”, for instance - they almost seem independent of the song, running parallel to it rather than feeling part of it. The guitar is used almost entirely for punctuation, but when it is - on “Alright” and “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine”, especially - it’s indispensable.

There’s early evidence, too, of D’Angelo’s flirtations with classical arrangements; the string section on that now-classic cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’” is a masterstroke. In the larger scheme of the record, it was just another factor setting D’Angelo apart from the rest of the mainstream R&B world in the mid-nineties. At that point, the transition in the very meaning of that tag - from the rhythm and blues classicism that it actually stood for to where it stands today, effectively as a byword for urban-inflected pop music - was already underway, and in 1995, when the likes of Jodeci and Brandy had one eye on the charts, D’Angelo was continuing to fly the flag for purism - that he still managed to deliver something startlingly original in doing so is testament to his ability as a songwriter.

Also distinguishing him from his peers was his lyricism, which, on Brown Sugar, largely felt like a throwback to classic soul; this is an album replete with love songs, making it far and away his least complex album in conceptual terms. There’s nothing wrong with that, by any means; if you’re going to delve into straightforward balladry, then at least take your cues from the old maestros. Stevie Wonder’s presence is palpable on “Dreamin’ Eyes”, “Smooth” and “Alright”, whilst the spiritual leanings of “Higher” are a direct thematic nod to D’Angelo’s gospel roots. That he still found room for a chillingly sedate murder ballad - “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker” - and the nudge-wink of the title track, an ode to good weed rather than women, is impressive in itself.

And then, there’s that voice - and something else that has you realising what a one-off the man is. So much of a soul singer’s force of personality is wrapped up in their vocal delivery, so for D’Angelo - who by no means is a slouch in that department, with a readily recognisable falsetto - to pare back the importance of the vocals in the overall mix - to treat them as just another instrument, and to apply to them the same principles of minimalism as he does to every other area of Brown Sugar’s compositions - was a maverick move. He pitches his vocal approach somewhere between the soul that pervades the album’s instrumentation and the languidness that his hip hop heroes could lay claim to. His voice might sound smooth throughout the album, but his actual delivery was often not - there’s an offbeat confidence to his refusal to be bound by conventional standards of where the vocals should sit in relation to the rest of the track, something he probably owes as much to his jazz influences as to his admiration of Rakim or A Tribe Called Quest.

This new vinyl reissue is no remaster, and with just reason; there’s nothing wrong with the original. It’s all too easy to romanticise analog recording and the vinyl format itself in this day and age, but Brown Sugar provides compelling reason to feel nostalgic about both; it’s difficult to imagine how an album this sparse could still feel so warm if it had been digitally recorded, rather than cut to tape. Long since out of print on wax, this repress will allow a new generation to hear such a crisply captured R&B album the way it was intended. More than that, though - two decades on from its release - it provides an excuse, if anybody needed one, to revisit a game-changing classic of the genre, and in doing so, allow it to step out of the shadow cast by Voodoo and, more recently, Black Messiah”.

It is important that we mark thirty years of Brown Sugar. A stunning debut album from D’Angelo, I do wonder if he will follow up 2014’s Black Messiah (as D’Angelo and The Vanguard). He is one of the most consistent and talented artists of his generation. If you have not heard Brown Sugar then play it now. A sublime, soulful and scintillating work of genius, go and spend some time with…

THE perfect Brown Sugar.