INTERVIEW: Oriel Poole

INTERVIEW:

Oriel Poole

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I have been speaking with Oriel Poole…

PHOTO CREDIT: Galen Oakes Photography

about her new single, Brighter, and filming its incredible video. She tells me about moving from the U.K. to the U.S. and what she wants to accomplish going forward. I ask which rising artists are worth a shout and what advice she would give to artists emerging.

Poole reveals what she does away from music and her favourite memory from her career so far; how she got into music and kindled that passion; what it was like working with Julio (the L.G.B.T.Q. advocate) on her current video – she ends the interview with a great song.

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Hi, Oriel. How are you? How has your week been?

Good, thanks.

For those new to your music, can you introduce yourself, please?

Bold, sensual and otherworldly. Genre-wise, I produce Trip-Hop; combining the sounds of R&B, Electronic; Soul and Experimental.

Brighter is your latest music video. Is there a personal story behind it? How did it come together?

The song is about recognizing my magic inside, the inner-flame, ready to expand into the world. It's the voice inside my head saying, ‘let me out, already!’.

From a visual standpoint, the director, S-hekh Shem Hetep, saw the hypnotic side of my music and me and used that to create a video that was both whimsical and seductive; highlighting my essence as an artist.

The music video seems like it was fun to film! Was it a good shoot? Did you have a lot of creative control regarding concept and theme?

The director took the lead on the creative concept for the video. Of course, I had my say; I also brought in friends such as Ostara who led up the styling and set dressing to support the overall vision. One of the most challenging parts for me in the process was allowing - having a creative background in production design I enjoy being hands-on and driving the creative process forward. But, in the making of this music video, it was important for me to focus on being solely the artist.

Did you enjoy working with L.G.B.T.Q. advocate Julio on the shoot?

Yes. Julio is amazing. Such a talented force - he really helped me come into my skin and portray the sensual woman that I am on camera.

Brighter is from your E.P., Sunday. Are you looking ahead at more material – or will there be more material released from the current E.P.?

I have another music video coming soon (for Foothills). I’m taking classes and working on a single right now while I save in preparation for the writing of the second E.P. I’m also pitching to labels in an effort to receive additional resources and support of the second E.P.

How did you get into music? Which artists compelled you growing up?

Music has always been in my blood. It was a matter of waking up to the desire to pursue it. I have a rather eclectic taste in music. Some of my influences growing up include Pink Floyd, Kavinsky; Björk, Enya; Jamiroquai, Erykah Badu; Zero Seven and Talking Heads.

I believe you were born in Britain but moved to the U.S. Was there a reason behind the move?!

My parents wanted to move to America - not completely sure why -; possibly for a chance at a different life. I was eight-years-old. It was hard letting go of everything I knew and loved that age but the experience did shape my perspective and provided me with a broader vision of the world.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Securing a label or investor - 100k to propel to the next level of my career so I can focus exclusively on the next E.P., continued education; new creative content (music videos!) and a national tour. I’m looking for a company or individual who sees my whole package and wants to help provide me with the resources to scale massively.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Performing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Lotus. That venue is legendary: an outdoor amphitheatre shaped by natural, red rock formations. It is an honour to have performed there.

Which albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

Both albums changed the way I experienced music.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Based on my sound, I would be best-suited opening for Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean; Bonobo, Bob Moses; Rüfüs Du Sol, Tame Impala; Woodkid, Little Dragon; Anderson .Paak and STS9.

Rider? A candlelit dressing room and yerba mate, please.

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

None at the moment but I will keep you in the loop!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I am breaking through so I can only speak from the perspective of my present experience. Success is a combination of talent and drive. If you have something people are responding to and you are committed to finding the way - doing whatever it takes to turn this passion into a career - then this is the path for you.

IN THIS PHOTO: Jamie Lidell/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Rome

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

More recently, I have been really feeling Jamie Lidell, Nonku Phiri and Nao.

IN THIS PHOTO: Nonku Phiri

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Yes. I find time to go unwind and feed my soul. I go out and dance, connect with friends; be active in my body, be in my joy. I also practice meditation and Theta Healing every day.

Finally, and for being a good sport, you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Yes! Go check out Dear by Pete Philly

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Follow Oriel Poole

Official:

https://www.orielpoole.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/orielpoolemusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/orielpoole

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/orielpoole/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/OrielPoole

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/orielpoole

Bandcamp:

https://orielpoole.bandcamp.com/releases

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jvMMPV0sqRjQZaWS0JXhG

INTERVIEW: Choze

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

Choze

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WITH Nothing to Lose out there…

I have been speaking with Choze about the track and what inspired it. He discusses his upcoming plans and the influence of Clapham. I ask him which rising artists we need to look out for and the albums that have been instrumental to him – he tells me what it was like working with Skolz on his latest song.

Choze reflects on the past year and how it affected Nothing to Lose; what advice he would give artists coming through; if there is going to be more material coming up; if he gets moments to unwind away from music – he selects a good song to end the interview with.

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Hi, Choze. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi. I’m good. My week HAS been like most weeks: very productive

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I go by the artist name ‘Choze’ and I’m an Alternative artist that has been on the scene for a few years now.

Nothing to Lose is your latest single. Can you talk about the origins and how the song came together?

It basically came together about a year – one when London was going through tragic moments. Whether we lost hundreds of people due to the Grenfell Tower fire or the increase of gun and knife violence or Brexit; I just felt that it was time to speak on a few touchy subjects. I was brain-fried by the disappointment I was seeing and I wanted to address it.

What was it like working with Skolz on the track? What did he bring to the track?

I feel, when I work with Skolz, he brings out the best in me. His sound has his own stamp on it which I easily became a fan when he first started to play me his material. Nothing to Lose was one of the tracks he played to me and, at that moment, I knew I was going to record something deep on that record. The beat was just calling and telling me what I should say. He brought the edge that I needed to enhance my lyrics even more which is why I’m happy with what we’ve created together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

It seems like 2017 impacted you. Looking at all the horror that occurred – including Trump’s election and the Brexit result – how do you see the year? Do you think the world has lost some of its mind?!

Honestly, I feel we’re living in the last days but also I’ll have to get back to you with an answer. It’s just too deep to respond...plus, we’ll be here all week if I do (laughs). 

Is there going to be more material coming later in the year do you reckon?

100%! I’ve got two more records to put out then the mini-album which I’m excited to share with the masses. Very personal record to me

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

Who are the artists that inspire you and led you to get into songwriting?

Kendrick Lamar, the Paul Institute; Skepta, Plan B and Mike Skinner. There are a few more but, roughly, these artists push me to write chapters after chapters. I feel they help my storytelling but push me to create my own style with it.

How influential were your experiences in Clapham, and the scenes you witnessed there, to you regarding your path into music?

Clapham can be very embracive and multicultural: it can also be very problematic and difficult to live which helps me write songs to explain my experiences growing up in neighbourhoods such as Clapham. But, honestly, how the area has developed over the years; I wouldn’t change it for the world and it’s what made me the artist I am today.

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

To get a wider audience; to follow see and support what ‘Choze’ the brand has in store.  Plain and simple.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

My favourite memory is when I got a standing ovation to a packed crowd at Union Chapel in North London. That was a moment I’ll never forget. It made me feel that I’ve achieved my goal but motivated me to strive for more shows where I would work my best to receive more support from bigger crowds. It just made me a fiend for performance after that night.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

I’ve got so many albums that are a big influence in my life but the three that comes to mind are Boy in da Corner by Dizzee Rascal; No More Idols by Chase & Status and 21 by Adele.

With Boy in da Corner; it was the album that described everything that was going on when I was in college/uni times. It made me believe that I could tell my story in my own narrative and believe that no one can take it away from because it’s MY TRUTH and nothing but MY TRUTH.

No More Idols showed me that you can collaborate with all different genres or artists but still make an album which people will say stood the test of time. It’s a classic.

21 was the most personal record for me. It’s showcasing a person’s emotions with no fabrication or dishonesty - which is why I believe Adele is the most important artist of our decade.  She put the transcript out to the music industry that ‘honest’ music always prevails no matter what.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I would love to support the Gorillaz - and my rider will be only water before the show and then a stiff Jack Daniels on the rocks after (laughs).

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

We’re just organising the dates as we speak. Go to my Twitter/Facebook/Instagram for more info (@CHOZEofficial)

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Never compromise unless you honestly believe it’s beneficial to achieving your reality - not dream, reality! Also, never stop. This game can never be taken for granted. You fail when you quit, simple.

IN THIS PHOTO: Shai Sevin

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Skolz, Shai Sevin, Lemzi; The Grime Violinist, the Paul Institute; Anjlee Desai, Obongjayar; Max Stone; DOGZ OR GODZ. Few more but I’ll get back to you.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Grime Violinist

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I still read books or watch inspirational docs to keep me motivated. I need those tools because I listen to music way too much - so they’re my ‘chill out’ sessions.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Jai Paul – jasmine (demo). It’s still the greatest record I swear (laughs)

____________

Follow Choze

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Snaps

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Chozeofficial/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/chozeofficial

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/chozeofficial/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLezzsgclAyQkWt9YjVV5-Q

FEATURE: The Queen of Soul Departs: Where Do We Go Now?! Can Modern Music Produce a True Icon?

FEATURE:

 

 

The Queen of Soul Departs: Where Do We Go Now?!

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Can Modern Music Produce a True Icon?

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WE started this music day…

bidding the Queen of Pop, Madonna, a happy sixtieth birthday but have ended it on a sad note: we have had to say goodbye to the Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin’s passing has seen an outpouring of memories, upset and disbelief. When the news was announced she was gravely ill, a few days back, we were preparing for the worse. The seventy-six-year-old seemed to rally – friends and family said they’d hope she’d pull through – but it has been announced she has died of pancreatic cancer. I opened the day talking about ageism in music and how icons/older artists are given far less attention than new, young stars. Madonna’s sixtieth is a time for celebration and sharing memories of her but, in another way, it is a sure-fire excuse for radio stations not to play her music. We are all hoping more material comes from her but I wonder how many radio outlets will house her music and gives her the respect deserved. Looking at the life and music of Madonna and Aretha Franklin has given us all to look back at a music world that really doesn’t exist anymore. I felt this type of heavy heart when we lost Prince and David Bowie back in 2016. With each musical loss; we celebrate what that person gave but mourn the fact we will never see the like again...

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Mert Alas for Interview Magazine

It was wonderful casting my eyes back at Madonna’s life and my memories – the giddiness of discovering her in the 1990s and that evocative, media-courting star whose fashion, sexuality and incredible creative spirit has dominated music and changed the Pop scene as we know it. You get a personality with Madonna; a real spirit and unique human who strikes the heart and head in so many different ways. She has not merely got where she is by commercial success and doing the absolute minimum. You can smell the blood, sweat and tears in every music video, album and year of her musical life. Like Kate Bush and other Pop greats; they are compelling, ground-breaking and utterly beguiling. You are never bored and are torn between which songs are best; the fashion choices that stand aside; which controversial remark or wonderful event defines what makes that artist special. Madonna is still full of life but, with less radio play and ageism creating a lot of discrimination, I wonder whether the Queen of Pop will struggle to mix it with the new, critically-lauded breed. Aretha Franklin has departed us but we all look back at her incredible career and all she did. She was a big campaigner for civil rights and, in many ways, did so much to create equality, conversation and awareness. Her religion was a big part of her music and that immensely powerful voice scored some of the most evocative songs ever.

If Madonna changed Pop and spoke out against sexism, ageism and censorship; Aretha Franklin battled racism, hatred and brought so much love to people’s lives. She was and is that peerless icon who brought Soul into the mainstream and created some true anthems. Whether you prefer Think to Respect or like (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman and Chain of Fools best – there are so many gems to choose from! Her classic albums like Lady Soul and I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Loved You defined the 1960s and gave us so much brilliance. It is devastating she is no longer hear – for more than one reason. We will miss that music and the chance of hearing any new Franklin music but it is yet another musical icon that has left. Every time we say goodbye to a decades-surviving star who has enriched lives with the music, personality and memories; it seems like we are so much poorer and darker as a community. Look at the existing icons; everyone from Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones to Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. Although I am not wishing death on any of them, from Paul Simon and Neil Young through to Roger Daltrey (The Who) and Robert Plant; one thinks their time is always precious.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan in Columbia Studios in 1961/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

That sounds morbid but those artists are in their sixties and seventies and one feels we will all live through the days when they are all gone. There are younger icons in our midst but imagine a day when we have lost every one of those idols and artists who defined the very best music ever. It is tragic to think of a planet with Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell; no Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon or Madonna – how will we cope when we only have their music in the world and not their bodies?! The obvious solution is to foster the new breed of legends who can create new memories, make history and redefine music – we can have a new roster of heroes and heroines and foster them. I look around music and there is a clear divide between these pioneers and geniuses and a bunch of artists who vary from the average to the near-iconic status.  Maybe the likes of PJ Harvey, Damon Albarn and the Gallagher brothers (Liam and Noel of Oasis) will be around for a lot longer but I cannot name anyone like Madonna, Aretha Franklin and Paul Simon who has done so much for music. One can say that is unfair – you need to give music a chance and cannot compare the climate of now with the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The world is different and developing in terms of innovation, breakthroughs and changes. Now, when so much has been done; how do artists push the game forward and go down in history?! We have lost legends like David Bowie and Aretha Franklin but their legacy and brilliance is being carried by the new generations. The voice and depressing realisation comes when we think of their uniqueness and how much more alluring they are to the current crop. Modern music is more about streaming, promotion and predictability as it is mavericks, game-changers and genuine personalities. One of the reasons I am sad Franklin has died is her warmth and compassion; the immense vocal power she possessed right until the end; the consistent popularity and how she tackled civil rights horrors and spoke out. Her work in The Blues Brothers (1980) is one of my earliest childhood memories (I saw the film a few years after it came out) and it is amazing to think how much she packed into her seven-and-a-bit decades of life! Same goes for your McCartney, Madonna and Mitchell types. They have transformed music, settled in our memories – their music has been passed through the ages and is popular and worthy now as it was when first released. So much modern music is seen as disposable and easily forgettable.

It is hard to stand out and, at a time when there are imbalances, issues and drawbacks in music; I wonder whether we need the young stars to speak out more; do something different or just distinguish themselves from the pack. We do not see anyone who has the quirk and chameleon-like nature of David Bowie; the incredible background and awesome force of Aretha Franklin or the back catalogue and evergreen popularity of the bands of the 1960s. Each time a stalwart and pillar of music history dies or retires, it makes me think: Is music so modern and changed we will see merely great artists but never a true icon?! Will we still be recalling greats bands of today in forty years or have that surviving and compelling musician that brings about universal mourning when they die?! Maybe, given the digitisation of music and the scene changes, it is hard to stand out and go back to a time when genuine personalities could be found in the scene. A couple of years ago, producer Tony Visconti bemoaned modern music and how boring it is:

“Guitar Star aims to unearth old fashioned, raw ability. I’m looking for virtuosos like Hendrix, Cobain and Bowie.”

He also took an indirect shot at the inferiority of modern TV talent shows, saying: “There’s no fluffy back story, there’s no ‘I lost my pet dog in 97 and that made me want to play’ nonsense… No one can mistake me for Simon Cowell. It’s the worst time ever in the music industry”.

There are so many wonderful artists now and sub-genres are being created; we are seeing epic albums and brilliant tracks come out all the time and it is very exciting. I want to get to a point, forty years from now, where I can keep hold of the existing icons but have a new photo album of modern-day artist who has lasted that long and stand aside alongside the greats - those I can share with relatives and friends and talk fondly. We see the ‘best albums ever’ lists and most of them pre-date the last decade. We think of a ‘music icon’ and our minds go back even further. There are some modern-day heroes but I think the 1990s was the last decade when we started to make and elevate genuine personalities. I long to see someone with the fashion sense and changes of Madonna or a great band that can challenge The Who or The Beatles and produce album-upon-album of brilliance that lasts the ages. The sad thing is we always look back for quality and reliability. I have to cover new music but am not as attached to artists now as I was when growing up. Look at all these icons and unique personalities and they were living through wars, economic recessions and huge political changes. The Beatles defined the Summer of Love and songwriters like Bob Dylan documented the threat of nuclear war and destruction; Paul Simon defied rules and performed with black South African musicians during apartheid; Joni Mitchell and Madonna reflected the times and either directly confronted them or created a persona and art that managed to distract our minds and create something wonderful.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles in 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: Apple Music/Getty Images

I have been looking at this article and how it charts music’s changes through the decade; what bands of the past were writing about and how their social lives and relationships bled into the music:

“In comparison to today's music which is not to say bad, but relatable in a different manner. A manner centered around our social lives or the physical aspect of relationships; partying, drinking, smoking, other substances, sexual relationships, and making money. Classic Groups like The Beatles (the best), Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, all wrote music revolving around love, story telling, growing up/teenaged angst, and definitely drug undertones worthy of mentioning (IE, "Dark Side of The Moon" by Pink Floyd). For instance, clubs are constantly playing "I took a Pill in Ibiza" by Mike Posner. Does that song have any sentimental or actual value to it? Unless you dropped some very intense substance and actually "felt 10 years older," then you have no way to appreciate that song for more than the catchy EDM backing his adjusted vocals. No, I didn't take that damn Pill, and no I am not going to listen to you when I am depressed. We seek out the comfort of previously stated groups; Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, etc.”.

Some good changes have come in – less excess and sexual looseness; better morals and activation through social media – but I wonder whether the way artists promote their music and the role of technology has removed the soul of music and meant it is harder to forge identities, longevity and true spirit:

“The generation definitely started in a different way, but as technology came out we became wilder only because everyone posted about what we did. There were still new-age throwback groups like; The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Foo, Ed Sheeran, but things became more wild with Future, Drake, Lana Del Rey, Fetty Wap, Kendrick, A$AP Ferg + Rocky”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

 “… The soul is very absent from recent artists, and it's due to not having any common passion for everyone to relate to. So what'd we do? We embraced music to describe a lifestyle we want to live. It's not a bad thing because it creates new ways of finding friends and enjoying life, but it's just very different without any real backbone. I will be the first person to tell you that I listen to L$D by A$AP Rocky frequently because the meaning behind that song is very emotionally similar to the general idea discussed by the groups of previous generations. Rap is just fun too, along with EDM, and other not necessarily deep genres. The main passion of our peers is just one that isn't the same”.

I wonder whether our comparative lack of socialisation, community and interaction has affected how we view music and how artists are recording. If we are sitting behind screens and less connected with the outside world then it is not going to go into the music and, as such, resonate and affect people decades from now. It is a complex brew but I have that fear the last of the ‘icons’ – whoever that may be – will leave us and we will be sad.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

We will take to social media and provide sympathies and share all those great memories. The following days will be upsetting but, when we return to our normal lives, we will look around and see the new breed – all the legends have gone and one wonders how we will move from there. It is hard to swallow the possibility of a music scene with few greats like Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan; a world where values have changed and longevity is not a possibility – just a series of great artists who are around for years but we never hold them to heart the same way as the musicians we grew up around. Maybe the answer is simple or the real answer is there is no way to counteract reality. In any case, there is extra sadness in my mind thinking about Aretha Franklin and how she is gone. Such a complex, extraordinary and incredible being whose legacy and reputation was forged around more than music – she was a genuine personality who spoke out and gave a voice to so many others; inspired generations and broke down walls. Social media is flooded with condolences for Franklin and, when reading each one of them, I wonder whether we will see any modern-day artist who matches her legacy and status. It is sad to think but, in years to come, we will lose all of the true personalities and legends of music. Can we create modern heroes that last for decades and create such an impact as the icons of old? Thinking about it and I feel that likelihood…

IN THIS PHOTO: Joni Mitchell (2015)/PHOTO CREDIT: Norman Jean Roy for New York Magazine

IS an impossibility.

FEATURE: “Hey Nineteen, That’s ‘Retha Franklin….” Remembering the Queen of Soul

FEATURE:

 

 

“Hey Nineteen, That’s ‘Retha Franklin….”

IN THIS PHOTO: Aretha Franklin/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Remembering the Queen of Soul

__________

I starting typing this piece…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

when I heard the news that Aretha Franklin was gravely ill in Detroit. It seems fatalistic and a little insensitive but, sadly, one knows where such news leads. The seventy-six-year-old is one of the last true icons in the music world and, hearing the news she seriously ill, did not get me thinking of sadness and mortality: I was thinking about the lyric that inspired the title of this piece: Steely Dan’s Hey Nineteen from their album, Gaucho. In it, the middle-aged protagonist (Donald Fagen) is aghast that ‘Ninteen’ (a teenage suitor) does not know who Aretha Franklin is. Rather than argue and provide a concise history of Soul; by the chorus, he is yearning for her Cuervo Gold and “fine Colombian”. That was not the first time I had heard Franklin’s name being mentioned through song, either directly or indirectly. That Steely Dan song came out in 1980: my discovery of the Queen of Soul must have happened sometime in the 1990s. The first thing that hit me was THAT voice. Her 1967 rendition of Respect (originally released by Otis Redding two years previous) blew away critics and led a rather green Redding to confess her version added new layers to his song. That is the song we associate with her and for good reason.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Seliger/STYLING: Yashua Simmons

It turns Redding’s tale of a desperate man who needs a lifeline and attention from a woman, in Franklin’s hands, is a mandate and anthem for respect and attention. In her version, she is in command and puts in a scintillating performance – transforming a somewhat piteous and defeatist lament of Redding. There are many other reasons why Aretha Franklin is the undisputed Queen of Soul. The album Respect was taken from, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You, is a five-star classic that houses, among other gems, the title-track; Sam Cooke’s Good Times and A Change Is Gonna Come. The way she could turn songs like Think and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and make them distinctly her own is incredible. Great singers, whether they are performed original material or covers/songs written by others inhabit the material and bring fresh perspective to it; they make it their own clothing and create something wonderful. Franklin is one of a small handful of singers, including Elvis Presley, who blows you away with their voice and sheer panache. Set aside the influence Franklin has and her incredible style; you have this powerhouse vocalist who could bring the house down and bring tears to the eyes. I recall watching a video of Franklin performing Carole King’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015 and moving an in-attendance King to tears. It received a standing ovation and showed, in her seventies, she still had that awesome power and command.

Last year, Franklin cancelled a series of gigs on doctor’s orders; she has had health problems through her career but has always managed to make it through. From removing a tumour in 2010 – doctors said it would add fifteen to twenty years to her life – to dropping a lot of weight during a crash diet in 1974; the tough and tenacious artist has always been drawn back to music and the desire to perform. Franklin’s last, proper studio album was 2014 Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics received great reviews and saw her tackle songs from the likes of Dinah Washington and Adele. A Brand New Me, released last year, saw the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra add their qualities to existing Aretha Franklin vocals. Although the reviews were not particularly good; it was another case of people wanting to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul. That was her forty-second studio album and arrived an incredible fifty-eight years after her debut. During that incredible career, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1979); she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in n 1987; the second woman inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 – so many honours and fantastic achievements! Many see Franklin as the voice of the civil rights movement and a symbol of black equality – at a time when there is still racial inequality around the world, that voice and memory are ever-important and crucial.

Jennifer Hudson is to play Franklin in an upcoming biopic and it will take on a sad tinge given the news we have received. It is hard to say how many singers, politicians and public figures she has inspired and made stronger. You can hear the influence of Franklin in everyone from Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé; Adele and any number of female vocalists whose power and potency recalls the unbelievable spirit of Franklin. Popstars like Mariah Carey have been inspired by Franklin and, look around music, and you will identify so many who owe what they do to her. Soul is one of those genres that is always slightly away from the mainstream but always relevant. During Franklin’s reign, she managed to put it to the forefront and it, in her hands, had the same force and physicality as Punk and Rock. Now, decades after her golden era, I wonder whether artists need to take from her and bring Soul right back to the mainstream. It will not be easy but the fact Franklin captivated the world and affected such change has not been forgotten. I am a big Soul fan and always struggle with the fact it is never given the respect it warrants. R&B and Rap get plenty of focus but what of Soul?! Maybe there is nobody out there who can match Franklin but, following her passing, there will be stars and artists coming through who want to follow in her footsteps.

This article, published in Elle in 2016, looked at the legacy of Aretha Franklin’s Respect, some fifty years after its release. They spoke with various figures who gave their impressions on the song – and what Franklin’s music meant to them:

“And Gloria Steinem, a journalist edging toward the crusade that would define her life when "Respect" hit the radio, says, "I always felt that nothing too bad could happen in the world while I was listening to Aretha Franklin. Everything was good, including that I could dance with nobody around. True, there was a line in 'Respect' that made me anxious for both of us: something like, 'I'm about to give you all my money.' But I figured Aretha knew what she was doing, and nobody was going to mess with her. With us".

The interviewer sat with Franklin and asked her about feminism and race relations in the U.S. now (2015):

“Franklin thinks feminism is working. "The president of the Kennedy Center is a woman. Women are moving into fabulous positions," she says. The women she's met and admired are a diverse lot: Coretta Scott King, Steinem, Oprah, Barbara Jordan. As for young female singer-songwriters, she's a fan of Alicia Keys, Adele, and Jennifer Hudson; she calls Judy Garland "one of the greatest singers there was."

When I ask Franklin about the presidential race and the current state of race relations, she seems reluctant to offer an opinion, saying instead, rather wistfully, "People are not as nice as they used to be. There used to be a time when we conversed. You don't get a lot of real responses now. They used to be more polite and well-mannered people, generally. It's minimal now." She pauses, and then: "I think it would be a far greater world if people were kinder and more respectful to each other." Respect: There's that word again”.

One of the most poignant interview quotes from recent times is in 2016 when People interviewed her. Franklin was asked which of the current singers should inherit the title of the Queen of Soul. They projected a few names but the reply from Franklin was to-the-point and expected:

“Thus, we asked reigning Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin to weigh in on the new school of musical royalty, from Beyonce to Adele to Lady Gaga.

“There’s a lot of great singers out here,” Franklin tells PEOPLE diplomatically while celebrating her 74th birthday at the Ritz Carlton in New York City on Thursday, joined by Clive Davis, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Tamron Hall.

But when asked who she’d want to pass the diva torch to, Franklin’s answer was simply, no one. “I’m here!” she said with a smile. “I’m not going anywhere. This is what I do”.

That may provoke a tear or a wry smile because, however you look at things, her music is always in the world and her brilliance cannot be topped. I do not think there will be anyone who will dare challenge her title and can get anywhere near. Rather than try to equal Aretha Franklin or copy what she does; the legacy and influence will pass through the ages and, as the playlist at the bottom of this feature shows, she has managed to achieve so much brilliance during her six-decade recording career (more if you count the songs she was recording as a child). It is always heartbreaking losing an icon who has followed all of us and enriched our lives. Aretha Franklin was one of the last, great Soul performers and one of those artists who has managed to change music and society. There will be tributes played and sadness but, as Franklin said in that 2014 interview: “I’m here!”. Although she is not with us anymore, that quote above really sticks in the mind. It is true that, no matter how much times passes…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

SHE is not going anywhere!   

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Shygirl/PHOTO CREDIT: Samuel Ibram

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

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IT may be ironic…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dolls/PHOTO CREDIT: Gabrielle Hall

branding something ‘summer-ready’ when the weather is less than summer-like! The rain here is pissing down and those hot and sweaty days seem far behind us. In the same way that some people do a rain dance; I am hoping these blistering songs from some of the best female artists/female-led bands (from this year or last) in new music banish the bad weather and bring something much more pleasing to our shores. Whatever your tastes and musical preferences; I am sure you will be able to find something suitably arresting, pleasing and satisfying to ensure summer comes back…

IN THIS PHOTO: Emotional Oranges

IN next to no time.

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

_________________

Eirini Devitt – Marry Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Tilly May Photography

Yama Warashi – Kofun No Uta

PHOTO CREDIT: Isha Shah

Petrol Girls – Sister

PHOTO CREDIT: Rosie Mackay

Saltwater Sun – Hot Mess

PHOTO CREDIT: Keira-Anee Photography

Dolls – She Don’t Use Jelly

 PHOTO CREDIT: DIY

Dama Scout – Milky Milk

Maya Wolff (ft. Fulgurant) – What If We Can

Bully – Guess There

Wyldest – Island Gardens

Alex Winston – Tourist

whenyoung – Dreams

PHOTO CREDIT: Yiskid

Shygirl – Gush

The Kut – Love in the Rush Hour

Emotional Oranges – Personal

Bella McKendree - Water

PHOTO CREDIT: Paige Nelson Photography

The Little Miss – Red, White & True

PHOTO CREDIT: Hayley Stewart

Parallels – Catch

Maddie & Tae – Friends Don’t

Stephanie Quayle - Selfish

Callaghan – Summer Days

Dorcha – Bruiser

Adwaith - Gartref

Confidence Man – Out the Window

Natalie Evans – In Trees

LUCIA - Summertime

 

After London - Dreams

FEATURE: Dorain Gray in Headphones: Ageism in the Music Industry – and Why Artists of a ‘Certain Age’ Are Essential

FEATURE:

 

 

Dorain Gray in Headphones

IN THIS IMAGE: Madonna/IMAGE CREDIT: Meltendo

Ageism in the Music Industry – and Why Artists of a ‘Certain Age’ Are Essential

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THIS is the last piece I will write…

Its important to stop and smell the Roses 🌹🌹🌹🤡 #mertalas pic.twitter.com/TlBNC6kUi6

— Madonna (@Madonna) August 8, 2018

relating to Madonna but, as she is celebrating her sixtieth birthday today; I have been thinking about age and how still, this far down the line, it is an obsession in society! Growing older is a process we all have to face and it is nothing to be fearful of. One of the reasons why Madonna springs to mind is because she is embracing her years and finding vim and vigour in her sixties – she is already embracing the new milestone and determined not to be silenced and overlooked! This piece from The Independent looks at some of the stars that are still rocking and rolling in their sixties and seventies:

“But there is one area where the older woman is suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly thriving – rock music. Madonna celebrates her 60th birthday on Saturday. Kate Bush has just celebrated hers. In fact, they are the spring chickens. Suzi Quatro, 68, and Patti Smith, 71, are not just still rocking, they are still snarling. Cher at 72 pops up with a delightful cameo in the Mamma Mia! movie. The queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, is still recording at 76.

Who’d have thought it? Look back to the 1960s and there were precious few women at all in pop music, let alone older ones. In the UK, Sandie Shaw, Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithfull and a handful of others carried the fight to the mass of male groups (the word boyband had yet to be invented)”.

It seems amazing that there are segregations and partitions depending on your age and stage of life. Radio stations, especially, brand to particular audiences. If you are a young, trendy chart star then you can go to BBC Radio 1 and all the youthful stations in the capital; you might have a better time of things, age-wise, if you are on BBC Radio 6 Music but BBC Radio 2 is for a more mature listener/musician – those who have been ignored by the younger brands. There are very few stations broad enough to play music based on merit and reputation. I wonder, when Madonna’s new album comes out, she will be in the mind of stations that cater to teens and adolescents. It seems shocking she would be sidelined and turned away because she does not fit into the demographic of a particular station – regardless of the fact she has been cranking out gold for over thirty-five years. Look at icons like Paul McCartney, Cher and Kate Bush. The first two are releasing new material very soon and you know they will be resigned to stations where their feel and tones are more comfortable with a set audience. In other words, they are not hip and cutting enough to nestle with the ‘cool’ listeners. Kate Bush, especially, has shown how one can have stamina and huge gravitas the older you get.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during her Before the Dawn show (2014)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Her twenty-two date-run of concerts a few years back showed she has the energy and ambition of much younger artists. People were not concerned how she looked or how old she was: the reason they went was to listen to those hits and see her do what she does best! We are becoming mired in this ageist mentality where there is a distinct shelf-life of popularity and relevance. Artists do not become spent and archaic once they pass fifty, say. Madonna is launching new material soon and you can bet the material will be as edgy, raucous and sexy as anything out there. Her videos are likely to be as controversial and eye-catching as the likes of Human Nature, Erotica and Like a Prayer. It is very rare, when looking at the music press and stations, you see those more mature and middle-aged artists adorning features. Unless they are a huge name – and even then it is not a guarantee! – you struggle to see anyone past their thirties. Why do we associate the good and desired with young faces and an irrelevant coolness?! It is complex when you transition from the studio to the stage because there is a definite need for stamina and energy. A lot of ageing artists mix chat with music but there are those who have incredible endurance – as able to produce a captivating and energised show as any young artist.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna/PHOTO CREDIT: @Madonna

The Independent’s article looked at women and how, because they live longer than men, there is that additional staying power in music:

“Jonathan Morrish, a long-time senior executive at Sony record company, and now a music industry PR consultant, says: “Women generally live longer than men, so it should come as no surprise that so many as they get older seem to flourish creatively with their music and on stage. None of this is easy. I know from the many artists that I have worked with you need tenacity. So perhaps it’s the staying power they had to show at the beginning of their careers, perhaps a savvy emotional intelligence – whatever it is, I admire and welcome it. And applaud them”.

Is the issue and sense of discrimination confined to female artists?! We associate the ageing men with something laddish, legendary and cheeky. We all still lust after The Rolling Stones; love a bit of Macca swagger and go nuts for the old legends who can still give us attitude, Rock and rebellion. Women, on the other hand, are subject to the critique of those who feel, when they acquire wrinkles and lines, they are destined for the scrapheap! Madonna, as many are noting, is as fresh and relevant now as she was in her twenties. She is maturing in many ways but is as feisty and creatively primal as her beginnings.

In fact, in this article from earlier in the year, she tackled ageism head-on:

"Why should only men be allowed to be adventurous, sexual, curious, and get to have all the fun until the day they leave this earth?" she asks.

"What I am going through now is ageism, with people putting me down or giving me a hard time because I date younger men or do things that are considered to be only the domain of younger women," explains Madonna.

The 59-year-old musician plans to keep fighting against ageism.

"Ten to 20 years from now, it's going to be normal," Madonna says of how she lives her life. "People are going to shut up."

The singer says that "by standing up to men" it's only a matter of time until certain behaviours won't be dubbed "ageist".

Does society still place double standards when it comes to men and women? Maybe beauty magazines and that ideal of ‘perfection’ (being young) clouds and poisons how we perceive women of a certain age. Lola Blanc, writing back in 2015 proved how many women, even in their twenties, are fearing ageism and being marginalised :

“There's a part of me that's terrified to write this. I'm a singer and a songwriter, and as a female who's not yet a household name, I can't help but feel the familiar, deep-seated fear that being open about this fact will lead to my professional demise. I'm fighting it. Here goes: I'm 27.

I've felt a sense of urgency since I can remember. I can feel it now, I could feel it ten years ago, and I felt it even as a kid. It looms just ahead at every moment, threatening me with its sinister little whisper: You are getting older”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Sir Paul McCartney/PHOTO CREDIT: MJ Kim

I am in my thirties but feel, career-wise, there is a distinct cut-off point where one has to accept they might not be able to achieve their dreams. The media seems to idealise the young and look for the fresh-faced and infused. Madonna and her peers are fighting against those who view the older man/woman as culturally irrelevant and dusty. I write about ageism last year but am compelled to revise the subject given the fact, at sixty, Madonna is flying a flag for the mature woman who is as vibrant and essential as any artist out there. Everyone from P!nk, Sheryl Crow and Kylie Minogue have spoken up recently and said the same thing: they have faced ageism and judgement but they are golden as popular as ever. I feel we devalue artists who get to a certain point in their career. They are more essential than the new breed because they have proved their staying power. The business is unpredictable and it gets harder and harder to forge a long and enduring career. You need talent and strength but it takes personality and resilience to endure as long as the likes of Madonna, Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell. There is a definite split between male and female artists but I wonder whether there is another divide between new and established artists.

IN THIS PHOTO: Sheryl Crow/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Those epic stars that are still in the public eye have proved their worth and survived market trends, changes and mortality to emerge hungry and inventive. Rather than limit these artists to certain radio stations and feel they are ‘too old’ to be seen as beautiful and fashionable; learning from them and embracing their longevity should happen. The fact their new music might not be as cutting, iconic and unexpected as their classic hits is no reason to relegate them and feel they are resigned to a rather early grave. Big artists are feeling the pinch but I rarely get submissions from middle-aged and older acts. X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger spoke of ageism and suggesting streaming is a viable outlet for artists struggling to get their music played on the radio:

“…However, while she did say that she feels it’s “harder with age” to get your songs played on the radio, she does think streaming services have offered a second chance to pop stars.

Nicole claimed: “What’s so great is that we have streaming. That is awesome because once you have a hit, streaming breaks all the boundaries of appearance and age”.

I wonder whether artists starting out in the fifties and sixties feel they are never going to be taken seriously and struggle against younger competition. The industry has always been more attracted to those bands who can kick and smash for a couple of hours; new acts who can sit on a magazine cover and have that radio-wide appeal – what happens to those who are a bit more ‘mature’?

Back to the mainstream and this article, written in 2016, brought in facts and figures to illustrate the ageism and restrictions of the charts:

“This week Sia became the first woman aged over 40 to top the US charts since Madonna achieved the feat 16 years ago.

With her hit Cheap Thrills, Adelaide’s Sia is breaking the glass ceiling for women over 40 (she turns 41 in December) as radio and the pop charts are dominated by females in their teens or 20s.

Artists over 40, especially women, face difficulties trying to compete on today’s pop charts and commercial radio playlists.

A look at the 100 most played songs on Australian radio last year is a sobering indication of this ageism against women.

Paul McCartney, now 74, was the oldest act by far, but he merely performed on the number one hit Four Five Seconds, with Kanye West and Rihanna handling the vocals.

The next oldest was French dance producer David Guetta, 47, when his song Hey Mama was a hit last year, but again the vocals came from Nicki Minaj.

The most-played oldest acts on Australian radio last year were all men: rapper Nelly (41), Robin Thicke (39), Kanye West (39), John Legend (37), Diplo (37) and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine (37) joining him.

The most-played women on Australian radio last year? Taylor Swift (26), Ellie Goulding (29), Rihanna (28), Meghan Trainor (22), Selena Gomez (24) and Adele (28), and, of course, Sia (40)”.

Tina Arena, in the same article, reacted to Madonna’s assumptions regarding music and radio – when you are out of your twenties then you are passed aside and replaced:

“Madonna is absolutely right. Totally,” Arena told News Corp last year. “It affects a lot of women. It shouldn’t just be young women on radio. Women in their 40s have philosophical things to say that need to be heard.

“The music industry or radio doesn’t see it as viable and I think that’s a huge mistake. I think there’s a real generation of people that are ignored. I’m just doing what a 40-plus woman in the music industry would be doing. I’m doing my job. My job is to write a record that hopefully women of my age and younger will be bothered to listen to.

“I still believe people like to listen to new music, no matter their age, especially if it talks to them and their lives”.

There is a lot of pressure around body image and a certain sexiness. Is a man or woman in their fifties going to be viewed as desirable and cover-worthy?! Many music videos are using sex and youth to sell; younger generations are spending less time with the established pioneers and obsessed with what is funky and trending. Those icons like Madonna have opened doors and changed the industry. They have managed to push music as far as it has come and has added so much through the years. The fact these stars have contributed so much does not guarantee them continued success and celebration. Many say the middle-aged and older stars are not producing music as good and inspiring as when they were young. That is a subject measure and I feel artists need to not only embrace their age but accept that a certain sound is not suitable at a certain point. The Pop legends of old cannot keep that same sound as they did in the 1970s and 1980s – they need to move with the times but that does not mean they are bad or inferior. Artists coming through, of a particular age, are scared of being ignored right from the off. If there is more pressure and discrimination placed on the shoulder of women; it seems new artists, regardless of age, have to work so much harder (than younger peers) to get heard. Streaming services go some way but artists depend on radio, journalists and fans to get their work out there.

Age is such a stupid barrier that needs to come down. We are not seeing music as an equal market and judging people in terms of merit. More and more, artists past the age of twenty or thirty have to accept that they are going to be consigned to a certain radio station or seen as past-it. These attitudes are killing careers and causing divisions. If the iconic artists we all grew up around prove anything is they have more endurance and meaning than any young artist on the current scene. These newcomers are unlikely to survive for years and have that same allure and memorability. It is probably wise to look at the sixty-year-old Madonna as proof of a star who is ageing but does not see age as a barrier – she is filling Instagram with birthday snaps and is determined to kick against those who query her contemporary value. In this article; Madonna shared her opinions regarding age as a ‘sin’:

“I mean, who made those rules? Who says? I’m going to keep fighting it,” she said.

“10 to 20 years from now, it’s going to be normal. People are going to shut up”.

The Pop Queen is still on the throne thirty-six years after her debut single and will continue to rule for decades to come – even death cannot dethrone her! We need to get out of the ageism trap and stop putting people into certain brackets. Women, especially, in music have a hard time getting focus and respect when they start to age. If we keep pushing wonderful artists aside based on their age then we risk making the industry a much poorer, divided…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

AND depressing place.

INTERVIEW: Miranda Arieh

INTERVIEW:

Miranda Arieh

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MY attention turns to Miranda Arieh…

who has been talking about her latest single, Impossible. I speak with the Leeds-based artist about her upbringing; she reveals what we can expect from her upcoming album, Ferine; whether, as a champion of women’s rights, there is a change happening in music regarding gender inequality.

Arieh speaks about her tough youth and how she has managed to use music as a tool for improvement and personal growth; whether there are going to be tour dates coming up; some great artists we all need to investigate – she selects some albums that are especially important to her.

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Hi, Miranda. How are you? How has your week been?

Great, thank you! I've played two gorgeous shows this weekend and got a festival coming up this coming one, so feelin’ content! 

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I'm Miranda Arieh; a singer-songwriter from Leeds!

 

Impossible is your new single. Can you talk about its background and story?

I wrote Impossible, essentially, about my adoration for songwriting and the comfort that it brings me; in this situation, it was helping with my letting go of things I could not change in the past and staying mindful. No matter what I'm going through, I can always turn to writing a song in order to express myself and help me “settle down in an old sweet song”.

I wrote it after a conversation one night with a female sex worker who was also saying how music helped her stay mindful (but for her listening to it). She's the woman I'm talking about in the song- she was an incredibly powerful and inspiring woman. I was going through a really tough patch, emotionally, at the time and dealing with feelings of intense regret. I went straight home and wrote impossible. It really helped. 

Your music tackles women's rights and mental-health concerns. Is it important to you to ensure changes come in society and we address these problems?! 

Absolutely! I think that music is a fantastic place to do this. Music is a language that crosses all borders.

Do you think there are changes regarding gender equality? How do you feel, as a woman in music, about the current imbalance?!

Gender inequality in the music industry has started to be highlighted in the mainstream which is brilliant and has given birth to many great campaigns and schemes such as Both Sides Now, Women Make Music and Loud Women etc. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. Google the writer of many modern-day Pop songs fronted/sung by a woman and you find the songwriter is a man. It's not enough to just have the women singing the song if they're managed by a man, written for by a man and told what to wear by a man…I wanna hear women's voices and what they have to say.

I also wanna hear older women's voices. Ageism needs to be tackled in the media mainstream for women. Men's lines are defined and even, maybe, increased on the cover of a magazine and he is seen to ripen with age like a fine wine whereas women's lines are bleached and ironed and filtered out. There is a huge fear of age in this society and it is poured out and fed through music and media mainstream. I wanna see age; I wanna hear age and I wanna have more older women role models in the music industry mainstream.

Ageing is the one thing that we are all guaranteed to do it would be nice to see more older women coming through the market. I saw Patti Smith a couple of months ago. She's in her seventies and was PHENOMENAL, ridiculously good. However, it's very sad to think that, in the modern day, if she released her songs now as an EMERGING musician starting out at this age she may go ignored or unheard due to her age/looks. This needs to change. 

Ferine is your forthcoming album. What sort of themes and stories inspired the music on the record? What was it like making the album? 

Wow. So many different topics and themes and emotions. I tend to write from feeling rather than thought. Themes are as varied and range from empowerment to the end of the world; to ageism, being silenced/speaking out as a woman; mental illness, letting go of regret and creating a false self…! Whereas some songs - such as the first track on the album, Hold On - is a story I wrote about talking to an invented lover in a bunker in a trench of a battlefield surrounded by incoming troops…it starts with stripped-back, emotive solo piano and ends with a samba outro...! We have a real range on there.

I adored the process of recording it and building up the tracks with instruments; so many different and varied instruments used - it's a real Chamber-Pop field day.

How did you get into music? Which artists compelled you growing up?

I always wrote songs from being a tiny girl on our piano in our house. I taught myself. Although, my mum was a concert pianist so I heard her play which defo had an impact. I first picked up a guitar when sectioned into an adolescent psychiatric unit as a teen. It was there I really got into 'proper' songwriting and lyric-writing. I had been self-harming and overdosing a lot and was in a dreadful trauma state emotionally, so I felt like I had found some real therapy finally in writing songs. Artists that influenced me are No Doubt, Nirvana; Hole, the Pixies; Symposium, Bob Dylan; Joanna Newsom and loads of '90s chart Pop.

I was also into loads of Punk bands growing up such as NOFX, Pennywise; Lagwagon and Less Than Jake. System of a Down certainly had an influence even though they're a Heavy-Metal band! The way Serj Tankian uses his voice always resonated deeply with me - the sheer theatrics in it. I used to listen to them on-repeat. I was a right mosher. I even had a huge, heavy black chain hanging off my baggy, rain-soaked jeans...

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018? 

I would like to be even closer to making my music fully sustainable and be doing even more of what I love the most

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Winning the People's Choice Award at the Leeds Music Video Awards for the second year in a row was pretty special and emotional. I think it was a point where I woke up and felt so supported and encouraged and realised people must be really enjoying what I do with my videos, which is such a wonderful feeling to give enjoyment to people through what I love creating the most.

It was a HUGE turning point for me to push the boundaries further with my music videos and put my all into them. They are my fave thing to make. I adore the writing of the songs, I adore the recording of the songs; I adore the performing live of the songs but then the music video is just the icing on the cake for me: I get to perform the song I wrote and recorded and now act the part of the character I wrote it as and really experiment with visuals (and reinvention of myself as an artist each and every time).

For me, it feels like it’s a vessel to bring my song to life and communicate it to the world. I just love doing it more than anything. I get such a high from filming music videos. I'm just in my element! I've worked with such a beautiful team on my last few. I feel so grateful to them all for helping me bring the vision and song to life. I am also so grateful to all the people who are continuing to support and encourage me with what I love to do. After what feels like a lifetime of negative self-talk and anxiety, it has sincerely meant the world to me.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Pixies – Bossanova

Got me through all my rough times such as that first night in Leeds safehouse after running away from home; the first night in foster care; the first night in an adolescent mental hospital at fourteen.

Joanna Newsom – Ys

It got me through the first stages of labour with my daughter! I was very young and very afraid and it soothed me a lot! I really respect her songwriting - her lyrics are absolute weaving genius. 

No Doubt - No Doubt

Another classic for me growing up. It meant a lot to me as it reminds me of good times where I was heavily getting into music and playing bass and started getting obsessed with writing songs. Gwen Stefani is so hugely talented vocally. It's insane.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I'd support Patti Smith. She's an absolute legend and my rider would consist of loads of vegan food including chips, cake, falafel and a nice coffee. I don't drink alcohol anymore or take drugs as they just used to affect my mental-health too much so nowt head-mashing. I'd be up wild all night on the chips and adrenaline instead. Rock ‘n’ Roll. 

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

An album will be released later this year and we will be doing a debut full band launch show in Leeds to go with it so look out for that! So excited to recreate the album live as I'm currently performing solo but it's gonna be a whole new world performing with my band 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through? 

Be yourself. Never see anything or anyone as competition. Competition stifles creativity. Compare yourself to no one and let go of the fear of other people's judgements. Life's too short to worry about what other people think of you. Have integrity but don't be afraid to take risks. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Pariss Elektra

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I love so many I have decided to choose only local Leeds female artists for this one! Pariss Elektra (I've chosen one of her tracks for you to play below); all my Sisterhood Music Collective consisting of Fran Wyburn, Astraluna and Fuzzy Jones. My Pink Moon secret gigs house show collective consisting of Jenni Noyes, Keeper of Bees and LeeSun. Also, I’m currently loving Muriel & Blazquez, Park Fires and Kelly Boyle. All of the above are wonderful, independent local female artists!

IN THIS PHOTO: Jenni Noyes

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind? 

Well. I unwind by chilling WITH music! I love songwriting to unwind. I love writing lyrics and writing new riffs. I play more piano than guitar nowadays. I also love to meditate and I've been drawing a lot recently too. I adore listening to non-fiction audiobooks and talks to learn more about healing and self-development. My fave authors are Eckhart Tolle, Gabrielle Bernstein; Brene Brown, Deepak Chopra; Pema Chodron and Kristin Neff. I have learnt SO MUCH over the past couple of years since I discovered audiobooks!

I also love spending time with my wonderful daughter Robin who is eleven. She's an amazing person and turning into the most fabulous young woman. Also, my friends and partner Tom. He's a songwriter too and we've started writing music together recently. We started a lil project called Cair Paravel and we've just started recording also. 

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I'll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that). 

Ooh; this is such a difficult choice but I'd like to choose Pariss Elektra. The track I'd like to choose is called Awake and it is off her First Love E.P. She's a brilliant local independent artist. I love her music as it's so conscious; incredible vibe and she is truly a force of nature live. A huge, huge talent. 

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Follow Miranda Arieh

Official:

https://www.mirandaarieh.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mirandaariehmusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mirandaarieh

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1q2sQDSukuWgsZVT9KbjV8

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBsWX7QPdiXbLsd2-qs7xEw

INTERVIEW: Caiti Baker

INTERVIEW:

Caiti Baker

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THE brilliant Caiti Baker has been discussing…

her album, ZINC, and the sort of themes that inspired it. Although it is not released in the U.K. until 24th August, it has been getting great reception in Australia. Baker talks about that and where she heads now in terms of material and touring.

I ask her what it is like writing ZINC with chronic fatigue syndrome; how she got into songwriting to start with; the albums that are most important to her; some upcoming artists to look out for; whether she gets time to unwind away from music – Baker ends the interview with a fantastic song.

____________

Hi, Caiti. How are you? How has your week been?

I’m great, thank you! My week has been fun and hectic. The Darwin Festival is currently on and I’m also moving house. So, I’m doing a lot of socialising, seeing shows at the festival and packing up a house!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Caiti Baker. I’m a singer, songwriter and performer. I’m from Darwin (NT), Australia and I’m either at home writing and recording music or touring the country!

The album, ZINC, is out on 24th August (in the U.K.). Can you talk about the sort of themes that inspired the record?

Having had chronic fatigue syndrome and bipolar disorder for six years, I was either in a state of inflammation (depressed, manic or moody) or I was asleep. I wasn’t ‘absorbing’ life. For those six years, I don’t remember a whole lot – I didn’t feel like me. So, in healing these conditions, I was essentially having a rebirth and that’s a songwriting gold mine! A lot of what I wrote about on ZINC was inspired by finding my identity and all the aspects of life; love and conflict that come along with that. 

I believe you were battling chronic fatigue syndrome before and during its creation. What sort of impact did that have on your mindset and output?!

I healed myself halfway through the writing process for ZINC. So, as mentioned before, I was writing a lot about identity, love; conflict and the experience of transitioning from one state of existence to another. It was therapeutic and cathartic to be able to create art out of a challenging and troubling situation, so I’d say the experience on a whole was positive.

I also find that sometimes I write with my subconscious. Songs will pour out that don’t make much sense until a much later time. There’ll be a moment when it hits me and something settles - an inner-calmness, like I’ve solved something internally and my brain has just caught up. There are a few songs on the album where that was the case!

ZINC has been out in Australia a little while – gaining great reviews. Is it a relief to know something you have worked hard on has hit a chord and resonated?!

Absolutely! Even if I wasn’t fortunate enough to have the support to get my music out there, I’d still be creating. So, just knowing that there are people out there discovering my music every day and being affected by it in one way or another is a combination of many emotions (!): happiness, humility and excitement. Sometimes, it’s overwhelming but it’s all positive! I love reading reviews and hearing the interpretations of the songs; it’s interesting to me. 

Which artists have been most influential to you? Who do you count as idols?

I was fortunate to be born (because of and) into a household of music. Blues music, to be more specific! I have so many influences because of my upbringing so I’ll keep the list as short as possible! Big Mama Thornton, Ray Charles; Little Walter, Etta James; Aretha Franklin, Sweet Honey in the Rock; Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland…Aaliyah, Fiona Apple; Missy Elliott, Timbaland; The Neptunes, Lauryn Hill; Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan; Erykah Badu, Jill Scott; Leela James, TLC; SWV, Destiny’s Child; Wyclef Jean, Brandy; Faith Evans…the list goes on and on!

I see idols in a lot of different people for different reasons. For their sheer powerhouse abilities, Beyoncé is an idol. For their singing, songwriting and arrangement skills, I count Fiona Apple and Frank Ocean as Idols… 

How did you get into songwriting? Was there a moment you knew that is what you had to do?!

Just being surrounded by music and having that genetic ability - I think it was predetermined that I’d be a writer, singer and performer. I don’t remember the moment it started; I just remember doing it. My dad got a digital 8-track recorder when I was twelve and he couldn’t work out how to use it, so I did. I started recording what I had written then. That’s how I began stacking vocal harmonies and writing over Hip-Hop instrumentals. 

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’m gonna have a bunch of new songs written, recorded and produced by the end of 2018! I’ll have completed a national tour, released two more songs (the last of the songs from the Zinc chapter) and play a few festivals.  

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I’m lucky to have so many; I wouldn’t know where to start! Playing WOMADelaide (a renowned World music festival) in 2017 and the Byron Bay Bluesfest this year have been two incredible experiences that I’ll never forget! Touring with and supporting the late Dr G Yunupingu on a national tour was special and unforgettable. I’d say that releasing new music into the world and hearing people’s reactions is one of my favourite things.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

This is just straight-up-difficult so I’m gonna have to make it easier for myself! I get immersed in albums for the entire experience and I become obsessed. So, I can listen to one album every day, a number of times for days, weeks and months on end - it depends on what’s going on in my life at the time. So, life experiences and emotions get attached to albums and therefore have a significant impact on me. I’m gonna give you a list of ten!

Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul: The Very Best Of Aretha Franklin

Twenty-four songs of Aretha Greatness. Collectively, her sound, dynamic; instrumentation and arrangements are timeless and have been a massive influence on me.

Aaliyah - One in a Million

Aaliyah revolutionised R&B with Missy Elliott and Timbaland. I love every track on this album. I still think it’s a classic.

Angel Haze - Back to the Woods

This album is potent, dynamic; full of soul and will not age. Angel Haze (A.K.A. Roes) is an amazing rapper and Incredible singer. She’s an inspiring artist to me.

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

This album has a lot of emotion attached to it for me as I was obsessed with it over an interesting time during my fatigue. I don’t remember much but I’ll listen to this album and I’m taken back to places I was when I was obsessed with it and I’ll start to remember things. It’s just a beautifully written body of work.

Jay Rock - Redemption

The latest album I’ve been obsessing over. It’s just a strong Hip-Hop album that knocks and he’s one of my favourite rappers who is amazingly musical and creative in every project he creates.

Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly

It’s hard to fault Missy. Her debut studio album, created with her equally groundbreaking collaborator Timbaland; Supa Dupa Fly just hit me in the soul as a kid. I loved everything about this album and it’s been a very big influence on my sound.

Rihanna – Anti

This album is just a straight-up banger. Great R&B, Soul and Pop songs produced amazingly and executed incredibly by Rihanna. I love every song on this album.

Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

Fiona is unapologetic, wild; thrilling and bold. Her voice is liquid gold and her songs are so interesting. I love the production and arrangements on this album. 

Run the Jewels – RTJ3

I love everything these guys do but I smashed RTJ3 in 2017. I spent a big chunk of time listening to this album and being energised by it on so many levels. El P’s production is wild; Killa Mike is one of my favourite rappers and I love what they both stand for. 

Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough?

What a wonderful experience this album is. Sonically and emotionally, it melts right through me. 

That’s ten! But, I can add three Jay-Z albums, two Kendrick Lamar albums; an Irma Thomas album, Redman and Method Man; Rah Digga, Solange; Beyoncé, TLC, Leela James; Anthony Hamilton…the list goes on and on and on and on!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Oh, this is tough! Wow. I’d love to support Jacob Banks. As for (hospitality?) rider - I’d be ok with what I tend to have – what my band likes to drink, some food; white towels, gum…I don’t need much!

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

I am doing a National Australian Tour in September/October. Dates are on my website.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be you. Don’t be a jerk. Follow your gut instincts; understand your own and your band’s expectations and surround yourself with good people.

IN THIS PHOTO: Emily Wurramara

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Alice Skye, Emily Wurramara; Stevie Jean (I’m taking her on tour with me!), Serina Pech and Tasman Keith.

IN THIS PHOTO: Stevie Jean/PHOTO CREDIT: Elle Wickens

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Nope! Haha. It’s a 24/7 life but I love it. Periodically, I’ll take a trip to the mountains; turn the Internet off and reset everything. I’ll be doing that again in late October. To unwind on a daily basis…I watch comedy, listen to podcasts and immerse myself in good T.V. I love going out for a dance, too. That’s a good way to unwind…or down to one of the beaches to walk in the sand.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that). 

Aw; this is so tough! Ummmm. Let’s go with Criminal by Fiona Apple!

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Follow Caiti Baker

Official:

http://caitibaker.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/caitibakermusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/caitibakermusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/caitibakermusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/05eqfIcVnnc9zywXVdHv1P

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/caiti-baker

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF9AQydCdpcC7GqcX69mb9A

INTERVIEW: Ella Hooper

INTERVIEW:

 Ella Hooper

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I have been chatting with the fabulous Ella Hooper…

about her new track, To the Bone, and what its story is. She reveals whether there is more material coming up; how solo life compares to being part of Killing Heidi; which artists inspire her – Hooper reveals how she is feeling about heading to the BIGSOUND Festival this year.

I ask the songwriter which artists and albums are important to her; if there are new artists we need to keep an eye out for; what her favourite career memory is; what she hopes to achieve before the end of this year – she ends the interview by selecting a classic cut.

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Hi, Ella. How are you? How has your week been?

Great thanks, love. Busy, busy, BUSY but I can handle it. As long as it's creative, I love it. Just don't ask me to do my tax - which, I actually have to do soon. But, I'm ignoring that and having a ball bringing this new single out instead!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Hellooooo! I'm a frontwoman, singer-songwriter; media person, lover of smart, well-made Pop and Rock and, actually, any and all other genres (I have made a Country record) and I'm embarking on (another) new phase where I fully step into my solo artist potential after years in bands (some very successful) and I'm feeling AMAZING about it. 

To the Bone is your new single. Can you talk about the background of the song?

Well, for me it's a bit of a battle cry; the war being with myself (always!), trying to gee myself up to break away from or break down old structures and limitations that no longer serve…to step up and out into the world in a different way. A more empowered way. Even if less people 'like' you, who cares? Don't they say it's better to be respected than liked? That's how I'm feeling. Time to ruffle some feathers. 

Is there more material coming later in the year? What are you working on?

Yes! I have two more tracks finished and ready to go. They're slightly rockier, with more distinct guitars -and two more bubbling up after that. I'll try and get another single out before years-end and then we will see! I can't wait to release this new material. It feels like my best work, but singers always say that don't we?

How does life creating as a solo artist compare to being part of Killing Heidi?

It's brilliant for the responsibility and creative freedom it brings. Making decisions on your own is very liberating but can, at times, be challenging. No one to bounce off to make the final call: it's all on you, all the time! Eek. I miss the camaraderie of a band at times, but it seems that forms pretty quickly in my backing bands too. Before you know it, it feels like a band and people are farting and burping in the van...ahhh, lovely. 

I am really enjoying having both acts active at the moment; it's like the best of both worlds. My teen self revels in K.H.'s high-contrast Pop-Rock simplicity and my adult self feels fully expressed through (I think) the more complex songwriting and themes of my solo stuff. 

Are you still involved with Killing Heidi? What have you brought from your career there to life as a solo artist?

Yes! We are doing some reunion shows here and there that have been going amazingly well. It's a nice treat to bring it back after so many years on ice and be able to sell out shows and play big festivals with a band you broke up ten years ago. Crazy. It's definitely influenced my want for a more kinetic, rambunctious solo set.

The Killing Heidi energy is so good for getting the crowd going; the new Ella Hooper solo stuff doesn't sound like Killing Heidi but it does have a strong back-beat; slightly higher B.P.M. and aim to get the floor full and party started. Still angsty after all these years! 

I believe you are heading to the 2018 BIGSOUND Festival. How does that rank alongside your career highlights?!

It'll be good. Not sure if it will rank as a highlight but maybe more of a new beginning? It's something I've wanted to do as sometimes my career feels quite back to front. I'm keen to treat this next release as though I'm a new artist, hence doing showcases.  They've booked me some bloody massive rooms though, so obviously my reputation precedes me (haha).

Who are the artists that inspire you and led you to get into songwriting?

It's the classics, I hate to say! Beatles, Bob Dylan; Joni Mitchell, Neil Young. Then I came of age in the '90s and it was Smashing Pumpkins, Hole; Veruca Salt, Nirvana and then onto Liz Phair, Ryan Adams and PJ Harvey.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I'd love to put another single out, make a super-high production value live clip and finish recording the rest of the material for this 'batch'. Also, secure some OS travel plans for the New Year! I'm coming! Basically, prep for world domination next year. Haha. 

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I've had some wild ones. Getting a birthday cake onstage at the Big Day Out (massive festival in Aus.). It was my seventeenth birthday, our song was number one in the charts and I was inviting Coldplay and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to my birthday party. What a trip. The funny thing is I totally dropped the ball and didn't tell them exactly where the party was and apparently they were looking all around Melbourne for it that night. You become fast friends on these tours. 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan

I use this album to calm me down and take me back to childhood when it's all too much sometimes.

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Because I fell in love with intelligent Rock music to it.

Then it's a toss up between any Nina Simone, Astral Weeks by Van Morrison and Blue by Joni Mitchell

Because they all made genius-level albums by the bucket-load. HELP! 

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Ladyhawke - and I would be a great fit I reckon. Her recent album, Wild Things, was really uplifting and I think that's brave and cool. We both love those '70s and '80s references too.

I'd have coconut water as always on the rider. The good stuff, not from concentrate. 

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

No dates to reveal as yet, but I’m hoping to lock some in soon. Stay tuned. I love touring. I'm made for it. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Protect your individuality. Your 'quirk' is what gives you an edge. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Gena Rose Bruce/PHOTO CREDIT: Rhea Caldwell Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes! Gena Rose Bruce, Hannah Cameron; Alice Skye and Clio Renner are superb singer-songwriters coming up in Melbourne. For Rock bands, Miss Destiny and Tyrannamen are killing it. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Hannah Cameron

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I get a bit! Not enough. I head to my hometown (a tiny little country town hours from the city) and hang with my mum or my old friends who have farms there now.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Stand Back by Stevie Nicks. What a banger. 

____________

Follow Ella Hooper

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/EllaHooperOfficial/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Ella_Hooper

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ella_hooper/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Fkkpc8GhsqoaSNoWC8XWc

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/ellahooper

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ellahoopertv

FEATURE: Express Yourself: Madonna at Sixty: Her Finest Songs

FEATURE:

 

 

Express Yourself

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna on the T.V. programme, Saturday Show, in 1984/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

Madonna at Sixty: Her Finest Songs

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THIS time tomorrow…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

will see the Queen of Pop enter her seventh decade of life and it will be a big moment! If she were unhappy about turning sixty – and not willing to make a fuss – then I would feel guilty for publishing so much. In contrast, she is looking forward and planning a big shindig. It will be great to see her embrace her birthday. The music industry places emphasis on age and being ‘mature’ – signals that, once you get to a certain point, you need to slow it all down and be a bit quiet. In honour of the Pop legend turning sixty; I have selected her very best songs. Have a look at these tracks and maybe you disagree with the selection; you might have some personal opinions or want to cast your own vote. It is hard to narrow down the brilliance of her music but I hope, in this piece, I have gone some way to…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna performing on the Blond Ambition Tour (1990) in Tokyo, Japan/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

HIGHLIGHTING the cream of the crop.

SINGLE COVER ART: Getty Images

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Borderline

Released: 15th February, 1984

Album: Madonna (1983)

Trivia: The song became Madonna’s first top-ten in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted for thirty weeks. Borderline has been covered by the likes of The Flaming Lips and Duffy and the music video for the song is considered one of her finest and most enduring.

Like a Virgin

Released: 31st October, 1984

Album: Like a Virgin (1984)

Trivia: Like a Virgin was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and was inspired by Steinberg’s time living in his father's Coachella Valley vineyard. Steinberg stated it was not intended for Madonna when he wrote it – it was based on his personal experiences. Producer Nile Rodgers did not want Madonna to record the song as he felt it was bubble-gum and there was no good hook (he grew to like the song!). Family organisations wanted the video and song banned because they felt Madonna was unsavoury and was promoting sex without marriage.  The song is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll – a satisfying middle-finger to those who snubbed and criticised the track!

Material Girl

Released: 23rd January, 1985

Album: Like a Virgin (1984)

Trivia: The music video was a mimicry of Marilyn Monroe’s performance of the song Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend from the 1953 film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Everyone from Britney Spears and Haylie Duff have covered the song and, despite it being considered one of her most iconic songs; Rikky Rooksby, in the book, The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, called it a “pungent satire on the Regan/Thatcher young-guns-go-for-it era” and stated that Pop music and irony do not mix!

Papa Don’t Preach

Released: 11th June, 1986

Album: True Blue (1986)

Trivia: The music video saw Madonna adopt a complete makeover. She got rid of the heavy jewellery and thrift store looks of previous shoots/videos and sported a more toned physique, cropped hair and a look that was described as a mixture of tomboy and Shirley MacLaine. The song hit the Billboard Hot 100 at number-forty-two and, within eight weeks of release, it had reached the top – making it Madonna’s fourth number-one single in the U.S.

La Isla Bonita

Released: 25th February, 1987

Album: True Blue (1986)

Trivia: Madonna co-wrote the song with Patrick Leonard. It was Madonna’s first single to incorporate Latino influences and the lyrics are a tribute to a beautiful island – Madonna has said it was a tribute to the beauty of Latinos. It became her fourth number-one in the U.K. and set the record for the most number-ones for a female artist. In the music video, Madonna plays two characters – a young, pious Catholic woman and a glamorous, passionate Latina.

Like a Prayer

Released: 3rd March, 1989

Album: Like a Prayer (1989)

Trivia: Although its video turned heads and caused some controversy, the song debuted the Billboard Hot 100 at number-thirty-eight and impressed critics who noted Madonna’s growing confidence and move from a more-simple Pop artist to someone able to fuse sweet-sounding elements with raw, sexual lyrics - a mixture of the sacred and profane. Like a Prayer has been featured during five of Madonna’s concert tours, most recently on the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015-2016.

Express Yourself

Released: 9th May, 1989

Album: Like a Prayer (1989)

Trivia: The video for the song was directed by David Fincher and was inspired by the Fritz Lang classic, Metropolis (1927). The video’s budget was $5 million which made it the most expensive video ever at that time – it is currently the third-mostexpensive of all time. Madonna’s inspiration behind the song was to express what you feel and not hiding it because, if you do not let it out, you will regret it. No matter how sexually confident you are in a relationship she said, there is that power struggle and compromise (that quote is attributed to the author Mick St. Michael).

Vogue

Released: 27th March, 1990

Album: I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy (1990)

Trivia: Vogue is considered, musically and stylistically, a career highlight. The song remains one of Madonna’s biggest international hits and has topped the charts in over thirty countries. It became the world’s best-selling single of 1990 and sold over six-million copies. The video was directed by David Fincher and takes stylistic inspiration from the 1920s and 1930s. The video won three gongs at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards and is seen as one of the greatest music videos ever.

Justify My Love

Released: 30th October, 1990

Album: The Immaculate Collection (1990)/B-side of Express Yourself

Trivia: Musically, Justify My Love is a Trip-Hop-inspired track with mid-tempo settings and instrumentation. The lyrics look, primarily, at sex and romance. Critics were mixed when the song was released but Justify My Love has been seen by contemporary critics as one of her very best. The track became Madonna’s ninth number-one and reached the top-ten in several countries.

Erotica

Released: 29th September, 1992

Album: Erotica (1992)

Trivia: Like Justify My Love; Erotica experiments with Spoken Word and it (Erotica) is an ode to S&M – Madonna used the pseudonym, ‘Dita’.  In the song (and video), she asks her lover to be passive whilst making love to her and leads him to explore the boundaries of pleasure and pain.

Rain

Released: 5th August, 1993

Album: Erotica (1992)

Trivia: Rain was written and produced together by Madonna and Shep Pettibone. Madonna wanted the song for a musical adaptation of the 1939 film, Wuthering Heights, to be directed by Alek Keshishian. The video premiered on 21st June, 1993 on MTV and won two categories for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. It was ranked number-seventy on SLANT Magazine’s 100 Greatest Music Videos.

Take a Bow

Released: 6th December, 1994

Album: Bedtime Stories (1994)

Trivia: Produced by Madonna and Babyface; the song became Madonna’s eleventh number-one and received favourable reviews from critics – impressed by the poetic, soulful lyrics and mature sound. Take a Bow was backed by a full orchestra and it was the first time Babyface had worked with a live orchestra (per Madonna’s suggestion). The pentatonic strings give the song an impression of Chinese or Japanese Opera.

Human Nature

Released: 6th June, 1995

Album: Bedtime Stories (1994)

Trivia: A reaction to the pressure Madonna was getting regarding sexual content in her music; Human Nature is a shit against critics and their rather conservative attitude. It sees her at her most confident and brash as she counteracts fussy and ridiculous critisisms with an excepptional vocal peerforemance.

Frozen

Released: 23rd February, 1998

Album: Ray of Light (1998)

Trivia: The first single from the critically-celebrated album, Ray of Light; Frozen is seen as a huge creative leap and masterpiece by critics. The video was directed by Chris Cunningham in the Californian desert and (the video) portrayed Madonna as a witch-like figure who shapeshifts into a flock of birds and a black dog. The song has been covered by artists such as Talisman and Thy Disease.

Ray of Light

Released: 6th May, 1998

Album: Ray of Light (1998)

Trivia: Another track from the Ray of Light album that gained massive critical love; the music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund – who had previously directed the controversial Smack My Bitch Up video (The Prodigy). Madonna insisted the video should be edited in Los Angeles as, during the Frozen video, she had a number of back-and-forths with director Chris Cunningham (who was in London during the process) – something she was not keen to repeat.

The Power of Good-Bye

Released: 22nd September, 1998

Album: Ray of Light (1998)

Trivia: The Power of Good-Bye received acclaim from critics who recognised the track as one of Ray of Light’s best cuts. They praised Madonna going in an instrumental and Electronic direction and praised the strong and nuanced vocals. The song attained commercial success across Europe and reached the top-ten in charts of over nine nations.

Music

Released: 21st August, 2000

Album: Music (2000)

Trivia:

Music was inspired by a Sting concert Madonna attended and was written and produced by her with Mirwais Ahmadzai. It is a Disco/Electro-Funk song in the static key of G minor and Madonna’s vocals are electronically manipulated in the track – the lyrics have political and social undertones. The video sees Madonna and her friends enjoying themselves in a limousine driven by Ali G. Critics noted the use of American image in the video – especially with Madonna’s cowboy imagery and clothing.

What It Feels Like for a Girl

Released: 17th April, 2001

Album: Music (2000)

Trivia: The song opens with a Spoken Word sample by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg – taken from the 1993 film, The Cement Garden. The music video was directed by her then-husband Guy Ritchie and premiered on 22nd March, 2001. It features Madonna on a reckless crime spree – causing MTV to ban the video before the 9.00 P.M. watershed.

Hung Up

Released: 17th October, 2005

Album: Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

Trivia: The famous ABBA (instrumental) sample we hear on Hung Up is from their hit, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight). Many critics felt Madonna has suffered a creative slump during her 2003 album, American Life, and were back on-board with this song. The music video is a tribute to John Travolta and his dancing films - whilst the song became Madonna’s thirty-sixth top-ten song.

Bitch I’m Madonna

Released: 15th June, 2015

Album: Rebel Heart (2015)

Trivia: Although the song sees a fair few co-writers in the mix (including SOPHIE and Maureen McDonald); Bitch I'm Madonna talks of Madonna having fun because of who she is – not really caring about age, limitations and opinions. Many critics were offended by the usage of the word ‘bitch’. Madonna shot back and was annoyed. She realised that word could be taken out of context and offensive but, in her song, it was a more affectionate and harmless term.

INTERVIEW: Benjamin Shaw

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Aisha Latosski  

Benjamin Shaw

___________

THE fantastic Benjamin Shaw…

has been talking with me about his upcoming album, Megadead (out 31st August), and what sort of themes influenced it. I ask about his connection with Melbourne and how his current work differs to his earlier stuff. Shaw recommends some upcoming artists to look out for and what he hopes to achieve going forward.

I ask the songwriter which three albums mean the most to him; what got him into songwriter in the first place; the advice he would give to artists coming through; which musician he would like to tour with giving the choice – he ends the interview with a cool song.

____________

Hi, Benjamin. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello! I am ok. This week has not been bad so far. I’ve been happily putting off jobs and commitments and it’s definitely going to catch up with me and make my future weeks an almighty nightmare...but, right now? Delightful.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Ben and I make often sad and consistently difficult-to-enjoy Pop songs. I try to make them sound good, honestly, I do, but my attention span undermines me every time.

Is it true you were ‘accidentally’ born in Canada and raised in Blackpool?! you are now in Melbourne. How is one ‘accidentally’ born in Canada and then ends up in Australia?!

Yes, all true. It wasn’t so much of an accident: I think I just say things like that to make me sound more interesting. My mum was living in Canada at the time (what up, Edmonton?); I think my dad was from there or something - I don’t know, nobody talks about it - and then just ended up moving back to her hometown Blackpool in the U.K. Melbourne comes into it through my partner, Aisha. She is from Melbourne and, after a decade of living in London, we figured it was time to move back to Melbourne and try and recover our health.

PHOTO CREDIT: Aisha Latosski

Is Melbourne a great space for you to create and find inspiration?

Melbourne’s always been kind to me. I lived here for a year back in, like, 2005 and made so many friends and had the greatest time. Currently, I’ve been able to work just three days a week at my day job here, so I have much more time to devote to my ART. I’ve never found inspiration too hard - I am constantly anxious and/or sad, so material is never far away, but finding the energy, love and time to do anything with it was always a problem. So, having more time to myself, physically and mentally, has been honestly incredible.

Megadead is your forthcoming album. Can you tell me about some of the themes and ideas that influenced the songs? Do you have a standout cut?

Like most of my albums, the themes are sadness, stress and hating your job and colleagues. All the classics. I just can’t seem to shake them. I hope, one day, to not have any of these things clogging up my head, so I can just relax and paint some dandelions or something - but they’re always there ready to push down on my chest at any moment.

I really like the track, Terrible Feelings! - for obvious reasons, I guess.

I can hear developments and new additions since your debut album, There’s Always Hope, There’s Always Cabernet. Do you think you have developed as a songwriter?

I don’t know. There are certainly big differences to Cabernet, but I’m not sure whether it’s progression or regression. I used to pen actual songs with middle eights and choruses and all that but, for the last few years, it’s been mostly repetitions and patterns. I think I got pretty embarrassed about being a ‘singer-songwriter’ for the longest time (rightfully so), so I purposely shied away from writing anything resembling an actual song.

But, as I hurtle through my years (at the fastest speed, O.M.G.) I think I’m beginning to see the fun in it again. Songs can be fun. There’s even a chorus in one of these new ones - only one, mind you. Let’s not go crazy.

Do you count yourself as a bold songwriter? It seems, when listening to your work, you love to explore unchartered territory and take risks. Where does that come from?!

I don’t feel bold. I constantly feel like I’m just treading water and that all my albums sound exactly the same, but I think that’s probably what keeps me going. Like: ‘Oh sh*t, what if that was my last album; you can’t end on that!’ And, I don’t know, I really like trying to come up with atmospheres that match the song (or the other way around), so that often involves throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Some of it is bold, but a lot of it is just blind panic.

Who are the artists that inspire you and led you to get into songwriting?

I’d been writing songs in various bands for years, but in the early-'00s, it was that New York Anti-Folk scene that really opened things up for me. The Moldy Peaches, Jeffrey Lewis and Ben Kweller especially made me feel like: ‘You know those stupid songs you love to make up that nobody else likes? There are other people out there that do them too’. It totally gave me the confidence and passion to keep going. These days, I’m well into Camp Cope, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Charlie Louvin. All the Cs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Aisha Latosski

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Oh, man; 2018 is already gone. Forget it. Let’s do something in 2019 instead. This year, though, I’d like to go back and see my family for a week or two, buy a new fridge-freezer and learn how to make a decent sauerkraut. I got this.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

There have been plenty of ups and downs but there were a couple of nights in 2009 where I was part of the supergroup ‘Tapegun’. Paul from the band Nervus who now runs the LP Cafe and record store in Watford; Neil from Broken Shoulder who now runs Kirigirisu Recordings in Tokyo and me, Ben, who now runs... away from his problems. I’d never played with other people before and actually felt a connection and I’ll never forget it.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Sha Sha by Ben Kweller

Not only is it a great Pop album, but it also kinda kick-started my adult creative life. Despite always being super-into art and music, I’d dropped out of uni and a Fine Art degree because I wasn’t fine enough, I guess. Oh, and the drinking too much, bad health and generally just feeling sh*t about myself which, now looking back, I can see was obviously a depression.

I loved this album Sha Sha and somehow stumbled onto the Ben Kweller message board on his website and things began to pick up. I met tons of cool people from all over the globe and it really opened me up to the world and my own passions. I definitely would not be sitting here writing this right now if not for B.K. and his early-'00s message board.

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (Live) by Nirvana

Like all gawky small-town teenagers in the ‘90s, Nirvana kinda changed everything. I’d have been thirteen or fourteen-years-old when this came out and as someone who was previously super-into Bon Jovi and, for some reason, Motörhead. I became obsessed with them overnight and deep-dived. The cliché is real - Nirvana absolutely were the gateway into Punk and Hardcore; art and left-wing progressive politics - all which left a permanent imprint on my psyche.

We Love the City by Hefner

I have a nice memory of sitting on my childhood bedroom floor at my mum’s house in Lancashire when I was about twenty, having just come home from some probably dreadful night at the local pub; eyes half-closed listening to this album. Imagining the chaotic London city life it portrayed, the romance in the weird fuc*ed-up characters and relationships and just how far away it all seemed.

Somehow, years later after finally moving to London, I became friends with Hefner guitarist Jack Hayter through the magic of MySpace and then later even supported singer Darren Hayman live. I have had zero success in all of this music business, but stuff like this is still super-freaking-cool.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Oh, sh*t. Sod it, Neil Young. Reach for stars, eh!

As for the rider, can I get some fruit, some Kettle Chips - and I guess I’m gonna need some red wine if I’m gonna be playing with my old pal Neil.

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

It’s unlikely. I haven’t played live in a few years. But, there’s a night down the road from me that puts on weird, unlistenable acts every week; so I wouldn’t mind putting my name down for that one day. But, then should you really sh*t where you eat? I’m not sure. I’d like to get back on the horse one day, though.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I don’t know. It feels like it’s getting harder and harder to even survive, let alone make art too. Especially, for people from working-class and minority backgrounds. Just try and keep healthy I guess. Be kind. Punch up. Express yourself in whatever way your life, budget or circumstances allow and keep uploading stuff to the Internet, whatever the fu*k it is - Bandcamp, SoundCloud; Instagram or just tweeting the fu*k out of your day (not Facebook, though…never Facebook).

None of us will ever make a living from art, but it makes you feel better and finding someone else that is creating CONTENT that you connect with can get you through a sh*tty day. So, if only for each other, we need to keep going.

IN THIS PHOTO: Pool Kids

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes! So Many. I love that new Pool Kids album. The Ophelias, Leather Towel; LEVELZ, Nipped in the Bud; anything by Camp Cope, Divide and Dissolve and, damn it, I really like that Mathew Lee Cothran album too.

IN THIS PHOTO: Camp Cope

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I try to chill as much as I can. Anxiety is a daily torment, so it can be a real sh*t-show, but I have been trying to get into meditation more and I can feel that it really helps - I’m just not very patient with it. Really partial to a bit of CBD oil too. It’s not legal in Australia (surprise) but we’ve found an American webstore then sends it in the post all discreetly with fake customs labels and all that, so that is way cool. Lovely stuff. Also; going for walks is cool. Australia can be (definitely is) super-conservative politically but the nature is incredible. The creeks, the animals and birds are so beautiful. So easy to fall for and it really takes the edge off.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Divide and Dissolve - Resistance

____________

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FEATURE: The Immaculate Collection: Madonna at Sixty: Her Six Best Studio Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

The Immaculate Collection

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna/PHOTO CREDIT: @Madonna/@EllenVUnwerth

Madonna at Sixty: Her Six Best Studio Albums

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OTHER articles might stretch the premise…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in a photo from the Ray of Light sessions (1998)/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest/Getty Images

to her entire catalogue but I felt, as most people will want the very finest from Madonna, I’d whittle things down to the best six studio albums! There is talk of another record, her fourteenth studio album, coming either this year or next – reason to prick the ears and keep the eyes open! Her work post-Ray of Light (1998) has split critics. There has been a lot of love for some albums but others, like MDNA and Rebel Heart, have been less celebrated. As the Queen of Pop prepares hits sixty, I select the six albums you should add to your vinyl collection (if not done so already). I am not including The Immaculate Collection (as it is a best-of album) but am pretty sure, in these six albums, you will find the icon at her most engaging, impressive and alive. Have a look/listen, get down to your local record shop and be sure to snap up…

A sextet of Madonna’s vinyl-gold.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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Number-Six: Erotica

Release Date: 20th October, 1992

Labels: Maverick, Sire, Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“Erotica’s irrefutable unsexiness probably says more about the sex=death mentality of the early ’90s than any other musical document of its time. This is not Madonna at her creative zenith. This is Madonna at her most important, at her most relevant. Pettibone’s beats might be time-stamped with the sound of a genre that ruled a decade of one-hitters before being replaced by commercialized hip-hop, and Madonna’s voice might sound nasal and remote, but no one else in the mainstream at that time dared to talk about sex, love, and death with such frankness and fearlessness, and, intentional or not (probably not), the fact that she sounds like she has a cold only adds to the claustrophobic stuffiness of the record”

– SLANT (2007)

Reasons to Explore:

Erotica is (at that point) the most varied, exciting and adventurous collection of songs from Madonna. Released simultaneously with her coffee table book, Sex, it is the once-restrained star explore sex and romance in daring and bold ways. Songs range from confessional to celebratory; a feast of sounds and tones that took her music to another level. It is ground-breaking in the sense (to that point) a female artist had not been as revealing and honest regarding her fantasies and sexual experiences.

Key Tracks: Erotica; Deeper and Deeper; Words; Rain

Number-Five: Like a Virgin

Release Date: 12th November, 1984

Labels: Sire, Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“Though not as innovative as her debut, the album stands as one of the most definitive pop artifacts from the indulgent Reagan Era. The mid-tempo ballad “Shoo-Bee-Doo” and a soulful cover of Rose Royce’s “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” proved Madonna could churn out more than just novelty hits, while the sugary “Angel” and the irresistible “Dress You Up” contributed to the singer’s record-breaking list of consecutive Top 5 hits (16 in all). The retro-infused “Stay” and the percussive “Over and Over” are the album’s hidden gems; a frenetic remix of the latter resurfaced on 1987’s You Can Dance”.

– SLANT (2001)

Reasons to Explore:

Material Girl and Like a Virgin are two of the defining hits of the 1980s. They are incredible Pop songs but, perhaps, do not best represent an artist who was looking to take greater control of her material. Madonna wanted to be the record's producer but the label, feeling she was not ready, gave her the freedom to choose a producer - she chose Nile Rodgers. Madonna's increasing artistic control (she wrote six songs on the album; five have Steve Bray as a co-writer) led to songs that are smart, sexy and hypnotic. Sharper and more engaging than any of her peers at that time; Like a Virgin is a stunning, if flawed, record. We all know the anthems and incredible singles from the record: parts of our childhood that, thirty-four years after their release, sound fresh, nuanced and essential. It goes to show that, at that time, Madonna could truly do no wrong!

Key Tracks: Material Girl; Angel; Like a Virgin; Pretender

Number-Four: Confessions on a Dance Floor

Release Date: 9th November, 2005

Label: Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“It may be a return to core values, but there's still a bravery about Confessions on a Dancefloor. It revels in the delights of wilfully plastic dance pop in an era when lesser dance-pop artists - from Rachel Stevens to Price's protege Juliet - are having a desperately thin time of it. It homages the DJ mix album, a format long devalued by computer-generated cash-in compilations. It flies in fashion's face with a swaggering hint of only-I-can-do-this: "If you don't like my attitude," she suggests on I Love New York, "then you can eff-off." Dancing queens of every variety should be delighted”

– The Guardian (2005)

Reasons to Explore:

2003’s American Life was a concept album about the American Dream and materialism. A fascinating album that saw the artist push in new directions but not one that united critics. After a gold run that included Ray of Light (1998) and Music (2000); there was pressure to regain footing following a minor slump. Confessions on a Dance Floor is a total reinvention and move from the rebellious and revolutionary figure that adorns American Life’s cover to the Disco-dwelling, colourful heroine of its follow-up. Tracks like Hung Up (sampling ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) show the Queen of Pop renewed and refreshed; completely free and intoxicated by the material. Madonna co-writes every track but, whilst there are other cooks in the kitchen, the true star and single voice is that of Madonna.

Key Tracks: Hung Up; Sorry; I Love New York; Push

Number-Three: True Blue

Release Date: 30th June, 1986

Labels: Sire, Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“…Her real trick here, however, is transcending her status as a dance-pop diva by consciously recalling classic girl group pop ("True Blue," "Jimmy Jimmy") to snag the critics, while deepening the dance grooves ("Open Your Heart," "Where's the Party"), touching on Latin rhythms ("La Isla Bonita"), making a plea for world peace ("Love Makes the World Go Round"), and delivering a tremendous ballad that rewrites the rules of adult contemporary crossover ("Live to Tell"). It's even harder to have the entire album play as an organic, cohesive work. Certainly, there's some calculation behind the entire thing, but what matters is the end result, one of the great dance-pop albums, a record that demonstrates Madonna's true skills as a songwriter, record-maker, provocateur, and entertainer through its wide reach, accomplishment, and sheer sense of fun. [A deluxe reissue featured two additional remixes: "True Blue (The Color Mix)" and an extended mix of "La Isla Bonita."]”.

 – AllMusic (2009)

Reasons to Explore:

Following her previous album, Like a Virgin (1984), she could have repeated herself and rode that wave. Instead, True Blue is a vision of work, life; love and dreams that balance heartache and sorrows – many of the songs were inspired by her then-husband Sean Penn. By incorporating Classical music (to win older listeners) and addressing subjects such as teen pregnancy; Madonna was maturing as an artist and her voice was stronger than ever. There is an open and often heavy heart but, at all times, the heroine shows a sense of fun that won critics and saw Madonna go from the Popstar to the Icon – True Blue is an album that has influenced legions of musicians with its melodic Pop and incredible potency.

Key Tracks: Papa Don’t Preach; Open Your Heart; True Blue; La Isla Bonita

Number-Two: Ray of Light

Release Date: 22nd February, 1998

Labels: Maverick, Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“…Instead, Ray of Light sums up the best we can expect from Madonna at this late date: overly arty, occasionally catchy, confused, secondhand, infuriating and great fun in spite of herself. She doesn't seem to have a clear idea of what she wants to say about motherhood, other than that it's the sort of intense experience that happens to a special person like Madonna. But that's all it takes to get her emotions going, and passionate peaks like "Drowned World" and "Little Star" remind you that for all the years Madonna has spent chasing art, class and fashion, the reason we still care about her eccentricities is the emotion in her music; all her desperately chic decor can't hide her rock & roll heart”.

– Rolling Stone (2009)

Reasons to Explore:

Her first studio album in four years; Ray of Light is the most radical and (oddly) natural musical shift from Madonna. She began working on the album after giving birth to her first child and, with producers Babyface, Patrick Leonard and William Orbit, it was the longest recording process of her career – a combination of experimentation and hardware issues! Madonna’s first foray into Electronic and Dance territory; she naturally blends Trip-Hop, Ambient and Middle Eastern music – her vocal breadth and range was fuller than at any other time.

Madonna’s new-found following of Kabbalah, Hinduism and Buddhism – combined with her daily Ashtanga Yoga routines – made Ray of Light a dizzying and world-uniting collection. Victorious, adventurous and utterly transfixing; Ray of Light is seen as one of the greatest albums of all time; it is an award-winning, chart-ruling and monumental record that brought Electronic music into the mainstream and inspired the likes of Fatboy Slim (and many others since).

Key Tracks: Ray of Light; Candy Perfume Girl; Nothing Really Matters; Frozen

Number-One: Like a Prayer

Release Date: 21st March, 1989

Labels: Sire, Warner Bros.

Critical Review:

“So maybe Madonna’s protests that Like a Prayer wasn’t autobiographical were a bit of a ruse—or just another way to keep the minds of America’s pop-watchers thinking about her music as she gave them an album where she was less afraid to show her flaws, more willing to try on new personas that had bits of her selves attached. After all, as she told The New York Times in 1989, “What I do is total commercialism, but it’s also art.” Like a Prayer straddles those two ideals with gusto, with even its less satisfying moments adding to the heat given off by the MTV era’s brightest star”.

– Pitchfork (2017)

Reasons to Explore:

Although I confess this is not my favourite Madonna album (Ray of Light) album, it is the strongest and finest – in the same way that I prefer Rubber Soul but acknowledge Revolver is the best Beatles album. Critics see the record as confessional as Madonna talks about her father, mother and bonds with her family (Madonna dedicated the album to her mother who died when she (Madonna) was young). Dance, Funk and Gospel explode and crackle on a record that stays close to the heart but pushes boundaries.

The Pop sheen and upbeat tone of Express Yourself is a call for empowerment and liberation; Like a Prayer’s video drew from Madonna’s Catholic upbringing and caused tongues to wag in 1989 – a spectacular and decade-defining video that finally saw Madonna received near-universal acclaim. There are few better ways to end the eighties than Like a Prayer! The record sees Madonna transform from a Popstar to a bona fide artist - a perfect balance between chirpy Pop and the more serious tone that would define her later work. Daring lyrics and incredible maturity meant more people were talking about the material rather than the image. It was the moment Madonna proved she had no equals – quite a feat considering her debut album only arrived six years previous!

Key Tracks: Like a Prayer; Express Yourself; Cherish; Oh Father

FEATURE: Out of the Closet and Into the Darkness: Queercore’s Glorious Punk Revolution – and Why a Reframed and Repurposed Movement Is Needed

FEATURE:

 

 

Out of the Closet and Into the Darkness

IN THIS PHOTO: A promotional shot for the 2017 documentary, Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution/PHOTO CREDIT: Alice Wheeler

Queercore’s Glorious Punk Revolution – and Why a Reframed and Repurposed Movement Is Needed

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MOMENTS after writing a piece about Madonna…

IN THIS PHOTO: Riot Grrrl leaders and Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution contributors, Bikini Kill/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I looked back on what I wrote and a specific paragraph: the Pop legend’s role in bringing gay culture and rights the surface. During the 1980s, there was a lot of ignorance and intolerance of the LG.B.T.Q. (or L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.) community and, although there still is, many were not allowed express themselves – I often interpret her songs Express Yourself and Human Nature as wider narratives that bring in the gay community and breaks down numerous barriers. My experience of the gay community and fringes of the Queercore movement is peripheral and academic. Being a straight guy, my motive is to highlight equality and the need to fight against judgement – my approach is more academic and research-based rather than personal. That said, I am interested in how artists from the gay/L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community have fared and been interpreted through the decades. I will conclude by looking at downsides to the Queercore movement and why there needs to be a fresh movement. Right now, I get to thinking about Punk and how explosive it was. The 1970s was an exceptional decade for music that boasted brilliant bands like the Sex Pistols, Ramones and The Clash. The best of British and American were telling their stories and rebelling against authority, conventions and The System. Whilst some see Punk as fleeting and rather weak-willed – in the sense that it did not survive far past the decade – its effects and legacy is still being felt today.

We have a much broader idea of what ‘Punk’ is and how far it extends. Post-Punk bands like IDLES and Shame are splicing Alternative strands; there are great Garage-Punk bands coming out of the U.S. and British stalwarts like Parquet Courts make a glorious noise! I feel there needs to be a revolution against a rather clean and safe musical core that is being infantilised and homogenised by record labels, market demands and a general sense of fear. At a time when there is a lot of inspection regarding sexism, sexual assault (against female artists) and the discipline of the music industry; is it possible to have a mass Punk movement that unifies straight and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists?! I smell the yearning and scent of desire but it seems like a long way off – we have a lot to sort and organise in an industry that, like film, is suffering with its reputation a little. Punk, back in the 1970s and 1980s, was always about something masculine, straight and ‘normal’. One would find very little for the gay and alternative artist who wanted to talk about their experiences. One had female Punk bands and representatives but there was little vocalisation regarding the experiences of those who, at the time, were somewhat marginalised and outside of society’s acceptable circle.

There is still a lot of division and segregation when it comes to the gay community and assimilation into the mainstream – especially when it comes to ethnicity! In my piece about Hungama a club-night in London that is a safe space for expression for everyone, not just those in the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community, but is a place where the Asian community can feel safe and accepted – I looked at the Asian community and members of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community and how there is a feeling of alienation, isolation and loneliness:

“There is a thriving and bustling Asian community in Brick Lane and the surrounding areas – I wonder whether we think too much as to why there is a larger Asian population in certain parts of London?! In any case; race and diversity are important areas we all need to address. I wonder, at a time when the nation is divided, the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. Asian population feels more divided and ignored than most”.

I will explore improvements, racial integration and a new movement later but, right now, a look back at Queercore’s foundations:

“Beginning in the mid-1980s, most notably in Toronto but with origins elsewhere, an underground culture was formed by a revolutionary group of self-proclaimed “queers” who were less concerned about mainstream acceptance of their sexuality and more geared toward creating unconventional spaces where they could be themselves. Places where, essentially, one could be gay without liking stereotypical “gay things.”

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

...Queer Nation, which was birthed in 1990 as a militant response to LGBTQ prejudice, demanded equal rights for gays and lesbians, which, like other LGBTQ activist groups, could eventually be viewed as an assimilation into mainstream society, and thus, capitalism. This was an ideology that queercore wanted to distance itself from.

But by the ‘80s, punk had changed to a more hardcore sound and the once inclusive counter-culture suddenly became filled with homophobia, sexism and “macho punks”.

That impression and abiding mandate of Punk (something rather manly and ill-inclusive in terms of sexuality) led to a need for change and revolution. Artists who formed the Queercore movement were displaying a comparative Punk spirit built around expression, liberation and not giving a damn. If some saw the positive advertisement and promotion of S.T.D.s, multiple sexual partners and explicit sexual language as offensive and not in the spirit of true Punk; it gave its players and fans a space and style they could embrace and feel safe in. The documentary, Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution, was released last year and charts the movement’s growth and aftermath. This article looks at the documentary and its messages:

“The documentary is called Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution, and it stars queer directors Bruce La Bruce and John Waters; female musicians Beth Ditto, Kim Gordon and Peaches; queer performers Genesis P-Orridge, Justin Bond and Jayne County and many others.

Two queer creatives in specific —G.B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce – helped lay the groundwork for the Queercore scene through their zine J.D., a publication which sought to expose the “bourgeois-ification of the gay movement and the problematic sexual politics of punk” by sharing their own work and that of other disenfranchised queer creatives.

The politics in Queercore dictated that there was no primary or pure way of expressing gender or sexuality — whether that meant building your identity around a fetish, being proud of having STDs, having many lovers, wanting to teach gay sexual health in schools, not caring about the gender of your preferred genitals or getting married to yourself and masturbating until death”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The Queercore spirit remains today: we query whether Pride parades should allow corporate profiteers and police forces with a history of racism and L.G.B.T.Q.(I.A.) discrimination in their ranks. Modern festivals like Another Country and Gay Bi Gay Gay highlight local Queercore bands but it seems like the spirit and potent cocktail has dissipated and faded somewhat. Curran Jacob Nault, in a dissertation about the Punk/Queercore movement, looked at the ‘queer’ elements that were existent in the original Punk movement:

“Respected punk photographer Lee Black Childers has also commented upon the “queerness” of the NY punk scene, asserting that, in the initial years of punk, “gay people made up most of the audience” (qtd. in Savage, 139). While this is anecdotal evidence and these may be overstatements on the part of Fields and Childers, they still suggest that early punk subculture was not as hetero- or a-sexual as may be initially assumed.26 It should also be mentioned that the term “punk” itself has queer origins. As John Robb explains its etymology: The word "punk" originally meant a prostitute, moldy wood or fungus. By [January 1976, when New York-based] Punk magazine took its name, it had gone on to mean a person who takes it up the ass in prison, a loser or a form of Sixties garage rock'n'roll. (150)”.

Maybe that impression of Punk is a little media-controlled and one-sided: there were elements of queer in the scene but not as overt and populous as Queercore’s movers hoped. The culture grew alongside Riot Grrrl (a feminist Punk movement that started in Washington in the 1990s) and there was a need for those excluded from the mainstream Punk movement to have their voices heard. Riot Grrrl, like Queercore, found its community provocatively and freely expressing their sexual needs and experiences through songs, magazines and underground publications. If Queercore and Riot Grrrl had different sounds and scenes then the core ideal was the same: a chance for equality, being heard and feeling unconstrained. That sense of being cut loose and having a network of support led to some of the most innovative and original music of the time. We know when Queercore came to be but, in reality, was there a need (for Queercore artists) to fight against homophobia in music or perform a brand of music that would not easily sit in the mainstream – a bit of both, it seems:

“After the sexual free-for-all that was 1970s glam rock, the pendulum swung back. The 1980s alt-rock landscape was impossibly straight. That’s ironic, since its holy trinity -- R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, and The Smiths -- was made of bands whose frontmen are now respectively queer, out, and sexually nebulous. But in the darker corners of the underground, bands were sprouting up that were defiantly -- and loudly -- gay. The Queercore scene grew out of a generation that bristled against what it saw as the bourgeois trappings of a mainstream gay lifestyle and the macho, hetero hardcore scene that punk -- a movement founded by women, people of color, and gays -- had become. Queercore was a call to arms and storming out of the closet. The literature came before the music. It started out as a loose collective, trading fanzines and letters, and evolved to include dozens of bands, as well as the extraordinary friendships and treacherous rivalries that come along with creative intensity. Here’s an oral history of Queercore, from its inky, Xeroxed beginnings until it rendered itself obsolete”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lynn 'Lynnee' Breedlove/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The article I have quoted above talked to those involved, directly or latterly, with the Queercore experience. Among those who were interviewed was Green Day’s frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong:

“I had a feeling Pansy Division would definitely get a mixed reaction. When our crowds were getting more mainstream, we didn’t want to represent the typical Mohawk stereotype. Pansy Division was truly challenging, and their songs are melodic and catchy. I got letters from teenagers saying, after seeing Pansy Division, they had the courage to come out. I saw certain idiots in the crowd yelling “faggots” or throwing shit. But I also saw people dancing and having a good time. Homophobia has no place in the punk scene or the mainstream. I think we share that belief with Pansy Division. Punk rock has been rather queer since the beginning”.

Lynn Breedlove, the queer founding member and singer of San Francisco Dyke-Punk band, Tribe 8, gave her thoughts:

“There were rocker queers and disco queers. In high school, I hung with the rockers. We were listening to Journey and Queen. There was no queer music. Freddie Mercury wasn’t even out! But we could tell by looking at him. We would come together at the discos, where we would take our fake IDs and do the hustle. As time progressed, my friends were listening to Black Flag, and I was like, What the fuck is this? It was sarcastic and hilarious, and gay in that it was camp, ironic, and making fun of yourself -- but totally hard-edged and “fuck you”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Pansy Division/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Armstrong’s tales of homophobic exposure and Breedlove sensing a lot of artists about to break free, as it were, give you an idea of why the movement needed to happen and how hard it was for mainstream artists to truly express themselves during the 1980s and 1990s. Queercore bands like Tribe 8, Pansy Division and Excuse 17 provided a platform for a Punk-edged representation of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. In the same way that Riot Grrrls wanted to explore feminine expression and strike against patriarchy; provide a sisterhood and wave that combatted the sexist attitudes in society; Queercore utilised zines and performances as interaction and communication between members of the subculture. The development and accessibility of the Internet (in the 1990s) made it easier to spread messages and interact. Among the best-known Queercore bands of the 1990s were Fifth Column, Pedro and Pansy Division; Queercore events were being set-up in the U.K. and U.S. and it meant the segregation of the gay community – clubs for gay men and ones for gay women – was ended. Women and men could be together and things started to change. The zine, Outpunk, was set up by Matt Wobensmith in 1992 and it became a record label – early recordings from Tribe 8 and Pansy Division were found on compilations. More smaller, boutique labels released Queercore music and, alongside the Riot Grrrl movement, there was this underground network of artists who were making up for lost time!

The 2000s brought new bands to prominence in the U.S. Limp Wrist are a contemporary breed of Punk. Butch Vs Femme formed in 2004 and are a Riot Grrrl-inspired Indie-Punk band that saturate their songs with lyrics of the queer experience. Other bands, like Gravy Train!!! and Hunx and His Punx are continuing the messages and legacy – the former are more explicit with their lyrics and sexual content; the latter are Power-Pop who take from the girl groups of the 1960s. Gay for Johnny Depp and Ben Aqua were among the 2000s players that portrayed a new and updated sound of Queercore; The Shondes (from Brooklyn) mixed Riot Grrrl and Classical with Jewish music. Although many of the more-recent Queercore bands are less Punk-focused; they have mixed in other genres and created a more eclectic, intriguing and accessible palette. Throw into the mix Riot Grrrl/Queercore favourites The Homewreckers and Your Heart Breaks and there was no sign of slowing during the 2000s. The U.K. was seeing a burgeoning and more visible Queercore scene. Groups like Queer Mutiny and Homocrime alongside Corey Orbison, Sleeping States and Little Paper Squares opened eyes to artists who mixed a D.I.Y. aesthetic with Punk sensibilities. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a flux of fantastic Queercore bands that helped bring it more into the mainstream.

Candy Panic Attack, Flamingo 50; Humousexual and Sailor Tongue were among the heroes and heroines and the scene was not focused in London. Unlike a lot of today’s music, there was a more even spread of attention and geography. Bristol and Manchester were big centres of focus; club nights like Riots Not Diets focused on queer-identifying bands; events like Pussy Whipped came to Edinburgh eventually – Leeds, since 2015, has enjoyed and hosted the Queer We Go festival (and Bentfest). Recent exploration of the homology between queer theory and practice has brought new interest and intrigue to the Queercore movement – as has the Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution documentary. Before I move on to a conclusion and recommendations; I found an article that spoke with one of Queercore’s key bands, Pansy Division, in 2016 (to mark the quarter-century of the movement):

“After the trauma of the Aids crisis and the homophobia it unleashed, Pansy Division wanted to assert to the rest of the world that being gay can be great. “We thought, if we’re being told that being gay is so wrong and we’re being ostracized for this, let’s point out how well-adjusted and enjoyable our lives are. So it really was a conscious effort to say, ‘We’re not going to be sour about this,’ because that’s exactly what I think they wanted – to show how unhappy it is to be a gay person. We were singing celebratory songs about it instead.” The band’s songs like Twinkie Twinkie Little Star, 20 Years of Cockand I’m Gonna Be a Slut celebrate not only gay sex, but the joys of being free to be who you are and love whoever you want.

The band’s frenetic music and wild live shows got them signed to punk label Lookout! records, home to bands like Operation Ivy, Rancid, Alkaline Trio and Green Day. They broke through to a wider audience when Green Day invited them to open for them on their Dookie tour in 1994. Suddenly, Pansy Division were blasting San Francisco queer culture at kids from smalltown America who, in those pre-internet days, had never seen anything like them before – or heard such brash lyrics about the mechanics of gay sex”.

Although there is not a massive Queercore presence in the modern time, there are artists talking about L.G.B.Q.T.I.A. experiences and straying from the mostly-white, heterosexual mainstream. FHAT, Christine and the Queens; Daya, Lizzo; Holland and King Princess are among a selection of artists whose lyrics and songs are essential for Pride and queer playlists. Although, too, there are a few Queercore bands around right now; it seems things have stunted and shrunk. One quarter, Em Casalena, talks about race in Queercore. Traditional Punk bands rarely talked of racism and anything beyond the straight and white: Queercore artists, too, have been accused of being too racially secular and, well, racist:

“Few queercore artists nowadays have tried to change this and it remains focused on the experiences of white queers rather than the racist, sexist, and anti-queer experiences of anyone outside of that little box. In gay culture outside of queercore, this still permeates communities and dating scenes. One can spend only a few minutes on Grindr before encountering the barring profile description of "No fats, no femmes, no Asians" underneath the flexing chest of an oiled up white gay man”.

I think we need to look back to Queercore’s origins and why it got started. Maybe revitalise Queercore or start a new movement that is more inclusive in terms of race, gender and sizes.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Queercore did integrate male and female artists/fans but there is that feeling that, although a lot of magic and progression happened, there was too much segregation and division – the sort of thing the movement was trying to cut out. Although the spirit and intentions were good, the mission statement and recruitment process was lumbered by a lack of consideration in regards race and the aesthetic. Maybe there was not a conscious effort to exclude non-white artists but you look at the Queercore bands and they are, for the most part, single-gender (few mixed bands) and white. The reason I wrote about Hungama was to show how, in 2018, there are barriers in the gay community and a real lack of total integration. The fact that so many members of the Asian and black communities feel they need their own space speaks volumes. Hungama does not fall into the easy trap of being all-Asian and male: it welcomes every race and person, regardless of sexual orientation, to experience Bollywood charm, brilliant music and something hugely memorable. I urge pioneers and forefathers(mothers) to look at that incentive and take it to heart. There is a much larger L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. network and so many artists/listeners who either struggle to have their voices heard in the mainstream or feel there is very little out there that represents them. Maybe we are years from seeing sexual integration where L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. is as common and accepted as heterosexuality but a way to see that happen sooner rather than later is to spark a reformed and repurposed Queercore movement.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ryan Lanji, centre, with performers at Hungama/PHOTO CREDIT: Iolo Lewis Edwards 

There is an appetite for Punk in any form: the fact we have very few pure Punk artists and modern music is not willing to truly embrace the genre gives extra impetus. Perhaps a modern movement would not have to be purely Punk. Whether it mixed in other genres or was a Pop/Funk motivation – a distinct genre that would unify races, genders and all sizes from the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. community. Ensuring there was a mix of the explicit and rebellious aspects of Queercore – utilising the Internet but never being too obscene and controversial – and a connected network then something positive could form. Many might feel the current climate included L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. artists and there are no limitations. Whilst radio stations and labels do not ban music that looks against heterosexual ‘norms’; there is still an uneasiness and feeling that it is a bit risqué. Slowly, changes and acceptance is coming through but there is still too much homophobia, judgement and ignorance around. Listen to the brilliant Queercore sounds that have come through the years and I would not be surprised if that generated new ears and minds to follow suit. Whether that will happen now or later down the line, I am not too sure. Whilst Queercore achieved a lot (and still does) and was a brilliant fight against the overly-masculine and closed-minded Punk scene; it is clear that, alongside all the good and positive, there were many problems and limitations…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

THAT affected its durability and sense of inclusiveness.   

FEATURE: Madonna of Bay City: The Icon at Sixty: How the Pop Innovator Has Reshaped and Changed Music Through Fashion, Expression and Campaign

FEATURE:

 

 

Madonna of Bay City

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in a promotional shot for her 1984 album, Like a Virgin/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features

The Icon at Sixty: How the Pop Innovator Has Reshaped and Changed Music Through Fashion, Expression and Campaign

__________

IT seems Madonna is never far from the news…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna on stage in 1984/PHOTO CREDIT: PA Photos

even when she is not releasing any music! The latest bit of Madonna column-inch involves her attending Hamilton (the musical) and being snubbed by its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Madonna, apparently, turned up late and was seen texting through the performance – something that did not best please Miranda! Maybe there was an emergency at home or she was lapsing into boredom. In any case, it seems that part of Madonna has not faded with time; the ability to do what she wants and not be beholden to schedule and protocol! Not that this is a bad thing at all. As I will investigate; her rebellion and speaking out has helped to change music and see her crowned as the Queen of Pop. I am not sure why Madonna attended Hamilton – if her mind was elsewhere – but that is by the by. The legend turns sixty on Thursday and it is a great chance for people to look back at her incredible music and impact. Before I look back at Madonna’s career and study her changing fashions, the way she spoke out for women’s rights and why her personality showed Pop could be so much more than marketing and blandness; it seems she is preparing her fourteenth studio album and it seems like, on the as-yet-untitled album, Nicki Minaj could play a part:

“Nothing official has been announced, of course. But should Minaj feature anywhere on this album, it would make the as-yet-untitled release her third Madonna album in a row to guest on. Which is a world record, in terms of pop music.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna pictured this year/PHOTO CREDIT: AFP/Getty Images

Minaj has already featured on two official Madge singles (Give Me All Your Luvin’ and Bitch, I’m Madonna) and performed alongside her at the 2012 Super Bowl. Why not go for a hat trick?

Speaking of tricks, Drake is also rumoured to feature on the new album, according to stories doing the rounds today. Given that he named a song after her and that infamous snog, it’s probably about time”.

It seems like there might be material or something, in some form, from Madonna by the end of this year:

“In May, Madonna fansite DrownedMadonna reported that a music video had allegedly been filmed in London by Steven Klein.

Klein is responsible for some of the her more memorable concert backdrop videos and photoshoots, not to mention her 2013 short film SecretProjectRevolution.

So far no music video has yet surfaced. Yesterday, however, Madge posted to her Instagram a hyper-stylized video of her reciting poet Rupi Kaur. The video was shot by none other than Steven Klein.

It begins with Madonna apologizing to, ‘all the women I have called beautiful’.

The lead single for her next album is heavily rumoured to be Beautiful Game, a snippet of which she performed at the Met Gala in May”.

It appears something is brewing and the ever-evolving artist is preparing some fresh material. It will be good to see how she moves from 2015’s Rebel Heart.

IN THIS IMAGE: The tour poster for Rebel Heart/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

That album, whilst her lowest-selling in twenty years, it did get some great critical feedback and showed, thirty-two years from her debut single, she was capable of surprising and mixing her older and newer ambitions: AllMusic gave their views on Rebel Heart:

“These are the anchors of the album, grounding the record when Madonna wanders into slow-churning meditation, unabashed revivals of her '90s adult contemporary mode, casual confession ("I spent sometime as a narcissist"), and defiant celebrations of questionable taste. Undoubtedly, some of this flair would've been excised if the record was a manageable length, but the blessing of the unwieldiness is that it does indeed represent a loosening of Madonna's legendary need for control. Certainly, the ambition remains, along with the hunger to remain on the bleeding edge, but she's allowing her past to mingle with her present, allowing her to seem human yet somewhat grander at the same time”.

It seems like there are positive signs for the near-future. Madonna has said, in recent interviews, how modern music is all the same: endless collaborations and stuff that is vaguely similar to other stuff; a rather wooden and insipid sound that needs shaking up. She resides in Portugal and has been compelled by the music culture there and the authenticity – an original and human sound that, one suspects, she might fuse into her upcoming record. Let us look back and see how Madonna’s iconic styles and her desire to stand aside from the pack marks her as a true icon and leader.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna photoed in 1985 at the American Music Awards/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Image

Vogue, fittingly, has published a piece that looks at Madonna’s changing looks and how, with each album and cycle, she would change it up and produce something stunning. I am no fashion expect – a T-shirt and pair of trainers are as cutting as I get! – but I have always been drawn to Madonna’s iconic make-overs. Today’s music seems to be more about streaming figures and airplay as it does any sense of uniqueness and colour. I cannot name any artist, male or female, that seems that have a distinct style that changes and updates. Can anyone really look out at the music sea and discover something eye-catching and influential among the rather hum-drum and routine?! It is said that Madonna arrived in New York, in the late-1970s, with a dollar or so to her name – one of those urban myths about the aspiring artist… - but was far from the eclectic and electric star she would become. By 1983, when Madonna was released, she was embracing fashion and using it as part of her identity. I was born in that year so was (luckily) not conscious to the high hair, shoulder pads and gaudy make-up that seems to define the 1980s. Madonna, instead, adopted crucifixes, necklaces and lace to create something that was of-the-time but much more ‘her’. Religion and spirituality were part of her aesthetic from the start and, by the time she released Like a Prayer (album) in 1989; that distinct look was on the cover – the star was heavy with beads, rings and jewellery that has a sense of class, religious symbolism and youthful-cool!

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Look at the period between 1983-1985 and you notice a bolder and more experimental Madonna coming through. I will talk about her sexuality and role model speeches in a bit but, in terms of future, the stage and studio Madonna was altering her looks between albums. One can see the blonde and cool star that was introduced to the world in 1982. The look was starting to take shape and, by 1984, Like a Virgin saw her performing in a mini skirt, lace tights and headscarf. A promotional image for the album sees dark red lipstick and jazzy, Punk-like hair (a rather male description) mix with these signature bangles and something edgier. Look at the change between her stage outfit in April of 1984 – the headscarf and floral jacket – to the more spiky and alluring look that we saw upon the arrival of the album. Her famous ‘boy toy’ belt was out for the Like a Virgin video but it is interesting to see how subtle alterations came into her look by 1985. As her albums matured and Madonna was getting more of a creative say; she was breaking from the bright and traditional looks of the 1980s and bringing in crucifixes and gloves; her hair, now, was straighter and it seemed a more ‘mature’ and serious artist was coming through.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) wearing thrift store clothes/PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock

Her appearance in Desperately Seeking Susan seemed to define where she was heading; the smoking (literally) heroine and the headscarf; the cool jewellery and mix of New York chic and a distinct Madonna perfume – she had created a signature look that, two years after her debut album, was a bold move forward. If you match the outfits and style of her Material Girl video – part-screen siren, part-innocent and sexy – she was embracing a more thrift shop-born style that showed she was a humble and rooted artist who was more concerned with creating something pure and meaningful – against the glamour, record label-directed fashions and rather boring styles of the time. The period between True Blue (1986) and Like a Prayer (1989) saw new changes and developments. 1987’s Material Girl tour saw her break out a red flamenco dress; power-dressing and flirt came in by 1988; 1989’s Like a Prayer (song) saw her wearing a black slip for the video. There was a definite sense of raunch and confidence appearing by 1989. Her young fans were emulating her looks between 1983 and 1989 but it seems, by this point, Madonna was very much becoming a sexualised and primal woman. Her music was becoming bolder and more expressive and, even though there are differences between the slip of 1989 and her Jean Paul Gaultier corset of the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour; it signified a move from the girlish and uber-cool Madonna to an artist becoming more daring and revealing than any of her peers. She was never far from the press regarding her sexuality, videos and the latest fashions. In my mind, her changing wardrobe was a way of shaking up music and getting girls and young women to embrace something rebellious and different.

It sounds like a controversial statement but, rather than getting them to dress ahead of their time and cause problems; she wanted them to break away from the boring and reserved: capture something that was new and strange; exciting and womanly. The early-1990s found her embracing the corset and adopting a more controversial look:

“The corset became a dominant fashion theme in Madonna's look of the early 1990s. Madonna collaborated with the controversial couturier Jean Paul Gaultier for her 1990 Blonde Ambition world tour. Known for his fetishistic fashions, Gaultier designed Madonna's memorable pink corset with cone bra for her 1990 tour. Not only did Madonna's wearing of exaggerated foundation garments (sometimes worn under menswear-inspired fashions as in the "Vogue" video) toy with accepted notions of femininity, it also launched the trend of underwear as outerwear still prevalent today, seen on celebrities and in street fashions alike”.

From the virginal and street-cool Madonna of the early/mid-1980s; she was turning the provocateur and temptress. The diamond-encrusted Bob Mackie dress she wore for the 1991 Academy Awards was a huge departure from the more casual and affordable fashions she was sporting at the start of her career. Rather than buy from the high-street and take from New York; she was hooking up with designers and pushing convention.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna wearing a Bob Mackie dress to the 1991 Academy Awards/IMAGE/PHOTO CREDIT: Bob Mackie/Getty Images

Religious symbolism and Indian-style costumes were introduced into her 1993 stage show; she was experimenting with flapper-chic and high-glamour during 1984-1985. Even though albums like Erotica and Bedtime Stories looked at sex and embracing the self; that did not mean Madonna fell into the tawdry and media-baiting. There was some revelation and sexiness but was bringing Hollywood glam into the mix. She was inspiring legions of fans – new discoverers and girls who had followed her from the start maturing and developing – and showing the music world you did not need to follow labels (record) and be honed. You could express yourself and not have to follow the beat of the marketing drum. She opened doors and minds and, by 1998’s Ray of Light, another huge change had come in. Inspired by Kabbalah – one of the more divisive aspects of her beliefs/personality – darker clothing and gothic hair replaced the distinct blonde locks. Geisha and Eastern fashion were sitting alongside kimonos (she wore one for the 1999 video, Nothing Really Matters). Consider the difference between the Frozen video (all in black and a rather gothic demeanour) and Nothing Really Matters; her more modest and conventional look in Ray of Light (video) - all from the same album but completely different and unexpected.

The new century saw Madonna dispense with Eastern fashions and mix classic sexiness – inspiring in a woman who was approaching middle-age – and Disco chic. The Confessions on a Dance Floor album (2005) was Madge bringing in another iconic look: bits of 1970s Disco but more proactive, evocative and Madonna. Music (2000) and Ray of Light (1998) were celebrated: Confessions on a Dance Floor was probably the last of her modern records that gained a huge amount of love. Many critics felt Confessions on a Dance Floor was her strongest effort since the early days; a consistent and ever-curious artist looking at Dance, Disco and days gone by. Madonna, even when looking back, was futuristic and herself on the records that followed. Hard Candy (2008) is an ultra-sexy and stirring cover; MDNA (2012) and Rebel Heart (2015) mix bright make-up, alluring looks and a slight revocation of the Like a Virgin look – albeit it a more grown-up and of-the-times.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

That is a bit of a rush through her career wardrobe and how she transformed from a shy if hungry artist influenced by the street and religion to a sexual and iconic star who mixed high-fashion with allure; to the Eastern mystic and spiritual goddess; right through to a middle-aged icon who proves/proved she is as bold and expressive as anyone in music. In any period, you can see how she leads rather than follows. Madonna has inspired legions of fans – who replicated her looks – and changed their lives. Cresting more confident, colour and style; it was a revolution in the 1980s and, through the 1990s and 2000s, she has managed to be that style icon and pioneer. One expects this to carry on through her sixties: an exciting decade that will bring new music, influences and alterations. Alongside the brilliant looks and fashions; the way Madonna spoke out and up stunned and moved a generation…

A recent article in The Guardian talks about Madonna being bigger than any man out there. The way she spoke out at the Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony – as she collected her Woman of the Year prize – shook and opened eyes. I shall quote from the piece:

“When she collected her woman of the year prize at Billboard’s Women in Music awards in 2016, she said she stood before the crowd “as a doormat”. “Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse.” This is genuine, rightful anger and ferocity. The level of ageism and sexism directed at her is femicidal, even matricidal, visceral loathing. When people say they want Madonna to age gracefully, what they really mean is: become beige, shut up and go into a corner. And she refuses to do that. Instead, she continues to produce brilliant, captivating and thought-provoking work”.

Madonna has, as the piece continues, outlived many of her male peers like Michael Jackson and Prince and is stronger than any collaborator she has worked with. We know William Orbit and Timbaland has worked alongside her but they are producers and writers: Madonna is the central figure, strongest fire and core. More and more female artists are speaking out against abuse and sexism but the way in which Madonna delivers and projects makes an enormous impact.

There is no demure and sense of compromise: she is angry and pissed she and her peers have had to endure decades of imbalance and patronising attitudes. It is the way she has spoken throughout her career and shown she is more than a puppet and shill that goes hand-in-hand with the fantastic and evolving fashions. That strength and defiance, as the article continues, is not reserved to the verbal and psychological:

“It is impossible to talk about Madonna without talking about power. She is an athlete. I once read an interview where her trainer said she is so strong that he has to invent new exercises for her because she can’t feel exercises for mere mortals. Her muscularity is not about appearance; it is an indication of her mental strength and resilience. She is indestructible. But she has survived so long not just because of her talent, and not just because of her physical and mental strength. It is also that she is intelligent, professional and always engaged – she has seen the world, brought up children, worked in multiple fields. She is mentally alive and this is what keeps her searching, moving and creating”.

Madonna ruffled conservative feathers when she showed her affinity for gay culture and gender roles. She was never a fan of macho men or those who tried to buy her. She was bold and brash when it came to gender roles and celebrated gay culture.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna during her Girlie Tour in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features

At a time when HIV was claiming lives and making the news; some saw that as controversial and irresponsible. Rather than cause a stir, she was giving voice to the gay population and bringing them into popular culture. She did not care whether it meant losing fans or pissing the record label off. She was not your average Popstar who talked about cute boys, being taken out to the cinema and courted – maybe there was some of that in Material Girl but it was a brief flirtation -; she was someone who had independence and was calling the shots. Speaking out against sexism and the crap of the industry; she was waving a flag (colourful and bold) for the rights of those trodden on and overlooked; a confident and unique woman who was never going to be submissive and scared. The media pictured her with various suitors – including her then-husband Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie – but she was always the one that gained the most attention. From the earliest days of her career, she was writing songs and keen to establish herself as a singer-songwriter as opposed a ‘Popstar’. There was that need to speak her own mind and not be controlled. This spilt into her fashion and sexuality. As recently as 2015, Madonna has been outspoken regarding nudity – she rebelled against Instagram’s nudity rules in a controversial snap – and was pictured at various parts of her career wearing very little or nothing at all.

Unlike a lot of controlled Pop artists and no-talent reality T.V. stars; this was not a chance to gain hollow popularity and court media attention. This was part of her personality and who she was as a creative soul. Madonna has attacked ageist interviews and commentators who feel she needs to produce music/videos befitting of someone of her age – never one to take that sort of insult with any patience and calm. Back in 2016, when she collected her award and attacked sexism, she was interviewed about her stance regarding sex and sexism:

“The 58-year-old went on to discuss the time period surrounding the release of her album “Erotica” and her book Sex. She recalled being called “a whore and a witch” in the press, and even being compared to Satan. At one point during the speech, she began to tear up.

“I said, ‘Wait a minute, isn’t Prince running around with fishnets and high heels and lipstick with his butt hanging out?’ Yes, he was. But he was a man,” she said. “This was the first time I truly understood women do not have the same freedom as men.”

“People say that I’m so controversial,” she added. “I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around”.

Whether you see her confidence, sexual expression and controversy-causing comments as the signs of a good or bad role model, it shows, at every age, she will not be silenced and wants to say what many are not. Madonna has always said how she’d rather live fierce and fast and does not want to be like everyone else. She does not care what anyone else thinks – make of that what you will... – and she always speaks up rather than remaining silent.

That need to be expressive and not be silenced is a reason why many consider her an icon and role model. There are those who argue she sets a bad example but Madonna will not care. To me, she is one of those rare artists who produced endlessly innovative and quality music and mixes that with a voice and style that is her own. She states how modern music is samey and plastic: we need to take more from Madonna and encourage our mainstream artists to take from her. As she turns sixty; I wonder whether those fighting sexism, boredom and a rather bland scene will take a cigarette from Madonna, light it up and stub it in the face of the modern scene – something we need to see! She remains that divisive, extraordinary and quotable star that has not grown quiet with age. Whereas many of her peers are settling and calming their workload; Madonna is preparing new work and getting into the news.

At a time where there is stagnation and sexism continues; she is someone whose opinions and guidance are sorely needed – she has lived through decades of change and imbalance. The fact she is a survivor and constant innovator should be celebrated as much as anything. Even without her fantastic back catalogue...Madonna’s sixtieth is a chance to look at the iconic looks and changes; the way she speaks up and out for the minorities and the judged; the bold and confident star who has managed to change and revolutionise the music world as we know it. Let’s just hope, as she enters her seventh decade of life, we see no…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna at the Met Gala in 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

END in sight.   

INTERVIEW: Ace of Wands

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Becca Lemir

Ace of Wands

___________

I have featured Ace of Wands before…

PHOTO CREDIT: Becca Lemir

but there is something ever-evolving and fascinating about them that compels repeated investigation. I have been finding out about their latest track, 10,000 Feet, and what its story is; whether there will be another track coming very soon – they talk about their formation and which artists are an inspiration to them.

I wanted to know how important Toronto is to the band and whether they are touring; if we will see them in the U.K. soon; what advice they would offer artists coming through – they recommend a couple of promising artists to check out.

____________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Things have been great over here! I’ve been on vacation for the last two weeks, which actually feels kind of crazy given how much stuff I have on the go…

How are you taking to the heat at the moment? Is it encouraging songwriting and creativity?

The heat has been so crazy. I work outside as a gardener when I’m not playing music and the heat can be oppressive and exhausting. But, I am still writing songs so I can still be functional creatively. Toronto had a major rainfall this week that caused flooding in a lot of the city. Our rehearsal space was under a foot of water, which has wreaked some havoc in our lives. Luckily, we share the space with some wonderful bands and everyone leapt into action to save gear and start the massive clean-up.

10,000 Feet is your new single. Can you explain the story behind the song?

10,000 Feet was written last year after I got back from a tour across Canada in the dead of winter. I had never travelled west in Canada before and it was pretty shocking to me to fully realize the Toronto bubble that I live in. A lot of Canada is incredibly isolated. There are so many tiny communities with hours of empty highway separating them, living through the harshest conditions of winter I have ever experienced. The tour made me appreciate the ways in which a finding community can be crucial.

When I got back from the tour, this was the first song I wrote for what has now become the full realization of Ace of Wands. It tries to capture that loneliness I felt and the bonds you make with people to try and escape it, even for a little while.

I believe the song, and its digital download, is accompanied by an 8” balsa wood glider. Your previous song, Grown from Good, came with wildflower seeds and a glass full of soil! What is the reason behind these initiatives? Is it to get the listener to appreciate the physical and connect with the earth?

I am really interested in creating music that can be immersive and interactive for the listener. While I have always been drawn to Rock and Pop music in my writing, I find that more often than not unusual performance elements and merchandise seem to be more reserved for avant-garde or experimental artists. This method of music distribution is an attempt to engage with our audiences in a much more tactile and playful way than just selling a C.D.

When we talk about music, and the practice of creating, we use the word ‘play’ - I play violin, I play guitar etc. Thinking of the use of this verb (which is very specific to music and not other art forms) inspired me to come up with a method of distribution that encourages ‘play’ while at the same time listening to our music. The balsa gliders will be laser-etched with a design inspired by the tarot card we are named after and will come with an accompanying download card. I am always interested in creating art that can be used again and again, rather than just put on a shelf or sent to the landfill.

I believe 10,000 Feet is part of a trilogy. Can you talk about that and what the third song might be about?

Yes. We are releasing a third E.P. this fall, along with a video to complete the trilogy. I have stockpiled so many songs since starting to write for this project and the lead single one is certainly one of the oldest of those. The song is called Lioness and is probably our loudest and most aggressive song; heavily inspired by Sleater-Kinney - one of my favourite bands of all time. It continues the theme of spiritual transformation that weaves through 10,000 Feet and Grown from Good.

There is also a current of rage that runs through the song; an emotion I am afraid of in others and in myself. I wanted to try to get in touch with this emotion and think it will be a good contrast to the more contemplative first two singles. The video will also introduce the third member of A.O.W., our drummer Jody.

How did Ace of Wands come together? Do you remember what bonded the band?

The three of us have all been gigging musicians for our whole adult lives but didn’t cross paths until recently. While the Toronto scene is relatively small and interconnected, it’s amazing the number of factors that can keep people apart - genre, age and neighbourhood etc. We found each other playing on tour and in bands around town and the bond was instant. Anna and Jody represent two of the deepest friend connections I am lucky enough to have. It’s a special thing to collaborate with people who present no judgement, are compassionate and committed and interested in all the experimentation I want to do. 

In terms of older music; who do you count as influences and idols?

I would say my biggest musical idol has to be PJ Harvey. She is a goddess of Rock and Roll and art as far as I am concerned. I saw her play in Toronto last year and immediately set all of my professional and artistic goals for the future. Too inspiring for words. 

Do you think there will be touring dates? Can we catch you play?

We are playing in London/ON and Toronto/ON on August 17/18 to release our new E.P. with more dates in the autumn. We were also accepted as Musicians in Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta this December. This will be an incredible experience. We get to work with musical mentors and other visiting residents for what is basically a two-week songwriting session in the mountains. It is so humbling to be asked to take part! Hopefully, we will play shows in Edmonton and Calgary when we are out west. 

Might you come to the U.K. soon? Do you like British music?

I would love to take A.O.W. to the U.K. I am really impressed by all the great music coming out of the U.K. and feel like we could fit in well with the scene there. Artists like Nadine Shah, Goat Girl; Marika Hackman, The Staves; Fat White Family and Temples are all really resonating with me right now.

How important are Toronto and its people regarding the way you write and design your music?

Toronto is a very special place to make music, but it has its challenges. The cost of living has gone up so much in recent years that it is hard for musicians and artists to create all that they want while needing to work; pay rent etc. But, the community is really resilient. There have been a number of venues that have either closed or changed hands over the last decade and it has become harder and harder to book shows.

However, there are a few really supportive venues who are interested in live music as a viable business model. For our own part, we wanted to facilitate creating a D.I.Y. space for music with the primary goal of breaking down some of the genre barriers that keep the different scenes in Toronto apart. It’s called Songs of Wands Live and it is a concert series with rotating locations, creating a safe and intimate environment for musical experimentation.

PHOTO CREDIT: Becca Lemir

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

I played in a band for many years called Rival Boys and one of my favourite memories from that is playing at a summer camp for the councillor’s end-of-season party. I guess they had become huge fans of the music as they worked at the camp that year. We were a surprise for them and I will always remember the school bus of screaming teenagers that pulled up before our set. I felt like I was in the Spice Girls or something. 

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I would love to go on tour with Metronomy. They all seem like the nicest bunch; their music and live show is all I aspire to one day. Truly amazing.

On the rider, I think having a travelling masseuse would be ideal! Gotta get the shoulders loose before the gig. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I guess just try to keep faith in your own art and do what feels right and authentic for you. Whatever that is, even if people don’t like it. If you like it, that’s all that matters...I’m working on this one daily!

 IN THIS PHOTO: L CON

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

From Canada, definitely check out L CON. She is an amazing songwriter and producer. I am also a huge fan of Happy Axe from Australia - a violinist making strange and beautiful sounds.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Happy Axe/PHOTO CREDIT: Briana Davis

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I have a very full schedule - which is how I seem to like it. Ha. But, when I am feeling particularly burn-out, my favourite thing is to go camping, have a swim; read a book and make a fire. 

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Thank you, Sam! Here’s my pick:

Viper Fish - Goat Girl

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Follow Ace of Wands

PHOTO CREDIT: Becca Lemir

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/aceofwandstoronto

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/aceofwandsband

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/aceofwandsband/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc_efuvxskR9ALHuvv7FdoQ

Bandcamp:

https://aceofwands.bandcamp.com/releases

FEATURE: Charcoal Angels: The Autistic Spectrum in Music

FEATURE:

 

 

Charcoal Angels

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash

The Autistic Spectrum in Music

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ALTHOUGH it is not light reading…

it is obvious the complexity and prevalence of mental illness in the music industry are rising. Year on year, we are seeing figures come through that chart the climb in mental-health-related cases of suicide and self-harm. High-profile suicides in the industry raise awareness and encourage taking – that can quickly fade and we ask ourselves will there be sufficient help and funding to help tackle the avalanche? This article, published last year, highlights a link between musical ability/creativity and depression:

“‘Can Music Make You Sick?’ is a new study commissioned by Help Musicians UK, which explores the effects of a career in music on musicians’ mental health.

The study, completed by University of Westminster, investigated 2,211 musicians, 71.1% of whom said they had suffered from panic attacks or anxiety, with 68.5% saying they had struggled with depression.

Researchers Sally-Anne Gross and Dr. George Musgrave cited a few major issues including money worries, because of juggling many different jobs and dealing with precarious and unpredictable pay, and poor working conditions.

They also found musicians were more likely to be subject to sexual abuse, bullying and discrimination – as well as antisocial and unsympathetic working environments.”

While relationships with family and the support of close friends and partners are highly valued, they are also “open to abuse and feelings of guilt”. Plus, musicians often lack the financial means to seek professional support”.

These findings are not revelations: we all know how mental illness and its effects are impacting artists and how it can lead to some very serious consequences. Maybe there is a long way to go before there is real solution and calm: doing more research and pledging dedicated and real support for those in need is a good step forward. Many adverts look at cancer and serious illnesses but there is very little out there that puts mental-health under the spotlight. Although we have the statistics and we are seeing worrying trends form; I wonder how much is being done to look at mental-health problems. There are no adverts on national television targeted at those who suffer – let alone musicians and bodies to help them.

One can do their research but it would be good to put something on the screen/radio that actively acknowledged the statistics and pledges solutions. If depression and anxiety are well-known and written about; perhaps something like autism isn’t. There is a link between the two in many cases but one often feels like it is a rather unsettling and foreign subject. How do you talk with someone about it when they themselves have a hard time communication and understanding emotional nuances?! One of the reasons I am bringing up the subject of depression and autism is to bring my own experiences into play.

IN THIS PHOTO: My ugly mug/PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Liddicott

I am not autistic myself but have been to the doctor a few times and suspect that I have a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome. It is on the autistic spectrum and is not quite as severe as autism itself. People with Asperger’s syndrome see and hear the world in different ways. They interact with others unlike other people and, because it is invisible, it can be hard broaching the issue and explaining it. Asperger’s syndrome is for life: there is no cure but it, in itself, is not life-limiting and fatal. In my case; I have depression too (ranging from moderate to severe) and Asperger’s syndrome can take different forms. Whilst intelligence is not necessarily lower than anyone else in the population; understanding speech and showing empathy can be quite hard. One might have a limited sense of social interaction and prefer to be hidden away. It is harder to navigate various scenarios and a person might have robotic speech and a monotone delivery. Although I do not share some of the common traits – an obsession with the self and a problem understanding facial gestures – I do struggle with eye contact and talking openly with people. I have an obsession with music that, whilst beneficial for my writing, it can be enriching; it does mean I do and think about very little else – I get caught in routines and do not have any other interests and hobbies apart from music. I have awkward mannerisms and motions and can become obsessed with odd subjects and thoughts.

There is a lot more to unravel but those are some of the symptoms. I can easily talk on the radio and feel comfortable there but it is a different issue if I were filmed and had to act for the camera. That uneasiness with the self and unpredictability of the situation means I would be too tense and not do it. I will talk about artists who suffer autism/Asperger’s syndrome but it is hard doing anything than what I do. I have very little interest in the ‘real world’ jobs and doing anything other people do. I do jobs for money but, whereas others are concerned with the task at hand and take some pride in it; none of it matters to any real extent. Creativity and doing what I do best is the only things that matter. I also have generalised anxiety disorder which throws a lot of physical symptoms into the pot – clumsiness, balance issues and headache. My memory is shocking so it can be hard recalling details and a slightly stunted set of social skills means relationships are out of the question normally. Sex and relations are never really a possibility or something easy to engineer; maintaining a conversation and interest can be hard. All of this sounds dire but that focus on writing and music has its benefits. I often feel we have a very poor grasp of some artists/creatives and how life is really like for them.

I am jealous of those who could get on stage and perform at gigs; the multitalented who have their own shows and series; the musicians who can get in front of a microphone and perform a hard song without much warm-up. These are scenarios that are out of my grasp and beyond my abilities. Music journalism is a way to express myself without having to fight nerves and self-flagellation but there is always that desire to do something new and expand my horizons…whether that is even possible for me?! Autism is a more pronounced and wide-ranging version of Asperger’s syndrome and can be really severe – to the point someone will not be able to touch someone else or interact with your peers. This article casts a link between creativity and those on the autistic spectrum:

“A December 2015 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found a strong link between autism and divergent thinking—the ability to think creatively, out of the box. In other words, developing novel ideas and utilizing creative problem solving may come easy to those with autism.

But anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing a child or adult on the autism spectrum will likely tell you they didn’t need a study to tell them there is a clear link between autism and creative thinking. Some on the spectrum are particularly imaginative, innovative, and inspired, so it only makes sense that a number have gone to achieve superstardom.

You either got it or you don’t, and being on the spectrum isn’t the deciding factor. We set out to find some of the talented musicians who have risen to the height of fame in the industry, in spite of their autism – or maybe thanks to it. The five that made our list have turned the notion of what it means to have a ‘disorder’ on its head”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Days of the New's Travis Meek/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It is a complete bag of balls having these limitations as a person but the fact sociability and interaction is hard makes me and others focus on writing and other forms of communication. One of the reasons I am so prolific as a writer is the fact I find it easy to write and often say things on the page I can never say in person. I feel confident I could do radio presentation and interviews with no issues but filming my blog would be a different matter – quite daunting and I would be too self-conscious and critical. Amadeus Mozart suffered traits many would link to autism. He engaged in reckless and dangerous behaviour and struggled with self-control. Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane suffered from autism from childhood. Travis Meeks (guitarist and lead of Days of the New) was misdiagnosed and eventually diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2005. He experimented with drugs and had the feeling he could not do anything right – that misdiagnoses and misunderstanding impacted him heavily. Courtney Love has been diagnosed with autism/Asperger’s syndrome, as has Gary Numan. He conducted an interview earlier this year where he talked about his depression and coping with Asperger’s syndrome:

“Yes,' he confirms. ‘I do have Asperger's Syndrome. I find social situations difficult, especially if I have to make small talk. It's hard to read body language or the little nuances that go to make up a conversation.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Gary Numan/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

"Fortunately I have Gemma to help me. Unlike my wife, whose care of our home borders on OCD and would put me to shame, I'm not obsessive in that way. But, in things that interest me, I do tend to fixate and take obsession to the extreme. For example, when I was into planes and air-display flying, I wasn't happy with simply taking part. I had to become a qualified examiner.

"Same thing happened with boats: I simply had to know everything there was to know about them. On the whole, I think having Asperger's has been a good thing. It's given me a slightly different view of the world and I truly believe it helped get me through some hard times. I'd never wish it away”.

Non-musicians like Chris Packham have discussed their experiences and you can definitely see a link between their personalities and mine. My situation is different – a lot of those I have read about suffering it can find and maintain relationships – but there is that feeling of being misunderstood and having to hide things. If Numan has embraced, to an extent, his Asperger’s syndrome; it can be a challenge for others. Pip Brown, better known as Ladyhawke, was diagnosed and feels she is fitting into a world that is the wrong shape for her. She was diagnosed after suffering anxiety and being very self-conscious for a long time. In fact, in an interview of 2008; she talked about revealing her Asperger's syndrome diagnosis and how attention shifted to that: 

"Hardly the stuff of showbusiness legend, and entertainers with Asperger's are few and far between: the actress Daryl Hannah (diagnosed borderline autistic in childhood) is one; Craig Nicholls, frontman of Australian rock group The Vines, is another. Still, everyone loves an against-all-odds story, and here was Brown's.

But it's not the story that the singer wants to be defined by. "I really regret talking about it," she says. "There's a kid with Asperger's who wrote to me on MySpace, saying I was a liar. It was really hurtful. I was like, you have no idea what I've been through. Yeah, I'm a bit weird. I do weird things. I've been really wary since then".

The Sunday Times columnist Camilla Long called Gary Numan out regarding his condition and the fact it was fabricated. She argued he had no formal diagnosis but, the fact he was told by a professional he might have it – whilst suffering traits of the illness – has not been exaggerated. James Taylor and Susan Boyle are other figures who have (or may have) Asperger’s syndrome and it seems there is a long way to go before it is fully understood. People seem to want a certificate or proof everyone has every symptom they say they have or feel, because they cannot see any scars or bruises, there is nothing there. This is the same attitude and sense of ignorance that sufferers of depression have had to carry around. I feel one of the reasons some famous musicians commit suicide is not the inability to talk and feeling weak but that realisation they cannot go back once they do open up. It is hard opening floodgates and having to accept you may have to give up what you love. In many cases, no amount of talking will help things and it is a band-aid – many do not understand that and feel anyone can be saved if they speak or take medication. There is a similar feeling around those on the autistic spectrum.

Not only is it hard to explain and discuss – for obvious reasons – but there is no cure and fix. I have used the word ‘sufferer’ but I should drop it. Many who have autistic traits feel they are living the life their way: no need to feel inferior or carry any sort of burden. It is an illness but one that you have to adapt to. Like depression, everyone’s experience is different. In my case, supplementary to what I have said, I find it impossible to express and feel love. That may sound strange, and may be a personality disorder, but cannot tangibly and emotionally say those words or have that feeling. It is nothing personal but I can express love for inanimate things and music but not people – another reason why a relationship would be extremely hard. I also struggle to feel awake and energised; I am drained all the time and can get anxious with changes and breaking routines. There is a reason why everyone is different and there is an autistic ‘spectrum’. Someone else who is in the public eye and is a huge music fan is Paddy Considine. Back in nine years ago, the actor asked himself: Why am I not a good actor? He was feeling angry a lot and wondered what was wrong with him. Maybe some of that (wrongful) self-depreciation and critique was a lack of confidence or a sense of being outsider:  a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome in 2011 explained a lot. Here, in an interview with Tim Lewis in 2014,

“In 2011, Considine was told he had Asperger’s, a diagnosis that made a lot of sense to him. He had felt hypersensitive for a while, often convinced that his wife and three children were somehow in danger. He’d wake up in the morning and want to go straight back to sleep or hide under a table when there was a knock on his front door. Then, last year, a specialist told him that he may in fact have Irlen Syndrome, a difficulty processing light that also has links with autism. Part of the treatment for Irlen is to wear tinted glasses or contact lenses, which Considine recalibrates every 10 months. Where before he struggled to maintain eye contact, now he finds himself considerably more at ease in social situations and on set”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paddy Considine/PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Fisk for The Observer

In an interview a few years before that; he talked about the diagnose and the aftermath:

“Indeed, so good an actor is Considine that if he wasn’t telling me about his condition now, I would never guess he was a sufferer. True, sitting opposite him, the wiry Midlander can seem intense and as nervy as a racehorse. Yet at the same time he is funny, open and warm with no sign of the inability to relate to others that often comes with the condition.

Then again, Asperger syndrome, a lifelong disability that affects three in every 10,000 people – and is more commonly found in males than females – comes with a complex range of symptoms. Although the afflicted often have above-average intelligence (famous sufferers are thought to have included Albert Einstein, Vincent van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci), they can find it hard to make sense of the world, to process information and to relate to other people. They are often unable to read signals that most of us take for granted – facial expressions, say, or body language.

Considine sums it up as “a debilitating sense of detachment” from both the people around him and his surroundings. He struggles on a practical level, too – certain noises, for example, bright lights, and even wallpaper and fabrics can present a problem. In the room where we meet, he looks at the brightly coloured, geometrically striped carpet as if he is a man on the ledge of a skyscraper. “That carpet, for instance, is basically my worst nightmare.

“It’s just too sort of 'there’. Too difficult to ignore. It makes it hard for me to focus on anything else because I get drawn into the colours and the pattern and I get taken off somewhere in my head, other than where I know I ought to be”.

I wanted to bring Considine in because, as an honorary musician and fan, he has spoken at length about it. It helps illustrates and explain what a lot of people in music (and film) are going through. Being so candid and exposing can be a struggle for some but it seems Considine is coping and able to navigate social situations different to when he was first diagnosed. Whereas we have a long way to go to understanding depression and being able to adequately control the current situation; there is a (less prevalent) stream of psychological issues that stem from autism. Far fewer people suffer autism or Asperger’s syndrome but it is a very real thing that can have the same debilitating and life-long issues as depression. In fact, the two seem to go hand-in-hand and many feel like their disorder makes them stronger at what they do. That desire to express yourself in some form and the addiction and narrow focus – all of this can make us better at what we do. The problem with that is social sides of life suffers and there are weaknesses that others do not have. Rather than see a musician/creative on the autistic scale as being outside the circle and in need of cliché bromides (“We’re all a bit autistic, I guess” – “No, we are certainly not!”); appreciating its severity and reality can go a long way to creating harmony and better communication.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Vines' Craig Nicholls (who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I called this piece Charcoal Angels because I feel artists on the autistic spectrum have a lot of grace and beauty but see life – and are seen – in charred and black-and-white terms. It can be hard spreading the wings and there is that feeling of being on the fire and unable to fight the flames – even though we have a lot to give and everything we want to bring from our inside is being blocked or filtered in different ways. There are good sides to Asperger’s syndrome/autism – in the sense of creative excellence and focus – but there are definite roadblocks and issues that make daily life a lot harder and lonelier than many can appreciate. Nobody has to fully comprehend and understand how different life is (with the condition) but accepting its presence and not changing your behaviour – being all hushed or backing off – is a big step. Some of the best and most intense creative minds have some form of autism. If someone out there is going through it or feels they have it then go and see a G.P. and have a chat. It is not a complex diagnosis and, once it happens, you can at least get some form of talk therapy and help. It is not going to be cured by naming it - and realising it is part of who you are takes stigma and anxiety away. Being able to do all of that and carry on with determination and strength is a big accomplishment. You will be more aware of others who are the same as you and, in many ways, look at people and the world differently. Never hide away and feel you are weaker than anyone else. Having Asperger’s syndrome or having autism is a real but manageable condition and it is certainly…

NOTHING to be ashamed of.   

FEATURE: Spoolin' in the Years: Why, After Fifty-Five Years, the Cassette Still Has Its Place

FEATURE:

 

 

Spoolin' in the Years

IMAGE CREDIT: Ian Viggers

Why, After Fifty-Five Years, the Cassette Still Has Its Place

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LIFE before the humble cassette tape…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

was a little limited for the music fan. In 1935, AEG unveiled the first reel-to-reel tape recorder under the name ‘Magnetophon’. It was based around the invention of magnetic tape (1928) by Fritz Pfleumer. The instruments were expensive and very difficult to use and were limited to professionals and those who could afford them. Phillips released the cassette tape in 1963 (released in Europe on 30th August) and it was an accessible and affordable alternative to the studio-limited and bulky technology of the time. Both forms of the cassette were available in 1963 – a blank version and pre-recorded option – and was originally intended for dictation machines and, before long, improvements in fidelity led to the Compact Cassette. Although the first in-car cassette player was not introduced until 1968, the boom happened pretty fast and it was a handy and cheaper version of the L.P. The cassette came in during the 1960s but its revolution and rise did not really take place until the 1970s. It was a strange thing to those used to the rather large and distinct vinyl. Boom boxes and cassette decks became the must-have accessory and present for eager music-lovers and those who wanted to hear their music on the move. It is amazing to think what it would have been like to have a cassette in your position in the 1970s and 1980s.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Although the explosion missed bands like The Beatles – they do have their music on cassettes but were a vinyl-released band – many people drooled given the fact they could play their favourite albums in a very compact and affordable player. The Sony Walkman came out in 1979 and, unlike its Discman cousin, was far more stable and reliable. The Discman, in my view, was flawed by one thing: the fact C.D.s would stop and jump when you moved ( a bit of a drawback unless you were stationery all of the time). I was born in 1983 but owned a Sony Walkman. The fact the Walkman was not much larger than the cassette itself meant people could easily keep them in their pockets and there was that discreet and go-anywhere quality. The price was pretty reasonable and, unlike vinyl today, cassettes were priced so that most people could build up an impressive collection soon enough! I remember having a stack of albums in my bedroom. In the 1980s, when I was listening to artists like Michael Jackson and T. Rex, I had two forms of cassette enjoyment. I possessed a great, red tape deck (double, at that!) and could pedal around the neighbourhood on my go-kart with a pal in the driving seat. The sense of emancipation and delight I got from hearing music come from this simple piece of equipment not only floods back to me nearly thirty years after the fact but has inspired my path regarding journalism and music.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

If it were not for the invention of cassettes and the ability to share and play music this way, I doubt I would have gained such an impassioned and huge love. Back in the days when there were music shops and they stocked cassettes; I would collect my pocket money together and go and buy the latest big release. Although the C.D.’s advent and development won my heart during the 1990s; I was still mixing that with cassette listening and, as figures show, the cassette single was enormously popular during the 1990s. One of the downsides to the portability of the cassette was the ease in which one could pinch them! The pocket-sized prize could easily make its way from the shelf to the coat and, before you know it, they had made away with their choice. Retailers and record labels introducers larger packaging and, before long, greater security and vigilance. It was the ease in which one could purchase any album and travel anywhere with it that kick-started the move towards C.D.s and, eventually, the digital birth. The way one could have independence of sexuality, religion and culture through music was nothing short of a revelation. I remember, as a young child and teen, going everywhere with the cassette. I would be able to enjoy listening in the playground and share tapes with friends. We would swap albums and singles and have our earphones in – call someone over and get them to listen to the new Madonna album or Stone Roses single!

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

The decline happened after the late-1980s and C.D.s started to overtake cassettes by 1993. By 2001, only 4% of music sales were cassette-based. Although cassettes were still being used in answerphones and studios – they are still being used in industries like the police service – the C.D. was seen as more durable and expansive. The cassette could typically hold between twenty-three minutes per side; some cassettes could hold as much as thirty minutes. The flaws of the cassette and the changing technology in the C.D. world meant that handover was inevitable. Initially, the rugged nature of the cassette was beneficial to the C.D. – which would skip and jump easily and was a bane for anyone who wanted to use a Discman. Eventually, manufacturers reinforced the C.D. and it became a much more popular and beneficial form. Cassette playback suffered from varying tape speed – it meant the pitch was either too low or high when you were recording in a studio or at home. The dreaded unspooling of the cassette is something we cannot really comprehend today. Although C.D.s can be scratched and smudged easily; it is less difficult to destroy them. Cassettes would be fine but could get dirty easily and it took a while to rewind and forward them. Unlike vinyl and C.D. where you could choose a track and not have to fast-forward or back; cassettes were a bit dim-witted and that spooling issue meant a lot of tapes were being eaten and lost.

Countless times, I finished enjoying a great album or single and, when removing it from the tape player; it would be caught in the mechanism and I’d have inches of tape coming out – you’d wind it back in but find the cassette was too badly damaged or the sound quality was terrible. Although cassettes’ natural flaws and lack of evolutionary possibility; it led to the C.D. and was the first form of musical hardware that was affordable and available to all. Later technologies like the MiniDisc came out – a way of shrinking the cassette and correcting its problems – but never really survived and captured the imagination. One can look at the semi-revival of the cassette because of boutique record labels, hipsters or those mired in a flood of sepia nostalgia. Last year, Forbes reported a boom in sales through the previous year:

“While plenty of attention is paid to the fact that vinyl sales continue to rise year after year, wax records are not the only physical format of music sold that is experiencing an implausible and unexpected revival.

According to Billboard, cassette sales rose a whopping 74% in 2016. That percentage means that the growth of tapes is rising at a faster rate than any other medium in music, though that’s not to say the actual number of cassettes sold comes anywhere near to those categories still losing ground.

...Data from Nielsen states that the rise in sales of cassettes still only amounted to a total of 129,000 tapes being sold in the U.S. last year, which is but a tiny fraction of any other format. To compare, there were just over 13 million vinyl records and 200 million albums (combining CDs, vinyl, digital units and, of course, cassettes) sold in the same time period. To further put the 129,000 figure into perspective, that’s about how many copies an album needs to shift in a single week to hit No. 1 during a busy month in the U.S.”.

Digital Music News offered one suggestion why the cassette is enjoying a bit of a comeback:

“Indeed, a few modern hit series — including Netflix hit Stranger Things — have released their soundtracks on cassette, spurring the return.   The Marvel Cinematic Universe film and its sequel helped to nourish the once-dead cassette as well.

Hamilton, Prince’s Purple Rain, and Nirvana’s Nevermind have been among the most popular albums that saw an influx in cassette tape sales.

Now, the question is whether those represent quirky one-offs or the beginning of a trend”.

 All of this positivity and 2016/2017 celebration has been given a reality check and a bit of gravity:

“In a crystal clear statement to RA, the RIAA’s Cara Duckworth Weiblinger denied any noticeable uptake in sales:

We regularly check with our music label members to see if they are reporting any change in the sales of cassettes, but there hasn’t been for quite some time. It’s such a small number it doesn’t meet the threshold of sales requirements for us to report it (we report sales by category on a scale of millions of dollars and cassettes just haven’t broken that threshold). So there has been no increase in sales of cassettes or a proactive effort to look into tracking this further.

...That said, it is true that more tapes are being sold now than in previous years. One of the world’s last standing tape factories, the National Audio Companyhas reported increased sales of 33% since 2014.

We’ve also seen a whole host of underground cassette labels crop up in recent years, plus major labels have expressed interested in the format with items like Justin Bieber’s Purpose and Kanye West’s Yeezus out on tape”.

It seems cassettes are coming back in the form of new labels and certain soundtracks. It may be a bit limited and minor but it does signal there is a lust for the technology. Maybe it is a way of connecting with the past but I think, in many ways, it is a way of connecting with music. The C.D. seems like that latchkey child that has not really caught on like the older brother but has matured faster than the young sister of the cassette. That said; the C.D. is proving far less popular today than the 1990s. Electronic forms of distribution seem to be overtaking everything and, whilst vinyl and cassette have enjoyed increased sales; the C.D. is struggling to pull in the big sales. I will bring in an article that highlights the benefits of the cassette but, to me, it is the lack of perfection and flaws that make it great. It is not expensive to replace cassettes and I feel the singles market could return if we brought back the cassette to the mainstream.

There is something old-school, pleasurable and simple about having that tape in your hand and being able to play it. Labels are getting back into them and it is a nice way of having a physical product in your hand – more compact and affordable than a C.D. or vinyl. This article was published last year and suggested why newer artists are bonding with the cassette:

“For newer, less established artists, tapes are also a lower-risk investment than vinyl: If your debut EP doesn’t sell, you’re not stuck sitting on a heavy box of vinyl that took over a thousand bucks and half a year to produce.

Tapes give musicians an affordable way to sell their work to fans–usually for about five bucks apiece–and help cover their costs on the road in an age when streaming royalty checks will barely fill up the gas tank. They let fans support their favorite artists without the $25 commitment of vinyl or some other trinket emblazoned with the band’s logo. It may seem odd given the scarcity of cassette players in our lives, but if nothing else, a rectangular hunk of plastic can serve as a convenient vehicle for a free digital download of the album. Plus, it’s a souvenir.

“For the fans, there’s a certain coolness about tapes,” says J. Edward Keyes, Bandcamp’s editorial director and a longtime music journalist, who has amassed close to 500 cassettes. “You can’t quite put your finger on it. But they’re sort of fun. They’re weird little tchotchkes.”

Indeed, the appeal of tapes has more to do with collectibility and nostalgia than it does with convenience or sound quality. In fact, the lower audio fidelity of tapes is seldom seen as a disadvantage”.

IN THIS PHOTO: GPO Brooklyn Portable Boombox Music C.D. Bluetooth Radio Cassette Tape Retro/PHOTO CREDIT: eBay

Since 2013, music retailers have celebrated Cassette Store Day with special released and, with that, creating an offshoot and cousin of Record Store Day. Some claim these days are nothing more than cheesy and money-making excuses; to those who want to pay for music and have something physical (like myself), it is a great way of keeping alive a form of music that is a nice counterpoint and contrast to the rather soulless and unfeeling digital sound. The cassette tape is fifty-five this year and, like all mid-life crisis sufferers, expect it to buy an expensive sports car; have a cheap affair and get its hair highlighted! I expect there will be these rather retro and tragic reissues or the sort of vending machines you see in parts of the world – where you can buy an album or single on the street. Thinking about it, that sounds like a cool idea for the U.K. but I wonder whether the cassette is damaged when it hits the bottom; whether there is genuine music on them – you can sell blank cassettes and charge people – and how stocked they are (do you get much choice?!). I do not feel the music market should all be digital and we need to accept we have passed through the hardware stage and it is digital from here on in. Many people do want to pay for individual releases and may not have a laptop or Internet access.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Some prefer to bond with music in a very real way and not endlessly click and skip through online tracks. The article I just quoted seems to sum up the appeal and enduring brilliance of the cassette tape:

“In an age when most music exists on the boundless, only somewhat navigable reservoir of sound called the internet, splintered across streaming services, YouTube embeds, torrents, and message board threads, there’s something to be said for the tangibility and simplicity of physical media. Like reading a book or a paper magazine, listening to vinyl or cassettes pulls us out of the digital ocean for 45 minutes or so and forces us to focus on one thing. What a concept.

As a bonus, Keyes notes, cassettes often look cool. “They usually do such a nice job with the cover art, especially [tape label] Orange Milk,” he says. “They have such a clear aesthetic and design. It kind of makes you want to buy them all and line them all up”.

Maybe the revival will not turn into a bloodied coup but I can feel there is change and a renewed demand for cassettes. On its fifty-fifth birthday; it is a great chance to think about all the cassettes we grew up with and the sensation we got when we clipped it into the tape deck and let it play. Its birthday should not be met with a comb-over and comfy cardigan: get it some proper-good whiskey, a day of hand gliding and top it all off with a great gig in the capital! I am desperate for shops or sellers to put cassettes back on the shelves and give me the option of varying my collection; getting a classic, old-school player and letting memories flood back – rediscover that happy affinity I had back then and provide something tangible and physical. There are no figures to suggest inroads will be made into the mainstream but I would not be shocked to see the long-lasting and legendary cassette come…

SWINGING back strong!    

INTERVIEW: Haley Blais

INTERVIEW:

Haley Blais

___________

IT has been cool speaking with…

Haley Blais as she tells me about her new single, Seventeen, and how it came together. I ask her about her musical tastes and what sort of music she is into; whether her new E.P., Let Yourself Go, is her most confident work – she highlights a rising artist to check out.

Blais tells me reveals three albums that mean a lot to her; if there are going to be gigs coming up; what the music scene is like in Canada right now; the advice she would give to artists coming through  - she ends the interview by selecting a cool song.

____________

Hi, Haley. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! I’m well. I’ve been learning the bass all week and haven’t left the house - so I feel like a productive hermit.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Haley Blais; a musician from Vancouver, BC. I play in a band with my four beautiful sons, singing songs about my life.

Seventeen is your new single. What was it like putting it together?

I knew I wanted the video for it to be sentimental and nostalgic, but kind of put it on the backburner while we were busy with touring etc. So, when I had some downtime and was looking through tour footage, I realized it worked perfectly to portray the message behind the song; that I’m where I’ve always wanted to be.

It recalls, as you say, a rather average and unspectacular time of life. Do you feel you were rather boring as a youth? Are you measuring yourself against unrealistic standards?!

I might be. I’m not saying I’m regretful at all: I guess hindsight is 20/20, as they say. 

Let Yourself Go is your new E.P. What sort of themes inspired the music? Is it a natural case of the cocooned caterpillar of Late Bloomer coming out as a confident butterfly?

Exactly! I like to think it’s inspired by who one becomes once they’ve bloomed.

Which artists compelled you growing up? What sort of music were you raised on?

I was, 100%, raised on Dad Rock. When I was old enough to start appreciating music and curating my own taste, I listened to a lot of Bob Dylan and Folk music. 

You are a Canadian artist. How do you think the music of the nation differs from that of the U.S., for instance? Do you think Canada gets the attention it deserves?!

Oh, man; I’m not sure I can speak for the entirety of the music of the nation but I can say that some of my favourite musicians of all time are Canadian. Andy Shauf, for instance, is a songwriter I really admire - but he’s definitely underrated compared to the pedestal he’s on in my mind. Is that because of his geography? Maybe! And that would be dumb!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

The completion of my first L.P.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

The tour, by far…

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

The Bearer of Bad News by Andy Shauf

It’s just a perfect album start to finish.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Because it reminds me of my brother.

Either Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears or Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Because the 1980s call to me.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Angel Olsen; red wine, chips and salsa. Those are the first things that came to my head and I agree with myself.

Can we see you on tour soon? What dates are coming up?

I’m playing a few dates in the fall. Sept. 8th at SKOOKUM Festival in Vancouver; Sept. 14th at Rifflandia in Victoria and Oct. 26th at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver (opening for Peach Pit).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Practice, play show; practice, post dog pics on Instagram (lots of pics).

IN THIS PHOTO: Hatchie/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Wall

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

There’s a new artist, Hatchie, from Australia that I discovered at the beginning of this year and she’s fantastic. Cocteau Twin- meets-Sheryl Crow.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I work from home and most of my band is in other bands themselves so, right now, it’s definitely easy to have some time to chill. I’m very into cooking right now! Meals are usually my favourite part of the day, but lately even more so…and it’s very therapeutic. 

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Bad Guy - Hatchie!

____________

Follow Haley Blais

 Official:

https://www.haley-blais.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/hblaismusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/hblaisauce

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hblaisauce/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/torturedteenagestyle

INTERVIEW: MUFFIN

INTERVIEW:

MUFFIN

___________

THIS week kicks off…

with a chat with Matt of MUFFIN. He discusses their new song, swim.float.drown, and whether the song came together quite naturally. He reveals whether there might be more material coming later; what Leeds is like as a centre and source of inspiration; what advice he would give artists coming through – he selects some upcoming talent to look out for.

The boys each choose an album that means a lot to them; Matt talks about touring and future plans; what he does to unwind away from music – the band pick a track each to end the interview with.

____________

Hi, Matt. How are you? How has your week been?          

Matt: Pretty good thanks, Sam! We’ve just come off the back of playing Neverworld festival down in Kent with the likes of Tom Grennan, Yonaka; Bastille etc. and have announced another couple of shows in Bournemouth and Tunbridge Wells for the end of August.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Ok. So; we’re a hybrid of Alt-Rock, Grunge and Punk mixed with gin and ginger hair - ‘MUFFIN’ for short.

What can you reveal about the new single, swim.float.drown? How did that come together

Most of how we write is as a five-piece, all together in a practice room. Someone will come in with a riff or a pre-chorus, etc. - and swim.float.drown was no different in that aspect. We wanted to develop the sound from the direction we were heading in our debut E.P. and we think we’ve managed to capture that.

It sounds like you are in confident mood right now. Did swim.float.drown come together quite quickly and naturally?

Not really, no! We had the verse-chorus structure nailed down pretty quickly, but then we were stumped for a while about where we wanted it to lead. Then Jamie (guitar) came in with this monster riff and it just fit pretty perfectly.

Do you all share the same taste in music? Who were the artists you all grew up around?

We all have crossovers in our music tastes which was definitely a leading factor in what brought us together as a band. But, to say that we all had the same music taste would be far from that. Individually, our music tastes span from Electronic music, noughties Indie; '70s Punk, right the way through to Metal. For me, I was raised on a diet of Green Day, Oasis, Madness and a bit of Motörhead.

Leeds is your hometown. What is the music scene like there? Do you think the city gets the credit it deserves?

Leeds is busy. There are so many venues, so many bands and so many different things always going on. It can be your best friend or a problem child. In a place like Leeds, you have to stand out to stand a chance, so I guess that’s what we’re trying to achieve there.

Might we see more from the band later this year/next? What are you working on right now

Now, it’s all about getting as many gigs under our belt by the end of the year - and, hopefully, before 2019 we’ll have another release out. We’ve got four or five booked in the diary already and that number is looking like it’ll grow in the coming weeks.

Do you think there will be touring dates? Can we catch you play?

Bournemouth and Tunbridge Wells over the August Bank Holiday and then we’ve got plans for Leeds, Manchester; Hull, Glasgow and Newcastle and hopefully a few more in October/November time. There may be a short tour in the offing in December too but no promises!

If you each had to select an album that means the most to you; which would they be and why?

Matt: I’d have to go with A Black Mile to the Surface by Manchester Orchestra

Because I cannot think of another album that I’d prefer to just sit and listen to front-to-back. It’s cinematic.

Jamie: Queen’s Greatest Hits for me

Listening to those tracks made me want to be a performer.

Jacob: Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd

It’s the album that inspired me in guitar technique and the love of solos.

Sam: For me, it’s I Had the Blues by Bombay Bicycle Club.

Barry: The Strokes’ Is This It

The best Indie album out there for me.

What advice would you give to artists coming through?

Don’t be lazy. It sounds stupid, but genuinely, if you can be arsed to sit for a few hours compiling press releases, sending emails to promotors; to reviewers, to other bands; finding Spotify curators online, regularly interacting with people on and off social media; making time to play gigs all over the bloody country…that’s what makes the difference.

Obviously, you’ve gotta be good but it helps so much more if you’re good and right in someone’s face so they can find you. The more effort you put into the boring bits behind the scenes, especially when you’re like us and totally independent, the better the gigs will be and the better the opportunities you will get.

IN THIS PHOTO: OTHERKIN/PHOTO CREDIT: Jake Haseldine

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

The list would be endless and it’d end up in an argument if you forced us to give a list we all agreed on…but there’s a few that stick out. OTHERKIN, Avalanche Party; Fizzy Blood, Youth Killed It; Generation, LION and Yonaka (this list will go on and on as well…).

 IN THIS PHOTO: YONAKA/PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Saradjola

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

The pub.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Matt: Fairweather Friends - Queens of the Stone Age

Jacob: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-IX) - Pink Floyd

Sam: Raus! – NARCS

Barry: Mirror Kisses – The Cribs

Jamie: You Can Get It If You Really Want – Jimmy Cliff

____________

Follow MUFFIN

Official:

https://www.whatismuffin.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/whatismuffin

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/whatismuffin/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-_6KVfbe1ukf9a9cR13P4g

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/whatismuffin

FEATURE: When Hathor Sleeps: The Strong Female Idols Who Have Inspired Me

FEATURE:

 

 

When Hathor Sleeps

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Pillai for L'Officiel

The Strong Female Idols Who Have Inspired Me

__________

I am not exactly slack when it comes to…

IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent (one of many modern female artists who compel me)/PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

promoting new female artists and raising a clenched fist against the patriarchy. I find there is an imbalance across music that is not shifting as fast as it should. Radio stations are male-heavy whilst we hear tales of sexism and inequality from gig bookings, festivals through to record labels. I feel the crop of new female artists is incredibly strong and inspiring. I am drawn more to their sound: I find there is more innovation and depth in their sound; something different that digs further and elicits different emotions. From the primal and commanding Hip-Hop artists coming from the U.S.; the more mature and independent Pop artists pushing the genre and dominating; the great Punk and Alternative bands the beautiful Folk artists – there is a wealth of talent coming through that deserve a lot more than they get. Old-school mentalities and habits still rule music. There is that deficit when we see festival line-ups and so many broadcasters promote their men above women. Whilst there is a long way to go to see any real improvements in the industry; I have to look back and explain why classic and modern icons are showing why equality needs to arrive sooner rather than later. Most of my early musical experiences revolved around male bands or whatever was being broadcast on the radio.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images

Even back in the 1990s, there was a lot of men filling the airwaves and making their way up the charts. A lot of the hits were written by men and look at the so-called greatest albums of that decade – you will find a majority male share. Maybe things have always been bad and unbalanced but the music male and female artists produce differs. Their ambitions and dreams might be (roughly) the same but the tones, lyrical perspective and personalities are different. I know problems in today’s music scene are going to take some genuine attack and dedication but I feel looking back at the music from female artists of the past can inform what we do today. Look at those iconic and inspiring artists who either paved a course for change or released world-class albums. I have spent a lot of time this year looking at artists like Kate Bush and Madonna – they are both sixty this year and have influenced generations of songwriters. Whilst Kate Bush captivated my ears when I was a child and sort of formed my first musical crush; her unique sounds and incredible passion stood out from any other music I was listening to. One reason why Bush stands out to me is her independence and sense of ambition. I am a big fan of male artists/bands from the 1970s/1980s but none of them managed to win my heart as readily and easily as Kate Bush.

She remains a heroine of mine and a songwriter whose beguiling talent, physicality and personality have not been equalled. The industry was sexist when she was starting out – although she has said she never encountered it – but her defiance and belief in the music meant she set her own course and went on to create some of the finest work of her time. Whereas a lot of male artists at the time, and when I was growing up, relied on their masculinity or feudal rebellion; Bush’s instinct, artistic flair and incredible maturity stood aside. It was refreshing then and, forty years after her debut, it remains rare and personally inspiring. Madonna, who turns sixty next week, made an impact on me after Kate Bush. I experienced Bush around about 1988/1989 – when she was quite a few albums in – but Madonna arrived in the 1990s. Earlier albums like True Blue and Like a Prayer were being played in the schoolyard and I was finding her musical at a rather interesting time. Although Madonna is determined to make more music today and aghast at the lack of originality and true leaders; by the time I was becoming familiar with her work, she has transitioned from this normal Popstar who was making her way into the world: she was the Queen of Pop and a global superstar.

Maybe Michael Jackson had that same sort of rise, a lot earlier, but his situation and struggle were different. Whilst fellow icons such as Jackson and Prince conquered the world and established themselves as legends of the time; Madonna was fighting against record labels, judgement and a scene that was not ready for her. She battles and speaks out against sexism now but there was a feeling, back then, she was being controlled by record labels. The more she felt belittled and isolated, the more she pushed to become this world-straddling star that stunned the world with her incredible fashion, music and defiance. She remains a global superstar but it is her work during the 1980s and 1990s that hooked me. Going through school, I was constantly being exposed to chart hits, Britpop and whatever band was trending at the time. Musicians, in a way, teach us about ourselves and present a view of the modern world. During a time of change and discovery in my life, I was blown away by a figure who seemed to defy convention and rebelled against those who felt she was inferior and incapable of success. Later albums such as Ray of Light would elevate and renew my interest in her but the sort of songs that came during that earlier period – from Express Yourself, Papa Don’t Preach and Like a Virgin – changed music and spoke to those looking for something different and bold.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna/ALL OTHER PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

I was growing up around a lot of good music but there were few artists that really spoke to me and made a lasting impression. Around the same sort of time I was discovering Madonna and Kate Bush; another side of music was presenting itself. Through childhood discovery and flicking through old vinyl, I was becoming acclimatised to incredible singer-songwriters like Carole King and Joni Mitchell. Both have their own sensation and sound but they each take me somewhere special with their voices. Mitchell is a more ‘acquired’ taste to many: a rougher voice that, whilst capable of beauty and desire, is not as instant. The way she wove pictures and presenting such vivid and incredible songs, again, did something to me and opened my eyes to art and literature. I leapt into albums like Blue and Ladies of the Canyon and was presented with these wonderful stories, sensational poetic verses and a spirit that brought so much character to what she sung. A Joni Mitchell song is an experience and linguistic awakening. Maybe my love of poetry and desire to explore the English language is because of Joni Mitchell and the way her music got into my head. I am a big fan of male songwriters like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen but I got a new perspective and quality with Mitchell.

She was/is a more emotive performer and someone writing from a very real and honest place. She has said that, at a point, she was exposed and could hide nothing from the public. Her music, especially on Blue, bled with emotion and seemed to strike harder and more durably than anything I had ever heard. Carole King’s Tapestry is one of those albums that, again, taught me a lot about myself and what I could become. I found her whilst I was in middle school and was instantly seduced by her fantastic voice and incredible grace. It seems like the voice and the different tones are the difference between interest and fascination. I love male artists like Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley; bands such as Radiohead, Blur and Led Zeppelin – most of my favourite music is made by men and that will not change anytime soon. Although the majority of my favourite albums and songs are created by men; the deepest, most memorable and transformative musical memories are from female artists. ABBA, a band who can divide opinion, played a big part when I was growing up. I recall being hooked on their hooky and catchy Pop. Although the hits were penned by Benny and Björn; Anni-Frid and Agnetha were at the front and bringing those songs to life.

IN THIS PHOTO: Joni Mitchell/PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Robinson

Maybe it was their contrasting voices and the way they could harmonise; perhaps it was their affinity for the music or something intuitive…it introduced me to Europe Pop and, against the radio hits of the day, was another breath of fresh ear and sensational vocal realisation. Most of my ABBA upbringing was after their split up. I was getting into them in the 1990s – their final studio album was 1981’s The Visitors - but those incredible vocals and performances still get into my head and bring me happiness. The 1990s was the decade I was discovering existing stars and finding new ones to love. Whereas we do not really have girl bands anymore; I was drawn to the unity, spirit and sassiness that one could find in the music of En Vogue and TLC. I am also a fan of Destiny’s Child but it is Beyoncé’s leadership and talents that seemed to shine. The reason I liked these female groups was their confidence and the incredible connection between the singers. The fact that they are black seemed to be a part of their music. By that, I mean they were not only fighting against no-good men and cheaters but a society that overlooked women and minorities. I often feel the hardest task for an artist is being a black female solo artist or group.

The fact the greatest girl groups of the 1980s and 1990s managed to create sensational music and break down barriers was a huge thing. There were sexism and limitations placed upon them but these groups managed to carve out their own territory and influence legions of artists coming through. I feel the likes of En Vogue and TLC have done so much to bring women’s music to the forefront and create a sense of identity and place for black artists today. Again, male artists have managed this but I look back at those great girl groups and what they managed to achieve. The songs they created not only became anthems for women everywhere but they spoke to everyone and have remained staples. Think about TLC’s Waterfalls and No Scrubs; En Vogue’s Free Your Mind and Don’t Let Go (Love) and you have classics that people still go nuts over today – I cannot think of any male group of that type who managed to make such an impact. I will end with Beyoncé but a few other female artists that compelled me when I was growing up were Björk, Lauryn Hill and Stevie Nicks. Nicks’ involvement with Fleetwood Mac won my young heart.

IN THIS PHOTO: Stevie Nicks

Albums like Rumours and Tusk are among my favourites are part of my regular rotation and a big reason for that is Stevie Nicks. Rumours is a record where she struggled to get attention and fairness – given the tensions in the band and the fact Lindsey Buckingham was calling a lot of the shots. Her contributions, like Dreams and Gold Dust Woman are among my highlights. The fact each song has its own skin and seems completely different is a testament to her endless talent and ability. I Don’t Wanna Know is another great Nicks song - and look at Rhiannon and Landslide (from 1975’s Fleetwood Mac). She is one of the best female songwriters of all-time and her voice is an instrument that brings such strength and cinema to the music. She can be flighty and ethereal but incredibly earthy and revealing. There are contrast and balances that made her a favourite of mine when growing up. I have been a fan of Björk since her debut album (Debut) and feel she, like Kate Bush, is unique and impossible to follow. Each of her albums explores new ground and seems to defy logic. Whether exploring nature or womanhood; inventing her own technology or wrestling with personal demons; you always get something electric and scintillating. I have followed Björk since the start and am always stunned by the way she can project and mutate her voice.

You only need listen to a few of her songs and you realise we have someone very special in music. I cannot imagine any other artist, male or female, matching what she does and having such an amazing impact. It is hard to put into words just what Björk does and how her music makes me feel but I adore the way she bends language and can go from ecstatic and rapturous highs to cooing lows and something more unsettled. As a young man/boy looking for music to guide me and show me new sides of the world, again, it was a female artist that did that. Lauryn Hill’s sole solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was among my first tastes of Hip-Hop. I was familiar with her Fugees work and what she was capable of but was stunned by her command and songwriting talent on the solo album. Gusty songs like Lost Ones were revelations to me. I had not really heard anything as punchy and tough from a female artist. I was listening to this great girl bands but Hill’s spirit and toughness seemed to top them. Doo Wop (That Thing) and Ex-Factor are among my favourite songs of the 1990s and a window into a very inspiration and influential artist.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Bangles

Certain words keep coming up in this piece but it is hard to say how important these artists were. Hill’s brilliant directions and confessions led me back to equally strong and impassioned female artists like Neneh Cherry and Nina Simone. A little earlier still (in the 1980s) I heard The Bangles and their earliest work played a big role in my school life. Maybe it is the beauty in their voices and the emotional effects it uncovers but their music is indelible and transformative. Eternal Flame might not be a critical favourite but it is a song I carried with me and one of my first memories from all of music. A lot of the male bands of that time were coming in rather aggressively or hardly pushing boundaries with their songs. That impatience and desire to uncover something soul-speaking and touching led me to them. If some people feel female bands/girl groups are weaker than male equivalents and produce inferior music; you only need to listen to groups like The Bangles to realise how strong and decades-lasting they are. I will complete with a conclusion and look at the modern artists who are in my thoughts and responsible for my continued interest in female-made music and striking against sexism but, for now, a figure I said I’d mention.

IN THIS PHOTO: Nina Simone

I love the work Beyoncé created when she was a member of Destiny’s Child and the anthems she was a part of. I have mentioned TLC and En Vogue and, alongside them, Destiny’s Child helped push female music (from black artists) into the mainstream. They addressed sexism and defiance; the losers that played them around and promoted a sense of strength and ability that has sparked a fuse for modern female-made music. Whether you feel Survivor or Say My Name is their best song; you cannot deny the impact they made. I was hearing a lot of crappy boybands in the 1990s and was shocked by the basicness of their material and how hollow it all sounded. Destiny’s Child provided access into Pop and R&B; a shot of spirit and independence that seemed so much more vital and impressive than anything that was being represented in music at the time. Beyoncé was the member of the band I followed and continue to watch with great interest. I love albums like Lemonade (2016) and 4 (2011) but it is her self-titled record (2013) and B’Day (2006) that show her at her peak. Although other people help her write her material; it is the way she puts herself into the music and delivers her messages that have moved me. Beyoncé is alive with sexuality and confidence (like Partition and Blow) whilst B’Day has bangers and bellicose anthems like Ring the Alarm and Green Light.

Both albums are supreme works and the fact they are seven years apart should signal a dip in quality or a changed sound. Every album she puts out seems to unite emotional candour with spirited, gutsy works. Destiny’s Child delivered big and hungry numbers like Lose My Breath but Beyoncé, stepping away from her band, gained new impetus and inspiration. She remains one of those female artists that, like Madonna, has spoken up and affected change. Her live performances are sensational and a transcendent experience. The reason she is important to me is due to her addressment of race and gender rights; equality and female strength. She never preaches and shoves things down our throat but there is never any sense of shyness and hesitation. Her complete authority and personal strength have not only influenced many female artists but a lot of current male musicians. In an R&B/Rap scene where the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z (her husband) hold immense sway; she can hold her own and is inferior in no way! This might be a bit of a whistle-stop tour of female artists through my life but they (the ones I have mentioned) have contributed a great deal and changed me as a person. Opening up my mind to new areas and sides of life; giving me instruction and teaching me more about music than I could ever know. I have a lot of affection for male artists but there is something special, different and more compelling about those strong female artists.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey/PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Kru

That interest and captivation continue to this very day. Whilst a lot of the artists I have mentioned have been and gone; modern artists such as Solange, Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine); Laura Marling and Lana Del Rey are among my favourites. Solange, like Beyoncé, is talking about big issues and striking a note for female artists; Lana Del Rey marries cinematic soundscapes and gorgeous strings with some of the dreamiest and most striking vocals around. Florence Welch is that enigma and powerhouse whose career keeps getting stronger and she is one of those artists that provoke such fascination and interest. Laura Marling is one of the most consistent songwriters of this age and, still under thirty, she has produced more starling albums that most have in their entire careers. The twenty-eight-year-old has already released six solo albums and not put a foot wrong yet! The great new breed of Pop artists – like Lorde – are inspiring me; the great Hip-Hop coming from the U.S. is alluring; the great female bands like Goat Girl are doing amazing work. I have not even mentioned Amy Winehouse when speaking of those idols and great artists that changed music and brought something new into my life. I did not want to raise this feature and explore the greatest female artists just to fill some time…

I have spoken about the female artists who inspired and affected me growing up – when writing pieces about International Women’s Day and Memory Tapes – but it seems few other male journalists are. I am always keen to promote female artists but I wonder why male journalists and artists are not writing about the female musicians that mean a lot to them. In my case, I have discovered more about music, life and myself through their music than anything male-made. From the natural world and beauty of the human voice (Kate Bush) to independence, sexism and women’s rights (Madonna); racism, sisterhood and female rights (TLC, Beyoncé and En Vogue) to the power of poetry, words and acoustic music (Joni Mitchell and Carole King). I have not been able to name all of the female artists that have compelled and moved but the fact they have opened my eyes and mind, personally and musically, matters a great deal to me. I know I write a lot about female artist and sexism but this is not a rally against inequalities and what more can be done. My current piece is a nod of the head to those, past and present, that have taught me so much and made me a stronger human being. The legends and incredible artists I grew up with have led to contemporary curiosity and a much broader and exciting musical palette. I will, in the coming weeks, highlight the modern female artists that are turning my head but I thought I would discuss and commemorate those incredible female artists whose impact on me…

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Pillai for L'Officiel

CANNOT be easily measured.