INTERVIEW: Rhys Lewis

INTERVIEW:

Rhys Lewis

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I think I have spoken with Rhys Lewis in the past...

but this is the first time for a little while. He tells me about his latest single, Hold on to Happiness, and what its story is; whether we might see more material from him soon and what sort of music he grew up around – he highlights some great new talent to look out for.

I ask Lewis whether he gets time to unwind and if we can catch him on the road; if there is a standout memory from his career so far; which artist he would support on the road if he could choose anyone – he selects a cool song to wrap thing up with.

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

Hello! I’m good, thanks. My week has been great; I’ve been hiding in the studio recording some songs for my album. 

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

I’m a singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, currently living in London. And I would say if you’re a fan of Paolo Nutini and Hozier then you might find my music bearable and, dare I say, enjoyable. Haha. 

Hold on to Happiness is your latest single. What is its background?

That song came to my mind after the breakdown of my last relationship (don’t they all?!). But, it’s more of a song about life than love. I realised how much of my life I’d been ignoring. It’s easy to have tunnel-vision sometimes and only have eyes for the big dreams and grand plans; but I felt like focusing too much on all of that meant I was missing out on all the small things that, when embraced, make big things feel insignificant or less important. 

How do you think it differs to your previous songs?

I suppose it’s slightly more reflective and philosophical in a sense. I felt like I’d written all the love songs I could write honestly about from experience. And I suppose what makes songwriting interesting and exciting for me is having an outlet for my emotions and thoughts, so it’s much more rewarding to write about things you’re feeling and trying to figure out in your own head.

This song feels a little deeper as, in my mind, it’s slightly more dimensional. It’s also the first time I’ve taken on the role of producer fully - so great to say I made the recording too. 

Do you foresee 2019 being busy in terms of plans and material?

Some more recording. I’ve just started working from a studio. I share it with my piano player and we’ve been recording some things for my E.P. and album. So, more of that and hopefully lots of touring! You can go a bit crazy in the studio so it’s nice to have the balance of playing and recording. Keeps you slightly saner. 

Which artists were important to you growing up? Who do you rank as idols?

Led Zeppelin were the band for me - and still are. I got obsessed with them when I started playing guitar. And, as I started to get more into songwriting, Alex Turner became a bit of a hero as a teenager - and the classic songwriting of the likes of Carole King and Bill Withers have continued to inspire me. 

Do you have a standout memory from your time in music so far?

Probably playing my first-ever sold-out show abroad, in Amsterdam. It felt very strange but affirming to know I’d filled a room of five-hundred people with my music. It made it feel like my music was a real thing, not just a hobby I’ve had since I was thirteen. It made me stand a little taller and have more confidence in what I was doing because it wasn’t just a dream I was chasing: it was there and in front of me for a moment.

So, that was a special and lasting memory, for sure. 

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

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

It’s the album that made me want to write music. 

Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

I was mesmerised by the art of writing lyrics and Alex Turner was this teenager weaving his experiences into poetry over this no-f*cks-given music. So it made a huge impact on me as a young bedroom guitarist.

Aaaaaand a third...Graceland oooor Rumours...

Don’t make me choose cos both of them made me want to make a great record... 

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

Bill Withers. No rider necessary. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Don’t be distracted by social media or views; numbers or anything like that. Make great music and spend all the time you can writing and writing...and rewriting and practicing. If you’re excited by what you’re making then people will be excited to follow what you’re doing. 

You have a headline show coming up. What can you reveal about it?

Lots of new songs...and a laser show! I lied about the lasers but there will be new songs. I promise. 

Do you think there are going to be any other tour dates coming up?

Yes! More dates announced soon.

How important is performing? Do you prefer it to life in the studio?

They are equally important and, the more I perform and record, the more I realise how much they help each other. 

I improve so much in the studio as it’s a more accurate and considered kind of discipline. So, my singing gets better and my guitar playing more nuanced, I suppose. But live is all about the energy of the song and the feeling in the room which is important to remember and capture some of that in a recording. I love trying out new songs on stage in front of a crowd before recording them. It always changes the way you think about the song. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sam Fender

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Sam Fender, Palace; XamVolo, Swan Levitt and Iris. 

 IN THIS PHOTO: XamVolo/PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Clewley

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

I like a good walk, cycle out of London; read lots, play online chess and tennis when it’s warm enough. 

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).

Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes

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Follow Rhys Lewis

FEATURE: King of the Crate Diggers: Twelve Awesome, Sample-Rich Records

FEATURE:

 

King of the Crate Diggers

PHOTO CREDIT: @lensinkmitchel  

Twelve Awesome, Sample-Rich Records

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ANYONE who knows my work will realise...

IN THIS PHOTO: Beastie Boys/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am a bit obsessed when it comes to sampling in music. I will not go into this now because there is a lot to unpick regarding sampling and how it has changed through the years. I think there is a problem regarding permissions and how hard it is for artists to get clearance. Can we see a sample-packed classic in this decade? I think there is potential to have a few samples in a record but, compare them to the greats, and there is a definite division. I do think that, by restricting access and making it harder to use samples, we are depriving future generations of discovering music that they might not otherwise hear. I think there is a lot of potential to take music to new horizons and rival the best sample-heavy albums ever. Maybe we do need to address samples and whether publishers/labels are too strict giving permission to ambitious artists. This year has already seen one sample-rich album turn thirty: the majestic and epic 3 Feet High and Rising. That is De La Soul’s debut and, later this year, we mark thirty years of the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique. To mark the brilliance of sample-based records, here are a dozen brilliant albums that every curious mind...

IN THIS PHOTO: Public Enemy/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

NEEDS to own.

ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images/Spotify

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Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock: The Album

Release Date: 1st December, 1986

Labels: Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records 01007

Producers: Various

Key Cuts: Looking for the Perfect Beat/Renegades of Funk/Who You Funkin’ With?

Standout Track: Planet Rock

Review:

“Planet Rock: The Album, a collection of singles that came out four years later, captures Bambaataa's energy and innovation. This is his work with Soulsonic Force, which means his collaborations with James Brown ("Unity") and John Lydon ("World Destruction") are missing, but it's a good collection, the equally interesting "Renegades of Funk" (in remix form) and "Searching for the Perfect Beat" also present. There are also three previously unreleased tracks, which although not quite having the impact of the first half of the record, are much more than filler, and include guest appearances from famed Furious Five rapper Melle Mel on "Who You Funkin' With?" and D.C.'s Trouble Funk, appropriately, on "Go Go Pop." The original 12" version of the title track is enough to make Planet Rock: The Album a worthwhile purchase, but the inclusion of the other material pushes that to necessary” – AllMusic

J Dilla - Donuts

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Release Date: 7th February, 2006

Label: Stones Throw

Producer: J Dilla

Key Cuts: People/Artworks/Don’t Cry

Standout Track: Gobstopper

Review:

“‘Donuts’ is a joy, from start to finish – amazing given the circumstances of its creation, with the vast majority of tracks laid down from Dilla’s hospital bed. It’s entirely instrumental, sampled snatches of vocals aside, and yet feels like a really personal statement, a beyond-satisfying epilogue of sorts coming after the great production work Dilla had put into tracks by The Roots, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo and so many more. Those relationships, between producer and vocalists, helped to shape Dilla’s career – but it’s ‘Donuts’ that caps it, and exploring every one of its details is as magnificent as scaling the tallest peak.

Its legacy is undeniable, too. Listen to a host of producers today and you can hear elements informed by the work of Dilla, from Clams Casino through to Hudson Mohawke. And beats from ‘Donuts’ continue to be sampled for fresh use amongst contemporary rappers: members of Wu-Tang Clan, Drake and Big Pooh have turned to these 31 cuts for still-fresh sounds to contextualise anew. Pitchfork deemed ‘Donuts’ worthy of a 10/10 on its 2013 reissue, while Clash has previously celebrated its brilliance in our Essential 50 of 2009 (here). And we see no reason to not continue our love affair with such a remarkable record” – CLASH

Beck - Odelay

Release Date: 18th June, 1996

Label: DGC

Producers: Beck Hansen/The Dust Brothers/Mario Caldato Jr./Brian Paulson/Tom Rothcock/Rob Schnapf

Key Cuts: Devil’s Haircut/The New Pollution/Sissyneck

Standout Track: Where It’s At

Review:

“”I got a stolen wife and a rhinestone life, and some good old boys/I’m writing my will on a three-dollar bill,” he sings in ”Sissyneck,” the finest of his many country-funk inventions. Ultimately, what holds all Beck’s work together is his arch, whacked-out street poetry. Whether reminiscing about a rough-hewn club (”A place we saw, the lights turned low/With the jigsaw jazz and the get-fresh flow”) or philosophizing about settling down (”I dropped my anchor in the dead of night/Unpacked my suitcase and threw it away”), Beck maintains a perfect balance of hip disaffectedness and depth of feeling. And that’s why he’s no loser, baby” – Entertainment Weekly

Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique

Release Date: 25th July, 1989

Label: Capitol

Producers: Beastie Boys/Dust Brothers/Mario Caltado Jr.

Key Cuts: Hey Ladies/Looking Down the Barrel of the Gun/Shadrach

Standout Track: Shake Your Rump

Review:

“It’s impossible to hear the vast majority of this album as anything other than a locked-tight group effort, with its overlapping lyrics and shouted three-man one-liners, and it’s maybe best displayed in the classic single “Shadrach.” After years of post-Def Jam limbo and attempts to escape out from under the weight of a fratboy parody that got out of hand, they put together a defiant, iconographic statement of purpose that combined giddy braggadocio with weeded-out soul-searching. It’s the tightest highlight on an album full of them, a quick-volleying, line-swapping 100-yard dash capped off with the most confident possible delivery of the line “They tell us what to do? Hell no!” – Pitchfork

N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton

Release Date: 8th August, 1988

Labels: Ruthless/Priority

Producers: Dr. Dre/DJ Yella/Eazy E

Key Cuts: Fuck the Police/Express Yourself/Quiet on the Set

Standout Track: Straight Outta Compton

Review:

“Although they were as much a reaction against pop-friendly rap, Straight Outta Compton's insistent claims of reality ring a little hollow today, since it hardly ever depicts consequences. But despite all the romanticized invincibility, the force and detail of Ice Cube's writing makes the exaggerations resonate. Although Cube wrote some of his bandmates' raps, including nearly all of Eazy-E's, each member has a distinct delivery and character, and the energy of their individual personalities puts their generic imitators to shame. But although Straight Outta Compton has its own share of posturing, it still sounds refreshingly uncalculated because of its irreverent, gonzo sense of humor, still unfortunately rare in hardcore rap. There are several undistinguished misfires during the second half, but they aren't nearly enough to detract from the overall magnitude. It's impossible to overstate the enduring impact of Straight Outta Compton; as polarizing as its outlook may be, it remains an essential landmark, one of hip-hop's all-time greatest” – AllMusic

Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Release Date: 28th June, 1988

Labels: Def Jam/Columbia

Producers: Chuck D/Rick Rubin/Hank Shocklee

Key Cuts: Bring the Noise/She Watch Channel Zero?!/Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Standout Track: Don’t Believe the Hype

Review:

“The strife that birthed Nation of Millions and Black Planet is mirrored in some of the upheaval of 2014. The business of hip-hop has changed, as free mixtapes have supplanted retail albums as the chief method of kicking off a rap career. Artistic freedom can evaporate at the drop of a gavel. (see: Lord Finesse’s pursuit of Mac Miller for borrowing a beat on a free release.) Hip-hop has again had its political mettle tested by social injustices too systemic to deny. Returning to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet for these just-released reissues is an encouraging reminder of what a hip-hop album can be to the world, a peek back at that one time a rap act pissed square into the mouth of adversity and came away unscathed. Hear the drummer get wicked” – Pitchfork

De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising

Release Date: 3rd March, 1989

Labels: Tommy Boy/Warner Bros.

Producers: Prince Paul/De La Soul

Key Cuts: The Magic Number/Say No Go/Me Myself and I

Standout Track: Buddy

Review:

“Together, the sampled sounds of the Jarmels, the Blackbyrds, the New Birth, and even white artists like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dorough, and Billy Joel, make a strong case that all of American pop is African-American pop, from which everyone has been borrowing. Sampling—De La Soul sampling Parliament, Obama sampling Lincoln, Melania sampling Michelle—is nothing less than the American pastime, the creative reuse of history amid the tension between erasure and emergence that is central to the struggle for the republic. No one can ever do it as big as De La Soul did” – Pitchfork

The Avalanches – Since I Left You

Release Date: 27th November, 2000

Label: Modular

Producers: Robbie Charter/Darren Seltmann

Key Cuts: Flight Tonight/Electricity/Frontier Psychiatrist

Standout Track: Since I Left You

Review:

“Now it's Australia's turn: the debut of Melbourne sextet the Avalanches is the freshest dance album in years. Despite a painstaking construction process - it's essentially hundreds of samples stitched together, the crackle of ancient records audible throughout - Since I Left You's breakbeat funk sounds deliciously breezy and sunkissed. Tracks come laden with pop hooks, dancefloor nous and a cheery disinterest in borrowing from fashionable sources. Stay Another Season pinches its bassline from Madonna's Holiday, but Close to You is powered by steals from 1980s monstrosities Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Both work perfectly, as does the rest of this glorious, varied album. British producers should take notes” – The Guardian

DJ Shadow – Entroducing.....

Release Date: 16th September, 1996

Label: Mo’ Wax

Producer: DJ Shadow

Key Cuts: The Number Song/Mutual Slump/Midnight in a Perfect World

Standout Track: Building Steam with a Grain of Salt

Review:

“Using hip-hop, not only its rhythms but its cut-and-paste techniques, as a foundation, Shadow created a deep, endlessly intriguing world on Endtroducing....., one where there are no musical genres, only shifting sonic textures and styles. Shadow created the entire album from samples, almost all pulled from obscure, forgotten vinyl, and the effect is that of a hazy, half-familiar dream -- parts of the record sound familiar, yet it's clear that it only suggests music you've heard before, and that the multi-layered samples and genres create something new. And that's one of the keys to the success of Endtroducing.....: it's innovative, but it builds on a solid historical foundation, giving it a rich, multifaceted sound. It's not only a major breakthrough for hip-hop and electronica, but for pop music” – AllMusic

Tricky – Maxinquaye

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Release Date: 20th February, 1995

Label: 4th & B’way

Producers: Howie B/Kevin Petrie/mark Saunders/Tricky

Key Cuts: Overcome/Ponderosa/Brand New You’re Retro

Standout Track: Black Steel

Review:

“Other references and samples register subconsciously -- while Isaac Hayes' "Ike's Rap II" flows through "Hell Is Around the Corner" and the Smashing Pumpkins are even referenced in the title of "Pumpkin," Shakespear's Sister and the Chantels slip by, while Michael Jackson's "Bad" thrillingly bleeds into "Expressway to Your Heart" on "Brand New You're Retro." Lyrics flow in and out of consciousness, with lingering, whispered promises suddenly undercut by veiled threats and bursts of violence. Then, there's how music that initially may seem like mood pieces slowly reveal their ingenious structure and arrangement and register as full-blown songs, or how the alternately languid and chaotic rhythms finally compliment each other, turning this into a bracing sonic adventure that gains richness and resonance with each listen. After all, there's so much going on here -- within the production, the songs, the words -- it remains fascinating even after all of its many paths have been explored (which certainly can't be said of the trip-hop that followed, including records by Tricky). And that air of mystery that can be impenetrable upon the first listen certainly is something that keeps Maxinquaye tantalizing after it's become familiar, particularly because, like all good mysteries, there's no getting to the bottom of it, no matter how hard you try” – AllMusic

Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full

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Release Date: 7th July, 1987

Labels: 4th & B’way/Island

Producers: Eric B. & Rakim

Key Cuts: I Ain’t No Joke/I Know You Got Soul/Eric B. Is President

Standout Track: Paid in Full

Review:

“In one swoop, the 1987 LP Paid in Full ended rap’s status as novelty music, announced hip-hop’s new school and set the stage for its eventual chart dominance. DJ Eric B.’s taste in samples was impeccable — yep, he introduced James Brown loops to hip-hop — and the lithe interplay of beat and bass line on “Eric B. Is President” flaunts his virtuosic gifts for crafting minimal funk. Rapper Rakim’s stern tone and jazzy flow were revolutionary: One of hip-hop’s first Muslim converts, he rhymes with the authority of Malcolm X and an attention to rhythmic complexity that turned MC’ing on its head. Foreshadowing contemporary hip-hop’s money fetish, the title track boasts not only one of pop’s most sampled beats, but this bit of personal-empowerment-via-bling-bling: “Now I learned to earn ’cause I’m righteous/I feel great!” – Blender

A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory

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Release Date: 24th September, 1991

Label: Jive

Producers: A Tribe Called Quest/Skeff Anselm

Key Cuts: Excursions/Show Business/Jazz (We’ve Got)

Standout Track: Buggin’ Out

Review:

“The trio also takes on the rap game with a pair of hard-hitting tracks: "Rap Promoter" and "Show Business," the latter a lyrical soundclash with Q-Tip and Phife plus Brand Nubian's Diamond D, Lord Jamar, and Sadat X. The woman problem gets investigated as well, on two realistic yet sensitive tracks, "Butter" and "The Infamous Date Rape." The productions behind these tracks aren't quite skeletal, but they're certainly not complex. Instead, Tribe weaves little more than a stand-up bass (sampled or, on one track, jazz luminary Ron Carter) and crisp, live-sounding drum programs with a few deftly placed samples or electric keyboards. It's a tribute to their unerring production sense that, with just those few tools, Tribe produced one of the best hip-hop albums in history, a record that sounds better with each listen. The Low End Theory is an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions” – AllMusic

FEATURE: Playing It Safe: Are Musicians Too Cautious When It Comes to Sex?

FEATURE:

 

Playing It Safe

PHOTO CREDIT: @emilianovittoriosi/Unsplash 

Are Musicians Too Cautious When It Comes to Sex?

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THESE are tough times in many ways...

and one cannot talk about sex in music without addressing something dark and unsettling. I will put aside Michael Jackson – as nothing has been proved and I am not comfortable mentioning him in this context – but there have been high-profile musicians, including Ryan Adams, who have been accused of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour. One cannot talk about sexual content in music and ignore the fact that, in the case of a couple of artists, it is rather unnerving listening to their music now and realising what a lot of their content was about – the women they are accused of abusing. That is fine and I accept that but I do wonder, in many ways, the industry has become too soft. I am definitely a supporter of the #MeToo movement and do not feel like we should ignore the drive for equality. One does need to be cautious of the current climate and how sex is portrayed in music. I look back at heroines I often mention on these pages. From Kate Bush’s provocative descriptions of sex right from her debut album, The Kick Inside, to Madonna’s Erotica (or her entire career); Prince leaving little to the imagination, and moving into modern times everyone from Destiny’s Child and Britney Spears pushing boundaries and creating these very sweaty and physical songs. Part of the reason why these songs resonated was not for salacious reasons: the women were expressing themselves and showing that confidence.

Men have never shied away from sex in music and, from the Rock bands of the 1970s through to 1990s Popstars, they have had their say. In many ways, women have been judged when they show that confidence, reveal some flesh or talk about sex in the same way. I look at music now and there is that lack of spark; very few artists are actually talking about sex: instead, love and broken hearts are replacing that. I am not suggesting talking about relationships and passion – in a very safe way – is wrong but I do worry, in order to be seen as respectful or not cause controversy in bleak times, many artists are ignoring primal urges and taking the torch from their predecessors and discussing sex. I think music has the power and influence to talk about sex in a very positive way. Salt-N-Peppa wanted us to talk about sex in 1990 (Let’s Talk About Sex was released on Blacks’ Magic). It was rare for a group to talk about safe sex and put that message out there. Look back from the 1980s and 1990s and it seems like there was much more bravery and liberation happening. Maybe it is the shadow and smell of disrepute and controversy that means, at this moment in time, we are ignoring sex altogether. I know there are artists still talking about it but look at the mainstream and some of the big artists – when was the last time there was a real moment of release?!

Sexuality is a topic, too, that can be discussed and the sexual spectrum itself is broader than ever. L.G.B.T.Q.+ artists are a powerful force but, again, maybe their voice is not being encouraged at the top of music. I realise talking about sex in a very bold way can be quite unwise when you consider young listeners could be impressionable but using music to promote safe sex and, in fact, discuss the rainbow of sex itself is vital – and reaching further and stretching the conversation to include every aspect of sex and relationships. As I said, we had Pop artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who would create these eye-opening and honest songs in the 1990s and 2000s but there are fewer cases of this happening today.

PHOTO CREDIT: @joshrobbie/Unsplash

I know Hip-Hop and Rap is still producing plenty of salaciousness and steam but, even so, there has been a decline there. I think about those genres and feel the men still portray women in a very diminished and disrespectful manner; talking about sex in a very casual way. Maybe that is a stereotype but I do wonder where the flame has gone. You can live in a time where we are fighting against tarnished artists and promoting gender equality and still talk about sex in a very human and, yes, extreme way. It is funny to think that the industry has become stricter and more nervy since the 1990s.

I remember growing up and watching these very alluring and envelope-pushing videos where male and female artists were frankly discussing sex and desire. As a teenager, that sort of thing was quite powerful and it did not send the wrong message to me at all. Even if you are a youngster, I do not feel music is going to lead you astray and be any worse an influence than T.V. and film. An artist, if they are bold about sex, is not causing issues and controversy when it comes to the allegations against artists like R. Kelly. I am not sure that is what is holding people back. I feel, in many ways, with fun and energy (in music) disappearing more and more that is taking away some of the braver and more engaging artists. I feel it is important to discuss relations and relatable topics in your songs but why should that come at the expense of the other side of things? I mentioned how artists can use their voice to talk about the sexual spectrum and, in a heteronormative scene, that would be vital. You can have songs about motherhood and family and, the more I think about, the more I realise how narrow the lyrical spectrum is – if one can call it that! Aside from a few mainstream artists producing these exciting moments where they are revealing and to-the-point, I am seeing more who are showing confidence in other ways. Maybe that is an aggression against bad lovers or a declaration of independence and strength. The conversation has switched slightly so that we still have strong artists who are unafraid to be open but I feel it is more to do with the before and after, rather than sex itself.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Led Zeppelin (like many of their peers, the band were not afraid to bring sex into their music)/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

This feature is not based on me desperately needing to hear about it in music and needing that outlet for myself. I have been studying different artists for articles I am writing and, in a lot of cases, they have mixed conventional subjects but never been afraid to talk about their physical side. One must tread carefully in these times but I do not feel artists being expressive about sex is muddying the waters or steering the discussion in the wrong direction. There is no huge evidence to say music has become more complex regarding sex and, in terms of talking about love in general, I am finding more artists talking about it in a very passive, resigned and defeated manner. Many say that sex is still alive in music but I think it is still very genre-specific. One might not expect to hear anything too explicit in Folk or Jazz but, with the mainstream changing, so too has the nature of sex. There are far fewer Rock bands at the forefront than once was and, unlike 1960s and 1970s pioneers, sex is not necessarily as big a part of the agenda. The fact that a lot of the Pop icons of the 1980s and 1990s have either stopped recording or matured means that it should fall to the new breed to take their place – they do not need to be too overt when it comes to sex but I have seen a definite dip.

One of the reasons why I am so cold when it comes to a lot of the mainstream is because the colour has drained and there is so much sameness. I am not judging everyone at the top but Pop and bigger genres have become more introverted in a way and we hear a lot of heartache and regret – where is the more pleasurable side? Maybe Hip-Hop and Rap is still in rude health but, listening to a lot of music from the past year or so, and there is a change there. Perhaps there has been a change in dialogue and a fear that, if artists are quite unflinching regarding sex, they are stepping into dangerous territory. Love, as always, is still more powerful and influential than sex when it comes to subject matter but I think music is too straight-laced and sanitised. I do not feel artists talking about sex is vulgar and, so long as you are sensible and responsible, then what is the harm?! Perhaps music has lost an edge in general. I am hearing very few artists that catch my off-guard with their lyrics or are showing swagger; very few who have that really potent image and can stand in the mind. Perhaps the industry is too crowded and, in order to succeed, artists need to be wary about what they are talking about. What happened to the legends like Elvis Presley and Madonna; the girl groups who were able to show strength in the bedroom and on the streets and the last thrilling throes of Pop?!

 

Whatever genre one looks at – whether it is Rap, Rock or Pop – I think there was a definite period (maybe it ended about five years ago) when there was a lot more sex in music. The concern regarding music losing an edge extends to more than sex. Look at the rush one gets when listen to Punk or someone like Jimi Hendrix shredding it. We have some bold artists now but things have become a lot safer and less explosive. One can tread carefully and be decent but still open their top shirt button once in a while! There is still too much misery in music and songs have become slower and more repetitive. Pop in general has really lost so much spark and I do feel like we need to put some passion and punch back into the mix! People will always accuse artists of being too lewd or reckless if they dare bring sex into the fold but, so long as you are not sexist or irresponsible, then I do not see a problem. I do appreciate that sex has not disappeared from music but you can definitely see a change; it being confined more to specific genres and not being as common. One can talk about sex responsibility and broadly and actually help to educate and instruct. What we have now is a mix of the odd moment of fire but, largely, things are very safe and downbeat. There is nothing wrong with being compassionate and talking about love but, against this rather gentle and moody wave, you do wonder where...

PHOTO CREDIT: @mrwong/Unsplash

THE fire has gone.

INTERVIEW: Velvet & Stone

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin 

Velvet & Stone

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IT has been great speaking with Velvet & Stone...

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin 

about the latest track, Oh Boy. Lara Snowdon takes on the questions and tells me about the band’s start and what is coming up; which album means the most to her and whether there will be any gigs coming along – she recommends a rising artist that is worth checking out.

I ask how their sound came together and what sort of music Lara/the band are inspired by; whether there is more material from Velvet & Stone later this year and how Lara relaxes away from music – she selects a great song (or three!) to end the interview with.

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

Hey! Great, thanks! (Smiles).

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

We’re Velvet & Stone – an Alternative/Indie-Folk band based in Devon, U.K. The band is led by myself, Lara Snowdon, (I’m the writer, vocalist and guitarist) and Kat Tremlett, who plays some sensational violin and sings B.V.s. We also have Paddy Blight on double bass and Kev Jackson who plays guitar. For the bigger gigs and on the album, we’re also joined by Garry Kroll on drums. 

Is there a story behind your new single, Oh Boy?

Oh Boy is about moving on when you’ve given away too much in love. It’s an honest and intense track. It’s really fun to play live!

It has already picked up acclaim and attention. How does that make you feel?

The support for the single has been fantastic! The first time we were played on Tom Robinson’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music I couldn’t sleep I was so excited. Haha! He described Oh Boy as “sheer sonic bliss” and has really supported the track. We’ve also had airtime on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales; many of the specialist BBC regional shows such as Johnny Coppin’s Acoustic Show on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Genevieve Tudor’s show on BBC Radio Shropshire.

I feel very proud that it’s been picked up like this. We all put an incredible amount of work into the band and feel that we’ve evolved and developed our sound to a place that we love. So, for other people to enjoy listening to and sharing our tracks is just the best feeling in the world!

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kat Tremlett/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Bolwell

Is there more material coming from Velvet & Stone later this year?

Yes. This is the first single from our debut album - which we’re aiming to release in June 2019. There will be a second single out in a few weeks’ time called By the Water...

How did you both meet one another? What bonded you together?

Kat and I are both from a small village in mid-Devon called Silverton. I grew up there and Kat moved there with her husband after she studied at Exeter University. We had some friends in common and everyone kept telling me what a fantastic violinist she was. After that, we met one night in the local pub and it all started over a glass of vino or two! 

I love your blend of Folk and Pop. Did it take a while to get the point where you had this rounded and satisfying sound?

Yes. It’s definitely fair to say our sound has evolved. The core songwriting has always been the same – with the Folk-Pop vibe, but the musicians and production have changed. This past year, we’ve got to a place that we’re really happy with. The songs we’ve recorded on the album are true to how we perform them live and the recording and production are raw and authentic in that sense.

We now perform both as a duo (Lara and Kat) and with the full band. The full band sound is Folk-Rock, but we also play in some beautiful soundscapes and ballads. You can check out our upcoming gig dates at www.velvetstonemusic.com/gigs.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin

What sort of music are you compelled by? Did you all grow up around the same sort of music?

No. We have very different influences, which is brilliant and brings a lot to our music. I grew up being inspired by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez; Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris and Crosby Stills and Nash. More recently, I’m influenced by the resurgent Folk/Americana scene, both more traditional such as Seth Lakeman and Kate Rusby and the Indie/Pop end of the spectrum – Ben Howard, Laura Marling; Mumford & Sons, Bear’s Den and First Aid Kit.

Kat is classically-trained and grew up undertaking music scholarships, playing in orchestras and various fancy things! She’s really knowledgeable about Classical music but she also has a rebellious Dance/Trance streak!

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin

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

So many memories! We’ve had some great times (and some weird, hilarious ones as well)!

The one that really stands out was performing in front of thousands of people at the Cambridge Folk Festival doing a last-minute collaboration with Sam Kelly. We didn’t realise how many people were watching until we walked on the stage. No time for stage fright!

Which one album means the most to you would you say (and why)?

Blue – Joni Mitchell

I think I can recite it off by heart from start to finish. It’s personal and honest and intimate, beautiful; metaphorical and bold all at once. It’s got to be one of the all-time greats.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin

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

Fleetwood Mac! Tour bus, world tour…possibly a bit ambitious for a Devonshire Folk band (winks). Haha!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Believe in yourself. Invest in your own confidence. Work hard. Keep going!

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Austin

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Yes. All dates on our website at www.velvetstonemusic.com/gigs.

If we came to one of your live shows, what might we expect?

A journey from beautiful, haunting soundscapes through to foot-stomping Folk-Rock and some great musicianship!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Maggie Rogers/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Buckner/Variety/Rex

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’m loving Maggie Rogers’ new album! Light On is the best. What a feelgood track!

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

Kat and I both work full-time and juggle it with Velvet & Stone. So, in many respects, music is our way to unwind and stay sane! Other than that, living in Devon is great - and escaping to the moors and beaches is the best way to chill out.

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).

I’ve only just discovered Anais Mitchell and think she is the BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER EVER! Any Way the Wind Blows, Now You Know and Why We Build the Wall are all incredible. Oops that’s three!

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Follow Velvet & Stone

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FEATURE: Raw, Blank and Broken: Neneh Cherry at Fifty-Five: The Playlist

FEATURE:

 

Raw, Blank and Broken

IN THIS PHOTO: Neneh Cherry/PHOTO CREDIT: David Burton for W Magazine  

Neneh Cherry at Fifty-Five: The Playlist

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I do not mark every big birthday in music...

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

but I felt I had to pay tribute to Neneh Cherry. Her fifty-fifth birthday is today and I think back to when I first discovered her music. I was six when Raw Like Sushi, her debut album, came out and songs like Buffalo Stance and Manchild struck my mind. On that album, Cherry talks about motherhood, her upbringing and education - and it resonated with critics. Not only were the lyrics mature and different from what was being produced in Pop – aside from peers like Madonna (who released Like a Prayer a few months before) – but the clash of genres throughout the album was incredible. There were a lot of great songs from Raw Like Sushi and (the album) was a bold introduction from a unique talent. Critics and fans fell for Cherry and, whilst she did not enjoy the same success as bigger mainstream stars, her debut proved she was something special. In this retrospective review, AllMusic assessed Raw Like Sushi in these terms:

“Those arguing that the most individualistic R&B and dance music of the late '80s and early to mid-'90s came out of Britain could point to Neneh Cherry's unconventional Raw Like Sushi as a shining example. An unorthodox and brilliantly daring blend of R&B, rap, pop, and dance music, Sushi enjoyed little exposure on America's conservative urban contemporary radio formats, but was a definite underground hit. Full of personality, the singer/rapper is as thought-provoking as she is witty and humorous when addressing relationships and taking aim at less-than-kosher behavior of males and females alike... 

Macho homeboys and Casanovas take a pounding on "So Here I Come" and the hit "Buffalo Stance," while women who are shallow, cold-hearted, or materialistic get lambasted on "Phoney Ladies," "Heart," and "Inna City Mamma." Cherry's idealism comes through loud and clear on "The Next Generation," a plea to take responsibility for one's sexual actions and give children the respect and attention they deserve”.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Future albums would see Neneh Cherry explore new ground and, on 1992’s Homebrew, she stepped up another gear. Alongside co-writer Cameron McVey – there were a couple of other writers/producers but they were the core – the album, again, gained great reviews but didn’t catapult Neneh Cherry into the mainstream fully. Maybe, with bigger peers around her releasing huge albums, it was hard for her to gain new ground. The three-year gap between albums was seen as a bit too long following a promising debut but Cherry was busy crafting new sounds and finding fresh inspiration. Documenting everything from mainstream evil to the toughness of the inner-city, it was another tough, intelligent and varied record. After the success of 1996’s Man – boasting songs like Woman and 7 Seconds (with Youssou N’Dour), Cherry took another step. Although Cherry has only released five albums since 1989, every one of them has been a cracker. 2014’s Blank Project marked her longest period between records (eighteen years). A lot of the material was a reaction to her mother’s death in 2009 and, as such, there is a sparser sound compared to her previous records – a change of tone that did not compromise reviews and sales. A more challenging listen with fewer big mantras and rebellious anthems – there was more spirituality, mournfulness and less-colourful compositions.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Mehdi Lacoste for the Evening Standard

Last year’s Broken Politics followed similar compositional lines to Blank Project. I have mentioned this before but a lot of the lyrics were, again, compelled by personal aspects. If Blank Project was, in part, inspired by her mother’s death than her father’s death in Sierra Leone compelled some of Broken Politics’ songs. Cherry also looked at modern politics and tried to make sense of decreasing community and greater fear. Reviews were good – as one would expect – and it is amazing to think that every album Cherry has released has been met with warm acclaim. In the review from The Guardian, Laura Snapes had this to say:

“Poignancy has accumulated at 54 – an age her voice carries beautifully. “Don’t live for nostalgia, but the impact of everything resonates,” she sings on Synchonised Devotion. Cherry still has “an allergy to my realness, like my own self-worth”, she sings on Natural Skin Deep – a simmering, almost angry outlier – but refuses to give into it: “Don’t have anywhere to go / Nowhere to hide / All of me is now.” Cherry’s sage perspective weaves through these tender, bristling tracks, and elevates Broken Politics from being simply a beautiful record to a revelatory one. “Just because I’m down, don’t step all over me,” she warns on Fallen Leaves, and promises to remain open to risk and common sense: an admirably holistic approach to a shattered world”.

She is a constant inspiration and, in these broken times, the music of Neneh Cherry is a source of comfort, inspiration and education. She is fifty-five today and I know there are many more musical years in her. Let’s raise a glass and celebrate the music of…

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IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

THE peerless Neneh Cherry.

FEATURE: Irregular Einsteins: The Brilliance of the Single-Take Video

FEATURE:

 

Irregular Einsteins

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PHOTO CREDIT: @jmuniz/Unsplash

The Brilliance of the Single-Take Video

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THIS might not be the most obvious...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jakobowens1/Unsplash

area for discussion - but how often does one see music videos talked about?! I do think that, the more common videos become, the less inventive they are. Maybe there is not the same appeal making a video that is unique and blows the mind. Artists are not featured on MTV the same way and a lot of viewing figures on YouTube comes from the popularity of the artists rather than the quality of the video. Every year brings great videos and, whether low-budget or big and flash, there are still some pretty damn good directors pushing things and doing something different. I am interested in all types of videos and there are so many styles and perspectives that can get under the skin. The reason I wanted to look at the single-take video (or the one-shot, if you want to call it that) is because of the sheer ambition and risk. I will look at more modern artists who are doing the single-take but, when it comes to the classics, you cannot beat Lucas with the Lid Off!Most people will raise their eyebrows and look confused – when the hell did that song come out?! The video for Lucas’ song arrived in 1994 and was directed by the incredible Michel Gondry. He is my favourite director because, at every stage of his career, he has pushed that a director can do in that medium and shows such imagination.

I have a definite top-five when it comes to Gondry’s videos but the top of the pile one would Lucas with the Lid Off. There was an alternative pitch for the video where the camera kept panning right and Lucas was on a train; he would exit from one side of the frame and keep reappearing in the shot as we moved between carriages. That sounds pretty interesting but nothing matches the complexity and execution of the original video. As you can see from the video, it is all done in a single take and shot in black-and-white. I am not sure how many takes were attempted but I know Lucas himself was injured during various takes because he was rushing between sets and bumping himself. The fact that Gondry and his crew managed to pull something like that off in 1994 is amazing. There were definitely not many examples of a single-take video up until then and, whilst other artists have topped it in terms of scope and ambition, the 1994 video was definitely unusual. It is risky for any big artist to try a one-take video so Lucas, a relative unknown, did not have to worry. I feel if it was attempted with a major artist at the time then the concept would have to be huge and pulling off a successful take would be tricky.

Gondry created this world where we saw the production and progress of a song – the song we hear in the video. It is quite meta and clever and there are a couple of shots that I cannot figure how it was done; how they managed to get that effect – considering there were no cuts and edits. It is understandable there was no a huge rush regarding directors trying to best Michel Gondry’s effort – aside from the man himself! Gondry would helm at least three other videos that relied on the one-shot technique – including Radiohead’s Knives Out and Cibo Matto’s Sugar Water – but I think Gondry definitely helped popularise the technique. There were some less-ambitious single-take videos in the 1980s – including Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s Don’t Give Up and Shakatak’s Down on the Street – but Gondry’s work with Massive Attack (Protection, 1994) and The White Stripes' (The Denial Twist, 2005) helped up the game and, essentially, see a lot more movement from the camera. In effect, the single-take changed from a more static, theatrical look to something more cinematic and fluid. Modern examples like Betty Who’s Ignore Me showcase trickery, dance choreography and extras and you are still amazed how it all came together. Even the slightest stumble or wrong move would mean starting from scratch and doing it all over again. I have talked about Gondry spearheading the one-take video but, in terms of ambition, that might have been the case.

If you want to look back at the first video that mixed the single-take approach with something quite ambitious then you could go back to Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy back in 1991. Baillie Walsh directed that and, although most of the video is a singer walking down the street, it is still arresting to see. We never cut away and get that single point of focus. Mixed with people on the street and life passing by, it is amazing to watch. Not many films in general keep on the same shot for four or five minutes and, given the time it takes to shoot a scene with multiple takes, it is not an advised move. 1994 was a big year for big artists doing the single-shot thing. They ranged in terms of impressiveness and ambition but, among them, we had Weezer’s Undone – The Sweater Song (Spike Jonze); Nine Inch Nail’s March of the Pigs and Lisa Loeb’s Stay (I Missed You) – directed by Ethan Hawke. I feel like, as MTV started to explode more and there was this zeal to create something genuinely different, these one-shot videos became even more intense. Consider the man-alight-running-down-the-street video for Wax’s California in 1995; the Spice Girls running amuck in 1996’s Wannabe and Garbage’s Milk in 1996. It was all well and good seeing the more traditional video on MTV but there was something about the excitement and rush of a one-shot video that captivated.

I still look back at those frontrunners from the 1990s and am amazed by the techniques. Technology has moved on to the point where you could simulate and replicate a one-shot video without actually doing that but there were fewer crutches back then. Even a simpler and less extravagant single-shot video like Fiona Apple’s Never Is a Promise forces you to focus on the singer and concentrate. If there were multiple cuts and flashy scenes then it would detract from the purity of the song. In many ways, the one-take/single-shot video shines because you can either have the singular and simpler style that relies om a fluid movement or one with more props and people that has this different aspect. If a lot of the 1990s’ best one-take videos were being made by alternative artists in genres like Trip-Hop and Rap, more Pop artists were stepping into this realm by the turn of the century. There are a lot of great single-take videos that happened in the first decade of the 2000s but I feel two of them stand out: Feist’s 1234 in 2007 and OK Go’s Here It Goes Again the year before. By this time, MTV was almost a spent force and there was not quite the allure of getting onto the screen. Maybe that is why we saw a transition to Pop artists. Maybe there was less risk and commercial judgement if they went a bit arty and off the wall.

Artists like Feist would do the one-shot video again but OK Go are the band who sort of popularised the one-take video for the modern day. Here It Go Again remains their most dazzling work. The fact there is perfect choreography and so much going on in a video makes it remarkable it got filmed at all – let alone in a single shot! Vampire Weekend created two great 2008-released single-takers: A-Punk and Oxford Comma are both different but the effects are wonderful. I think the biggest transition from the 1980s and 1990s to the new century revolved around ambition. Greater technological advance meant that there was the chance to evolve and produce something truly staggering. A lot of the best single-take videos rely on the perfection of great choreography and having these busy scenes. Having the camera tracking through these colourful and complex scenes without breaking away stunned people. Maybe it is that dance element and the fact it is like watching this rather strange ballet that appealed to artists and directors. What of the 2010s, then?! If anything, a great variety of artists have tried out the single-take video. In 2010 alone, there were at least a couple of dozen single-take/shot videos. OK Go were back at it with White Knuckles; we had Kelis’ Brave and FKA twigs’ Two Weeks. In some cases, we need to mark a difference between a one-shot and single-take.

Maybe the terminology needs to be ‘continuous track’ and ‘one-shot’. There have been videos where the camera has focused and we have not panned away and moved at all. There could be several visuals presented but, in these cases, there are edits and it is not, technically, a single-take video as there are edits and effects added in. The best of the breed are the ones where the camera never breaks away and we keep with the same scene – there are no edits or any sort of visual effects added. A lot of artists, even now, are sticking with a simple concept that involves dancing and movement but I like where artists take more of a risk and see how complex they can get. That fear still remains regarding the precision needed to execute a single-take video where everything needs to go to plan! Tove Lo’s True Disaster (Part of Fairy Dust) is what I am talking about! That video was released in 2016 and sees this quite haunting scene of a car burning and a would-be attacker. The camera never breaks away but, instead, moves around the singer and tracks back. This means we get various emotions and expressions and there is this feeling of constant movement. The choreography is not too complex and intricate: instead, there are bigger gestures and moves that mean the camera has to adjust and keep moving to allow everything to remain in the same shot.

Although very few of the mainstream’s biggest names attempt the single-take video – they have bigger budgets and one suspects their patience would not hold that long! – it is interesting seeing artists try the technique more and more. Arcade Fire and HAIM attempted their versions in 2017: Creature Comfort and Want You Back respectively. HAIM’s video saw the band moving down a street and the camera sort of panning in and out. Various members come in and out of shot and you get that constant flow. Creature Comfort is a studio-based live gig sort of feel where there are words scrolling at the bottom of the screen. I think more big mainstream artists need to break from the big-budget attempts and take a chance with the single-take. Pop newcomers like Billie Eilish (when the party’s over) and Halsey produced great one-shot/single-take videos last year. Look at Eilish’s and, although the set is quite simple – her on a chair and a glass of drink – the way the camera moves and the fact it was all created in a single take makes it quite remarkable. Halsey’s Sorry is more ambitious regarding money and set. Halsey walks through rumble and carnage as we see bodies on the ground and, again, this is an example of the variations with the single-take. Billie Eilish can grip you with something simple: holding a glass and sitting on a chair; the potency of the lyrics matched with the visuals works wonderfully.

On the other hand, you have Halsey who is in this film-like wreckage and the camera follows her and the most impressive thing is the fact there are extras (playing corpses) and fires burning. This is not the sort of video you can afford to shoot too many times so it would be interesting to know whether they nailed it on the first run-through. Although there have been some clear examples of the single-take video through the years, there are a few that have been discredited as one-shot/take. Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity – directed by Jonathan Glazer – sees the camera tilts a few times and transitioning to a different shot; The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony has a few cuts and reverse angles; Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) looks one-take but is not; Dua Lipa’s IDGAF has an editing process like Virtual Insanity but, again, is not a single-shot/take video. In fact, even though OK Go created some pure one-shot videos, a few were actually miscreited as such. This Too Shall Pass (2010) sees a cut at 2:27; Upside Down & Inside Out (2016) required a little bit of trickery and The One Moment (2016) had to use multiple shots spliced together because of the high-speed nature of the video and the complexity of capturing it all in a single take. Kanye West’s 2012 video, Mercy, looks like a single-take video but there are multiple long takes superimposed over the other.

It is great that people are attempting to make a video look one-take: it is clear the form is challenging and provides real sense of excitement for artists big and smaller. Whether you plump for Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together or Destiny Child’s Emotion – relying on the screen being split into three and there being three different one-shot stories; Michel Gondry did this a few times too – there are lists like this that countdown the very best. Lists like this take on a different view regarding the finest and, whilst OK Go can be seen at the top of many lists, there are videos you half-forgot that come back to mind! Older-days classics like Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues and newer inclusions like Lorde’s Tennis Court can be seen on this list but it seems like nobody can defeat the current frontrunner, OK Go’s The Writing’s on the Wall! In a way, there is a challenge for musicians to try and top that. Could we ever see someone like Kendrick Lamar creating a one-take video with a big and extroverted pitch?! Might we see a new band emerge that do a great one-shot that parodies famous T.V. shows, films and moments in a continuous flow?! Maybe someone big like Jack White will team up with Michel Gondry again (as he did as part of The White Stripes) and really push boundaries.

This year, to the best of my knowledge, has not seen any single-take videos but I am sure they will come through. I started with Michel Gondry’s Lucas with the Lid Off because, in 1994, it was rare for a director to do a single-take video where the camera not only kept moving but the actual concept has intricacies and trickier times. I feel there is nothing wrong with a bare scene where there is dancing and few additions but I like when you get something incredibly challenging like OK Go’s The Writing’s on the Wall. It might have been frustrating to film but it mixes the live feel of theatre with the ambition and visuals of film. I would love to film a one-take video that would seem impossible to realise. I have a few concepts but the one that seems most ambitious starts with two beating hearts in jars on a table – stay with me! There would be a screen in the back of shot that would show a split screen. One side would see a man going about his day and the other would see a woman doing the same. Like some of Michel Gondry’s work, one story would work forward (in colour) and the other would be backwards in black-and-white (maybe a bit like Christopher Nolan’s Memento). The camera would never cut but, instead, we would pan in on the screens and the hearts would remain in shot – being seen as part of different scenes (on the screen) and seamlessly integrated from the live action to the pre-filmed narrative.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @daryan/Unsplash

The story would continue and there would be this sort of mystery and drama that would unwind. Clues and little visual tips would appear in each story so that you’d need to play the video a few times to understand what happened. The apex would be a car crash where the man and woman, one having a good day and one a bad, collide and there the film goes from normal speed to slow-motion. The hearts would zoom into the bodies and then, as the cars collide and that impact happens, we would then transition to hospital beds where they are being operated on. Again, without a cut, there would be the final moments where the two would be declared dead and there would be twists right at the end – how did they know each other and was there a third party responsible for the crash? You would be guessing right until the end but the final shot would see the autopsy and the camera panning into the bodies as the screen goes black. The hearts would remain in jars and they would stop beating as the final shot sees someone come in and unplug a machine keeping the hearts beating; the lights would be turned out and that would be it. I think THAT could beat the OK Go’s milestone - but f*cked if I know how to realise it!

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @matheusferrero/Unsplash

That video has been in my mind because nobody would believe it is a single-take video and, instead, it relies on some clever camera angles/pans and incredible pre-shot scenes. That would not be betraying the format at all: a one-take video can use pre-filmed bits so long as they remain one-shot themselves. It is complex in terms of semantics but I feel a pre-filmed segment with cuts used in a live-action one-shot would, technically, still be a one-shot video – as there would be this main camera/cameras that films everything together; if they do not cut then that all counts, right?! Maybe Bob Dylan is the earliest example of a one-shot video with Homesick Subterranean Blues in 1965; there was this sort of new explosion from 1994 and, in 2006, OK Go released Here It Goes Again – that has not really been topped in nearly thirteen years! I love the fact everyone from Indie bands to Pop artists are trying to create something iconic and not having to rely on cuts, editing and trickery to create these videos. I love the rush and skill involved with getting a single-take video done and not messing it up too often! The frustration of having to reshoot the video if you mess up a few seconds before the end would kill you but that is the beauty of the format. Look at the videos I have mentioned but do a bit of research and have a look at others not included. If you are a music video director and want to try a one-take video, you do not need a huge budget and loads of crew. Even if it was a video racking through a busy street and filming a band coming in and out of shot, that could be realised with little money – although there would need to be a lot of pre-planning and rehearsals! If you are bored of the rather mundane and obvious music videos then spend some time looking at the very finest...

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PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

SINGLE-TAKE videos ever.

FEATURE: Alternative Classics: Beck - Guero

FEATURE:

 

Alternative Classics

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

Beck - Guero

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I will include some female-made albums...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Beck in Paris in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Autumn de Wilde

in this feature but, right now, there is a particular album on my mind – I might include an overlooked Joni Mitchell record in the next instalment. This time around, when thinking of albums that can be seen as alternative classics – the lesser-loved ones that, I feel, are stronger than the best from that artist -, I am compelled to head the way of Beck. When we think of the classic Beck albums then, invariably, we head to Odelay or Sea Change. The former was released in 1996, the latter in 2002: a productive run from Beck where he was not only hitting his stride but able to change course and create albums that sounded different and diverse. When I started this feature, I began by looking at Radiohead and how I feel their album, Hail to the Thief, should be regarded as highly as OK Computer and Kid A. I look at Beck’s career and there is no predicting the man! He has produced recent albums that have switched from the mellower and more relaxed (Morning Phase) to the bright and bold (Colors). There is only three years between the vivacity of Colors (2017) and the epic Morning Phase (2014). I look back at his back catalogue and there hasn’t really been a long period of time where he has produced average albums: everything Beck comes up with is interesting and deserves merit. Sea Change received a lot of praise when it arrived in 2002 because it was not as experimental and wild as Odelay and saw Beck step into new territory.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Guero arrived in 2005 and, once more, was another change of direction. Maybe it was the shape-shifting and unpredictable nature of Beck that caught some critics off by the time Guero rocked around. When we think of Beck at his polemic best, we look at the vivid and insane movements of Odelay and then contrast those with Sea Change and Morning Phase. I would contend that, if you want the best of Beck’s diversity in a single album then you need to consider Guero. It is never regarded as highly as the critically-esteemed and many overlook it altogether. When it was released, Guero was met with praise because it was a sort of return to the sounds of Odelay. Some have been a bit lukewarm and consider it inferior to Odelay. Dust Brothers (The Chemical Brothers) helped produce alongside Tony Hoffer and, right throughout, you get this clash of styles. There is Brazilian influence – we had heard some of this in Mutations (1998) but there was Hispanic lust and language; Electronic stabs and Country-tinged mournfulness. Some might feel an album so varied and eclectic might lose focus but, rather than push too much into single songs, it is the album as a whole that is varied. You get different shades in individual numbers but you are never struggling to keep up and take it all in. Urgent singles like E-Pro saw Beck ride this guitar crunch and wave; Girl has looping and swooping guitars whereas Hell Yes is a sort of oddity that one would imagine coming from the future – one of the most interesting songs he has produced to date!

After the rush and pummel of E-Pro comes Qué Onda Guero. There is such a shift in sound between the two songs that it is like stepping into another world! It is great to see Girl has gained such a big reputation. Beck has performed it countless times and it often appears in his sets. It basically relies on acoustic guitars and drums but it is the way the sounds clash and the composition of the song that really gets to me. The track stops and starts; it swoons and flies and has this real hypnotic charm. The accompanying video gives the song new life and layers and it is definitely one of the standouts. After three songs, we have experienced three completely different pieces but, as a whole, they hang together well. Missing, like Earthquake Weather and Farewell Ride, is Beck at his more contemplative and mature. These slower and more meditative songs hold enormous power. My favourite of the trio is Earthquake Weather because I adore the composition and think it is this cinematic piece that truly immerses you. I know Odelay had some slower and different-paced numbers but Guero is perfectly planned and programmed so that you get these natural emotional shifts. After the haunt and emotion of Missing, again, we get another angle: the shimmering and shaking Black Tambourine. I am not sure whether there is deep meaning in the song – aside from Beck rattling his tambourine – but is a truly spellbinding number that gets you wiggling!

I love the groan and dance of the track but, as you’d expect, there is another sonic evolution when we reach Earthquake Weather and Hell Yes. By the time you get to the middle of the album, so much has been presented and so many different sounds have emerged! Earthquake Weather is, to me, one of the best things Beck has done. I love everything about it and would encourage people to seek it out. Beck didn’t plan on doing any rapping on Guero but the Dust Brothers encouraged him. It is sort of tongue-in-cheek and is filled with the usual array of weird and wonderful images. It is beck’s lyrics that truly make every song shine. The production is wonderful and assured throughout but Beck creates, on Guero, his most assured, rich and interesting set of songs. I love his classic albums but feel Guero is the man at his very peak. Even if Guero is a little top-middle-heavy, you cannot fault a few of the later tracks. Broken Drum is another one of those stormy tracks that is different to anything else and helps tell this bigger story. One of the standout moments from Guero is Jack White playing bass on Go It Alone. His melody, rhythm and power elevates the track and, with a fine vocal from Beck, we get this incredible song that could only come from the master. Words flow like a waterfall and it is dizzying taking everything in!

If the hero of the album, the pale-skinned, blonde Beck (that is what guero translate into English as: a pale-skinned/blonde-haired person; a slang term) was breaking away from a golden period and distinct style, he was taking risks and making some of the best music of his life. Following albums, The Information (2006) and Modern Guilt (2008) were packed with hits but didn’t resonate with critics as hard as the golden Beck albums such as Odelay and Mutations. I mentioned how there was some positivity and, largely, there was warmth thrown the way of Beck. The musician was definitely entering a new phase of life but, as AllMusic point out here, his vision and talent was as strong as ever:

“Instead, it sounds as if Beck, now a husband and father in his mid-thirties, is revisiting his older aesthetic and sensibility from a new perspective. The sound has remained essentially the same -- it's still a kaleidoscopic jumble of pop, hip-hop, and indie rock, with some Brazilian and electro touches thrown in -- but Beck is a hell of a lot calmer, never indulging in the lyrical or musical flights of fancy or the absurdism that made Mellow Gold and Odelay such giddy listens. He now operates with the skill and precision of a craftsman, never dumping too many ideas into one song, paring his words down to their essentials, mixing the record for a wider audience than just his friends...

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Consequently, Guero never is as surprising or enthralling as Odelay, but Beck is also not trying to be as wild and funny as he was a decade ago. He's shifted away from exaggerated wackiness -- which is good, since it wouldn't wear as well on a 34 year old as it would on a man a decade younger -- and concentrated on the record-making, winding up with a thoroughly enjoyable LP that sounds warm and familiar upon the first play and gets stronger with each spin. No, it's not a knockout, the way his first few records were, but it's a successful mature variation on Odelay, one that proves that Beck's sensibility will continue to reap rewards for him as he enters his second decade of recording”.

Pitchfork were a little less sure and convinced that Beck has created something masterful. They note a sense of calculation and identity crisis, perhaps:

“All in all, my assessment of the patient's recent advances is a mixed one. Mr. Hansen has certainly attempted to follow the regimen recommended to him, and has done his best to recapture earlier moments of lucidity and unity, but in many ways the final result feels rote and calculated. It seems likely that what worked for the subject almost ten years ago may not be appropriate at this later stage; in today's landscape, the methods seem a bit obsolete and over-prescribed. Mr. Hansen may have given us what we demanded, but, at this juncture, we should consider that his personalities have drifted so far apart that they are better left that way”.

I agree there is less surprise and organic-ness than there was on Odelay but I cannot agree Guero is rote and calculated. I think Beck was changing and growing older but he was not going to abandon his sense of wonder and the spectacular to calm things right down. He does balance the youthful and mature but there is never a sense it is forced and trying to please everyone. Guero, I feel, is as strong as Odelay because there is so much to discover and you never quite know what you’re going to get! There was no predicting Beck and, as this Udiscovermusic piece showed, Guero fared well and can hold its head high:

“To this day, the record remains the artist’s highest-ranked album on the Billboard 200, where it debuted at No. 2. It arrived some two and a half years after the emotionally introspective Sea Change, Beck’s second collaboration with British producer Nigel Godrich. After that, a line was drawn in the sand: now he was ready for another musical shift of gears, and for something that sounded both gregarious and grown-up. 

Emphasising how Beck’s popularity had now spread far and wide around the world, Guero hit the top five in Denmark and Norway, the top 15 in the UK and Australia, and made healthy chart showings everywhere from Finland to France. Guero went on to double platinum status in the US, and gold in Canada. 

 

Countless other publications sang the album’s praises. “A mouth-watering feast of beats and grooves,” purred the UK’s Uncut magazine. “As welcome as anything he’s done.” Stylus raved: “We have our urban craftsman back, to stir the dust in sampled record grooves and unearth for us, again and again, the new in the old and vice versa.”

The New York Times sensed the maturity developing in this set of songs when it avowed that “Where his previous albums have seesawed between comedy and despair, Guero comes closer than ever to merging them.” The NME wrote that Guero represents a very clever man being clever enough to recognise what he’s good at,” and Rolling Stone were even more succinct, calling the record “his liveliest and jumpiest music in years.”

For his own part, Beck played down the element of creative unpredictability. “I just go in with some vague idea or no idea at all,” he told Billboard. “You’re just putting yourself on the spot on a daily basis”.

Maybe most people do not think of Beck’s Guero as a classic. I feel, like Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief, we need to look at the album with fresh ears and give it fresh appreciation. Very few of the thirteen tracks fail – maybe the final, Emergency Exit – and there are so many different sounds and genres working together. If you want a more mature and controlled Beck then there are at least four or five songs that do that; if you want more electric and out-there songs then there is enough in there. I guess Guero is not a concept album but you can detect recurring themes a general arc. It is a bold and brilliant album that, nearly fourteen years after its release, sounds completely fresh and revealing. If you have not heard the album before then make sure you rectify that and discover Beck at...

PHOTO CREDIT: Autumn de Wilde

HIS absolute best.

INTERVIEW: Taylor-Louise

INTERVIEW:

Taylor-Louise

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THE terrific Taylor-Louise...

has been telling me about her new track, Blessed with a Curse, and what it is all about. I ask her how music arrives in her mind and what her process is; how her current material differs from her earliest work and what the next steps are.

Taylor-Louise reveals a few albums that mean a lot to her and recommends some rising artists to follow; how she unwinds away from music and what music she grew up around – the songwriter selects a great track to end the interview with.

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Hi, Taylor-Louise. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello, I'm very well, thank you - I hope you’re okay too. My week has been busy! I love being productive…

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

Absolutely. I’m a singer-songwriter who has been recording and releasing music for, just coming up to eight years. However, I have been playing and writing for around ten.

Blessed with a Curse is your new single. Is there a story behind it?

Blessed with a Curse is the first song of its kind for me. I realised that writing music didn’t make me become who I am: it’s who I already was. I can never change that no matter where I go, what I do or who I meet…or how much I try to normalise my life and confirm to society, I will always be pulled back to the music.

As the lyrics in this song specifically emphasise, it’s “something I have to do”. It’s the only song I have written about my relationship with music, although it definitely comes with many sacrifices and hurdles that others may not be aware of. Being able to write, sing and hear music inside my head constantly is a major ‘blessing’ or ‘talent’ as some may describe - but it’s also a very isolated place at times.

How do you think your new single differs from your earliest work?

In terms of production, it still has elements of past works. I was very open-minded with my other releases which led me to experiment with different sounds and genres/styles. I haven’t changed in this sense but now, when I have written a song, I can almost feel the style that would best suit it. This track has a more Rock essence, which I think really highlights and supports the mood of the lyrics.

How does music come to you? Do you find it easy to come up with song ideas?

If I feel a lot of emotion come over me, it will pour itself onto paper or just linger in my mind; sometimes it can be so intense that a song can be written within the hour. The majority of the time it doesn’t happen during the same day, week or month of a situation but, once I’ve realised the feeling, it just manifests.

Writing is my coping mechanism for a lot and it’s driven by the need to share with others so that nobody feels alone with anything they’re going through. Music is the best language on the planet - it connects everybody. I recently read a quote that “music is the decoration of time”.

Might we see more music later in the year?

Yes, absolutely. I have a lot more on the way - and I’m so excited to put them out.

What sort of music did you grow up around as a child?

I actually grew up around a lot of R&B, Soul and Reggae. But, I’m in a very open-minded family so we always listened to everything; no genre-waster judged. This meant I was able to listen to a good mixture dependent on my mood! I think it’s good to not get yourself ‘stuck’ in one place.

As a new artist, what are the best aspects of being in the music industry?

Meeting new people and connecting with lots of like-minded people is amazing. Being able to listen to initial opinions from people who have never heard of me before is a great way to either evolve and grow or know I’ve positively affected someone; I think, sometimes, this can become a blurry journey for bigger artists.

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Do you have a standout memory from your time in music so far?

Any time that I am on a stage and can see the audience involved in the moment stands out. There’s no better feeling than a crowd being able to feed back the energy that I’m giving.

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

This is a tough one, it really is. I think the albums that helped/shaped me through tough points in my life have to be the most important (keep an open mind): Black Veil Brides - We Stitch These Wounds, Set the World on Fire and Wretched and Divine. (Yes, I’m afraid they’re all from the same band!). The meaning behind it is a lot deeper/dark but I really connected with these albums and songs at the time and I’ll always carry a part of that with me. Something resonated and still does; I go back to these occasionally.

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

Billie Eilish. Every track is unique. She isn’t afraid to stick to one sound/genre. And that exactly what I’m all about. I’m terrible with riders; I’m so easy going. As long as I have some water, I’m happy.

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Might we see you on tour in 2019?

I definitely want to arrange this in the near-future…

How important is performing? Do you prefer it to life in the studio?

Performing live is everything - it’s an extension of the art. If an artist sounds great in a studio but can’t perform live they won’t capture my attention. If you don’t seem like you feel or connect with the words you’re writing or singing about, it leads me to ask if those emotions were ever even ‘real’. Personally, I will always prefer performing live and its entire exhilarating buzz. Its raw and no one time is ever the same as the last.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I don’t know if these are new to you but I’m currently loving LP, Billie Eilish; Grace Carter and Lewis Capaldi.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lewis Capaldi

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

I make sure of it. I was such a workaholic in my teenage years that I would get ill and burn out quite a lot. Now, I’m in a much more balanced place, dividing my time between music and my passions with meditation/yoga; crystal healing and general health/wellbeing. I’m massively into the gym and weight-lifting and pushing my body to do things that I may never of known was possible. Feeling strong is such a reward.

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).

LP - Tokyo Sunrise

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Follow Taylor-Louise

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TRACK REVIEW: Freya Roy - Midnight Train

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Freya Roy

Midnight Train

 

9.4/10

 

The track, Midnight Train, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0M1F9DrXDSRswti9VV3Ni1?si=OvCDpK-aRS-HMr2W-U57ag

ORIGIN:

Norwich, U.K.

GENRES:

Neo-Soul/Jazz

RELEASE DATE:

20th February, 2019

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ON my Sunday review...

I step away from the mainstream and the bigger artists and look at an act that is rising and approaching the bigger leagues. On this occasion, I will speak about Freya Roy and her latest single, Midnight Train. I want to discuss female artists and their potential after International Women’s Day and the discussions we saw; artists based outside of the capital and, again, why ears should be more ambitious; styles like Neo-Soul and Jazz; taking a gap from music and recharging; receiving funding and using crowd-funding – I will end by talking about Roy and where she can head in the coming year. We have just celebrated International Women’s Day and, aside from sneering men wondering when they have their own special day – there is actually an International Men’s Day! – it was a good opportunity to talk about women in music and why we need to see change happen faster. I agree, as I keep mentioning, there is progression but I think there are fantastic women making great music not quite getting the same acclaim as their male peers. Freya Roy has been a little quieter than normal the past few years but look at the strength of her work and how she continues to press forward. She is a talented producer too and I think that is one area where we could focus. A lot of artists self-produce but we do not often have discussions about women as producers. The studios are still quite male-heavy and I think a lot of women are not being encouraged in. Maybe it is education and the fact we need to start at school-level; I know there are great female producers around who do not get the same focus as the men. In the case of Freya Roy, she is a fantastic artist and someone who is planning her next steps. It is hard to keep an eye on all artists and celebrate all the fantastic examples but there are so many male bands and solo artists who get pushed along and so many female artists overlooked.

It is a subject I raise quite a bit but I think that, following International Women’s Day, we need to take a look at how we judge women in music and whether there is enough improvement. From the stage to the studio; the radio through to the boardrooms – are we creating enough awareness and trying to redress imbalance? I don’t know but I feel like there is this crop of extraordinary female artists coming through that will take longer to get to festivals and headline stages because many promoters do not consider them. I think Freya Roy is the complete package and someone who is growing and blossoming. Maybe a few more photos would be cool… – she has a great style and look and could come up with a few neat concepts – and that would add to her terrific music. The photos out there are great but I know the visual side of music is important. Freya Roy, as I shall explore, has had a changeable few years and has taken a bit of a step back from the music industry. She is definitely back in force and I feel, very soon, she is an artist we need to talk about in very fond terms. I feel the style of music she is playing separates her from the pack. I do like Pop and Folk artists but it can be quite samey and there is not a lot of difference to be found – that is my impression. I do feel that, after International Women’s Day, we need to correct our visions and take more time to respect and appreciate the great female artists and those who make the music industry shine. I shall move from this subject but I feel it is important to mention it once more. One of the things that attracted me to the music of Freya Roy was the fact she is not based in London. I am always curious whether we give enough focus to those who are not in the capital.

Freya Roy is Norwich-based and many might feel there is not a lot going on outside of the capital. Norwich has The Waterfront and Karma Kafe and it is actually a city that gets overlooked. Maybe one would assume that Norfolk is a bit uncool but, in fact, Norwich is a very diverse and fascinating part of the U.K. I am not sure whether Roy will be moving to another part of the country in time but I think she is in a great place. If people like Stephen Fry rave about Norwich then it is good enough for me! I have not been myself but I know there is actually a rising music scene and a lot of great artists based there. I think Norwich is somewhere that promotes diverse music and true characters. Let’s Eat Grandma are the teenage duo who released their sophomore album, I’m All Ears, last year. They were overlooked for wayward and I feel they deserved a lot better. Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth are fantastic and create such buzzing, colourful and exceptional music. It is Pop but not like you have ever heard. Maybe there are few pressures living outside London and busy cities and artists are not as likely to be stifled and restricted. I feel the best music coming from London right now is Rap and Hip-Hop and, looking at somewhere like Norwich, there are different styles and genres being fused. I shall come to that a little bit later. What I wanted to discuss was artists based away from the major cities and how they are perceived. I stated (or speculated) Freya Roy might relocate but I feel there is no need. I do feel like there is this tendency, as I have talked about in the past, for artists to come to London or Manchester because they feel they are going to be ignored. Maybe that was the case a few years ago but the rise in digital blogs and websites means that there are networks and ears all over the place.

I do think the mainstream media needs to do more and have a look at the rich and stunning music being made all around the U.K. Freya Roy is someone who will definitely be in the minds of many pretty soon and I kind of like the fact she is in Norwich and not in London. That is not to say she is not welcome here: I feel her career and sound could be taken to heart by the people of the capital. What I mean is she has a different landscape and scene around her. I do feel like it is hard to shine in cities that are packed and, even though there are loads of great venues, there is so much competition that it can be daunting. Instead, being based in a city that is not quite as ram-packed might be a bonus. Consider the fact areas like Norwich are producing great new acts and they have a variety of venues to support those coming through. Maybe there are not that many classic acts we associate with Norwich but the new breed such as Freya Roy and Let’s Eat Grandma suggests there is plenty of unique talent to be discovered. I think we need to be a bit more ambitious with our tastes and look beyond the obvious. It is tricky to get a handle on all the great music around – one of the burdens of the modern age and streaming culture – but the East of England does not get as much love as it deserves. I can sense a change and, as I say, there are a lot of new blogs where writers can report from all over the U.K. and bring the world these awesome acts. Let’s have a look at Freya Roy and her last few years. I will talk about genres and the style she plays but I wanted to look at how she has come back into music and where she will go.

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After a five-year hiatus from music, Freya Roy is stepping back into music with the crowd-funded album, AHLKE, and has a new track out. Roy has been honing her craft and working on her music through the years. Even though she actually has another single coming soon, I wanted to look at Midnight Train and what it is all about. As Freya Roy says herself; it has been a bit of an odd time in many ways:

“I was always creating new music but I felt that there was still more I could do to everything I made. I needed the time to experiment and develop my writing and thankfully being in the college-bubble enabled me to safely create and do just that. I decided to take down all my previous releases and start afresh as an artist. I was lucky enough to be tutored by Abstract Orchestra’s musical director, Rob Mitchell, and he gave me the space to really explore the hip-hop and contemporary R&B elements of my sound, whilst maintaining a strong focus on melody and jazz harmony. During the very beginning of this journey, I did, however, experience trauma to my wrist and had to take time out from studying, playing and everything in between. So for a good few years, I pretty much went silent on the music front and people thought I had given up on the idea. I am back on track now, but unfortunately, I have had to take a step away from the physical intensities of jazz guitar training, putting my energy into other creative spots such as my production and my label, FCR Music. It’s not until now that I have found a balance between all of these things, whilst still feeling creatively fulfilled, enabling myself to move towards getting this whole album project off the ground – something I didn’t think would be possible a few years ago. I really do think this whole process has been nurturing and has played a huge role in shaping and developing my sound and as an artist”. Those quotes are from her press release and, why I do not usually copy them into reviews, it was essential to tell her story and get word from her mouth directly.

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Now that she is back, we can see the sort of music coming through and its fantastic blends. I am more used to reviewing genres like Pop and Alternative but it is great to discover something that has some Soul and Jazz elements. There is a sort of Pop breeze in Midnight Train but a sense of freedom and expression you do not get in Pop. Listening to Freya Roy sing and her voice is more nimble and breathy; it has such power and it reminds me of the great artists of Neo-Soul. You do not hear it too often in the mainstream and maybe that is a good reason why we should look at cities like Norwich and ask whether the best out there are from outside of London. I do love Jazz and Neo-Soul because there is that sublime balance of textures. It is hard to describe but I love the fact artists such as Freya Roy paint these incredible pictures and do so in such a dreamy and calming way. There is power to be found but the music has this relaxing effect and gets right into the bones. I do feel like a lot of Pop either has too much force and is over-produced or it lacks any real soul and depth. With Freya Roy, you get someone who can translate into the forefront of music and be a success but has this more diverse and appealing blend. I love what she is doing and cannot wait to hear her album. It is wonderful hearing this great artist growing and producing music this way. I am not sure what Roy’s influences are but I get a hint of the Neo-Soul legends but, really, it is her own voice that bursts through. I do wonder whether the mainstream is a bit rigid and we are not exposing genres like Neo-Soul. Perhaps this is what is commercial right now and Pop is what sells. I do think there is a lot more nuance and brilliance to be found in other areas of music. Freya Roy is an example of a young artist who can write songs that, lyrically, are quite similar to a lot of what is around already but deliver it in a very original and enticing way.

I shall move on from that subject because I will talk about it more when reviewing Midnight Train. There has been this hiatus and it is good to see Freya Roy back. She was definitely not wasting her time away and has been busy crafting and working on the next steps. She raised over a grand through crowd-finding and was one of twenty artists to receive support and round-two funding from the MOBO’s Help Musicians Fund. Although she is based in Norwich – she marks her current location, on social media, as Suffolk so might have moved since – she has spent time in Leeds’ thriving Jazz scene and got involved with what is happening in Yorkshire. She releases her album under the independent label, FCR Music, and it is one she founded in 2012. The idea of the label was to create awareness and highlight women and minorities. This is impressive to see and I would like to see more artists set up labels for this reason. Maybe there are some out there but Roy has just released, for International Woman’s Day, the documentary, FCR Music Presents: Women & the Creative Industry. It is impressive to see a young artist with that business mind and somebody who has set up this great label. It will help expose and promote great artists that might not otherwise get such a platform. It will be interesting to see how it progresses and whether it brings other artists onto the roster. The fact Roy’s upcoming album has been crowd-funded and received support brings me to that issue of finance. I think it is really tough in music and can be difficult getting something off of the ground. Consider the fact you might need to hire musicians and the studio; there is a lot of work that needs to be done and, before long, you have quite a big bill. I think many are being put off from recording albums because of the sheer cost and realities.

Roy releases the album in April and there is another single in the next couple of weeks – keep an eye out for that. I do feel like music is becoming more expensive, even though there is more technology and the potential to be D.I.Y. Even if you record at home, there are still costs involved and it is quite hard to record something quite cheaply. I have seen cases of crowd-funding and artists getting that boost and I think it is a wonderful thing. Some say artists should fund themselves and not rely on crowd-funding but I disagree. If people are happy to back an artist and help get an album to fruition then it is a very positive thing and can bring people together. It is clear Roy has backing and fans behind her and is getting nods from bigger names in the industry. She has worked hard on her music and, whether she is based now – whether she is in Suffolk, Norfolk or just down the road from me! – she has produced something truly special. We have Midnight Train out here now but lots is coming in the next month. I am excited to see where she can head and what her album will contain. She has learnt a lot from Jazz musicians and immersed herself in that scene. You can tell her musical upbringing was exceptional and I guess she would have been raised on some truly diverse artists. You can hear a curiosity in what she does and how her music connects with people. It is hard to stand out from the pack in modern music and it can be tricky remaining. That is just the reality of things. I have seen a lot of great artists fade but that will not be the case with Freya Roy. She has spent a long time working on AHLKE and I will be curious to see what the other tracks on the record sound like. Let us move onto Midnight Train and get to grips with its meanings and shades.

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There is a lot of activity and energy in the opening moments of Midnight Train. We hear some percussion clatter – almost like a hollow tree being hit – and there is this great balance of sounds. Things are never too heavy and intense but we get this nice sense of dance and movement. I like how artists operate in Jazz and Neo-Soul because you get something truly different. There is a groove and locomotive thrill that opens the eyes and makes you curious where the song is head. The heroine comes to the microphone and talks about being awake in the middle of the night. One wonders what keeps her awake. Maybe there is this restlessness that is plaguing her mind but she is awake and it is too dark to see the time. Her heartbeat keeps her alive and awake and that is something that gets to me. Maybe there are anxieties around her mind and she is being troubled by something. Rather than a literal image of a train, I get the sense the heroine is wrestling with doubts or she has someone on her mind. Roy is backed by that hollow percussion sound and her beautiful voice paints images in the mind. I have heard a lot of great singers the past few months but there is something in Freya Roy that stands aside. She has a way of delivering words that gets under the skin. Again, it is hard to explain but I love her voice and how it makes one feel. Roy talks about something being one-hundred miles wide and I wonder if there is this image of a gulf or piece of geography. It is great there is this oblique nature where you are not quite sure if we are seeing a physical movement and the heroine on a train or whether she uses these images to talk about emotions and struggles. The midnight train is about the pass by and, whatever your perceptions, it is definitely an arresting song.

I was thinking more about emotional unrest and being kept awake by something troubling. There is this sense of being lost or needing answers but the midnight train in question might be answers and a sense of safety. The heroine, as she says, carries these colours of happiness and they are kept with her; she carries them with dignity and I get the feeling the midnight train is less an expression of doubt and just a general waking feeling. I would love to know the exact origins of the song but I hear a sense of heart and hope in her voice and that changes my perception. A beautiful and velvet-smooth incorporation of horns – apologies as I do not know the name of the trumpet player – adds this sort of dreamy and entrancing quality and adds new layers to the song. Many Pop songs might add processed beats and too much force but here we get a relaxed and very well-composed song. You have this rather sleepy feel but there is definitely passion and potency coming from Freya Roy’s voice. There is a solo from the brass; a clattering beat coming through and some soothing electronics. It is a rich blend and, coming in are some subtle guitar strings. It is a wonderful cocktail that adds as a pause and transition. As I hear the brilliant composition and all the colours entwine, I wonder whether this feeling that keeps her away is a sense that bad things are exiting and there is more positivity coming through. Things are passing by – that becomes a mantra – and you feel like there is this evolution from the darker days and struggles to something more hopeful. Maybe I have completely misread but one hears Midnight Train and, after some initial doubts, there is this uplift and movement. I love everything about the song but it is the way the composition and vocals mingle to create this sumptuous, evocative and exceptional song. The lyrics are brought to life fully and there is room for interpretation. I feel, if other songs on AHLKE are like Midnight Train, it will be an album you definitely do not want to miss out on! It is great to have Freya Roy back and I hope lots and lots of people get to see her perform live very soon. She is one of those artists who does things her own way and can create the sort of music nobody else is. Keep your eyes out for this very talented, exciting and fresh artist. I will be sure to follow her progress and see how far she can go. I know Freya Roy has a very bright future ahead of her.

Freya Roy is, as I have said a few times, going to launch the AHLKE and she will have tour dates as well. Keep an eye on her social media channels but she has dates confirmed in Leeds, Sheffield; Manchester and Suffolk and it will be a chance for people around the country to hear her music. I think the Leeds and Manchester dates, especially, will be cool but it is great see gets to take her new material on the road. She will be touring solo and with a band and it will be intriguing to see how the two different sets sound. To conclude the tour, Roy has a headline set at London’s Servant Jazz Quarters on 23rd May and it will be a big chance for possible labels and backers to see her in the flesh. It is definitely a very exciting and busy time – coming from a bit of a hiatus, I bet Freya Roy is pleased to be back and active! She has spent time crafting her album and I would recommend people try and catch her on the road if you can! I love her sound and it will be interesting to see the differences between her playing solo and what a band brings to the table. In any case, there are many reasons to back Roy and what she is doing right now. Here is a wonderful young artist who has her own label and is always looking to help other musicians. She has a very determined, ambitious and compassionate mind and that sort of blends into her music. So rich and rewarding is the listening experience that you will come back time and time again to get that sweet hit. I shall end things in a bit but keep a look out for new Freya Roy news and go and get her album when it comes out in April. She is hitting the road – so you might catch her there – and I wonder where she will head next. It is clear she is back with us and determined to make music on a more regular basis. Maybe there will be tour dates further afield or she might need some time to recharge before embarking on any new quests. Get behind this great artist and witness music that can get into the brain and...

TRANSPORT you somewhere wonderful indeed.

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Follow Freya Roy

FEATURE: Albums of the Decade: Part II: 2013-2015

FEATURE:

 

Albums of the Decade

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kendrick Lamar/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

Part II: 2013-2015

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THERE are not many months left in the decade...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and I am pretty sure there will not be many contenders that will challenge this list. Speculated albums from Madonna and The 1975 might be in with a shout of being the albums of the decade - but I am continuing this rundown with a look at the best albums from the three-year period that covered 2013 to 2015. Every decade boasts terrific records but this decade has been really strong and seen some truly unexpected revelations. Here are the fifteen albums that defined and owned the years 2013 through to 2015. Future parts will bring us right up-to-date but here, in this second part, we can see albums that helped make this decade...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: The New York Times

SUCH a strong one.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Spotify/Getty Images

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2013:

Kanye West - Yeezus

Release Date: 18th June, 2013

Label: Def Jam Recordings

Producers: Various

Key Cuts: New Slaves/Blood on the Leaves/Bound 2

Standout Track: Black Skinhead

Review:

“...Despite that, Yeezus never sounds self-indulgent. The sonic chaos behind the words seems very precisely rendered, it's an album that's clearly been tightly edited: it clocks in at 40 minutes, which by the standards of your average hip-hop album, makes it the very model of brevity. It all feels intended, which gives further lie to the notion that its maker is either dumb or nuts. Perhaps he just understands better than most of his peers that musical stars are meant to be extraordinary, provocative, divisive, controversial figures. Noisy, gripping, maddening, potent, audibly the product of, as he put it "giving no fucks at all", Yeezus is the sound of a man just doing his job properly” – The Guardian

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

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Release Date: 14th May, 2013

Label: XL

Producers: Rostam Batmanglij/Ariel Rechtshaid

Key Cuts: Unbelievers/Finger Back/Ya Hey

Standout Track: Diane Young

Review:

“The flip side of “Ya Hey” is “Diane Young,” a psychotically Auto-Tuned, twisted rockabilly song that’s a play on “dyin’ young.” Koenig sings about a well-lubricated Irish girl with the “luck of a Kennedy” (uh-oh) who ends up torching a Saab. Koenig doesn’t judge her, but he sure as hell doesn’t get in the car – it’s almost like he’s torching that whole Cape Cod thing, once and for all, saying goodbye to young adulthood as his band is pushing into awesome new directions. The gloves are off, the wisdom teeth are out. But the kids stand a chance” – Rolling Stone  

Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle

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Release Date: 27th May, 2013

Label: Virgin

Producer: Ethan Johns

Key Cuts: I Was an Eagle/Devil’s Roasting Place/Love Be Brave

Standout Track: Master Hunter

Review:

“I can’t quite pin down this album and that is one of the most appealing things about it. Her songs are liquid and amorphous, prone to shape-shifting, rarely offering up an obvious verse and chorus symmetry, or easy interpretation. Marling is never likely to be a fixture of the pop charts. But Once I Was An Eagle is a masterpiece, and, at 23, she’s still only getting started” – The Daily Telegraph   

David Bowie – The Next Day

Release Date: 8th March, 2013

Labels: ISO/Columbia

Producers: David Bowie/Tony Visconti

Key Cuts: The Next Day/Love Is Lost/Valentine’s Day

Standout Track: Where Are We Now?

Review:

“Tony Visconti says that while making ‘The Next Day’, Bowie was smiling all the time, happy to be back in the studio, and had told him “‘I just want to make records’”. This album is, foremost, about songcraft. Rather than reinventing Bowie, it absorbs his past and moves it on, hungry for more (and indeed, Visconti has hinted that more is to come). It demands that you listen to it in this moment, not that you give it an easy ride because this is the man who made ‘Heroes’; and its songs more than live up to the demand. With Bowie sounding like he’s too busy and having too much fun to worry about the dying of any light, it seems like there’s many more next days to come” – NME

Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady

Release Date: 6th September, 2013

Labels: Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy/Atlantic

Producers: Janelle Monáe/Roman GianArthur/Wonder & Lightning/Nate ‘Rocket’ Wonder

Key Cuts: Q.U.E.E.N./PrimeTime/Dance Apocalyptic

Standout Track: Electric Lady

Review:

“The enraptured liquid glide of "Dorothy Dandridge Eyes," featuring Spalding, recalls "I Can't Help It," co-written by Stevie for Michael Jackson's Off the Wall. Earlier, on "It's Code," Monáe channels the yearning Jackson 5-era MJ. "Can't Live Without Your Love," presumably a paean to human love interest Anthony Greendown has Monáe -- or Cindi Mayweather, aka Electric Lady Number One -- yearning like never before. The album is sure to astound Monáe's sci-fi/theater-geek following. Its second half cannot be denied by those who simply value creative R&B that owes to the past and sounds fresh. Anyone can appreciate the phenomenal interludes, which are close to 3 Feet High and Rising level. Power-up to the Droid Rebel Alliance and the Get-Free Crew indeed” – AllMusic

2014: 

FKA Twigs – LP1

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Release Date: 6th August, 2014

Label: Young Turks

Producers: Various

Key Cuts: Hours/Pendulum/Video Girl

Standout Track: Two Weeks

Review:                                                                                   

“After all, this is an artist whose name itself suggests a fundamental displacement. Spelled out, it's "Formerly Known As twigs," (no) thanks to the lawyers of some other artist named Twigs. (Barnett earned her nickname from her habit of cracking her joints like dried sticks; is it any wonder her beats are so brittle?) That "FKA" is a way of masking the bigger question mark. Formerly known as, sure. But who is she now? Are you that girl from the video? "I can't recognize me," she sings at the close of "Video Girl", but for the rest of us, with LP1, she's zooming into vivid focus, and it's impossible to look away” – Pitchfork  

St. Vincent – St. Vincent

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Release Date: 24th February, 2014

Labels: Loma Vista/Republic

Producer: John Congleton

Key Cuts: Birth in Reverse/I Prefer Your Love/Regret

Standout Track: Digital Witness

Review:                                                                                   

“St Vincent's 40 minutes offer an embarrassment of fantastic songs: the electronic judder of Psychopath, the sumptuousness of I Prefer Your Love. It feels emotionally lighter than its predecessor – last time around there was a lot of sex, some of it a bit painful in every sense, whereas this time there's a lot more love – but Clark still comes up with some startling lyrics. Floating along on a kind of synthesised spectral chorus and blessed with the kind of tune you just want to wallow in, Prince Johnny is a fascinating puzzle: it's hard to work out whether the titular character is male or female, whether or not the song's narrator has slept with him or her, or how much their affection is tinged with contempt. In fact, the words are often ambiguous – Digital Witness isn't the only song about the disparity between public image and reality – but they're the only thing here that is: bold, poised, precise without sounding sterile, St Vincent seems to be a straightforward triumph” – The Guardian   

D’Angelo and the Vanguard – Black Messiah

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Release Date: 15th December, 2014

Label: RCA

Producers: D’Angelo/Alan Leeds/Kevin Liles

Key Cuts: Ain’t That Easy/Really Love/Back to the Future (Part I)

Standout Track: 1000 Deaths

Review:                                                                                   

“Black Messiah clashes with mainstream R&B trends as much as Voodoo did in 2000. Unsurprisingly, the artist's label picked this album's tamest, most traditional segment -- the acoustic ballad "Really Love" -- as the first song serviced to commercial radio. It's the one closest to "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," the Voodoo cut that, due to its revealing video, made D'Angelo feel as if his image was getting across more than his music. In the following song, the strutting "Back to the Future (Part I)," D'Angelo gets wistful about a lost love and directly references that chapter: "So if you're wondering about the shape I'm in/I hope it ain't my abdomen that you're referring to." The mere existence of his third album evinces that, creatively, he's doing all right. That the album reaffirms the weakest-link status of his singular debut is something else” – AllMusic

Jack White – Lazaretto

Release Date: 10th June, 2014

Labels: Third Man/XL/Columbia

Producer: Jack White

Key Cuts: High Ball Stepper/The Black Bat Licorice/Want and Able

Standout Track: Lazaretto

Review:                                                                                   

“But then you hear That Black Bat Licorice, an unhinged Nietzsche-referencing folk-funk song about a maddening lover who makes his fingers “histrionic”. White demonstrates the effect this woman has on him by playing thrillingly deranged guitar.

The song is laden with strange effects. It opens with a chilling warped cackle, and whispered female voices throughout urge him to behave himself. It’s exhausting but it’s also exhilarating.

Hidden details reveal themselves on repeated listens. Crane your ear during the last minute of I Think I Found the Culprit and you will hear the most soaring operatic backing vocal since Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig in the Sky.

Lazaretto is an adventurous album laced with menace.

You suspect that getting on the wrong side of White would be inadvisable. Thankfully, he has channelled his demons in Lazaretto to create one of the great break-up albums of recent years” – The Daily Telegraph

Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2

Release Date: 24th October, 2014

Label: Mass Appeal

Producers: El-P/Boots/Little Shalimar/Wilder Zoby

Key Cuts: Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1/Lie, Cheat, Steal/All Due Respect

Standout Track: Oh My Darling Don’t Cry

Review:                                                                                   

“RTJ2 is a steamroller of an album, packed with enough assonance and alliteration to school an AP English literature class. No punches are pulled, because when Mike incites a prison riot on “Close Your Eyes,” he’s committed to righteous violence: “And even if some good ones die, fuck it, the Lord’ll sort ’em.” El-P’s production breaks up the overwhelmingly ominous tone with an allowance of colorful details, including Matt Sweeney’s squealing guitar on “All My Life,” sound-effects master Michael Winslow’s cartoonish robot voice on “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry,” and Travis Barker’s breakbeats on “All Due Respect.” RTJ2 is the rare sequel that bests the beloved original in almost every facet” – SLANT

2015:

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Release Date: 15th March, 2015

Labels: Aftermath/Interscope/Top Dawg

Producers: Various

Key Cuts: King Kunta/Hood Politics/The Blacker the Berry

Standout Track: Alright

Review:                                                                                   

“To Pimp a Butterfly pivots on the polarizing lead single, "i". Upon release last autumn, the sunny soul pep talk came off lightweight and glib. When it appears deep in the back end of Butterfly, though, "i" plays less like the jingle we heard last year and more like the beating heart of the matter. To push the point, the album opts for a live-sounding mix that ditches out midway through, giving way to a speech from the rapper himself. In tone, the speech is not unlike the legendary 1968 concert where James Brown waved off security and personally held off a Boston audience’s fury after news broke that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated. "How many niggas we done lost, bro?" Kendrick shouts over the crowd. "It shouldn’t be shit for us to come out here and appreciate the little bit of life we got left." Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all” – Pitchfork

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

Release Date: 15th March, 2015

Labels: Marathon Artists/House Anxiety/Mile Records!/Mom + Pop Music

Producers: Courtney Barnett/Buke Reid/Dan Luscombe

Key Cuts: Elevator Operator/Dead Fox/Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party

Standout Track: Pedestrian at Best

Review:                                                                                   

“When called upon, Barnett and her band can be furious -- "An Illustration of Loneliness" and "Kim's Caravan" both work themselves up to a knotty, gnarled head -- but they can also slip into a soothing sadness ("Depreston," "Boxing Day Blues"). Usually, they're punchy but not precise, hammering the hard hooks of "Aqua Profunda!" and "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party" into place, giving "Elevator Operator" and "Pedestrian at Best" an urgency that mimics Barnett's cloistered, clever words. There are no frills here but there is a distinct, compelling voice evident in Barnett's songs and music alike. That's what makes Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. so invigorating: it may have roots -- perhaps even some inadvertent ones -- but it's music that lives thoroughly in the moment” – AllMusic

Tame Impala – Currents

Release Date: 17th July, 2015

Labels: Modular/Universal (Aus.)/Fiction (Europe)/Interscope (U.S.)

Producer: Kevin Parker

Key Cuts: Let It Happen/The Moment/Cause I’m a Man

Standout Track: The Less I Know the Better

Review:                                                                                   

“...This is why "Let It Happen" leads off Currents rather than serving as its climactic laser-light show. It's a dazzling, impossibly intricate song about resisting the temptation to micromanage your life. And it may be a companion piece to "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards". Notice that Parker presciently phrased the lyric with *we—*whether it's about a partner, a fanbase, or just the construct of one's self, there's always the tendency to seek comfort and stability rather than dealing with the dissonance between two entities that are inevitably subject to changing at different frequencies. The kicker was even more prescient—"Every part of me says, 'go ahead'." And so Currents ends up being Parker's most convincing case for solitude yet—he knows that perfection can only be achieved inside the studio and progress is the ultimate goal outside of it” – Pitchfork      

Grimes – Art Angels

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Release Date: 6th November, 2015

Label: 4AD

Producer: Grimes                                    

Key Cuts: California/Pin/Realiti

Standout Track: Flesh Without Blood

Review:                                                                                   

“Or SCREAM, which pits a whispered-punchy Taiwanese rap against a springy nu-metal groove and ends with military drums. This may make it sound like a difficult record, but the perfect polish of  Grimes' s production enables listeners to surf her quick-fire tangents as easily as an aural internet.

As she opens windows of sound and then clicks them closed before boredom has a chance to settle in, you catch snatches of Taylor Swift, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Prodigy, Aphex Twin and many, many more scudding past.

All the while, she is delivering her own big, melodic hooks (Flesh without Blood) and club bangers like feminist Venus Fly (featuring Janelle Monáe) with its haunting, gallic instrumental break. all adds up to a fearless and fascinating record” – The Daily Telegraph

Björk – Vulnicura

Release Date: 20th January, 2015

Label: One Little Indian/Megaforce/Sony

Producer: Björk/Arca/The Haxan Cloak 

Key Cuts: Lionsong/Black Lake/Mouth Mantra

Standout Track: Stonemilker

Review:                                                                                   

“"Lionsong" brilliantly captures the nauseating anxiety of an uncertain relationship, its warped harmonies and teetering strings evoking a high-stakes game of "he loves me, he loves me not." Even though Björk crawls out of the abyss on the album's final third, which culminates with the relatively hopeful "Quicksand," that agonizing middle section is Vulnicura's crowning achievement and crucible. The ten-minute "Black Lake" allows Björk the space to let everything unravel, and as the strings drone and the beats tower and topple, her straightforward lyrics ("You have nothing to give/Your heart is hollow") perfectly distill the moments of purging and clarity that eventually point the way out of heartache. Here and on "Family," where Haxan Cloak's claustrophobic production makes Björk's anguish (the way she sings "sorrow" contains multitudes) all the more wrenching, the purity of her expression is both highly personal and universal. Vulnicura honors her pain and the necessary path through and away from loss with some of her bravest, most challenging, and most engaging music” – AllMusic

FEATURE: Colour Inside the Shading: Could Drag Queens Help Revitalise Pop Music?

FEATURE:

 

Colour Inside the Shading

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IN THIS PHOTO: New York-based drag queen, Monét X Change/PHOTO CREDIT: @monetxchange    

Could Drag Queens Help Revitalise Pop Music?

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I realise drag queens have played a role...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Shangela LaQuifa Wadley, the breakaway drag queen from A Star Is Born/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

in music over the past and, if you listen to Ariana Grande’s NASA and the prologue is delivered by Shangela Laquifa Wadley. Shangela appeared on the massively popular show, RuPaul’s Drag Race and that show has captured the imagination around the world – I know many people who have watched it and I have yet to tune in. It is not usually the type of show that I would watch but one cannot deny the sheer life and fun that it brings. If anything, it is a celebration of drag queens (or ‘artists’, as I should say) and an enormously popular format. I think a lot of people rave about it because of the colour and giddy fun; the fact we get to celebrate another culture and, aside from being entertained, actually learn something at the same time. RuPaul has been a public figure for decades now and is hugely inspiring. I wanted to write this piece as a sort of companion to an article I saw in The Guardian. It asked the question as to whether drag queens could be Popstars. An history of music will show you that, whilst there have been some flamboyant figures and true characters, it has been a rather safe and secure scene. There have been icons and explosions but, looking at Pop now, and things are very safe and predictable. Maybe Ariana Grande and some of her stronger peers are an exception but there are so many sound-alikes that are penning the song sort of songs.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 2017 (she is including several drag queens in her upcoming music video, including Monét X Change)/PHOTO CREDIT: Carl Timpone/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

I believe, actually, Madonna has assembled a cast of drag queens for an upcoming music videos – I am not sure what her single is called but it looks like it will be cool. Artists like Madonna have always championed drag queens, members of the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community and those who do not get the same attention as everyone else. Maybe the mainstream has yet to fully embrace those in the L.G.B.T.Q.A.+ community and it still has ideals regarding type. That is not to say drag queens in music is anything new. They have been releasing singles for a long time and it has taken a while for music to adapt and allow that sort of passage. As The Guardian’s article explains, there are differences between the drag culture and modern Pop:

“That drag artists are becoming pop stars in their own right is both surprising and inevitable. The art of drag has historically been bound up with the ritualistic practice of lip-syncing, where queens mouth the words to songs by well-known female artists on stage. The simulation aspect – the fact that the songs were not original, but copies of those sung by cisgender women – was essential.

The lip-syncing was a key prism through which the drag queen, the figurehead of gay male oppositional culture, was able to refract gender and highlight its absurdities – the simulation was itself the radical act. The idea of drag queen as a conventional pop star, then, immediately jars – original music is divorced from drag’s historic function”.

It is not the case that all drag queens lip-synch and there have been evolutions. The idea of drag queens penning their own material, performing it live and taking it to the commercial peak seems like a big step. Maybe it will take a few years to assimilate fully but Pop music does need an injection and a change. Maybe it is that feeling that modern music either sounds too processed and fake otherwise it is becoming too downbeat. Many Pop artists, when they try for upbeat sound too machine-like or the songs lack true soul. I do think there are few Pop innovators who are creating fun and genuine Pop bangers that have real depth.

Even a lot of the new breed lack real bravery when it comes to pushing boundaries and being a bit more bold with their subject matter and sounds. Formats like RuPaul’s Drag Race have helped bring about discussion and change and done a lot to bring about awareness of drag in Pop music; the challenges faced by artists and how good the end result can sound. Michael Bronski, professor of gender and sexuality studies at Harvard University, talked about the changing face of drag in The Guardian’s article:

“As drag becomes more and more commercial, it moves further from its roots in gender parody, but as Bronski points out, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is no longer a critique of gender. “It uses drag in a different way,” he says of original music. “They are no longer hiding behind the drag – a copy of a copy – but rather embracing the idea of [fluid] gender. It is neither better nor worse, but profoundly different”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Brazilian Popstar/drag queen, Pabllo Vittar/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Whilst drag queens’ popularity on a lot of streaming services still seems to revolve around comedy and entertainment, formats like RuPaul’s Drag Race have sort of prepared the new generation for the hurdles and realities of music. There is a big difference between the drag circuit and life there and the complexities and promotional duties of modern music. I do not think it is a big leap to imagine drag queens transitioning authentically and being able to bring their talents to Pop music. It is a cliché to suggest drag queens only want to make a particular kind of music. It is not the case that the music would be camp or jokey; many have perpetuated this notion of a drag queen and the fact that it is very niche and not suitable for the mainstream.

IN THIS PHOTO: Drag star and recording artist, Alaska Thunderfuck/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Drag queens do want to make Pop music and there is no reason to suggest the finest of the modern wave could not make the sort of music Ariana Grande, Cardi B or Kacey Musgraves are releasing. Before moving on, I want to bring another extract from The Guardian’s article: relating to homophobia in music and how many are not ready to accept drag queens coming into the forefront:

“As much as we think we’ve progressed, there is a lingering homophobic aversion to the sort of genderfuck that queens represent, and a significant percentage of pop consumers may not benignly embrace a drag persona the same way they did Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce or Katy Perry’s Kathy Beth Terry. The only moderate success of relatively unthreatening stars such as Troye Sivan and Olly Alexander suggests their image is still discomfiting to many; Ariana Grande’s upcoming Manchester Pride appearance suggests we don’t have enough major LGBT stars to fill headline slots. Fully fledged drag queens are likely too much of a shock to the system...

 

To doubt the potential of drag queens as legitimate forces in music would be naive. Some queens are already able to pull in big-name collaborators: Violet Chachki’s Bettie was co-written by Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Monét X Change enlisted songwriter Eritza Laues (of Michael Jackson and Macklemore fame) for Soak It Up. And let’s not forget the Eurovision and Australian Idol success of Conchita Wurst and Courtney Act, respectively, who won the hearts of the public in full drag”.

There have been, as I said, examples of drag queens releasing music - but a lot of this music is not as widely promoted as heteronormative and traditional music. Perhaps it is more common for drag queens to appear in music videos of big artists rather than stepping into the spotlight themselves. Educate yourself regarding the history of drag queens in music and the role they have played. It is debatable whether the music industry is quite accepting and open-minded regarding encouraging drag queens in the mainstream. If Ariana Grande and Madonna have, recently, brought drag queens into their music, I wonder whether it will take more than that before doors are opened. I think perceptions lingering regarding what a drag act would involve. I know shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race are huge but it will not be too long before formats like this are no longer on the screen. One reason why I wanted to write about drag queens is because of the way music is going now.

 IN THIS IMAGE: The iconic and groundbreaking drag queen, Sylvester/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

It is not about adding vitality and fun to music: we need to embrace different cultures and scenes more. Yesterday was International Women’s Day and many men were complaining about the celebration and asking why men do not get their own day – they do but that seems to have passed many by! We are still living in an age where gender-inequality rages and women have to fight for their rights. Again, like gender, race seems to be an issue still and black artists are afforded fewer opportunities than their white peers. There is an active L.G.B.T.Q.+ scene but it is not that visible in the mainstream. I feel a lot of artists are reluctant to embrace who they are and fear the industry is not going to stand behind them. I do feel like music is struggling to bring much fun and energy to the party. If they do then it can sound a little cold and forgettable. Drag queens can bring something new to music and, in a way, help bring about equality for others in music who are overlooked. This Entertainment Weekly piece comes back to the idea of misconception and whether we are willing to accept the traditional drag queen:

“While queer pop artists are just now breaking through publicly by way of Troye Sivan, Halsey, Sam Smith, and Janelle Monáe, the idea of a 6-foot drag queen with a deep male voice isn’t an easy sell to major labels. According to Keith Caulfield, Billboard’s senior director of charts, labels are typically evaluating talent via the standard pop-star mold. “We can maybe market someone who we found on YouTube who has the right look,” he says of the industry’s thinking on the topic, “but what do we do with a drag queen that may not have a really easily digestible Top 40 look?”

Drag queens bring this sense of performance and theatre; there is a vibe and sensation that is lacking from popular music. I do feel that, slowly, the mainstream will open up and start to give greater voice to women, black artists and L.G.B.T.Q.+ artists. It might be a long road but I feel drag queens could find a footing and not be restricted to niche playlists and tastes. Think about the music they have already released and what they bring to music videos and you cannot argue against real inclusion. A lot of modern drag queens want to play in genres like Pop and Rap and bust out of this preconception. They want to/and do address subjects such as gun violence and politics and it is not the case that every drag queen will sound the same. At a time when some of the most promising Pop artists are being maligned because they are not taking enough risks and playing things too safe, I feel drag queens, in many ways, could provide a real antidote. We are a little way from progress in that respect but few can overlook the fact that there are very few bright and interesting Pop moments. The same can be said of most genres: drag queens can bring new perspective and force. Music is at its best and most inspiring when it is eclectic, bold and brilliant and I think, if we change our perceptions regarding drag queens and allow greater assimilation, then we could well see a brave and exciting new...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Blair St. Claire was a contestant in the tenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race/PHOTO CREDIT: Blair St. Clair/Getty Images

FORM of artist.

FEATURE: Before the New Builds and Gentrification: A Glorious Explosion: House Music in the Late-1980s and 1990s

FEATURE:

 

Before the New Builds and Gentrification

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IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

A Glorious Explosion: House Music in the Late-1980s and 1990s

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WE do not really have tribes and factions...

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

in modern music. By that, I mean there are no real standout genres and movements that can galvanise and lead to change. I am looking around modern music and wondering, in such a mass, whether it is possible to find focus and any sort of spark. Maybe there is a thread from modern Pop that can weave a tapestry; perhaps a Rap bang that can lead to explosion; a little sound from Dance that is looking to move to the mainstream. I do not know but, when thinking back, we were spoilt for choice. I wanted to concentrate on House and Trance – the former especially – because, sadly, we said goodbye to The Prodigy’s Keith Flint earlier in the week. It is tragic and desperately sad that we have lost such a big figure in music. I recall discovering the Prodigy, full, by the time their 1997 album, The Fat of the Land, came out. They had created gold up until that point but I felt the 1997 was a more accessible record because of Keith Flint’s vocals. It helped bring Trance to the mainstream and, alongside the usual bouquet of Prodigy sounds (courtesy of their mix-master Liam Howlett), that record has stayed with me. One reason why I am so obsessed with music that came from the late-1980s/early-1990s is because there was risk and dare. It is something I will nod to in a piece I am writing later but listen to the pioneers and big voices from the decade – the fact they still resonate and inspire to this day.

I was only six when the 1990s broke but I recall, vividly, being entranced by the House music that came out during the decade. I have included Spotify’s ultimate collection of 1990s House bangers and, when you scroll down, many of us will sigh fondly having experienced the songs first-hand. Rave and Trance featured into my passion and I think there is not a particularly thick line between them. Maybe Trance and Rave were a bit more club-based and raw whereas House could bring in other genres. There are articles that unearth lost treasures of 1990s House; others that argue there was one defining year: 1998. Jim Poe, in a piece for Junkee, argued the case:

“The larger point is that whole era was amazing and unforgettable, and any given year is part of the tapestry of the whole. Comparing the great records of one year with that of the next lets you see the evolution of the music. Also, going through old records and making lists is fun as hell, and I don’t really need much of an excuse to do the exercise all over again. So here we are.

What was going on in 1998? The New York sound represented by artists like Masters at Work and Kerri Chandler was still the epitome. The French house explosion was at its height and dominated dancefloors worldwide. Chicago and the UK were big as ever. But the global sounds of broken beat, Latin jazz, Afro-house were beginning to transform the music, as was the rapidly consolidating sound of tech and minimal house. In Detroit, Moodymann and Theo Parrish were kicking off their own revolution of raw, uncompromising soulful house”.

I think, because the late-1980s and 1990s was so flexible and open to new movements, we saw so many great tracks emerge. My favourite House track from that time must be Inner City’s Good Life: everything about the movement in one passionate spellbinding cut. I love everything about House and, when you have a look at the Trance music alongside it – both started before the 1990s but hit their peak, I feel, at this time – we had this glorious time for music. The Trance music that arrived from German Techno in the early-1990s incorporated genres like Chill, Pop and Ambient and gave the people something truly immersive and hypnotic. I prefer the House variety because I feel it was the perfect balance of club-bound and chart-friendly. I often associate clubs back in the 1980s/1990s being these places teeming with great House and Trance music; a cathedral for like-minded souls to be liberated and lost. Maybe I am over-romanticising the time – and was too young to be involved in the clubs – but the music from back then, today, still thrills and finds new ears. Whether you love the House of Frankie Knuckles and 808 State or plump for Trance classics from Underworld and ATB, it is music that, at the time, resonated and struck but remains timeless and fresh. I do wonder whether, in terms of progression and zeal, we have taken steps back and things have become too processed.

I know there are offshoots and progeny of House and Trance in modern music. The more electric and sweaty (if that is the right word?) Trance scene shone bright through the 1990s and even into the following decade. There are a few examples of Trance today but it is a very different sound; one that does not have the same thrill and impact of the first bloom. The same can be said of House. I do not even know whether there are any many House acts, let alone in the mainstream – I could name you anyone! I think there is some good stuff in the mainstream but, too often, manufactured Pop and commercial artists are praised and raised above those with a bit more insight and invention. Pop has mutated and evolved and there is, I know, some genuinely great music around. I miss the glory of House and Trance because, in their way, they gave freedom and this incredible expression. The music was so sophisticated in its way but its aim was simple: to provide joy and ecstasy. It definitely did that. I prefer House music myself because I think there is a bit more range and the songs are more accessible to those who are new to the genre. I love the squelchy electronics and the huge beats. Take a House classic such as Black Box’s Ride on Time and the sheer energy it throws out.

I think modern music has definite brilliance but we have become so closed-up and conservative. There is very little at the forefront that has that abandon and sense of sheer pleasure. It is not nostalgia at work here: generations who were a bit too old or young to embrace House in the late-1980s and 1990s love the music because it seems completely ageless. A lot of the best House music reworked material from the 1980s and updated them for the 1990s; some were instrumental whereas you had some anthems with truly incredible vocal performances. There are a lot of great playlists regarding the best House anthems of the 1990s and it worth doing some searching and researching. I do think there is a genuine potential to reignite the House sound of the late-1980s/1990s and bring it to the modern realm. Maybe it will not have the same textures and promise but I do worry we have become a bit too unambitious and serious. I started by asking whether have movements today and if we can truly build some form of revolution. Maybe it will be tricky to form something House/Trance-like in the modern age but there are so many reasons why the best of the late-1980s and 1990s still sounds so good today. Have a listen to the great playlist below and, whether you recall House music from its birth and explosion or are coming to it late, you have to agree...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @axville

IT is pure bliss.

FEATURE: The March Playlist: Vol. 2: As Wishes Go…

FEATURE:

 

The March Playlist

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IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish 

Vol. 2: As Wishes Go…

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MAYBE there are fewer titanic cuts out than last week…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Black Keys/PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch/The Black Keys

but there are some really great track’s in this week’s selection. Billie Eilish, Sigrid and Dave have new material out; The Black Keys and The National have released great songs and the same goes for Sam Fender and The Chemical Brothers – Bananarama and Dido have brought out singles. It is a varied and interesting week where everyone’s tastes will be satisfied. I am always surprised when I see the new releases and what a huge variety is on offer! This week is no different and it is a brilliant selection. Whilst the weather is not great, these tunes will surely put you in a better mood and provide plenty of energy. If you need to kick the weekend off with a bang and memorable selection of songs then you should start your…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sigrid/PHOTO CREDIT: Francesca Allen

SEARCH here.  

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

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Billie Eilish – wish you were gay

The Black Keys – Lo/Hi

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The National – You Had Your Soul with You

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sophie Mayanne for CLASH

Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles

Vampire Weekend (ft. Steve Lacy) – Sunflowers

PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Krug

Cage the Elephant – House of Glass

Richard Hawley – Off My Mind 

PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Palmer

Foals – In Degrees

Sigrid – In Vain

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Dave – Streatham

Dagny, Steve Aoki – Hit Your Heart

Bananarama – Stuff Like That

PHOTO CREDIT: Hamish Brown

The Chemical Brothers – We’ve Got to Try

SOAK - Déjà Vu

GRACEY – Different Things

Kings – Colour

Jinka – Romeo

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PHOTO CREDIT: @ednalugo

Jackie Mendoza – Seahorse

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Haley Reinhart – Honey, There’s the Door

Sabrina Carpenter – Pushing 20

Maren Morris – Gold Love

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Stella Donnelly – Bistro

Khalid – My Bad

Maya B – Dollar to a Diamond

Tierra Whack – Gloria 

Chloe Lilac – Jesus Couldn’t Love Me

Dido – Take You Home

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Juice WRLD – Fast

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Faye Webster – Room Temperature 

Liza Owen – Room Full of Boxes

Bear’s Den – Laurel Wreath

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Maccabee

Sports Team - Get Along

Beth McCarthy – Everything 

allusinlove – All My Love

 

TRACK REVIEW: Dave - Screwface Capital

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Dave

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Screwface Capital

 

9.6/10

 

The track, Screwface Capital, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyoNmOwJvyM

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

GENRE:

Rap

The album, PSYCHODRAMA, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4GrFuXwRmEBJec22p58fsD?si=rEDh1rmuQ6iMwelBfUlwTg

RELEASE DATE:

8th March, 2019

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I do like my Saturday review...

because I get to head into mainstream territory – or artists with a bit more clout – and, on this occasion, review a style of music that I do not get to focus on a lot: Rap. I will talk about the main man Dave in a bit but, before I arrive at his feet, I want to look at British Rap and how it compares to the American style; how, in these fraught times, the most powerful albums of the moment are laying it all out there; London right now and why I am genuinely worried (and what music can do to help); whether there is true equality when it comes to race in the music industry – I will look ahead and see where Dave might head. I am stunned by the sheer quality and passion of 2019’s best music so far. We are only just in March but have already seen albums that could be crowned as the year’s best by the time we get to Christmas. Not only has there been this incredible output by female artists such as Julia Jacklin and Sharon Van Etten but there are these artists shaping up that, well, are taking Rap and Hip-Hop in new directions. Perhaps our two leading names right now, Little Simz and Dave, have both released potential 2019-defining records. I covered Little Simz recently and was blown away by her album, GREY Area. It is an amazing album filled with some of the finest lyrics and most powerful songs you will hear in a very long time! When we talk about women in music and their place, it is flabbergasts me there is not equality and better understand when you consider we have artists such as Little Simz. I have always been a little ho-hum regarding British Rap because, when it comes to power and substance, I remember when artists like The Street came out; when Dizzie Rascal ruled Grime and the invention in their music. Such young artists were producing, on their debut outings, music so rich and full of life they were leagues ahead of the competition.

I like Grime artists like Stormzy but I feel like the genre is not quite as arresting as it once was – at a time like now, we need some sort of response and rise. I feel, right now, British Hip-Hop and Rap are making a charge. I do not think we will ever have the same capacity and strength as the U.S. when it comes to Rap. Look at how they have ruled through the years and we often struggle to come up to their standards. I think Dave represents a new breed of Rap artists who are mixing sonic diversity and ambition with lyrics that cut to the core. Alexis Petridis, in his review of Dave’s album, PSYCHODRAMA, felt it was a bold and landmark accomplishment. I have listened to the album – and cannot do it full justice with a brief bit about each song – and I can get behind that assumption. What amazes me about rappers like Dave – and Little Simz for that matter – is how they can talk about such important and controversial subjects like race and have to shout against it. There is a more complex and eye-opening sound coming from these artists – I think British Rap has struggled a bit the past few years. Dave looks at racial identity and he, on his record, examines why people have a problem with black artists talking about their race; why there is institutionalised racism and what problems we need to address. He also tackles issue in his community and is aware that there is not only a problem with ignorance and race – we are seeing such hatred and division in estates and communities that we cannot control the surge of violence and offence. I think our sound is a little different to the U.S. when it comes to theme and composition. It is hard to identity but I think our Rap music cuts deeper and has greater nuance. Maybe I am bias but I amazed by how hard-grafting Rap artists in the U.K. are. Many self-release singles and put collaborators in the mix; they pound the promotional circuit and work endlessly to get their music to the masses. I guess many artists do that but I think Rap artists have to work harder to get their voices heard in a scene that is still dominated by generic Pop.

There are many reasons why Dave’s album is turning heads and seen as this revelatory thing. I think our nation, right now, is more tense that it has been in living memory. In terms of the political mess we find ourselves in, many wonder whether this country will ever be the same and what our place in the world is. Where is the U.K. going to be in a few weeks and months? What will become of the Brexit horror and how will this affect us in the long-term? There are some big questions to be answered and, alongside that, we are seeing a rise in knife-related deaths – I shall come to that later. I think the reason why 2019 is already shining brought is because there is an honesty and real sense of ambition. Whether it is the openhearted and emotionally-raw albums we have already heard from Julia Jacklin and the eclectic brilliance of Self Esteem; the best and brightest albums of this year have laid so much out there and not flinched away from being pretty raw. That might sound like something that would cause one to run and look elsewhere but I feel it is a reaction to the fast-forward, skip-a-track culture of modern society. We have all these amazing artists out there but so many people are handpicking tracks and not investing in records. Little Simz and Dave, as spokespeople for Britain and the biggest voices we have, are making sure people focus and are gripped. Dave can throw together quite bleak tracks and longer numbers and you do not want to turn away. Maybe, on paper, it sounds like a recipe for commercial disaster but his songs, like his best peers, do not shirk responsibility and are self-aware and hugely eye-opening. I mentioned, when reviewing Post-Punk bands like IDLES, how it is great bands can stray away from commercial and cliché themes to actually take the country to task.

There is still a risk and hesitancy in Pop when it comes to being brave and speaking about what life, beyond love, is actually like. The news presents, for the most part, the facts but it can be pretty grim watching. I look to music for escapism but I also want to see artists who are bold enough to talk about this country and what matters to us – and not hide like politicians do, mired in lies and subterfuge. Dave is one of these artists who can turn the spotlight on himself and be honest about his shortcomings but also is keen to purely and openly document a lot of things we hear about on the news; he does it in a way that is much more luminous, cinematic and hugely memorable. I have mentioned race and how Rap artists like Dave are tackling it. The racial spectrum is broader than ‘black’ and ‘white’ and many people are pretty uncomfortable when they hear a black artist discuss their identity and what it is to be black. How often do we hear such songs that take this approach and keep a cool head? Dave and his peers have faced discrimination and ignorance all their lives and, through music, they are challenging racial prejudice and a lack of understanding. The music that will inspire, last through the ages and stay in the heart is that which grabs your mind and gets into the soul. On PSYCHODRAMA, Dave gets under the skin because of how honesty and fearless he is. One of the other pleasing aspects of the album is how he manages to balance the serious and weighty songs with spoken passages and this sense of concept. Whether you see the concept as being about race and violence in the nation or something more personal, it is not a normal album: ten tracks, a few big hits and nothing much past that. PSYCHODRAMA is an album for modern times; for a Britain that needs to open it eyes and take action – leaders like Dave are challenging those who turn a blind eye and those who do too little.

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There is a lot of soul-searching on the album and some less serious moments – Dave, on Screwface Capital (which is the track I will review soon) starts by boasting about his sexual prowess. The reason, actually, why I want to address that track and not something more political and potent is because it shows another side to an album: PSYCHODRAMA can mix traditional Rap and Hip-Hop codas (a sense of boast and sexual confidence) with its awareness of things like race, violence and society’s ills. One other reason why I think British Rap is at its peak right now is because it is reacting to the spate of knife deaths we are seeing right now. Every genre can talk about it but there is something about Rap that makes the words sound purer and more urgent. Think about this year and how many knife-related deaths we have seen. This report shows how knife crime has risen and why we need to take action. It seems like every day brings news of a young person being stabbed to death. What is the reason for these crimes? Is it gang-related and a sense of dislocation in communities? Are these deaths related to random violence and a sense of displacement or are they are a reaction to the way the country is divided and how many are not listened to. It is a complex brew and I cannot claim to have the answer. In many cases, I get the sense many of these attackers are struggling to find education and work and they are isolated. That is no excuse but our Government are not aware of the realities in poorer communities; areas where violence is a staple. The statistics make for grim reading and I fear there is no end in sight when it comes to these deaths. Knife crime is, of course, not just a black problem – many get the impression it is and do not read the facts. The after-effect of this assumption is a lot of stop-and-searches being carried out on black youths. It is a real mess right now and banning knives – or offering tough sentences for those carrying them – is not an easy thing to achieve.

I am worried about the country as a whole at the moment but I am especially concerned about London and what is happening in the capital. One can say there is more inter-gang rivalry and hatred but I do not think one can blame gangs and disenfranchised youngsters entirely. As we have seen recently, there are random attacks that take innocent lives – look at Jodie Chesney’s case and how, as she was relaxing with a friend in a park, she was stabbed in the back for no reason whatsoever. It is a bad time for the nation and, like gun crime in the U.S., it is hard to police and rationalise. This takes me back to artists in Rap and how, in a way, they are providing a bigger voice that many politicians. Dave does address knife crime in PSYSHODRAMA and, on the final track, Drama, he has this phone conversation lauding his success but the person we hear speaking is the rapper’s brother – he is calling from prison where he is serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of Sofyen Belamouadden in 2010. On tracks like this, the pain of losing a sibling in such a manner has caused emotional torment. Dave has been directly hit by knife violence and the personal aspect gives that track such weight and conviction. It is worrying times right now but I do feel that music is playing its part. Maybe it will not help reduce knife-related deaths but I think a lot of these youngsters who carry out such heinous attacks listen to artists like Dave and respect what they say. In many ways, the message put out on albums like PSYCHODRAMA act as a stark remind what knife crime can do to a family and how they can tear people apart. It is a horrible time but I am pleased we are seeing such immense and staggering albums from the likes of Dave. It is remarkable to see someone so young sound so assured and accomplished this early in his career.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Fisk for The Observer

I will conclude in a bit but I have talked about race and misconceptions in society. Many people think as ‘black’ as being singular and narrow. There is, as I said, a racial spectrum and the nature of being black is complex. Artists need to address this and strike against those who judge them and overlook them. I think there is still a problem in music where black artists are not given as much attention as they should. We cannot ignore what artists here such as Dave and Little Simz are putting out; what Solange and Cardi B are doing in the U.S. Look at big festivals and it is only now where we are starting to see evolution regarding black artists being booked. I feel there is a way to go but many assume that the best music from black artists is restricted to certain genres. There is a lot of stereotyping and ignorance and it is important we have conversations and change perceptions. Dave tackles race and judgement but it should not be solely down to artists to do this: everyone has their part and I think we need to all be more responsible and aware. I wonder whether the big reviews PSYCHODRAMA is courting right now will translate to headline slots in the future and more focus. It might be too late for Dave to get a big Glastonbury slot but, as Stormzy is one of the headliners this year, surely Dave’s name must be in the hat for 2020?! I look around at festivals and still see too many white faces; there is this gender imbalance and I do feel that black artists are not getting their voices heard. These are changing times and, to me, the best and most important music being made right now is coming from British Rap. Artists like Dave and Little Simz are releasing albums so powerful and important. We cannot ignore their voices and, in a larger sense, we need to look at the way black artists are perceived and whether there is true parity – I do not think there is.

I wanted to highlight Screwface Capital because it seems like a bit of a departure to the rest of PSYCHODRAMA’s songs – in terms of themes and composition. The song opens with some gentle piano work and some background voices. I am not usually a fan of processed, machine-fed vocal effects but they work here. Dave comes to the microphone and, if he were backed by beats and heat after the tender beginning then it might sound a bit jarring and misguided. Instead, the vocal is definitely top of the mix and there is very little intrusion. It gives us the chance to concentrate on the lyrics and the brilliant delivery. Dave talks about wealth and a certain lifestyle that he has enjoyed. Maybe there is a lot of fact in the words but I sense there is a bit of fantasy mixed into the pot. We hear about eating out and having this great life. I feel a lot of the worst Rap can be quite lazy when it comes to language and wordplay but Dave’s penmanship and style is incredible. He does not need to aggressively deliver the words: you are captured by intelligence and originality of his thoughts. Dave’s location changes quicker than the gears on a Porsche Cayman – see what I mean about his wordplay?! – and I get the sense of this bold and confident young man revelling. The song switches between a sense of anxiety and a definite confidence. On other songs, Dave talks about crime and hatred; a need to find some common voice and stop the madness. Here, he is aware of sharks and dangers at the door; the way fear is never too far away but we get an insight into his personal boasts. Maybe it is a trope one more commonly attached to Rap: sexual prowess and a sense of braggadocio. Dave is never puerile and offensive when he talks of conquests. There is a naturalness to his words and, although wonders why the girl – his latest conquest – is still in his flat, I feel the slightly urgent and aggressive tone is less about coldness and more about nerves and fear.

In many ways, Dave is trying to live a normal life and have fun but he knows that there is a dark beat and pulse that threatens to derail things. Whether that is violence outside his door or a sense of never being safe, Screwface Capital is more complex than one might assume. There is, as I say, little accompaniment and anger from the composition. A lot of Rap relies on beefy beats and drive but Dave lets his voice guide the song and, when talking about him and his friends being hassled and not feeling safe, it instantly switches from the bedroom to the streets. Because of the violence in the ends, there is debate and confrontation at the gates; his mates are fearful of going to the shops or hopping the bus because of what could await them. Dave sees a lot of violence and waste around him but he is turning these curses and losses into lessons and blessings. There is this cold realisation that things are bad but he is not walking down that path. Composition dips in and out. At one moment, you just hear Dave’s voice – which gives the song a stark focus and sobering tone – and then it swoops in. There is a real physical sense and tangible scent that transports you into the song. Dave is not resting and, more and more, his focus is on sex and conquest. Maybe this is to distract him from the horror around him but there is this signal we have a bold young man who is aware of his assets and is not exactly modest. It is good to see this against the starker and more frightening words. Dave has starved himself to make ends meet; he has kept his siblings safe and lived in Streatham – somewhere that features on other moments on PSYCHODRAMA. Many people do not know the realities of his life and have not gone through the same things.

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Dave talks about his childhood and losing his dad young; his mum not being able to take the stress – there is this personal revelation against the sexual side. Words sombre and stark weave around boasts and this sense of confidence; almost without a signal of warning and pause for breath. Screwface Capital is an amazing track that sort of tails out in terms of lyrics and ends with a beautiful, calming refrain. It is almost like exhaustion and violence has got the better of him and he has no more words to say. The pace and flow of the song packs in a lot of words and you get this really vivid and packed story in a short time. I listen back to the song and new aspects come to life. Many might think of Screwface Capital as a track about sexual success and sowing seeds; others might look at it as a very raw and personal song. There is a bit of both in the song but it so much richer and deep than that. You almost get the life story of Dave and how he has seen family crumble and had to face violence in the streets – as well as pleasure between the sheets. It is a wonderfully diverse song that packs a punch and delivers potent messages. Other tracks on PSYCHODRAMA are more ambitious and big but this is a fantastic track that attracted my eye. I love the fact we get this ending coda that leaves the lyrics behind. Few can deny, after one listen of Screwface Capital, that Dave is one of the best rappers and lyricists we have right now. He never wastes a word and his language is incredible. You need to listen to his songs a few times through before everyone reveals itself but, when it does, the effect is profound indeed. If you have not discovered Dave or given his music a go then you really need to. In a sea of manufactured artists and meaningless words, here is an artist with a lot to say – and he makes sure every word strikes and hits its mark!

Dave is taking PSYCHODRAMA on the road and some dates are already sold-out. Check out his social media channels and, if you can, go and see him live. The album might sound incredible through your headphones but it steps up a whole new level when delivered from the stage. I concentrated on a single track because I do not feel it right to give a few words about each track without focusing in. PSYCHODRAMA has collected some incredible reviews so far and I would not be shocked if it was named the best album of 2019 later in the year. The eleven tracks are all essential and there are some truly ambitious and long numbers – Lesley (ft. Ruelle) is over eleven minutes. There are a few collaborations (including J Hus) but it is Dave’s vision and voice that shines hardest. This album is a true revelation and sign that Dave is on a golden path. I know many will catch him tour and it makes me wonder where he will head next. Dave has put out singles and E.P.s previous to PSYCHODRAMA but this is his debut album. There has been a lot of anticipation and build and Dave has exceeded expectations! There is a lot of pressure to top a successful album and deliver a quick turnaround but Dave will be busy touring and will not want to rush a sophomore record. He is one of the most important voices in British music right now and I cannot wait to see where he heads next. It is a big time for him and he has delivered an album that will stop many in their tracks. It is very much an album for modern Britain when it comes to its declarations, confessions and questions but, in many ways, it is a personal record that comes from Dave’s heart. I cannot do it mere justice with the words I have written so I would urge people to listen to it as soon as they can. It is a remarkable achievement from a singular talent. Many might be new to Dave – his rather Google-unfriendly and ordinary name does not do him justice! – but that will all change. It might be reckless to declare an album like PSYCHODRAMA as a possible album-of-the-year frontrunner but, like Little Simz’s GREY Area, you cannot deny the genius. In any case, London’s Dave is releasing the sort of music that will be...

TALKED about for years.

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Follow Dave

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INTERVIEW: Frances Mayhew (Fundraising and Development Manager) Caroline McNamara (Programme and Venue Manager) and Emma Stell (Marketing and Community Coordination) of Union Chapel

INTERVIEW:

IN THIS PHOTO: Union Chapel, London/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniela Sbrisny  

Frances Mayhew (Fundraising and Development Manager) Caroline McNamara (Programme and Venue Manager) and Emma Stell (Marketing and Community Coordination) of Union Chapel

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TO round off this International Women’s Day...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Caroline McNamara

I have been speaking with Frances Mayhew (Fundraising and Development Manager) Caroline McNamara (Programme and Venue Manager) and Emma Stell (Marketing and Community Coordination) of Union Chapel. I was eager to know how they became involved with the venue and what plans are in place for this year; which gigs they see as the finest there – I ask how Union Chapel keeps growing whilst other London venues are struggling.

I ask them whether is unusual, even in 2019, to see a big venue run by women; which artists (new or established) they recommend we check out and tell me whether, in their opinions, we are closer to equality in the music industry.

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

Frances: Good! Busy with some great events and Caroline has been at The International Live Music Conference.

How are you ‘enjoying’ this spring weather? Do you find more people come to a music venue when the weather is a bit less calm?

Emma: Well. I don’t know about that – January and August are our quietest times but they are complete opposite ends of the weather spectrum!

Frances, Caroline and Emma. How did you all become involved with Union Chapel?

Emma: I started here as an intern seven years ago and have not left...

Caroline: I’m the newest of us; I’ve been here just under a year. I came from a background in venues including the O2, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena and was really drawn to such a special, intimate venue.

Frances: I’ve been here two years and I’m from a background in fundraising for historic venues including Wilton’s Music Hall - I was really drawn to Union Chapel by its magnificent architecture.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Daniela Sbrisny

Can you describe what you do and what your roles entail?

Emma: I manage marketing and comms here – so that means being on top of all the events that are going on sale; coordinating our newsletters, socials and printed materials. I also help support the fundraising efforts and other organisations based here: Union Chapel Church and The Margins Project for those facing homelessness and crisis.

Caroline: I’m The Head of Programme and Venue Management – that means that I’m shaping our programme of 250 events a year. I’m always looking to bring exciting, popular and innovative events here.

Frances: I am Head of Fundraising and Development. We’re at the beginning of an exciting, £1.8 million capital and community development phase called Sunday School Stories – which aims to create a new space for events and community use at the Chapel.

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IN THIS IMAGE: The 2018 line-up for Organ Reframed/IMAGE CREDIT: Union Chapel

How do you think the Union Chapel differs from other venues in terms of its atmosphere and design?

Caroline: Well. Union Chapel was built for the human voice. The whole thing was designed so that everyone could see and hear the minister in the pulpit but also so the minister could see and hear everyone in the Chapel. This means that we have a space with great sightlines and really wonderful acoustics – all of which helps the audience feel really close to the artist on stage. It’s a proper listening environment and sometimes, with 900 people in there, sometimes I think you could still hear a pin drop.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Frances Mayhew

It is unusual to see a music venue run by women – there are some but not too many. Do you think this will change soon enough? What does the music industry need to do?

Caroline: Well, we certainly hope so! The music industry has a long way to go to reflect more fully the diversity of its audiences and that will only make it stronger. Like every industry, they need to be open to new ways of doing things.

We are celebrating International Women’s Day today. Do you feel we are closer to gender equality or is there still a long way to go?

Frances: There’s a way to go – but it’s great to see so much momentum for change currently.

I guess you have seen some great gigs over time! Which ones stand in your minds?

Emma: For me, Low for Organ Reframed in 2017; they wrote a new piece for our organ which was epic. It’s such a powerful instrument and the way they used it blew me away.

Caroline: Mavis Staples! She brings such warmth to her performances. She has been here a few times and seems to really love the Chapel. In fact, she described it as the best place to sing in the world! She’s just released a live album of her 2018 gig which I have been playing on loop.

Frances: I’d have to say London Contemporary Voices – which was actually voted best Union Chapel gig of 2018, so I know I am in good company! Their gig celebrated female artists and composers to coincide with 100 years of votes for women. They also had some really special guests including Charlotte Church, Jesca Hoop; Maya Youssef, Deepa Nair Rasiya and KÁRYYN. It was such an uplifting evening.

If anyone else wanted to work for a music venue or get involved with coordination/management, what would you advise them?

Caroline: Get all the experience you can – a lot of skills are really transferable so, even if you start with other kinds of events or really small gigs, it super-relevant.

Can you reveal whether there are any future gigs or events we need to go and see?

Emma: Oh, goodness. I’m quite excited about Emmy the Great - who goes on-sale this morning (8th March).

Caroline: ...And if you haven’t seen Backyard Cinema’s Romeo + Juliett yet, DO! It’s just heartbreakingly romantic on the big screen in the Chapel and they are back in August.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Emma Stell

Are there any developments or plans for Union Chapel for the rest of 2019 in terms of build and new features?

Frances: Well. The Sunday School Hall is the next big project and it’s so exciting. The Hall itself is a lovely space that will hold about 200 people so it’s got real potential for events and community activities. But, it’s currently barely holding together. It needs a new roof, new floors and heating so first we need to fundraise for it. We got a huge boost before Christmas with a successful Crowdfund London Campaign - but there’s still a long way to go.

A lot of venues in London have closed recently. Why do you think Union Chapel has survived and continues to grow?!

Caroline: The support of our community really helps and is very important to us.

Is it true the venue was threatened with demolition? How as that averted?

Frances: Yes. It was scheduled for demolition in 1981 but local residents campaigned and saved it. At that point, the congregation decided to find a way of opening it up to people beyond the regular services and slowly the idea of doing events here began to take off with the venue launching in 1991.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Guildhall Saxophone Ensemble (as part of Daylight Music)/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Hudson

Are there any new artists/musicians you recommend we check out?

Emma: A great place to come for that is Daylight Music (Saturday lunch time pay-what-you-can gigs here). They have some great performers. I’ve been really enjoying The Distant Voices Project recently, which brings together some of Scotland’s most acclaimed songwriters with people who have first-hand experience of the criminal justice system. The album is great and I’m really looking forward to seeing them here on 16th March.

Do you all get much time to relax away from music and your careers? How do you unwind?

Caroline: Go to gigs and contribute to a weekly show on Soho radio – all a bit of a busman’s holiday you might say!

Frances: I run and love to go to the theatre.

Emma: ...And I eat a bit too much cake!

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).

Emma: Anna Calvi - Don’t Beat The Girl Out of My Boy

 

Caroline: Mavis Staples’ version of Slippery People live at Union Chapel

Frances: Émigré by Alela Diane, please

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Follow Union Chapel

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INTERVIEW: Vanessa Forero

INTERVIEW:

Vanessa Forero

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I am pleased I get to speak with Vanessa Forero...

again and see what she is up to. She is in Colombia right now so has been talking about that and whether she will be back in the U.K. soon; what the story is regarding her new single, Pablo Escobar, and how the amazing video came together – she highlights a rising act to check out.

I ask whether she gets time to unwind outside of music and which three albums are important to her; if there are going to be any tour dates and whether Forero has any standout memories from her career – she picks a rather cool song to end things with.

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

Hi, Sam! Great to speak with you again. I’m good, thanks. Currently doing admin in a tree house whist drinking the juice of the fruits of the tree next to me! The papayuela fruit!

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

Sure! I’m a happy, little; curious, British-Colombian music-making chicka who sounds like…erm…me and I’m not sure who else…! Not helping for a reference here! But, it’s song-based, English words dressed in Colombian, folkloric instruments; inspired by energy…ranging from aggression to the mystical to the sensual.

All the human colours!

Pablo Escobar is your new single. What was the reason for focusing on Escobar through song?

Cliché to say, but it all came in dream! I’ll spare you the dream details but, basically, the next morning I set to completing the story-lyrics behind the tune and through that I got to research and learn about a man I’d only really heard the name of. So, the reason began with curiosity and obedience to inspiration - which came in a dream asking to be born into this dimension; then it became an education and later a message…which you’ll see at the end of the music video.

The animated video was made alongside Malky Currie. How much direction and say did you get regarding the video?

As always with Malky, we did a lot of throwing mud and colours and illustration styles at the wall together initially; then he made a storyboard to sync with the story-lyrics and, because he’s full of creative ideas, he did that in a really creative way - and then we just guided it along together till it got to a place we both loved. This was actually Malky’s first animation, can you believe it!

Your E.P., Fuego, is coming soon. What are the main themes you address on the E.P.?

Well. ‘Fuego’ = fire in Spanish, which is the main theme. Being that it was a regular lyrical metaphor in the songs, but also it was a real energy thread in most of the songs too; whether it’s fire’s aggressive side, sensual side or its uplifting ‘revving up your inner-fires’-type of side. 

In terms of compositions and sound, how does it differ from your previous work?

I kept to my ‘no-drum kit’ rule…which makes space for loads of native percussion, shakers; seeds, tribal drums etc. and, in this record, that side is way more evident. It’s all wilder and tribal! For me, I really feel I clicked in my own pocket with this one. It’s definitely more mature, with more energy, wildness; uniqueness, darkness and fierce womanly-ness.

Having Colombian roots, how important is the country and its culture regarding your approach to music and experimentation?

It’s probably been more of a way to limit my curiosity. Because I adore making all styles of music which, luckily, I get to do for the media music job but, since I decided this side of my music would be a personal ‘scoring of myself’…‘Vanessa’ is the movie I’m scoring; then the Colombian side is a big cultural and spiritual ingredient. Besides, the instruments here are so interesting to my ears than the drums, bass and guitar line-up I’ve heard so much of.

Problem is, I can’t really play them as they’re meant to be played, which I think helps in making something unique at least! Colombian instruments played by British fingers but through a Colombian spirit! I’m confused.

You are based in Brighton. How important is the place and people to you when it comes to music?

Well. All my stuff is back there but I got stuck here in Colombia! Six months in…I really should head back soon. I miss my instruments and definitely the friends and music community there, which has been a huge support. With gigs on every corner, every night with no pretentiousness, it's just a great place to simply play for the joy of it. And, along the way, happen to get better as you do. I’m very grateful to that music family back there: great listeners, lovers and supporters of original music.

Do you have a standout memory from your time in music so far?

So many! I feel grateful to have done the flashy stuff like live videos and a big gig at Abbey Road Studios to being interviewed by a major T.V. show here in Colombia. But my favourite personal moments are always the littler ones. The moment the song and production just clicks in the small, dark hours. Or maybe the gig that me and my ‘feather girls’ did to test the new record songs.

It was expected to be a quiet Thursday night at the local pub but, when we opened the doors, it was a packed-out house of fierce listeners, which totally encouraged us to the roof with the new material we’d kept just to ourselves. A great memory for us wildcats!

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

Oh, my. Shameful confession is that I’m so bad at listening to music; I spend so much time making it that, when I’m done in the studio, I just rather listen to the ocean, the trees or an Oprah podcast! But, ok…I’ll try. I’ll say Nick Drake’s Pink Moon for the fragrance around the house; any alt-J record for impressing my brain with their creativity and Colombia’s Toto La Momposina for hearing power, fire and soul come out of a woman.

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

I feel like I should say an artist that would suit my current style - of which I’m still not sure how to label - but I’m gonna say Tori Amos because I just adore her and I think she’d help make it a wild, musical fem-fest!

Might we see you on tour in 2019?

Well. My head wants to plan a summer tour back in Europe, but I like to ride with the wind and, so far, it’s kept me here for six months and counting! I’d like to but, right now, I’m just starting a new record with a well-known producer here in Colombia, Richard Blair, ho’s also a very good friend so, when that’s recorded at end of spring, I’ll hopefully feel the space to return and tour the new record with my feather girls. I’ll let you know!

Bloody wind hippy.

How important is performing? Do you prefer it to life in the studio?

Oh, yes. The studio is my nest: I’m most natural there. Performing costs me but I know it’s an essential part of music. Being that it’s a communicative art! But, I heard Kate Bush and Bowie felt the same so I don’t feel too bad about that. I eventually have fun when I pass the threshold of singing out that first line. Classic introvert problems! 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Arghh, again, lame music listener! I’d make a terrible D.J. So I’m going to big-up my Brighton punk boy pals The Damn Shebang! Check 'em out.

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

I’m trying to more these days - not been balanced there in the past. So, I’m a recovering music-making obsesser, turned more human through the power of: nut milk! Haha. Coconut milk, almond; hazelnut or a mix. I love it! Also, I’m trying to write the sequel book to one I wrote years ago on my mum’s life but, so far…I just keep making nut milk!

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).

I’d love people to hear Chambacú by Toto La Momposina please, Sam! Thanks for the great questions, as always, and for having me on! Hugs to all from my tree house!

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Follow Vanessa Forero

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Kari Faux 

An All-Female, Spring-Ready Playlist (Vol. II)

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EVEN though the weather...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tayla Parx

is turning cooler and is not really as warm as we’d hope, it is now spring and we get to walk to work in the light! It is a lot lighter and there have been some warm days. It is a lot nicer than it was a few weeks ago so I guess that is all good! Whilst we look forward to better weather to come, I have been thinking about all the wonderful female artists out there. It is International Women’s Day today so it is a great time to celebrate the great women in music. I have chosen a selection of new songs that showcase what talent there is out there. I hope there is something in the list that takes your fancy and, at the very least, one cannot argue against the eclectic variety of sounds. On this special day, it is a chance to nod to women in music and...                                                                                                                       

IN THIS PHOTO: Stella Donnelly

THE amazing work they do.

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

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Lisa Luxx – Girl Gang

Lyrah – Don’t Make Me

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Lexytron – Brand New

SÔNGE – Crepuscule des Dieux

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Kara Marni – You Might Need Somebody

Ava Max – So Am I

PHOTO CREDIT: Chloe Horseman

Faye Webster – Room Temperature

Chloe Lilac – Jesus Couldn’t Love Me

Tayla Parx – I Want You

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Stella Donnelly – Allergies

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Charlotte OC – Boyfriend

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Call Me Loop – Silly Boy

Nadia Rose – Airplane Mode

HAVVK – If I Don’t Tell You

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PHOTO CREDIT: Elliott Mckee

Alex Phoebe Lou – Galaxies

Girl Crush – Blame Girls

PHOTO CREDIT: @abaxley/Unsplash

SASAMI – Not the Time

Chelsea Effect – Tinseltown

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PHOTO CREDIT: @kellyranko

Indian Queens – Walk

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PHOTO CREDIT: Nell Tomalin Sherman 

R E L – Back to the River

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Butcher & the Florist – Ordinary Love

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PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Porter

Peakes – Hole in the Floor

PHOTO CREDIT: Henry Harrington

Bad Honey – Weak When You’re Near

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Kari Faux – MEDICATED

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Baker Grace – Numb

FEATURE: Perfect Exposure: The Women Adding Their Incredible Voices to T.V. and Film Evolution

FEATURE:

 

Perfect Exposure

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IN THIS PHOTO: Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Scanlon for Glamour  

The Women Adding Their Incredible Voices to T.V. and Film Evolution

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THIS is unique for me for a number of reasons.

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 IN THIS IMAGE: (clockwise from top left): Kimberly Peirce, Lisa Cholodenko; Mimi Leder and Catherine Hardwicke/IMAGE CREDIT: The Guardian/COMPOSITE: Reuters/Alamy/Rex/Getty Images

My blog is, as you’d hope, dedicated to talk about music but, as it is called Music Musings and Such, I think that last word allows me some flexibility. As tomorrow is International Women’s Day, I wanted to add to the conversation regarding women in the media. Specifically, I am compelled by film and T.V. and how, in 2019, some of the finest work is being made by women. It should come as no shock: we have always seen fantastic and innovative women produce sublime work but, now more than ever, I think their voice is key. I think there are big movements and shifts happening in T.V., even if there is not the same gender-recognition for women as there is for the men. The film world has a long way to go until there is actual parity. Consider the new film, Captain Marvel, and the fact it stars Brie Larson as the heroine. The film industry has promoted and idolised sirens, screen queens and legends for decades – the days of Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow owning cinema and winning hearts seems an awful long time ago. There is still a lot of debate regarding equal pay and the fact that, in most cases, there is this big divide. Many were excited regarding Larson’s appearance and how it marks a rarity: a woman leading a superhero film.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Brie Larson/PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter/@MARGOTSLEVI

Some reviews have been glowing but, as the BBC outlines in this article, not everyone has been so receptive:

"The picture is not dull, exactly, just mundane," writes Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter.

In a review headed with the words "It's no Black Panther", he accuses Captain Marvel of "unimaginative plotting, cut-rate villains [and] a bland visual style."

Screen Daily's Tim Grierson expresses similar reservations, calling the film "fun and breezy but also a tad familiar" and its action sequences "sturdy but unspectacular".

Directed by indie film-making duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel is the 21st instalment in the series of Marvel blockbusters that began with 2008's Iron Man.

Only one of its predecessors, last year's Ant-Man and the Wasp, has had a female superhero as a title character.

The Telegraph's Robbie Collin is not alone in remarking that 2017's Wonder Woman - made by rival company DC Entertainment - "beat it to the punch" in having a female superhero as its main protagonist.

Yet Empire's Helen O'Hara - one of the few female critics to review the film - still regards it as an "essential... feminist fable" that "delivers in a more satisfying way than almost any other superhero film of recent years".

There is a lot of love for Larson’s central performance and the nuances she brings to the role. Maybe this is this perception that, regardless how a female hero is framed, they are not as bold and complex as male characters.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Favourite co-stars Emma Stone (left) and Olivia Colman (right) at the Palm Springs Film Festival/PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock

Perhaps there is still this adaption and a need to push the female superhero away from the merely perfunctory and into a fully-rounded and inspiring figure. I think films like Wonder Woman, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel are vital at a time when gender roles and equality and being spoken about more vociferously and passionately than ever before. I think actors like Brie Larson are leading a charge and helping evolve cinema. It seems like, in many ways, the notion of a woman as a heroic and bold lead has taken a step back. I mentioned a few screen icons: back at a golden time when, in a way, these female role models were the superheroes of their day. I love the fact the once-male-dominated genre/area of cinema is seeing positive change and, when directors and writers can craft a truly compelling and unique script that makes the female lead stand out then I think we will see a revolution. Actors like Larson are showing that woman can be seen as these superhero figures and so not have to be restricted. I think, in the next or two, we will see more franchises and films developing the role of woman-as-a-superhero and there will be these incredible role models for girls and young women. All throughout cinema, there are fantastic women turning out these eye-opening and truly spellbinding performances – look at recent Oscar-winning Olivia Colman in The Favourite and you can see what I mean! I will follow this thought with a look at why female writers and directors are, to me, standing out in T.V. – I wanted to look at female directors in film.

There are countless affirmative, complex and truly stunning performances from women in film but, as I said, the discussion regarding pay equality is no closer to resolution. There are brilliant female directors right now that, at the major award ceremonies, are not being recognised. This article, from January, reacted to the Oscar nominations and how many women were missed out:

 “Taking an unfortunate cue from the Golden Globes, this morning’s Oscar nominations arrived with nary a nomination for a female filmmaker in the Best Director category or a nod for a female-directed film in the Best Picture category. While few female directors managed to break through the noise of Oscars buzz in the run-up to the nomination announcement, a number of female filmmakers have already earned major awards buzz this season, including Debra Granik, Tamara Jenkins, and Lynne Ramsay, who all earned Best Director nods from the Indie Spirit Awards, which takes place the day before the Academy Awards.

On the screenplay side, only two female writers were nominated, including filmmaker Nicole Holofcener for her work on “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” (alongside Jeff Whitty) and Deborah Davis for “The Favourite” (shared with Tony McNamara).

At least the short film categories provide a glimpse into a possible future for female filmmakers: Rayka Zehtabchi was nominated for her documentary “Period. End of Sentence.,” Marianne Farley earned a live-action nomination for “Marguerite,” while Alison Snowden got a nod for her co-directed animated short “Animal Behaviour,” as did Domee Shi for “Bao” and Louise Bagnall for her “Late Afternoon.”

Only one woman has ever won Best Director at the Oscars: Kathryn Bigelow, for 2009’s “The Hurt Locker,” which also won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. After Bigelow’s big win, no female directors were even nominated in the category until last year, when Greta Gerwig was nominated for her feature directorial debut “Lady Bird.” She ultimately lost out to Guillermo del Toro for his Best Picture winner “The Shape of Water”

Maybe there have been steps regarding racial recognition – there were more black winners at this year’s Oscars than previous years – but the inspiring female directors who warrant acclaim are, largely being overlooked. It is good there is some change and, at the very least, short films with female directors are being recognised. There are articles like this and this that are directing us to superb female filmmakers but there is still a long way to go. This fascinating piece from The Guardian spotlighted this female cinema prison – being shut out and ostracised in favour of male directors. Mimi Leder – who directed On the Basis of Sex – has faced this:

“On the Basis of Sex has been referred to as Ginsburg’s “superhero origin story”. With Leder, however, things were not so straightforward. This is her first movie for nearly 20 years. Like a great many female directors, she found herself prematurely and unfairly shut out of an overwhelmingly male-dominated Hollywood. But, like a great many female directors, she is now returning.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mimi Leder (photo date unknown) is regarded as one of the finest female directors ever/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

For women, though, movie jail can be a life sentence. You could fill a whole prison wing with similar cases to Leder’s, women whose careers got off to a bright start, only to somehow falter. But the prison breakout seems to be gaining momentum. Another escapee is on the loose right now: Karyn Kusama, who has returned with Destroyer, starring Nicole Kidman as a ravaged, world-weary, antisocial detective. Destroyer is a superior Los Angeles thriller in the hard-boiled, neo-noir tradition, but Kidman’s character is no gender-swapped male gumshoe: she carries the guilt of being a terrible mother, for one thing. And when was the last time Philip Marlowe had to give someone a hand job in exchange for information?

 

According to the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, of the top 1,100 Hollywood films from 2007 to 2017, a mere 53 were directed by women. That’s a lamentable 4%. And almost all of these women only made one movie (the exact figure is 84%, compared with 55% of men)”.

The good news is that a lot of these once-ignored female directors are stepping back behind the camera and are leading a fresh wave – if only Hollywood and voting academies get up to speed and play their part! Big actors like Nicole Kidman have vowed to work with more female directors and raise their profile. Not that this needs be done because, as any film fan will tell you, a lot of female directors are being shut out. There is cause for celebration as a lot of female directors are producing great work and it can only be a matter of time before their talent is recognised. We know that the gender pay gap is pretty scandalous but, again, strong women speaking out and the fact we have seen some truly magnificent screen performances recently means the conversation must happen – there needs to be parity and progression regarding pay and why men are still raking in more. Even box office lure aside, the divide is still too vast. The film industry is a huge one and it may take a while before all the brilliant female directors, producers and stars find equal footing regarding awards, pay and recognition.

The sheer amount of talent out there is the reason for me writing this piece – and I want to urge Hollywood to rethink the way it prioritise men and how, in 2019, we still have a lot to learn. One of the main reasons for posting this piece, actually, is to look at T.V. and how women and female-written shows are way ahead of the competition. The fact I have made Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz the ‘cover star’ is the fact that, a) it is my favourite comedy right now and, b) she has directed her first episode, He Said, She Said, on the show. Beatriz is someone who has spoken out regarding L.G.B.T.Q.A.+ awareness and sexual inequality. I think T.V. is still an industry that is male-heavy in terms of directors and producers but the likes of Beatriz are helping promote dialogue and show that women have a vital role. She spoke with Glamour about directed her first episode and some of the nerves she experienced. Beatriz takes up the story:

“Over the course of working on our sitcom, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate and work with many directors. The vast majority of them were men, and that’s simply because there are far more men than women in the Directors Guild of America. There are even fewer members of the DGA who are women of color. I started having a very strong feeling that I had a point of view that could add something to the work that was happening on television, that my voice and sensibilities and sensitivities and brain could add something to a show and help tell a story...

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PHOTO CREDIT: Nate Taylor for Teen Vogue

“But thinking and doing are two different things, and I wondered if I was being ridiculous. What the actual fuck was I thinking?! I’ve never directed a short film, let alone a whole episode of network comedy. I didn’t go to film school. What credentials did I have?

I was informed that my episode would center on Jake and Amy working on a case involving #MeToo and sexual assault. So while I felt a lot of pressure to get it right, I also felt so much trust. It gave me confidence because I knew I could prepare in a way that would lead to a smooth, even joyful, set. I could use this opportunity to give space to actors to create and play, which is what we do best. As I read the script, images began bursting into my mind and there was a fire inside me to tell the story that Lang Fisher and our writing staff had so beautifully and hilariously written. I felt full of ideas. I felt compelled to tell this story as honestly as I could. Mostly, I felt a very strange yet solid trust that the director who could do this was already inside me”.

Beatriz was hesitant directing and, having seen that all the episode’s for the current season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine had directors attached, she felt the chance had gone – after writing an email (a very precise and detailed one) to the showrunner, she was given a shot.

The nature of the episode was one that she felt carried big weight and had to be handled with care, balance and discipline:

“I was informed that my episode would center on Jake and Amy working on a case involving #MeToo and sexual assault. So while I felt a lot of pressure to get it right, I also felt so much trust. It gave me confidence because I knew I could prepare in a way that would lead to a smooth, even joyful, set. I could use this opportunity to give space to actors to create and play, which is what we do best. As I read the script, images began bursting into my mind and there was a fire inside me to tell the story that Lang Fisher and our writing staff had so beautifully and hilariously written. I felt full of ideas. I felt compelled to tell this story as honestly as I could. Mostly, I felt a very strange yet solid trust that the director who could do this was already inside me”.

Beatriz is not the first women from a sitcom cast to direct an episode and, in fact, there are some sensational women directed in T.V. right now. Beatriz will not only inspire many female directors who want to get into T.V. but also show that a subject as weighty and important as #MeToo can be deftly and brilliantly handled and discussed in a mainstream comedy…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/IMAGE CREDIT: Fox

When reviewing the episode, AV Club had some very positive words about the first-time director and how Beatriz helmed the episode, He Said, She Said:

“...In this case, Stephanie Beatriz doesn’t do anything too special with this episode. But her work is certainly commendable during that Amy/Jake break room scene, where she knows that all you need is close-ups on both Melissa Fumero and Andy Samberg and to let them do their jobs. It’s not a scene that’s necessarily your go-to when it comes to “directing” and “comedy,” but that’s what the Holt manhunt scene is for. (As seen in the image for this review, the office questioning scene also has some gems in terms of direction.)

It’s also a little thing in terms of the big picture, but this is the rare Holt plot with Terry and/or Boyle that doesn’t rely on him insulting them for laughs. Sure, those insults land with Terry, but the Boyle slams have always felt like punching down on Holt’s part. That doesn’t occur in this episode, and in fact, both Terry and Boyle get to have fun at Holt’s “old man reciting the glory days” expense. It’s not that I want every member of the Nine-Nine to be nice to each other—my personal favorite sitcoms of all time understand the art of a good pile-on—but there’s truly a time and a place when it comes to the eternally optimistic Brooklyn Nine-Nine. “He Said, She Said” manages to find the perfect balance for this dynamic, which is the best way to describe Lang Fisher’s script for the entire episode”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Caitlin Moran is a hugely successful novelist, journalist (for The Times and Sunday Times) and screenwriter/PHOTO CREDIT: Gareth Iwan Jones

The three finest things on T.V./streaming services right now are comedies/comedy dramas. All of them have one thing in common: they are written by/directed by women. I think women bring something to comedy that adds in dramatic elements but can provide these unique and incredibly sharp moments. We have brilliant comedic writers in the U.K. such as Caitlin Moran. He sitcom, Raised by Wolves, was written with her sister, Caroline Moran. In 2013, Caitlin Moran explained what inspired the series set on a Wolverhampton council estate - Moran novel, How to Build a Girl, will soon be on our cinema screen very soon. It is one of the most human, remarkable and addictive comedies that has been on British T.V. in years. Gone are the days of iconic female writers like Caroline Aherne and Victoria Wood adding their stamp to T.V. When Raised by Wolves came along, I noted something you would not get from male writers; an angle and voice that was unique and transformative. I digress a little but the fact the Moran sisters created this wonderful work of T.V. proved that, in terms of firepower and creativity, women are as strong (if not stronger than their male peers). The pay gap regarding women in T.V. might not be as sharp as in film but there is a disparity. I know for a fact there a lot of brilliant female directors coming through and, in years to come, I hope there is genuine equality in terms of pay and award nods.

Fleabag and Derry Girls are back on our screens and both have picked up huge reviews. The former was created by star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and she also wrote the recent success, Killing Eve – surely one of our best creative minds! Even the world of T.V. comedy is not immune to male dominance and the assumption (wrongly) that women cannot write as articulately and keenly as their male counterparts. Fleabag is already a success but, as you can see from the glowing reviews, there is no shortage of brilliance and laugh-out-loud moments! The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan reviewed the new series’ opening episode:

“Everything is here in this densely packed 30-minute nugget. Laughs that come from the deepest part of you, where your better judgment flails and fails. Waller-Bridge’s fleetness as she pivots to camera and back, capturing her tiny moment each time, so we see her in the round and cannot help but follow her wherever in her awfulness she leads. The vivid portraits of human frailty, weakness and – in Martin’s case – near-evil (his toxicity here was so potent it was almost visible; if the priest had performed an exorcism instead of ordered pudding it would not have gone amiss) drawn with just a handful of lines each from an unflinching, excoriating, lethally funny writer whose performers knock every one out of the park”.

Waller-Bridge is a breath of fresh air in T.V. and it is her naturalness and honesty that leads to these moments we can all relate to. I think Fleabag is such a success because she can write in a very personal way but everyone, male or female, can understand her struggle and life.

This passionate piece from The Independent last month spoke with Waller-Bridge and perfectly described why she is changing perceptions regarding female writers/creators – and why she is so far ahead of many other writers:

“In her career, as in her plots, she is working to defy expectations. She sneaks out of all of the boxes that people want to trap her in: the comedy writer, the sex writer, the feminist writer. When Fleabag came out, critics were fixated on how sexually explicit it was, which is ironic because the sexual bravado is the character’s disguise, her way of preventing anyone from really seeing her.

As soon as the entertainment industry sinks its teeth into a smart young woman, it seems to want to extract her perspective and blast it into every possible market segment: the memoir slash manifesto, the newsletter, the body-positive Instagram account. After Fleabag, Waller-Bridge got loads of those kinds of offers. Instead of asking, “What do you want to do next, as an artist?” they wanted to know: “Could you spin that into a book?”

It’s not enough for a woman to write a beloved television show, or three. “It’s part of the job now,” she says, “to be a brilliantly articulate spokesperson for feminism.” But she’s already poured her best insights into Fleabag, and she doesn’t see the point of cranking open the hood on her art and exposing all of its parts”.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Waller-Bridge/PHOTO CREDIT: Dylan Coulter 

The final two female-helmed shows I want to nod to – and celebrate the female voice –is the U.K.’s Derry Girls and the American series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The former is back on our screens and its first episode (of the new series) was on a couple of days ago. Its creator, Lisa McGee, makes the series pop with life and standout moments. It is set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1990s and such a tense and fractious period might be difficult when it comes to comedic moments and relief. McGee beautifully mixes a sense of serious with naivety and wicked humour. It is, I think, the joint-best (alongside Fleabag) comedy we have at the moment and stronger than This Time with Alan Partridge (a comedy that relies more on awkwardness and uncomfortable tension that natural and easy comedy). Derry Girls holds so much love from critics. The Daily Telegraph reviewed the second series’ first outing:

“The often surreal specificities of the divide between the Northern Ireland communities yields the steadiest parade of chuckles. Asked by the hipster Padre to list all the things Catholics and Protestants have in common, the teenagers instead reel off everything that separates them (Protestants are tidier, Catholics like Abba etc).

However, any potential po-facedness regarding the region’s history of internecine strife is offset by Derry-raised McGee’s quick-fire script and by the charmingly squirming performances from Jackson and the rest of the cast. The essence of adolescence is suspecting that the entire world is about to laugh at you – a sense Jackson, in particular, conveys perfectly”.

 

Whilst I feel the sensational women leading the best of British comedy are worthy of serious adore, I prefer American comedy in general. They rely less on clichés – when it comes to domestic situations and a rather old-school style of jokes – and can be a lot sharper and more risk-taking. I feel comedies like Derry Girls and Fleabag work so well is because, like America’s best, they take risks and can catch you off with something unexpected and shocking – more progressive and bold than the majority of comedies out there. Aside from Brooklyn Nine-Nine I am also obsessed with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and first went out on 17th March, 2017 on Amazon video. It stars Rachel Brosnahan as the eponymous Mrs. Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel; a housewives in New York during the 1950s who finds she has a talent for comedy but, coming from a Jewish family and living at a time when there were very few female comics, she keeps her gift a secret – as her marriage falls apart and she navigates a series of tough gigs in N.Y. (no spoilers, I hope!). The first season received mostly positive reviews but it was the second series (a third is in production) that really won the biggest reactions and applause. There are multiple reasons why the show not only exceeds British tradition but has garnered such passionate love.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Sherman-Palladino/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

We, here, are much more beholden of family-based comedy that is set in modern times and relies on embarrassment, high-jinx and normality – the best of American go deeper and can stretch the imagination. The colour palette on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is wonderful: a rich array of 1950s shades and vivacious tones; a scent-filled bouquet that, in terms of visuals, is arresting and peerless. Along with her husband, Daniel, Amy Sherman-Palladino has crafted this incredible serious that can bring drama and tears – marriage breakdown and an ambitious young woman receiving knockbacks – but has this razor-sharp and beautifully varied script. From rapid-fire characters like Susie Meyerson (the manager of the nightclub. The Gaslight Cafe, played by the powerhouse that is Alex Borstein) to Midge’s dad – wonderfully played by Tony Shalhoub. Amy Sherman-Palladino gives a unique voice to each character and, given the fact the spectrum of personalities ranges from caustic-yet-loveable to stubborn-and-academic, she manages to make everything mesh and flow. As a director, too, she can craft these wonderful scenes and angles; far stronger and more imaginatively than most male directors. Her guidance, words and directions bring the best from a wonderful ensemble cast – the series has won awards and the second season left us with cliffhangers many of us are keen to see resolved. Critics have responded positively in the U.S. and many here have gotten behind the series.

 IN THIS IMAGE: A promotional shot that advertised the arrival of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s current season (two) - a new series is in development/PHOTO CREDIT: Amazon

In this review from The Guardian, a lot of interesting observations are raised:

“...But Sherman-Palladino and her husband/collaborator Daniel Palladino (given the show’s theme of men always being half a step behind, it’s apt that the episodes credited to him aren’t quite as strong) know how to prolong a fantasy. The new run paddles happily round in slowly expanding circles via sojourns to Paris and the Catskills, each of which is a crisp retro paradise. That allows more time to get to know those supporting players of whom we never tire: Alex Borstein scores a laugh a line as Midge’s coarse, scrappy manager, Susie, whose mixture of disdain and awe at her client’s social status hides fierce admiration and perhaps a dash of longing. “Look at you,” she says during one of their lunchtime sparring sessions. “It’s like a dollop of whipped cream grew a head.”

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel brims with dialogue where every syllable is dead on the comic beat, and scenes choreographed like Broadway musicals: a swarm of uniformed porters unpacking vacation cases from a car, for instance, or the girls on a department-store switchboard rattling through a thousand calls a minute. It’s a rich source of Jewish-Manhattan wisecracking neurosis, too, particularly in the hands of Tony Shalhoub as Midge’s fussy-professor father, Abe, who this year gains a vibrant inner life to go with his bottomless repository of hilarious exclamations (“Now I’m second-guessing these slacks!”).

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s lead, Rachel Brosnahan/PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Madigan for Vanity Fair

I will end things very soon – you’ll be pleased to hear! – but The Marvellous Mrs. Masisel’s lead, Rachel Brosnahan spoke about the series to Rachel Aroesti about her upbringing – Aroesti perfectly summed up the appeal and importance of the Amazon series:

“It was a childhood shaped by her parents’ tough-love approach to their daughter’s acting ambitions. “They were extremely supportive and encouraging, but by saying: ‘We’re not going to help you with that.’ Like if I wanted to take a class, my dad would say: ‘OK, well, you should get babysitting so you can pay for that class, and you should take classes because you need to get better at this.’”

 

It might not be a box-ticking assemblage of progressive values, but what makes The Marvelous Mrs Maisel feel straightforwardly refreshing and progressive is that it portrays a multi-dimensional, contradictory and self-steering female character. It is worth remembering just how rare this remains: Brosnahan admits to being desperate to win the part after becoming frustrated by the one-dimensional characters she is asked to audition for. “I feel like I’ve read the same part in 1,200 scripts – someone’s girlfriend who is pretty but doesn’t know it. There’s not one thing that makes a woman strong or vulnerable or any kind of word you could use to describe her. It’s complicated and we should show that”.

I have only touched the tip of the iceberg regarding great female directors and creators and, to be fair, I have not even covered female actors and the incredible cinema moments they are giving the world…

It is International Women’s Day tomorrow and I have already spoken about music and how musicians, D.J.s and every woman in the industry warrants praise and equality – and how, slowly, that is starting to happen. I have just scratched the surface regarding the brilliant women in T.V. and film but, tomorrow, we need to recognise the brilliant work they do and how, in 2019, we are not at the point of true equality. It is galling to see: from wage Discrepancy to award snubs, I feel like more men need to join the debate and get involved. The work and evidence is out there for change and dialogue; we just need to make sure progression occurs quicker and, this time next year, we are not in a situation where we have to talk about pay and why big ceremonies like the Oscars are ignoring women. I do not think it is mere meritocracy and the fact that, to some people, men are producing better work and we should not pander. I shall end it here but, like music, there are so many wonderful women creating such fine work.

I did not even mention by favourite female director at the moment – Olivia Wilde. Having adored her acting career for so long, she is one of the strongest female director around. Here, in this Variety piece she was tipped as director to watch and spoke about her process and progress:

“In the 15 years Olivia Wilde has spent in front of cameras, she’s been studying how the other half lives. She’s been doing that on her own time, too, shadowing directors and cinematographers on sets, and trying her hand at directing a short film and two music videos. But it wasn’t until she ran across the screenplay for “Booksmart” that she knew she’d found the moment to tackle her first feature...

 

Wilde packs the film with some bold stylistic flourishes and fantasy sequences — “I wanted the audience to experience the inside of a teenage girl’s mind,” she says, “which is an incredibly intense place to be” — and elicits some unusually three-dimensional performances out of both her primary and supporting actors, no doubt helped by her insistence that the entire cast perform with no scripts or sides on set or in rehearsal (“that’s something I ripped off from Scorsese, because it forces you to do the homework and allows for a much more efficient set”)”.

International Women’s Day is about women in all walks of life and in all sectors: from the brave and wonderful nurses and members of our NHS to charity workers in America; to film actors, directors and T.V. writers. Not only is tomorrow about looking at equality and opening discussions but merely celebrating the great work that women do around the world – on other days, many might be overlooked and dismissed. I wanted to break from music to write about the gender-equality situation in Hollywood and T.V. and, importantly, mention the brilliant writers, directors and actors who are helping progression happen and creating some of the finest work around. You can argue that the best comedies, films and dramas are being written by men but, as I have shown with a few examples, that assumption is faulty – and we need to show more respect to female talent. Let’s hope that, as discussion continues and campaigning goes on, women in all areas of the film and T.V. industries...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Actor and director Olivia Wilde/PHOTO CREDIT: Isak Tiner for The New York Times

GET their fair cut.

FEATURE: Limitations: The Mainstream’s Dominance in the Singles Market – and Why We Need to Open Up the Music Landscape

FEATURE:

 

Limitations

IN THIS PHOTO: Camila Cabello (her single, Havana, is the best-selling single of 2018 according to the IFPI)/PHOTO CREDIT: David Needleman

The Mainstream’s Dominance in the Singles Market – and Why We Need to Open Up the Music Landscape

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MANY feel the singles charts and market...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Drake (whose single, God’s Plan was the second-best-selling single of 2018)/PHOTO CREDIT: Trace TV/Getty Images

are not true indicators of quality and success and in many ways, they’d be right. I am one of those people who feels albums are much more important and it is a bit of a shame there is still this reliance on artists from the mainstream. That is not to say the great new rise of artists – such as Sigrid and Billie Eilish – is to be ignored and discredited. I think there are some terrifc artists who are taking Pop in new direction but this report caught my eye:

“More than a year and a half since Camila Cabello released her standout hit "Havana" featuring Young Thug, the Latin-flavored track just keeps raking in wins. Today (March 6), recorded music industry organization IFPI is naming the song the globally best-selling digital single of 2018 -- just days after the singer's 22nd birthday, no less.

Released in August 2017 as the lead single off Cabello's self-titled debut solo album, the song, which references her Cuban heritage, has since reached No. 1 on charts in 95 countries and catapulted the former Fifth Harmony member to global pop star status. "Havana" becameCabello's first Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper when it climbed to the summit last January, shortly after it logged the longest run atop Pop Songs for a lead female artist since 2013. Last summer, "Havana" became Spotify's most-streamed song ever by a solo female artist (with more than 888 million streams at the time), and its telenovela-inspired music video has drawn close to 750 million views to date...

Along with "Havana," this year's singles list includes several hits from 2017, including Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi's smash "Despacito" (notably, the version without Justin Bieber's remix assist), and The Chainsmokers' collab with Coldplay, "Something Just Like This." Chinese singer Tia Ray also makes the list.

IFPI'S TOP 10 GLOBAL DIGITAL SINGLES OF 2018:

1. Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug), "Havana"
2. Drake, "God's Plan"
3. Ed Sheeran, "Shape Of You"
4. Ed Sheeran, "Perfect"
5. Maroon 5 (feat. Cardi B), "Girls Like You"
6. Luis Fonsi (feat. Daddy Yankee), "Despacito"
7. Tia Ray, "Be Apart"
8. The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, "Something Just Like This"
9. Marshmello and Anne-Marie, "FRIENDS"
10. Post Malone (feat. Ty Dolla $ign), "Psycho"

The fact that some of the top-selling/streamed singles are from 2017 – and were dominating 2018 – shows people are not merely moving on from certain tracks and lack focus. I guess it is positive that there is this ability to capture people and certain longevity of sound. What worries me is the makeup of that top-ten and how rigid the sound is. Maybe people are less bothered with singles and look at albums as a whole but I think the list above is more to do with how streaming sites promote certain artists above others. Apart from Camila Cabello, there is a lot of obvious Pop and stuff one might find being boosted by Spotify and their peers - YouTube, for example.

There is a definite market for artists like Ed Sheeran and The Chainsmokers but I do not feel it equates with real quality and depth. Look at critical reviews and how they perceive artists like The Chainsmokers and Maroon 5 – it is not that positive! I am a big fan of spreading my wings and diving right into music. I listen to most genres and, yes, I will take in some modern Pop that some might perceive as naff. I think the top-ten best-sellers shows that, maybe, people are going after singles rather than album tracks and the demographic is quite young. One suspects a lot of slightly older people are not streaming and buying stuff from Post Malone! Maybe this year will be different but I do worry there is this hegemony where Pop and the mainstream is taking too much focus. Perhaps it is young listeners who genuinely love this music and are keen to snap it up. I think, more likely, there are other problems and considerations. I do feel the best-selling list of 2018 raises some questions. Are radio stations too defined regarding what they play and are they lacking in broadness?! A lot of the artists above might be played on BBC Radio 1 and it makes me wonder whether we need to do more to open up tastes and minds – maybe other stations mixing-up their playlists or the likes of BBC Radio 1 being a bit more varied.

I do think the singles game is strong and it is good we are seeing people buy them at all! Anything that keeps singles in the fore is great but there is a world of music out there! I am not bias in saying this but listen to some brilliant Alternative and Indie music; turn your dial to BBC Radio 6 Music and some of the lesser-heard stations. I feel a lot of radio stations do have their own sound and it can be hard breaking away from that. I look at the list of most-bought singles of 2018 and you can place all those songs on a very specific station. Are streaming sites aiming music too wholly at those who love Pop and the more commercial side? Are they lacking foresight and being far too narrow-minded? There are those who feel the charts is a bygone thing and, when it comes to singles, who really cares what people buy. I can see that point and, actually, I think buying albums is more important – I would be interested seeing what makes the top-ten most-bought/streamed albums of 2018. I do feel like streaming platforms are hugely important and they hold an enormous amount of power. I am not seeing, every day, many songs that break the usual mould of Pop and commercial music and that worries me. It is clear we need to change the conversation and maybe look at the way the charts is composed.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash/@igormiske

I do feel like there is a world of young listeners who are gravitating towards certain stations and that is all they hear. I grew up around a tonne of great music and the eclectic exposure has followed me through life. I love all sorts of music and, if you had to compose my top-ten singles from 2018, you’d see a broad and stunning mix. What we see from that list above is a mix of rather boring and processed songs. Aside from Camila Cabello, I think the rest of the top-ten lacks real flair, energy and nuance. You can listen to those songs and they will drop from the brain instantly. Is that what people are after? Do we want songs that are accessible at first but do not really stay with us? I do not think that is the case and I do struggle to get my head around the figures. I understand the singles chart and market is not everything and it is not a huge deal but it points at what is being listened to and what a lot of young listeners hold dear. I worry there are so many wonderful songs and artists being overlooked because we are not doing enough to promote them. The singles chart is still flawed and I wonder whether there is a way it can be overhauled so that it is more eclectic and less commercial.

I do worry that, in years to come, many people growing up will not have had that rich education and they will only listen to a certain sound. I have nothing against the artists who have been marked and commended (last year) but it shows a very small part of the music landscape. What of the great Hip-Hop acts and the brilliant new bands?! I think radio stations and streaming sites need to do a lot more to balance their mainstream tastes and preferences with the more interesting and original sounds. I would like to see the top-ten list for this year contain more diversity in terms of genres. Music is this wonderfully fascinating and multifarious view that is bounteous and always-surprising. This is what we should be putting out into the world and promoting. I understand we need to keep Pop and chart hits right near the centre but one struggles to go beyond the obvious when it comes to streaming sites and the most powerful radio stations. I love singles and they still hold a very important place in modern music. If we keep pushing and popularising the same artists; do very little to open up eyes and help shift the imbalance then it could be very problematic for future generations. One reason why I am a music journalist is because of the huge array of artists I was raised on – I would not be so interested in music if it were all Pop or one genre. I think we might get to a stage where young listeners are not expanding their collection and trying music from other corners of the dial. This is a very real prospect and is...

NOT something I want to see.

FEATURE: Hear Her Roar! International Women’s Day 2019: The Exceptional Women - Iconic, Established and New - Who Deserve Huge Respect

FEATURE:

 

Hear Her Roar!

IN THIS IMAGE: Madonna/IMAGE CREDIT: Rinat Shingareev 

International Women’s Day 2019: The Exceptional Women - Iconic, Established and New - Who Deserve Huge Respect

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TOMORROW is International Women’s Day and...

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 ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Laura Callaghan

it gets me thinking about women in music and how they have changed my life. I think, now more than ever, there is this huge explosion of female talent that we cannot avoid! It is hard to overlook the barriers in their way and the way they have to fight harder than their male peers – I will talk about this aspect in another feature. I think the music of the past few years is among the most varied and fantastic we have heard for a very long time! Look at the changing Pop scene and how there is that balance of the more commercial yet strong artists such as Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa with the different tones of Christine and the Queens and Robyn. Sigrid is about to release her debut album and we have seen fantastic records from Self Esteem (Compliments Please), Sharon Van Etten (Remind Me Tomorrow) and Julia Jacklin (Crushing). It has been a dizzying start to 2019 and, alongside the mainstream/near-mainstream releases, there are so many tantalising cuts from those in the underground too.

I think Julia Jacklin’s Crushing, alongside Little Simz’s GREY Area, might well be the finest album of the year! I love the fact we have these incredible female artists making music much more arresting, interesting and personal. They might not all be purely Pop but one can definitely hear how they have taken the genre and added their own stamp. I feel, in fact, 2019 will be defined by women more than any other year. Let us hope that this translates into festival success and recognition because, as I show later, there is still an imbalance and we are not necessarily closer to seeing an actual balance. You cannot resist and ignore the wonderful music that women have produced this year alone. It is sensational and I think every year gets stronger and stronger. It is a marvel seeing so many terrific albums released and then, before you know it, another - each different to the last.

It is not only Pop we can look to but Folk, R&B and Rap. Solange just released her album, When I Get Home, and it has received some fantastic reviews. Whilst not as emphatic as her previous album, A Seat at the Table, it is still masterful and accomplished album that, I feel, will grow stronger in time. Look at genres like R&B and Rap and I feel women are making more of a stand. That sounds insulting but, by that, I mean the industry is having to accept these powerful and staggering voices. I feel Hip-Hop and Rap still has an issue with sexism but powerhouses like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj are releasing some of the best music around and rubbing shoulders with the very best of the genres. Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell is out at the end of this month - and it is going to be another masterful Pop record. She is always impressive and I cannot wait to see how the album is received. I struggle to see which male artists and albums will challenge the very best of the year – the majority made by women. I love all of these female artists and they provide me with so much verve, inspiration and depth. I can listen to a record by Solange or Little Simz and I get exceptional music and nuance but I also have my mind and eyes opened.

 IN THIS IMAGE: Self Esteem/PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Lipsitz for CLASH

I think a lot of modern music is dominated by male artists and bands who are talking about the same thing; too many commercial artists and a sea of Electronic nothingness. I have mentioned merely a few of the stunning women who are changing music right now but one can add Pop artists such as Billie Eilish – a prodigious teenager who is leagues ahead of most of her peers – to the list. I am excited by Folk acts like Lucy Rose, Laura Marling and Billie Marten (who will release her second album later this year) and wonders such as Jorja Smith. Janelle Monáe is another artist who is filling my ears right now and I have been familiar with her music for years. Her current album, Dirty Computer, was one of the best of last year and she goes from strength to strength.

Mitski and Kacey Musgraves, between them, create these colourful, dynamic and truly awe-inspiring songs and if you have not heard of Noname and Let’s Eat Grandma then you really should! Lizzo is offering pure confidence and swagger to the industry and the list goes on and on! I am always mentioning artists such as St. Vincent and Christine and the Queens and, more now than ever, the music made by women is far stronger than that from the men! I find female artists have more to say and they are bolder when it comes to their subject matter. I do hope that the brilliant women out there right now, very soon, will get their dues and not have to fight so hard. It is disappointing to see the inequality but I know there are so many fantastic women in music and it is only a matter of time before there is true equality. I do not know where I would be in life were it not for the fantastic humans.

I am not sure which female-fronted albums are due later in the year but we know Madonna is due to bring out her fourteenth album soon (more on her later). Robyn, Snail Mail; Florence + the Machine and Soccer Mommy made 2018 a phenomenal year and, when I consider female musicians now, I am transported somewhere evocative and physical. I know the guys are capable of bringing magic to music but the tonally eclecticism and broad palette women bring to music is taking music to new places. It is not only female solo artists amazing me but female-fronted bands. I have supported the likes of YONAKA and False Advertising before but, more and more, female-led groups are making a big step. I think this is one of the most pleasing changes in music: a break from the more rigid all-male band to something far more expansive and interesting. I do not think this is a trend either: I feel female-led bands are going to have a very big say in the future!

From Post-Punk and Alternative through to interesting Pop outfits...having a female voice at the front, to me, provides more range, emotional depth and brilliance than anything else. I do tend to find a lot of male bands are quite generic and they cannot dig as deep as the women. A lot of people – sexists, mainly – claim women do not have the same power as men and cannot rise to the level of festival headliners. I will tackle sexism later but there are so many female fronted groups – including Wolf Alice and CHVRCHES - that can get the crowds moving. I feel a lot of organisers and bookers ignore female bands and solo artists because they are stubborn - and feel boys-with-guitars is what the people want.

I feel a lot of traditional guitar music has become stale and the educated consumer wants their music with a lot more ambition and flexibility. MUNA, Dream Wife and First Aid Kit are other female acts that could storm festivals; Stand Atlantic and Rews are other options and, well, if you do your research and keep your ears open one can find a huge wave of female bands/female-led acts who are stronger than a lot of male artists. I have not mentioned Anna Calvi at the moment and, off the top of my head, I could list a hundred fantastic female artists who could rule their own festival. I am excited by the new breed coming through and striking and I have so much respect for what they do. Just trying to keep up with the array of styles and different colours is both exciting and a bit scary for someone who loves music - but who can knock that quality and ambition?!

Every week reveals incredible female music and the sheer variety is mind-blowing! Maybe it is the different and more arresting lyrical perspective or the capacity of the female voice – richer and more colourful than the guys – but I think women are leading the charge right now! It is great for me, being a journalist, being approached by so many great female acts and getting a front-row seat to this revolution. I have not even scratched the surface but I wanted to finish by looking at classic acts and non-performing women who one must investigate. It is vital, when it comes to music, too recongise all the brilliant women in all fields of music - there are those that work behind the scenes and away from the limelight who are just as inspiring and important as musicians.

When it comes to inspiration and the music that truly moves me, I have to mention names like Madonna and Kate Bush. The former is that rare thing: a Pop maverick and icon who has compelled for decades and created some of the finest music ever. Kate Bush is that unique and wondrous musician who holds a special place in all of our hearts. They are both different and, aside from being born in the same year (1958), have made an enormous impression on the music world. From Beyoncé and Patti Smith to PJ Harvey and Aretha Franklin, I have grown up around these amazing women who have made music the incredible place it is. I do worry what the young generations are listening to and whether, because we are more digitally-minded, these legendary women will be overlooked. I know they have a huge reputation but I do feel there needs to be a greater move towards promoting their music and not just what is new and hot right now.

I published a playlist last year that collected the female voices that have changed me. Stevie Nicks and The Bangles are in there; Carole King, Cher and Lauryn Hill; Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys and Neneh Cherry. I should update the playlist to reflect some of the newer female artists but I have put some videos through this feature that, I hope, fill the gaps. When I think of music and how it changed my life as a child, I think of male bands like The Beatles and Tears for Fears but there is something about the intoxication and power of the female sound that has resonated deep and lasted longer. All of the women in that playlist, in fact, have played a role in my life and made me stronger as a human being!

I wish I could write a feature that shines a proper light on all the women I have mentioned but I fear my hands might actually fall off! Through the years, I have mentioned female icons and I do a weekly playlist with female-led sounds new to the public. I am always keen and passionate when it comes to supporting women in music and all of us owe a huge debt of thanks to the pioneers, new and classic, who have given us so much. It is not only the women of music that I am marking today. I cannot really name all the fantastic women behind closed doors who help promote the best new music – the P.R. agents and bosses – but we must salute them. They do sterling work and are crucial. I know so many wonderful women who work relentlessly to ensure the best and hungriest musicians out there are heard and acknowledged. It is tough being that focused and hard-working all the time but the passion is obvious and impressive.

Great female producers like Catherine Marks, Lauren Deakin Davies and Olga FitzRoy are hugely celebrated and, in terms of their male peers, not given the same respect – although they have plenty of awards between them. Brilliant D.J.s such as Carly Wilford and Nina Kraviz have always been on my mind and they continue to do fantastic work. So many of her peers, working in clubs and on radio, are bringing endless joy to people and are blowing minds. Look at mainstream radio D.J.s such as Maya Jama, Annie Nightingale; Annie Mac, Clara Amfo and Adele Roberts and there is some staggering talent in there. Jamz Supernova, Tiffany Calver; Yasmin Evans and Jo Whiley are revolutionising radio and their peers, such as Harpz Kaur and Noreen Khan, are doing such incredible work. We know BBC Radio 2 changed its line-up recently and Zoe Ball helms breakfast; Sara Cox is on drivetime; Jo Whiley takes the evening slot - and Mollie King hosts alongside Matt Edmondson on BBC Radio 1.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jamz Supernova/PHOTO CREDIT: Vicky Grout for CLASH

Aside from the great female D.J.s already on BBC Radio 2 – Liza Tarbuck and Vanessa Feltz among them – I am glad women have been promoted and are more visible. Despite them still being in the minority, we are seeing changes and improvement. The same sort of evolution happened on BBC Radio 6 Music where Lauren Laverne was moved to breakfast; Mary Anne Hobbs moved from weekend breakfast to weekday mornings and they join their colleagues like Cerys Matthews in making the station the must-listen-to option for those who are truly passionate about music. There are great female music news presenters like Elizabeth Alker and Georgie Rogers and the latter, in fact, is someone I am always keen to champion – the woman deserves her own shows. All of these wonderful personalities and voices are making radio richer and providing fresh dynamics.

Away from radio, there is an army of brilliant female journalists – such as Laura Snapes – who are inspiring more young women to follow their lead. I think that is one of the most rewarding things about seeing so many strong women in radio and journalism: many girls and young women will be inspired and realise that, slowly, we are seeing positive change. I do think we have a long way to go but I am seeing improvements and hope. I keep forgetting names to mention in this feature – including D.J.s Claudia Winkleman and Jane Garvey – but that is the point: there are countless women who we should recongise on International Women’s Day. It is good we have a special day every year where we can celebrate women and, in musical terms, ensure that there is discussion regarding quality and progression - the past year or two have seen stains left on music (by men) that are incredibly damaging and toxic.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Patti Smith/PHOTO CREDIT: Gasper Tringale for Vanity Fair

I wanted to publish this piece a day early so that, a), people can check out the incredible female artists and talent I have mentioned and, b) there are so many other things I want to discuss that relates to gender-equality and parity in music. There are a lot of men who sniff and moan and ask when there is an International Men’s Day – in terms of ego and self-importance...that is pretty much every other day of the year! It is important we celebrate women in every field because, even in 2019, there are pay gaps and inequality. There are fewer women in radio than men - and that is nothing to do with a lack of talent out there and women choosing other fields. Festivals are pledging a fifty-fifty split by 2022 but this year’s bills are lacking in true equality and the majority of headliners are still men. We saw this issue last year with festivals in the U.K. and U.S. Cases of sexual abuse are coming out and it is worrying that, in many ways, women are seen as second-class citizens.

The more we mark the great work by women in music the quicker we can see some resolution and awareness. They are shouting loud but more men need to show their backing and I feel it is alarming that we still have to have discussions around gender imbalance and sexual abuse in music. Rather than dwell on the changes needed and the negatives let us celebrate the fantastic work by women in music – from the D.J.s and writers to the promoters, bands and artists who are influencing the masses. I cannot give thanks enough to the iconic female artists and the new generation who are providing me with so much substance, diversity and incredible music. On International Women’s Day, there are important debates and issues raised but I think music and the great women in this field are not given enough focus. Maybe that is just my viewpoint but, tomorrow, it would be good to see a spotlight put on music - I know a lot of radio stations will celebrating and doing their part.

It is because of the extraordinary women in music, from decades past to now, I am driven and continue to push what I do. I have said it before but I will say it again: I think the best music of today is being made by women and so many of the iconic women who are revered helped direct me to music journalism. It is impossible to name all of them but, on the playlists and the special one I produced last year, I have tried my best - and, essentially, every woman I include on my blog is very special and definitely worth a look! It makes me wish we had a day like International Woman’s Day every month - one can imagine the complaints from men and the media! In any case, it has been great tipping my cap to the great women, in music and the media, who are doing sensational work. They do not get quite the credit they deserve but I am optimistic we will see that situation improve.

I am especially grateful for the stunning musicians. From such a young age, I was captivated by the female voice and what it could do to me - and what it continues to do. At times I need a cheer and rush, I put on inspiring women to get me where I need to be. When I require something more reflective and soothing then, again, it is a female artists, for the most part, I opt for. It is arguable that, without these brilliant artists, I would be in a very bad place and not be the journalist I am now. The fact that they have made a gigantic impression on me and countless other means more than words can express. Their music and words have changed my life and, for International Women’s Day, this humble piece is...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

THE least I can do!