FEATURE: Aspect Ratios: Will Live-Streamed Gigs Become More Common?

FEATURE:

Aspect Ratios

IN THIS PHOTO: YUNGBLUD streamed a live gig from L.A. on Monday (16th March) 

Will Live-Streamed Gigs Become More Common?

___________

AS the music world is quieter…

PHOTO CREDIT: @rebeca_calavera/Unsplash

in terms of new releases and positive developments, I have been thinking about what is happening regarding the coronavirus and a question that has been asked. As so many artists have had to postpone gigs and lose money. Artists around the world are affected by the outbreak and we are not sure how long things are going to last. Live streaming is a form of entertainment that has been around a while now. German concert venues have been emptied and many have watched performances via live streaming. It must be disheartening for artists and musicians to play to empty venues. There is something eerie when you learn that so many venues and public spaces are closing temporarily to avoid spreading the coronavirus. This leaves a big problem for artists who rely on public performance as their revenue. I have seen so many concerned people on social media asking whether they will be able to gig in the coming weeks, and they are not sure what they’ll do. Whilst people should buy merchandise and music from artists now more than ever, so many of us have to tighten our belts at a time when we are going to struggle. I think it is important that we support musicians around the world, but live-streamed gigs is an alternative to cancelling gigs. Already, we see videos of artists performing songs and then uploading them to the Internet.

PHOTO CREDIT: @gwundrig/Unsplash

Rather than there being this single-song performance, putting entire sets online would allow people to stay at home and watch gigs without the fear of being infected. From a musician’s point of view, not having that instant human reaction and being able to see the audience must be hard and very strange. The great thing about gigs and concerts is that they are about being together and watching this amazing event unfolding. Some claim that it is a bit too robotic and detached watching gigs rather than attending them. Seeing how so many people seem to view gigs through their phones these days, is there a big difference between the two?! I think artists are left vulnerable when they are unable to perform and travel, so there does need to be an alternative plan. Live streaming can never replicate the feeling of being at a gig, but it does give people a chance to see their favourite artists play when other events dictate their movements. Live streaming would be a cheaper method, as artists would charge less to watch the gigs; they can get more people watching compared to punters in a venue. I also think it would give people access to gigs who otherwise would not be able to go – they might be confined to their homes or suffer anxiety. People could donate a small amount of money to see the entire performance and, that way, we would all get a show and the artist would still make money.

PHOTO CREDIT: @neonbrand/Unsplash

Whilst the performance would not be as electric and the same as a gig, we watch music television and T.V. shows. I think the Government is unable to cover every person and sector affected by the coronavirus and, whilst we hope nothing like this ever happens again, there are no guarantees. On a smaller scale, bad weather and other events might mean cancelling a gig is the only option – rather than disappointing so many people, live streaming it would be a good compromise. Artists like YUNGBLUD have live-streamed to fans. There are other live-streamed events taking place, and there are pros to live streaming. This is a good way of offering artists a chance to earn money during pandemics like this one, but what of the future?! There are some who ask whether live-streamed gigs will be the norm soon enough. With venues still struggling to survive, I do think people should support them as much as possible. The coronavirus is a rare occurrence, so people should not be scared in the future. I do think live streaming is good as an addition to regular touring. Some artists might have to cancel a gig, but they are able to play from home. Also, with the rise in T.V. streaming and streamed music, it is inevitable that streamed gigs are going to make more of an impact. I would hate to see gigs becoming online-only, or things changing drastically. It is upsetting seeing artists anxious because they cannot perform live, so it is great we have technology that can link artists with fans. Once we get through the coronavirus, questions will be asked regarding live gigs and how artists can be compensated and survive should this happen again. Seeing how big a role live streaming will play will be very…  

PHOTO CREDIT: @johnschno/Unsplash

INTERESTING to see.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Porridge Radio

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: El Hardwick

Porridge Radio

___________

SINCE the new album from Porridge Radio…

was released last Friday – and has received some wonderful reviews -, it is about time I included them in the Spotlight feature. Although many are new to Porridge Radio, the band themselves are not new on the block. I will include a few interview snatches from the past few months, that shows how this terrific band are growing and why they are so special. Their new album is out in the world, and it is going to be one of 2020’s best – I think Porridge Radio will feature in many end-of-year lists when critics decide their favourite albums. It seems Stereogum were pretty damned keen to pour love on Porridge Radio’s album, Every Bad:

“Across the album, Porridge Radio lean in a bunch of different directions — straight-up indie, dream-pop, heaving ’90s alt-rock, the moodier edges of Britpop. Each single released over the last year found Porridge Radio taking on a slightly new shape, but all of it was strung together by Margolin’s weapons-grade vocal power and the muscular intensity of drummer Sam Yardley, keyboardist Georgie Stott, and bassist Maddie Ryall’s performances. That’s no different when you listen to Every Bad as a whole. Songs flow fluidly and the dramatic arcs of the album proceed gracefully, the entire thing an exercise in writhing angst turned to primal scream release.

Margolin conceived of Every Bad as “an unfinished sentence,” its title a capacious signifier of the strife catalogued across the album but also an invitation for the listener to find solace for whatever their own struggles are. Musically speaking, however, there is nothing out-of-focus about Every Bad. Moving beyond their more lo-fi origins, Porridge Radio have crafted an ambitious, tempestuous album with a grand scope that blows out personal demons into universal trials. Opener “Born Confused” sketches out the approach of many songs on Every Bad: a simmering opening quickly unfolds into waves of emotions, cresting higher each time until finally crashing down and fading out.

While every sound on the album is perfectly executed, the songs themselves are allowed to rise and fall, to push against their confines and break down — like when the off-kilter groove of “Don’t Ask Me Twice” is suddenly ruptured by a seething punk interlude. “Sweet” wastes little time in introducing its violent dynamic shifts, almost forebodingly calm verses lacerated by sudden eruptions of disorted guitar. “Long” builds patiently until boiling over, while “Circling” swirls around itself until reaching a similarly dramatic conclusion. The band pulls back ever so slightly for the wounded reflections of “Nephews” and “Pop Song,” but it’s the ease and infectiousness of “Give/Take” that probably offers the clearest reprieve from a musical standpoint. Mostly, though, these songs twist and roil; they are not so much unfinished sentences as conversations that furiously spin in circles and collapse in on themselves.

It is hard to categorise Porridge Radio in terms of genres and artists who sound the same. That is good I guess, as they have marked themselves out as true originals; a band who are already picking up big reviews for their live sets and look set to grow and dominate – one would not bet against a festival headline slot down the line. Porridge Radio have been getting a lot of buzz lately and, when you look around, there is not another group like them. NME included them in their list of the one-hundred artists to watch this year:

“From: London/Brighton

Sounds like: Gimmick-free indie-rock that’s full of heart and gut-wrenching lyrics.

For fans of: Savages, Dream Wife, The Cure

USP: Nirvana biographer Everett True branded them “the best band in the world” after seeing them play just half a song.

Why you’re going to love them: From the lean and tense pop gem of ‘Give/Take’ to the swelling and celestial mini-epic of ‘Lilac’, Porridge Radio write rock anthems that captures the boredom, frustration, confusion and absurdity of life.

Key track: ‘Give/Take’”.

With a new album out, Porridge Radio will be in demand; go and see them perform if you can. I think they will be included on the bill of a few festivals, as their popularity continues to rise. There are some great interviews out there – many put their lead, Dana Margolin, at the centre. This feature from The Line of Best Fit highlights the fact Porridge Radio have evolved and defined who they are since their formation:

“The quartet have spent much of the last four years working together to hone their craft and racking up a reputation for their electrifying live shows whilst also releasing an extensive array of EPs and singles, with their first album Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers, being released back in 2016 on London-based Memorials of Distinction - a DIY label that the band have had a part in running alongside the label’s founder.

The fact that they have been so consistently prolific has meant that in many ways they are a band that have grown up and developed in real time; publicly defining and refining what it means to be Porridge Radio. It’s meant that their audience have been able to follow they development in minute detail, seeing the creative leaps forward that the band have made year-on-year. “I really like to share everything that I’ve made, because I like showing people part of the creative process and showing people - and the reason I released half of that stuff is that I didn’t really record any of that stuff properly and I really want people to see the development of these songs, because there are a lot of songs where I released one version, then another version, and then another version for the first album that we did”.

Alongside keyboardist Georgie, bass guitarist Maddie and drummer Sam, Porridge Radio are a tight and incredible group of friends who are making music that demands to be heard. There is a lot of focus on where they are now, and the fact that they will storm this year. It is interesting to look back and discover when the band came from. The story of Porridge Radio’s start will resonate with a lot of other bands and musicians. This Loud and Quiet feature sheds some more light:

“After a long run of very fortunate coincidences whilst studying at university, Porridge Radio ended up being the culmination of four very strenuous and bizarre connections between bandmates. Blossoming from Brighton’s DIY scene, they released their first album in 2016. Made from humble beginnings (being recorded on an 8-track in a shed), Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers showcased Dana’s opaquely raw, tangible and completely unconstrained emotion. Always gulping desperately at the air of her final breath, her music not only invested deeply within her herself, but also her audience. She explains: “I’ve always wanted to make music to be vulnerable. I want to allow people to see my vulnerability through the things I make and that is where I’m most honest. I think you should be as emotional as you can be because maybe it will help others access that in themselves which I think for a lot of us is quite a difficult thing to do.”

Not yet signed, it really feels like Porridge Radio might just be on the cusp of something bigger than Dana is yet to realise. But record deals aside, she explains why the DIY scene remains paramount to her band’s evolution. “It’s always going be important because it’s where we came from. People saw us as a shitty band with chaotic songs who couldn’t play our instruments, but they still said, ‘that’s a band who’s going to mean something to people’. Nobody from the music industry saw us and thought that’s a band we should get behind. Only the DIY community said we’ll put you on and help you out. People go out of their way in that scene and don’t expect much in return because they enjoy it and believe in what they’re doing. I’m really grateful to have been a part of that for so long and I will evolve out of it to move to the next level.”

Whatever lies in store for Porridge Radio doesn’t worry Dana too much, but she’s apprehensive to go on blabbing about it. “I watched Sigrid do an interview the other day. She said, ‘I don’t really want to tell people my dreams because what if they don’t come true’. Yeah, I can relate to that”.

I am always drawn to Brighton; not just the place itself, but the music coming out of there. Bands like Porridge Radio and Penelope Isles are offering something distinct and tantalising. Porridge Radio are on their second album, and they have shown real growth. I think extensive touring will further solidify their sound, and it is clear the band are growing more confident with every release. The last interview I want to introduce is from Stereogum last year. Dana Margolin spoke them about the vibe of Brighton; she also discussed the upcoming (at the time) Every Bad:  

 “If you live in the British coastal town of Brighton, it’s hard not to feel the ever-present draw of the sea, for better or for worse. For Dana Margolin, the pebbly beach and great watery beyond that signal the end of Brighton’s city center became particularly entangled with her life around the time she was making the new album from her band Porridge Radio, Every Bad.

“Swimming in the sea is a way to wash away all the shit,” Margolin says, sitting in a pub in the Camden district of her new home of London. (Her bandmates remain in Brighton.) Constantly repeating how much she adores the album her band has made, Margolin speaks in tones similar to those in which she sings — with vulnerability, openness, and a clear passion. “Whenever I was sad, I’d just go down [to Brighton beach], and stare out, or go for a swim if it wasn’t too windy,” she remembers. “It was a really helpful part of my life. You’re on the edge of everything when you’re at the beach.” The singer goes on to describe the ocean as “terrifying and vast and overwhelming and also really calming and beautiful and fun.” Most, if not all, of these emotions surge through Every Bad.

Though Every Bad is the band’s second album, everything points to it feeling like a debut: It features a few songs dating back to the beginning of the project, and its booming production gives it the feeling of a significant breakthrough after five years of toil. Today, they’ve officially announced the album will arrive on 3/13 via Secretly Canadian. The announcement comes with a new single, “Sweet.” Following superb recent tracks like “Give Take” and “Lilac,” “Sweet” is another leap forward for the band, Margolin’s lyrical adaptability coming to the fore.

IN THIS PHOTO: Porridge Radio photographed at End of the Road 2019 by Rachel Juarez-Carr

“You will like me when you meet me/ You might even fall in love,” she sings over indie rock that swells and retreats like the ever-present sea. You can’t quite work out whether it’s an honest, endearing statement or a slightly creepy one. This intriguing middle ground continues throughout the album, with a lot of second guessing required on the listener’s part. Margolin says she wrote the song trying to imitate Lorde’s nimble, playful “Loveless,” from 2017’s Melodrama — and though musically the pair don’t have too many ties, they both possess a similar emotional dexterity”.

There is a lot to look forward to for Porridge Radio. They have a fresh album, and they will see their diary fill up. Until then, investigate them on social media – the links are at the bottom of this feature – and show their music some love. So many people are excited by Porridge Radio, and it is very clear that they have…

A huge year to come.

_____________

Follow Porridge Radio

PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Fenner

Official:

https://porridgeradio.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/porridgeradio/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/porridgeradio

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/porridgeradi0/

Bandcamp:

https://porridgeradio.bandcamp.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTSZVfeXxaSKBJSA0Y4ei9A

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4vAQ4M7vgItwBtmBTgRu48

FEATURE: Shadowboxer: The Fiona Apple Playlist

FEATURE:

Shadowboxer

PHOTO CREDIT: Beatrice De Dea/The New York Times/Redux

The Fiona Apple Playlist

___________

THIS year…

there are going to be some big releases and albums that you will definitely want to own! For me, the upcoming album from Fiona Apple is an absolute must! 2012’s The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do is a previous album, and it is great that there will be another album out this year. Apple is one of the most interesting and original artists ever, and her albums are always full of amazing moments. This NME article explains a bit more:

“Apple has long been teasing this album, which will be her first since 2012’s ‘The Idler Wheel…’, though there are few details on the record itself.

In September last year, Apple revealed that she was hoping to release her new album in early 2020.

“I was supposed to be done a million years ago,” she said. “And I go off and I take too long making stuff. I’m hoping for early 2020. I think.”

She has remained active despite the long time between albums. In December, she collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers and The National‘s Matt Berninger for a Simon & Garfunkel cover. Proceeds of the release went to Planned Parenthood. Apple also recorded a song for a Halloween episode of Bob’s Burgers.

Apple even said she’d be willing to collaborate with Lil Nas X on his debut album. The offer to collaborate was extended by Nas X after Apple called him out for sampling her 2012 song ‘Every Single Night’ on his 2018 song ‘Naserati’, which was released a year before he became a household name with ‘Old Town Road’”.

To celebrate some upcoming brilliance from Fiona Apple – you just know her fifth studio album will be awesome! -, I have compiled an assortment of her very best cuts. It proves what an extraordinary and captivating artist…

FIONA Apple is

FEATURE: WOW! Through the Lens: The Captivating Kate Bush

FEATURE:

 

WOW!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush shot for the U.S. release of The Kick Inside’s album sleeve session in March 1978 (EMI America had rejected the original cover)/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz 

Through the Lens: The Captivating Kate Bush

___________

EVEN though I have written about…

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz 

Kate Bush and her image before, I have been thinking about a book that has been delayed for a while now. Kate Bush: Symphony of You is a book I am dying to buy because, as Waterstones write, it is a must for fans and newcomers alike:

“Symphony of You is a complete celebration of Kate Bush - her music, her look, her impact, her creativity. Showcasing hundreds of Gered Mankowitz's breathtaking photographs from the early years of Kate's career, the majority of the images in this book have never been seen outside of the author's own private works. The book also features essays from authors across a number of disciplines - from best-selling novelists and award-winning musicians to academics - offering their opinions on how Kate has shaped the cultural landscape. Symphony of You is a truly special collection, and a homage to a unique artist”.

There are a couple of other invaluable photo resources/books that I want to point to. The reason I am writing about Kate Bush photographs and her incredible allure is because, when people write about her, there are aspects overlooked. People talk of the music and the incredible voice; they mention Bush’s image, but how many concentrate on that hypnotic sense of connection and soul-baring? There are Kate Bush photo collections available but, the more I research her, the more I think about photos and image. There is something about Bush that sets her aside from other artists.

IN THIS PHOTO: A press shot for Bush’s 2011’s album, Director’s Cut/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Even if a musician entrusts a great photographer, they (the photographer) do not always manage to tease something extraordinary from their subject. Right from the start of her career, Bush has oozed something extraordinary and breath-taking. There was a Pink Leotard series for Wuthering Heights shot in January 1978. The intended image for the single was not used. The photo from Gered Mankowitz does capture a young artist who looks sensual, relaxed, yet intriguing. Maybe it was because the photo showed Bush’s nipples, or maybe it was deemed inappropriate – in the end, a modification of The Kick Inside’s design was used as the cover for Wuthering Heights. From her teenage years, Bush has drawn the lens and captured the heart. She can naturally evoke this incredible aura and power that few other artists can rival. One can see Bush’s best images online, but there are people who will want to see her best photos collected together. Although expense, WOW! by Gered Mankowitz is a collection of photos from 1978/1979 that highlights this incredible new artist whose looks and images were integral to her music. For more information regarding Mankowitz’s photos, see here:

“WOW! Kate Bush by Gered Mankowitz features the very best work from Gered Mankowitz’s incredible 1978 / 1979 archive of Kate Bush photographs, with the majority of photographs previously unpublished. Each copy is personally signed by Gered Mankowitz.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz 

As with all previous Ormond Yard Press volumes, it is a book on a spectacular scale: a hardcover volume housed in its own printed slipcase and measuring 24 inches high x 18 inches wide (60x45cm) when closed, 24 x 36 inches (60 x 90cm) when open, with 96 pages of photographs. The physical scale may be large, but the edition size for WOW! is reassuringly small – just 750 individually signed and numbered copies are available to collectors worldwide”.

Whether it is a single or album cover, or a photo-shoot, there is never anything ordinary regarding Kate Bush! Another important collection of photos is Kate: Inside the Rainbow by John Carder Bush – Kate’s older brother. You can buy it here - and it is a vital documentation of Bush from childhood to 2011:

“KATE: Inside the Rainbow is a collection of beautiful images from throughout Kate Bush’s career, taken by her brother, the photographer and writer John Carder Bush. It includes outtakes from classic album shoots and never-before-seen photographs from sessions including The Dreaming and Hounds of Love, as well as rare candid studio shots and behind-the-scenes stills from video sets, including ‘Army Dreamers’ and ‘Running Up that Hill’.

These stunning images will be accompanied by two new essays by John Carder Bush: From Cathy to Kate, describing in vibrant detail their shared childhood and the early, whirlwind days of Kate’s career, and Chasing the Shot, which vividly evokes John’s experience of photographing his sister.

A beautiful, full-colour coffee-table hardback with a quarter-bound linen cover and head and tail bands

Includes more than 250 stunning rare and unpublished black and white and colour photographs, taken between 1964 and 2011”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bush shot by Gered Mankowitz for the Wuthering Heights session in 1978

There are articles about the book here and here, and I suggest anyone who wants to see how an artist can truly stagger and stun the senses buy the book. Maybe it is the brother-sister bond, but one looks at the shots through Kate: Inside the Rainbow, and your heart sort of melts. Perhaps it is that smile or the way Bush can connect with the camera, but I feel Bush’s style and visual engagement is as crucial as her music. So many artists do not really connect their image to their music, but in Bush’s case, the two are interconnected. One only needs to watch her videos and see photos of her on tour to realise here was a woman who understood the importance of art. It is hard to put into words, but I was drawn to Kate Bush because of her videos and how different she was to anyone else. From Wuthering Heights and early singles to her promotional images for 50 Words for Snow, there is nobody like her! It is rare to gravitate towards an artist because of how they connect with the camera, and how they can embody different characters and guises through the years. Maybe David Bowie is the other great artist who has a similar gravitas and genius.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

I know Kate Bush: Symphony of You is mooted for an autumn release, and I will be snapping up the book! Bush’s music tells us a lot about her, but I think photos reveal new sides to her. She always seems so confident and effortless in front of the camera; she has that ability to switch between shy and assured; to assume these different personas but, beneath it all, remain this unique and endlessly inspiring person. I would compel people to buy books like Kate: Inside the Rainbow, as every picture tells a story. One can see the change and growth of this fantastic person who, very early in her career, was making hearts skip and standing out from the pack. I am not sure what the future holds for Bush and her music – and whether she will ever release another album -, but I am spending a lot of time revisiting her videos and photos. I have not even mentioned her videos, but maybe that will be for another feature! They are always fabulous and like these mini-films that engage the senses and tell these wonderful stories. There is so much I love about Kate Bush, but her affinity to amaze without saying a word is very high up the list. For over four decades, she has amazed and wowed people in so many different ways. If you think you understand and connect with Bush through her music, you get yet more layers and beauty when you encounter her…

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

THROUGH the lens.

TRACK REVIEW: Sinead O'Brien - Fall With Me

TRACK REVIEW:

 

 Sinead O’Brien

 PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

Fall With Me

9.5/10

The track, Fall With Me, is available from:

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

GENRES:

Punk/Spoken Word

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

11th March, 2020

MUSIC WRITTEN BY:

Sinead O’Brien, Julian Hanson & Oscar Robertson

PRODUCED BY:

Dan Carey

ENGINEERED BY:

Alexis Smith

MIXED BY:

Dan Carey

MASTERED BY:

 Kevin Tuffy

LABEL:

Chess Club

__________

I have been concentrating a lot…

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Mason

on mainstream artists for reviews lately, and I think there are some great newer artists that warrant attention. I have been keen to review Sinead O’Brien, as she is someone capturing a lot of love right now. I will come to the review of her latest track, Fall With Me, in a minute, but there are a few things to uncover when it comes to her music and start. In terms of sound and style, it is hard to define O’Brien’s music. She is a Punk artist, but there are elements of Post-Punk and other genres. Maybe it is best not to label artists when it comes to sound, but I think there are elements of the great Punk artists, some wonderful poets, and artists like Patti Smith. It is a wonderful blend, and I am especially drawn to her love of words. All songwriters, in a sense, are poets, but O’Brien is someone who has that deep affection and curiosity regarding language. A lot of new artists coming through are being noted because of their blend of spoken word and Post-Punk elements. Sinead O’Brien is fearless when it comes to words, and the way she writes and articulates her feelings is amazing. I want to bring in an interview from October of last year, where O’Brien’s poetic nature was discussed:

“Packing grace and grit in equal measure, Sinead has already built up a fearsome reputation for her unique blend of spoken word delivery and post-punk principles – something she certainly never envisioned herself pursuing as a convent school student in Limerick.

“I always had an interest in English, but I had some pretty tough teachers,” she explains. “The way poetry was taught in school didn’t interest me at that point. It was all about learning the poems off by heart. The fact that we were supposed to be analysing the poet’s intention kind of disgusted me, too. To me, it was up to everyone to find their own interpretation.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

“When it comes to the word ‘poetry’, people get so uptight,” she laughs. “I’m quite loose with the word – I’m definitely not calling myself an academic. But I don’t think anyone should be afraid to use their words, because there’s no better way to express yourself.”

From there, Sinead found herself sharing a stage with legendary punk-poet John Cooper Clarke.

“He’s wild,” she laughs. “Being Irish, I’m quite polite, especially when I get to meet these big personalities. So I was giving him all the space in the world, but no – he wanted to bring us back to hotel and buy us drinks – and chat and sing with us the whole night. It was the most brilliant, inclusive experience ever. It showed me that someone at the top of their game can still be so generous”.

I spent my childhood writing poetry, and I always felt that, even when we were encouraged to write, there was a sense (from some other kids) that it was not cool. I wonder what would have happened if I continued writing poetry, as I was quite good back then. I wonder whether poetry is included in the curriculum, and how children are taught these days. I listen to a lot of music, but it is not too often that I reflect on the lyrics that hard. Maybe that is because I am hooked to the vocal and composition, but there is something about an artist who puts the words to the front that grabs me. Poetry and songwriting are different, so one will experience a different sensation when they experience song lyrics compared to poetry. Many songwriters find it hard to write in a poetic style, as they feel too constricted. Likewise, I think it is hard for a lot of poets to be as expansive and musical as artists. Sinead O’Brien can bridge the two worlds, and it is evident poetry was a big part of her early life.

When she spoke with GoldenPlec in August last year, the theme of poetry and its influence on her lyrics came up:

 “<<GP>> You're obviously a fan of poetry. What writers in particular influence your lyrics? What else has an impact on how you write/what you write about?

Poetry is something I look to for structure and form. Like a choreographer might use a classical ballet as the framework to create something new, I see poetry and song structure in that way. Like a tool.

Content, however, comes from outside of that. It’s one thing having something to say and quite another to find your own particular way to say it. That’s style. My favourite poets to read and re-read would be T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Frank O'Hara. I love Joan Didion for her direct voice and her almost ‘documentary' style, Camus and when I get completely crazy and want to go into a wide-open space I dive into philosophy.

I write in a quite realistic style, there is a lot of ‘I’, ‘You’, ‘We’. Real people. The subjects are everyday-universal but I want to give a very particular and individual voice to that”.

Although O’Brien is now based in London, she has had an itinerant life so far. She is an Irish artist, and I have a particular love of Irish acts. Of course, there is a great scene coming from Ireland right now. Bands like Fontaines D.C. are proving – if it needed to be – that Ireland is a nation with as much variety, quality, and passion as anywhere else in the world. Not only does O’Brien’s discovery of poetry move me and provokes all sorts of images; I also wonder about where she lived and how the people and landscape impacted her. I can envisage the young O’Brien reading poetry, playing records, and scribbling notes and thoughts.

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

Maybe she did follow chart music and was hanging with friends who listened to that kind of stuff, but I get the feeling she was drawn more to artists and voices who were more concerned with feel and the depths of language, rather than melodic hooks and accessibility. In terms of her surroundings, the native tongue and the warmth of the people would have hit her. I think geography and upbringing is hugely influential when it comes to the music you make. I am not suggesting she drips Ireland and that is the only thing of note. What I mean is that Ireland her young life is all part of this magnificent mix and unique D.N.A. In terms of O’Brien and where she lived, what was covered in an interview with Loud and Quiet back in October of last year:

 “O’Brien was born in Dublin before the family moved west to Limerick where she lived until she returned to the Irish capital to study in her late teens. Her love of words and music began to develop at an early age, though they wouldn’t marry until much later. Sinead tells the story of how, when she was five or six, she would return from school with her ‘spelling book’ bulging with advanced new entries. Her parents grew suspicious and checked with the next-door neighbour (a primary teacher). “My dad was like, ‘she’s giving herself extra homework so that she can be better!” I was pretty keen on homework in general. I had a school bag before I had a school.”

Music wasn’t far behind either. “I was sitting in the car with my mum, I was six, and I completely remember. I just had this notion – I want to learn piano.” Initially, lessons were at a chaotic School for Music before she swapped those for the more formal private tutorials administered by a stern old-fashioned antiques dealer. “She took care of my hands,” remembers O’Brien. “Sometimes she would even take my nail varnish off. It was etiquette – you come like this to the class. I absolutely loved it.” She kept taking lessons until she was 18. “I’ve always done best under very tough teaching,” she says. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Lola Stephens

By her late teens the allure the big(ger) city – “my New York or something” – was growing. She had enlisted at college in Limerick, but after one year transferred onto a course in Fashion Design in Dublin – an intensive group with four teachers and twelve students. The rigorous mentoring style suited her, and towards the end of her studies O’Brien was selected to work at Dior in Paris for five months”.

I will come to fashion in a bit, because that is another interesting facet of Sinead O’Brien. One of the reasons why I was drawn to music and poetry as a child was because of the routine and rather mundane nature of school. I loved being there, because I got to meet some wonderful friends, and it was a very important part of my life. I think the fact that children are taught the same things and everything is very rule-bound means that, invariably, those with big imaginations will want to break free or find some form of meaning and individuality in other forms. For me, music was a different world that broke all barriers, and it provided lessons, textures and possibilities that I could not get from lessons. Likewise, I feel O’Brien’s educational experience was one that provoked her to explored music, poetry and fashion. In October, O’Brien spoke with So Young Magazine, and she talked about her school life:

“What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired your music?

Limerick (home of The Cranberries & Richard Harris) named after a form of poetry which was used by writers and poets including Joyce, Lewis Carrol and Mark Twain.

Growing up, I went to an all girls catholic school. My art teacher was the last remaining nun who was surprisingly focused on helping me get into art school. It was quite picturesque – six hundred girls in floor length skirts, ties done all the way up, marching up and down six flights of stairs in this big beautiful 19th century building.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

I looked for points of differences amongst the uniformity. The city has influenced me strongly too – it still does. I went to a lot of gigs during those years. When bands from London or Tokyo which no-one had ever heard of would come – it felt like a time of discovery. Laying the foundation for my own musical taste and ideas. The music you listen to – its such a commitment, it almost cut people up into distinctive groups, dividing and coming together. Flocks of young animals just trying to understand. When I come back to Limerick I pick up just there, where I left off. I keep coming back and understanding and discovering. It’s coming back with purpose, reflecting who I am now against the place I grew up. It’s a very sensitive and almost invisible process but something precious.

What led you to start writing and performing songs?

I moved to Paris in 2012 after graduating from Art school in Dublin. A friend saying goodbye casually suggested that I write an online piece and call it ‘freak watching in the city’! I started to write short pieces during my off time from beneath rainy cafe awnings, inside the Pompidou centre, at my home on canal St Martin and every place between.  I love to observe and write my environment and found a kind of humor in it at that time. To me it was almost ridiculous – to be a ‘stranger’ noting down strange things. I found it surreal and really connected with that. It’s quite theatrical to say ‘here I am and this is what I’m seeing’. Like opening a curtain and revealing your world. Impact and drama. I alway find a sense of drama in the everyday. It’s interesting and gritty.

The pieces began to take on the shape of poems and I began working on them to give more symmetry and form. It’s not like you know why or what you’re doing, just a piece or work which needs working on. It wasn’t until I had several notebooks full that I felt a reason to perform”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

I sort of think that O’Brien’s life and progress into music begs for some sort of television or film drama. Few of us think about an artist’s early life and how that moulded them. Today, we are given music and we listen at such a fast rate; how regularly do you stop and think about that artist and how they got into music? I love the fact O’Brien had this strict school life, but she was this artistic and slightly bohemian soul who yearned for poetry and fashion; one imagined she would have felt more at home watching people walk past a café, or taking a stroll down a picturesque street. I suppose that, even as a child, O’Brien was dreaming of the city and what it could offer. Fashion is quite a big part of O’Brien’s work and music. She always looks very stylish and cool when she is being photographed; she is a stunning woman with incredible beauty, but there is this edge and powerful image she projects. Mixing sophistication with something distinctly her own, the eye is drawn to the women behind the music. That world of fashion and poetry sort of blend; it is so different to everything else in music. I think so many young artists are either flaunting flesh to sell music, or there is not a lot of consideration given to image and standing out. Sinead O’Brien is a songwriter who can be called and Irish Punk; she could be seen as someone who embraces the unknown. In my view, O’Brien is someone you cannot tag and limit – unlike so many of her peers. Whilst words and the masters of the past have helped shape her, I think people are just as worthy. O’Brien has this fascination with people and just seeing the world rush by.

PHOTO CREDIT: @hotpress

Returning to the interview from Loud and Quiet, O’Brien talked about her time in Paris and how, when she could, she would frequent a café and note down her observations. It is really interesting to imagine O’Brien people-watching:  

“However, it wasn’t just in fashion where O’Brien became well versed in Paris. During any spare time she’d indulge in the French tradition of drinking in cafés and watching the world go by. “Cafés – my second home,” she quips. As a distraction she began writing short observational poems. “At first they’d be more humorous – they were my way of entertaining myself. I would laugh and then maybe share it with a friend or something.” Together with a pal they came up with a title for these playful short passages: Freak Watching In The City. Sometimes she’d share these stories with mates, posting her work on Facebook. They’d do the same. “I liked the back ’n’ forth.” Soon that work took a more philosophical turn, or in O’Brien’s words, “became a bit bigger than funny shoes or something like that… but still looking at the daily things. The grit of it. People’s coming and going”.

I will get to reviewing very soon but, rather than introduce you to an artist who has been tipped for success and give you a few lines about Fall With Me, I wanted to give some time up to explore a brilliant artist and really interesting woman who has so many layers. Whether it is her discovery of poetry, the desire to study fashion, or how strict her school life was, O’Brien is not one who wants to be restricted and narrowed. A lot of artists like to remain in their comfort zone and do the same thing, but O’Brien is an artist who does not mind being exposed and leaving herself open to fear and uncertainty. I think that can really push an artist and lead to something beautiful.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

It was inevitable Sinead O’Brien would be discovered and would find a home for her music, but she is not like so many artists around her. If she was given a lot of time to record or told what sort of songs to write, that would have been very hard to take. Her meeting with Dan Carey – the main guy at Speedy Wunderground – was pivotal. It seemed like she had found this natural home; an environment that allowed her to record how she wanted: a sense of speed and this urgency; a quite raw and almost live-sounding style of recording. I want to quote from an interview in DIY, where O’Brien talked about meeting Carey:

“Meticulously thought-through and writing from the position of unguarded narrator (“I sometimes have these realisations when I’m performing where I feel naked, but that’s a good thing. I like the exposure; I like daring to be scared”), Sinead’s early output soon caught the eye of expert talent spotter and Speedy Wunderground main man Dan Carey, who brought her in to record debut single ‘Taking On Time’ last summer. Now, the pair have just finished laying down her debut EP. “He just knows how to get your thing into being and make something more like you than you ever even knew. He knows how to get you to become so alive and then you freeze it there,” she enthuses. “That sense of confinement [Speedy Wunderground tracks are all recorded within 24 hours] and limit is where I thrive; I think that makes me explode”.

Before moving along to Fall With Me, I want to end this section by exploring O’Brien’s writing process. One imagines O’Brien would have just moved from writing her own poetry to bringing that into the studio. Like inspirations and early life, I think it is interesting to see how O’Brien’s music has progressed, and how she has got to this stage. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

A few days back, an interview was published in The Quietus. This is an interesting section of the interview that tells how she met some very important collaborators:

“More crucial than either that gig, or even the Windmill show, however, was her meeting Julian Hanson, with whom she now writes and performs (Burns’ role was a one-off). After first meeting one night in the MOTH Club in Hackney and swapping numbers, Hanson “started to come into my life as a dripping tap,” she says. “He used to come over sometimes and he’d play the guitar on the floor of my tiny box room, and at some point I just started reading against him playing. It felt really good, I think we were a bit shocked about what the clash ended up being. I hate the word random, but when you put two random things together, sometimes it takes a bit of a while to understand what happened – if it’s a good thing or if it’s just a nothing. But I think that once we started to lock in, and work together, at the same time as becoming really good friends, it kind of made sense.”

From there, O’Brien and Hanson, who is based in Nottingham, as well as London-based drummer Oscar Robertson, began endlessly swapping references and trading long voice messages as they built upon that brilliant early collision, O’Brien’s instincts for finding the music in her writing growing sharper and sharper as her and Hanson’s understanding grows. “Every single day, every hour I have spare, I’m writing,” she says. “Whether it’s in my notebook or my phone or whatever, and I’m always listening to music. Sometimes Julian sends me little snippets of guitar, and I start to get a feeling for what might be the hook of a song. As soon as I have something where I can imagine what it looks like, I book a train and go see Julian in Nottingham, or he comes to me. He never listens to the playlists I send him, he wont listen to any of the references I have, which is brilliant, because he can never hear what I heard. We question each other a lot, we carve and shape things together, intrusively in a way, but it’s very welcome and wanted in that way. It all comes down to the fact that I love everything he does”.

PHOTO CREDIT: NME

Sinead O’Brien’s music seems almost like these important speeches; almost Gospel-like in a way. To start with, Fall With Me sees O’Brien backed by a sort of spacey electronic sound as she talks about this most basic of cities; this is a chance for people to join with O’Brien and surrender. When talking about the song’s inspiration, O’Brien said that she wanted people to sink and imagine, just for a moment, what it would be like to surrender and give yourself over to that pleasure. “You can’t imagine/This state that we’re in” is an intriguing mantra and thought that makes me curious whether the ‘state’ refers to what is happening in the world at large, or whether she is talking about surrendering and what that feels like. The chorus sees O’Brien repeating the song’s title; it becomes more hypnotic and strong every time the words are sung. Backed by guitar and drum, it is a gear switch from the opening moments. Going from this naked and poetry-like start, the song evolves and grows. Our heroine will takes us further; “Lullaby in reverse”; let this lullaby, as she says, “subvert your feelings” – words delivered with such meaning and potency, that you keep going back time and time again. Ever since I heard O’Brien’s music, I have been amazed by her lyrics and how powerful they are. One immerses themselves in songs, and imagines scenes unfolding. In terms of specific inspiration and meaning, I think there is room to interpret. O’Brien talks about spring arriving after the snow; these giant leaps happening. Like poetry, one can speculate as to interpretation, but everyone will get something different from the same words. This very basic city – whether referring to London or somewhere else – is just one place to go.

I get the sense there is this pining for movement and not being rooted. O’Brien, as someone who has lived in different places in her life, cannot be tied to one city, and I think she finds peace and meaning experiencing different people and places. I love how O’Brien’s Irish accent adds something special. There is this romantic-cum-conversational sound to her voice that resonates. “Is this what it feels like to speak too freely?” is another line that jumped out. Again, I was wondering what that line referred to and whether O’Brien was referring to political and big conversation, or just speaking freely in her personal life. “Confusion is the war on us” is another brilliant line – in a song full of them -, and I start to piece together different interpretations and possibilities each time I play the song. O’Brien declares that she doesn’t want to wait any more. I feel this desire that the heroine has to break away from the conventional and there’s that need to surrender and let go. I am not sure what the act of falling would entail. Whether it is a sort of meditative release, or something more provocative and revolutionary, one is invested and engrossed. The final stages combine some guiding and illustrative bass, beats, and guitar, as O’Brien’s words continue to stir the mind. I have listened to Fall With Me a number of times, and I think it is a song that unveils itself the more you investigate. I know O’Brien has a gig at London's Chats Palace on 21st May, and many people will want to hear Fall With Me on the stage. This is another fantastic and triumphant song from a super-talented artist who is gaining more followers and fans by the week. I think she is one of this year’s most promising artists, and there is going to be definite demand for an E.P. or album from this brilliant songwriter.

PHOTO CREDIT: DIY

I have talked a lot about Sinead O’Brien’s early life, and what she is putting out right now. She has been tipped by so many publications – including NME -, and everyone can see this exceptional artist who will have a very long future. I wonder whether O’Brien will get an official website soon, where she can combine all of her work, thoughts and information. Also, I think there is talk of an E.P. coming, because she has released some great singles that would melt together superbly. On that note, many might wonder whether an album is coming and what she has planned regarding more music. The Irish poet and songwriter has made big strides through the years, but she is now based in London. I wonder whether a new setting will guide her music. Of course, O’Brien is no stranger to London, and it seems like movement and experiencing new cities suits her well. Returning to the GoldenPlec interview, the seduction of cities was covered:    

 “I used to come to London every summer while I was studying in Dublin. I love cities and needed to feel that big expansiveness in contrast to where I grew up. I appreciate the appeal of both places very much now. But I needed to follow that feeling so after Paris in 2013 I moved to London for my first design job. A lot of my close friends from home were here too so it was easy. Like having another base.

I’m also quite easily adjusted to places, I absorb the newness and collect as I go. I don’t leave where I've been behind - I add to it. So, in a way, I feel like I have built up a collection of places (Limerick, Clare, Dublin, Paris, London) I feel a strong connection to”.

If you want to see O’Brien tour, check out her movements. Of course, I am not sure how things are going to change for her and every other artist at the moment, what with the coronavirus. It is a challenging time, so gigs might get cancelled. I hope there are plenty of gigs for Sinead O’Brien this year, as she is a wonderful artist who produces these incredible shows. Gigwise caught her in London last month, and they were stunned by what they witnessed:  

“Visuals are as much a part of the set as the punch of the music. Bathed in a sanguine light, Sinead appears on stage in a luxuriously draped silk gown the colour of rust – emphasizing the fluidity in which she floats around the stage, waif-like. A dancer fills the space of what would be a pit given the right circumstances, but instead she is interpretive and mesmerizing, adding an entirely new sense of creativity to the proceedings.

Whilst there is a delicacy in the artform of performance, there is no denying that there is a commanding power that emanates from the poet. As the musician’s wax and wane in crescendo, Sinead’s hands are the silent conductor subtly flickering in unspoken communications to let the band know that it’s time to simmer down and let the words carry their weight. Apart from a few words of thanks the set is fast-paced, carried by the urgency of Sinead’s distinctive craft and the intensity of her gaze.

Serving as a transportation to times far gone, but yet to be lost, SET Dalston was host to an unforgettable night for those who are enticed by the idea of pushing creative boundaries and carving our spaces for themselves in a world that is often resistant to change”.

There is a bright future ahead for O’Brien - and I am looking forward to seeing where she heads. There is going to be more material, and many people will watch her closely. There is something different about O’Brien and what she is writing. Her music is deeply moving and interesting; the way she delivers her words is amazing, and I just know O’Brien will keep on growing and storm the music scene. She is fairly new out of the blocks, but I think this year will be a massive one. Once the coronavirus problems subside, O’Brien will be very busy indeed. If you have not heard and followed this amazing artist yet, rectify that and get involved. Unique, poetic, and incredibly passionate, Sinead O’Brien is an…

AMAZING talent.

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Follow Sinead O’Brien 

PHOTO CREDIT: @hotpress

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/_sineadobrien_

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SINEADOBRIENPOETRY/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_sineadobrien_/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Nron4wq7uF2TwLodaVRHr

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qlFgSoGexhFE5d1dnsJXw

ALL UNCREDITED PHOTOS:

Sinead O’Brien

FEATURE: Glastonbury 2020: Why Its Survival Will Bring Us Together

FEATURE:

 

Glastonbury 2020

IMAGE CREDIT: Glastonbury

Why Its Survival Will Bring Us Together

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SO many gigs and festivals are…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa

being cancelled at the moment because of the Coronavirus spread. It seems that the music world in general is going to have to lockdown for a few weeks at the very least. Last week, the line-up for this year’s Glastonbury was announced. As the festival takes place between 24th and 28th June, there are no immediate plans to cancel. This BBC article explains more:

“Dua Lipa, the Pet Shop Boys and Mabel will all play the Glastonbury Festival this summer - provided it isn't cancelled because of the coronavirus.

More than 90 names were added to the line-up on Thursday, joining headliners Taylor Swift and Sir Paul McCartney.

US rap star Kendrick Lamar will top the bill on Friday, with Supergrass, Lana Del Rey and AJ Tracey also due to play.

Emily Eavis said organisers had "fingers firmly crossed" the event would go ahead in June.

She said she was releasing a poster of the line-up "with the best intentions" given "the current circumstances".

"As things stand we are still working hard to deliver our 50th anniversary festival in June and we are very proud of the bill that we have put together over the last year or so," she said.

“No one has a crystal ball to see exactly where we will all be 15 weeks from now, but we are keeping our fingers firmly crossed that it will be here at Worthy Farm for the greatest show on Earth!"

The coronavirus outbreak has already affected several tours and festivals, with acts like The Who, BTS, Miley Cyrus and Madonna having cancelled or postponed shows.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney

In the US, April's Coachella festival has been delayed, while music industry showcase South By Southwest, was scrapped altogether.

The Country To Country festival, due to take place in London, Dublin and Glasgow this weekend, was also postponed at the last minute on Thursday night. Rescheduled dates will be announced "in the coming days," organisers said”.

I do think that it will be a case of calling it off in the next few weeks because, if it is left any longer, I have the feeling it will be too late to reorganise or figure out a plan that benefits artists and fans. The biggest problem is artists contracting Coronavirus, which would leave holes in the (excellent) line-up. If fans are affected, they cannot attend, and I there will be measures to ensure anyone attending is responsible and safe. The fact of the matter is that Glastonbury is over two months away, so there is no telling how bad things will be. Although experts say the virus will be at its most severe by June, one cannot say for sure. There is a chance that things will be contained here by then and, although Coachella and other major festivals have rescheduled, I can understand why Glastonbury is going ahead. Some say it is irresponsible and, inevitably, there is the chance lots of fans and artists will have to change their schedules. There is a chance organisers will have to push Glastonbury back to the autumn, but that would mean the entire bill having to rejig their diaries to accommodate.

As so much work has been put in already, it would be heartbreaking to make an early call without more information. I know Emily Eavis will have to monitor the news and make a call one way or the other, but there are so many people looking forward to Glastonbury. On its fiftieth anniversary, so many people are excited to see artists like Paul McCartney and Diana Ross play! It will be a massive event that includes so many terrific artists new and established. I have said before how this year’s Glastonbury will be a chance to join together. We have all been through so much over the past couple of years. The seemingly never-ending Brexit drama is over, and there is the looming and ever-present trouble regarding the environment. Although the world will always have its troubles, I think we can all feel lifted and united by music. It would be a shame if things were cancelled, but many are optimistic, and there have been so many cancellations already – I think we all need Glastonbury to stay focused and go ahead. Of course, if there is no choice but to cancel, then it will have to be pushed back and, although there will be financial losses, these things cannot be helped. Glastonbury has the sort of magic and spirit that brings us together, gives us that joy, and stays in the memory. Everyone is hoping that, in June, Glastonbury goes ahead. Being able to all see Glastonbury’s fiftieth in a few months is…

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Madigan Heck

THE sort of good news we all need!

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Kehlani

An All-Female, Winter-Ready Playlist (Vol. X)

__________

AS this is a weekend…

IN THIS PHOTO: Starley

where a lot of people are staying in, I think music is more important now more than ever! It is vital that we support musicians, and we try and buy music if we can – as a lot of artists are having gigs cancelled because of what is happening now. This female-led playlist has some terrific tracks that you will definitely want to get behind. If you need some entertainment to kick your weekend off, take a gander at the tunes below. It is another busy week where the incredible women of music have produced some seriously…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dream Wife

WONDERFUL cuts.  

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Deradoorian – Saturnine Night

Margo Price – Twinkle Twinkle

Ultraista – Harmony

Lucy May Walker – Obsessed with You

Kehlani – Toxic

The Endorphins – Dead or Alive

ALMA – Stay All Night

Eliza Shaddad – Pure Shores

FLETCHER – Forever

Georgia & The Vintage Youth – You + I

PHOTO CREDIT: @jennifer___honda

HARLOE – Rivers Run Dry

Lennon Stella – Jealous

Starley – Arms Around Me

Rita Ora – How to Be Lonely

Biond – TFW

IN THIS PHOTO: Ms Banks

Cadenza, Ms. Banks, Spice – Walk Out

Runrummer – I Like Getting High (But Not All the Time)

JFDR – My Work

KEYAH/BLU – If You Know

SASAMI – Mess

PHOTO CREDIT: @chantalaanderson

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Expanding Electricity

PHOTO CREDIT: Misha Meghna

Sabiyha – Choorile

Stella Angelika – Little Serenade

Girlpool – Like I’m Winning It

Polly Scattergood – After You

PINS – Ponytail

Dream Wife – Sports!

FEATURE: Sure Shot: Beastie Boys Story: The Ultimate Playlist

FEATURE:

 

Sure Shot

Beastie Boys Story: The Ultimate Playlist

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NOT only did we receive the…

IN THIS PHOTO: Adam Yauch/MCA (left) with the Beastie Boys in 1987 - Yauch died in 2012/PHOTO CREDIT: Ebet Roberts/Getty Images

good news last week that the Peter Jackson-directed/produced documentary film about The Beatles is coming soon; we also know that the anticipated Beastie Boys-Spike Jonze hook-up has a release date. I cannot wat to see it. Beastie Boys Story will be a must for dedicated fans and new converts alike. In this article, Pitchfork provide more details:

“The Spike Jonze-directed Beastie Boys documentary is coming to IMAX theaters on April 3 and will then stream on April 24 via Apple TV+. Following a teaser earlier this year, the film’s first full-length trailer was shared tonight. It features archival video as well as new footage of Mike D and Ad-Rock talking about the band’s history on stage.

Prior to the documentary’s release, Jonze will put out a Beastie Boys photo book, compiling shots from throughout their career. It’s out March 17 via Rizzoli”

I am doing a couple of shorter pieces this weekend, that focuses on a particular artist. I like a good playlist and, as the Beastie Boys’ documentary is coming up very shortly, I felt it only right to combine their best songs together. As Adam Nathaniel Yauch (MCA) died in 2012, there will be no more Beastie Boys material. It is a tragedy, as they are among my favourite groups ever. To celebrate the upcoming documentary, have a look at the playlist and…

WITNESS their timeless genius.

FEATURE: The March Playlist: Vol. 2: The Almighty Rubbernecker

FEATURE:

 

The March Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Vol. 2: The Almighty Rubbernecker

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THIS weekend is a bit of…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dream Wife/PHOTO CREDIT: Joanna Kiely

a strange one, and many people are staying inside because of what is happening with the Coronavirus outbreak. Musicians and venues are being affected, and it is a challenging time for everyone right now. Whilst we are not sure what is going to happen and how bad things are going to get, it is a busy time for new music. Artists are putting out fantastic songs, and it is another eclectic week. Whatever situation you are in, make sure you take a listen to the fantastic songs below. The weather is improving; the music is coming in thick and fast, so sit back…

IN THIS PHOTO: Tim Burgess

AND drink it all in.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Rubbernecker

Little Mix – Wasabi

Dream Wife – Sports!

Tim Burgess – The Mall

Working Men’s Club - A.A.A.A.

Born Ruffians – Wavy Haze

The Killers – Caution

HARLOE - We’re All Gonna Lose

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Blouin & Jodi Heartz

Nap Eyes - Mystery Calling

Gia Woods – EGO

Lennon Stella – Jealous

PHOTO CREDIT: Jordan Hemingway

Yves Tumor – Kereosene!

Rita Ora - How to Be Lonely

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Hall

The Boomtown Rats - Sweet Thing

Porches – I Wanna Ride

PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Cohen (Memorials of Distinction)

Porridge Radio – Pop Song

Circa Waves – Battered & Bruised

PINS – Ponytail

PHOTO CREDIT: NPR/Mhari Shaw

Jordan Rakei – Borderline

SASAMI – Mess

Rosie Carney – when i look at you.

Enter Shikari – the kiing

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Shinner

Jordan Mackampa – Care for Your Mother

Sinead O Brien – Fall with Me

ALMA –Stay All Night

PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Crowston

The Lathums – It Won’t Take Long

Four Tet – School

Maribou State – Mother

Ultraísta – Harmony

FEATURE: Tota Veritas: Music to Arm the Next Generation

FEATURE:

 

Tota Veritas

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling/PHOTO CREDIT: Elle Carroll

Music to Arm the Next Generation

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I often write…

about music of the moment, and how it has changed a lot through the decades. Politics and the real world have always been part of the agenda, but I do not think we have seen a time where so many artists are using music to call for change and reflect what is happening around them. Whilst there are inevitable downsides to that – a lack of fun and it can get a bit heavy -, there are artists who, as I have said before, are telling the whole truth at a time when politicians are not doing enough – not that they ever have! I am compelled to revisit this subject because, wonderfully, Laura Marling is releasing her seventh solo studio album. It does not have a title at the moment, but she has just turned thirty, and her world/personal view is changing. This NME article reveals more details:

“Laura Marling has discussed her upcoming seventh album in a new interview, in which she also confirmed that it is completely finished.

Last month, it was announced that Marling had signed a new record deal – a new venture between the re-launched Chrysalis Records and indie label Partisan – to release a new album in 2020.

“It’s finished as far as I’m concerned,” she continued, before diving into the feelings behind the upcoming LP. “I was thinking a lot about how I would arm the next generation in a way that I haven’t been armed. That’s the heavier side of it. 

“But I was also thinking about trying to not write the same song that I’ve written over and over again for the last ten years. That’s a good one to avoid.”

She continued: “I’ve kept an inward gaze, but I’ve gone horizontally downwards to another generation. I turned 30 two weeks ago, so I’m feeling in a different position in my life, and whether there is a responsibility to be a certain way or to consider things about the next generation, which there certainly is”.

I think we have got to stage where people need to speak out, and there is so much misinformation out there. It will be interesting to see what Marling delivers, as her past material has been more rooted in the personal and literary. That is not to say she will go political and completely change, but it seems like more of today’s challenges will be included. Look around music now, and Laura Marling is definitely not the only artist tackling everything from politics to climate change. From great bands like Fontaines D.C. and Green Day to solo artists like Kate Tempest, nearly every genre of music is reacting to the current state of the world. I had never thought about it before, but Marling talked about arming the next generation. I listen to music now, and I think it an immediate thing that urges us to think and react in the moment.

Rather than a lot of modern music being about this year and the current time, there is all this guidance, information and wisdom for the next generation. It is that contrast of politics and music. Those in a position of power seem less effective and trustworthy of musicians so, when we have so much digital power at our disposal, I think artists are going to be the ones people turn to when it comes to galvanising us and bringing people together. I never really listen back to music from years ago as instruction for today. Maybe that is because artists now are more potent and political, but I like that idea of music that can rouse and inspire the next generation. Whether that is a call to arms (in a peaceful sense), or to become more involved in battling climate change and inequality, it is a good thing. Although I have suggested there is a bit too much anger and the downbeat in modern music, maybe that is a reaction to a tension that needs to be released. I do feel that, in an age where there is social media and so much information, younger listeners are growing up not really knowing what to believe or being buried in political obfuscation. Whether it is the environment, gender issues, or anything else, I think music can speak loud and cross borders. Can music change the world and make a difference? I do feel it can, and the more artists reaching out to the next generation, the better. Laura Marling is among a whole host of modern musicians who are using their platform to make…       

PHOTO CREDIT: @li_anlim/Unsplash

A real difference.

FEATURE: Immerse Your Soul in Love: Radiohead’s The Bends at Twenty-Five

FEATURE:

Immerse Your Soul in Love

Radiohead’s The Bends at Twenty-Five

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EVERY time an important album…

nears an anniversary, it provides me an opportunity to do a bit of research and discover more about it. Radiohead’s second album, The Bends, is twenty-five on 13th March, and it is a record that so many people hold dear. I love Radiohead to death, and The Bends is my favourite album of theirs – I would place it in my top-five albums ever. I am not sure whether any other artist has made such a leap between their debut and sophomore albums, but Radiohead’s progress was startling! I have probably mentioned this in other features regarding The Bends, but few who listened to their debut, Pablo Honey, in 1993 would have predicated an album like The Bends to come so soon – if at all, for that matter! It must have been tense in the Radiohead camp in 1993. Pablo Honey is a solid (if unspectacular) record, which most people remember for the single, Creep. By the time the band began touring the U.S. early in 1993, Creep was a massive hit and there was this pressure to follow it. It is strange to think that, at one point, Radiohead were considered a one-hit wonder. Radiohead cancelled an appearance at the Reading Festival, as Thom Yorke was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Maybe the story is untrue, but EMI wanted the band to get sorted and sort of get their act together within six months, or else they’d be dropped.

That expectation to keep touring and produce more music must have been intense for the band, but I imagine Yorke, as Radiohead’s lead, struggled the most. Radiohead did set to work following up Pablo Honey. They were pleased to work with producer John Leckie and engineer Nigel Godrich (who would become their producer after The Bends - and he is to this day), but EMI were keen for them to have an album out by October 1994. A lead single was needed, and the band had a choice between The Bends, Just, Sulk, and (Nice Dream). Early on in the recording process, there was this tension and sense of split. The band could not discuss which single to release first, and John Leckie faced challenges with guitarist Jonny Greenwood – Greenwood was experimenting with new sounds (on rented guitars); Leckie felt Greenwood’s sound was already good and did not need to change. Early in 1994, there was slow progress, and songs were coming together gradually. By April, there was a bit of tension between Yorke and the band as to whether they should take a break. Leckie told Yorke to go and record some songs by himself. The group were scheduled to go on tour from May until mid-June, and they resumed recording in the middle of June. Recording at The Manor, Oxfordshire, there was definitely improvement and a more relaxed band. Despite some strains and false starts, The Bend was released on 13th March, 1995. The Bends is a more expansive, experimental, and interesting album than the Grunge-inspired Pablo Honey. The guitars are more interesting and varied; the lyrics mix the cryptic with personal, and there are more sounds thrown into the pot.

Whilst the album did reach number-four on the U.K. chart, there were some mixed reviews when The Bends arrived. It seems extraordinary to think about it now, but the fact The Bends was snubbed by some is outrageous. 1995 was the height of Britpop, and Radiohead did not really fit in with other bands like Blur and Oasis. Shortly before The Bends was released, Oasis and Blur were embroiled in a famous chart battle – Blur’s Country House pipped Oasis’ Roll with It to the top spot. The Bends received the praise it deserved in retrospective reviews. That said, Radiohead were credited with widening the British music scene and creating some diversity in a time dominated by Britpop. The Bends did take Radiohead from potential one-hit wonders to a band on the rise. I do wonder what those critics were listening to when they were a bit tepid regarding The Bends. Those who did praise the album in 1995 knew Radiohead were a properly big band who were releasing stadium-sized gems. Since The Bends, Radiohead have evolved their sound and seem to reinvent themselves on every album. Whilst many people say The Bends’ follow-up, OK Computer (1997) is their finest moment, I think The Bends is the best album they produced. This is AllMusic’s assessment:

“Pablo Honey in no way was adequate preparation for its epic, sprawling follow-up, The Bends. Building from the sweeping, three-guitar attack that punctuated the best moments of Pablo Honey, Radiohead create a grand and forceful sound that nevertheless resonates with anguish and despair -- it's cerebral anthemic rock. Occasionally, the album displays its influences, whether it's U2, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., or the Pixies, but Radiohead turn clichés inside out, making each song sound bracingly fresh. Thom Yorke's tortured lyrics give the album a melancholy undercurrent, as does the surging, textured music. But what makes The Bends so remarkable is that it marries such ambitious, and often challenging, instrumental soundscapes to songs that are at their cores hauntingly melodic and accessible. It makes the record compelling upon first listen, but it reveals new details with each listen, and soon it becomes apparent that with The Bends, Radiohead have reinvented anthemic rock”.

When they reviewed The Bends in 2008, the BBC had some really interesting points to make about an album that was not only a big change in terms of Radiohead’s output, but a hugely important album for the British music world in 1995:

“Thom Yorke and his band of merry men have taken the musical landscape and toyed, spliced and even at times mollycoddled it. Where most bands pick a path and stick to it, the Oxford five-piece have danced over and beyond various musical landscapes, carving out a unique hollow for others to marvel at. But before they achieved such a status, Radiohead had some establishing to do.

At a time when the main argument in the music industry was Blur vs. Oasis, Radiohead were following up their debut Pablo Honey with a more progressive move towards the largely unpopular art rock movement. The Bends sounded different. Why? It had subtle creativity at its core. Producer John Leckie, who also produced Pink Floyd, gave the band an unprecedented freedom of expression and the band had more than enough ability to take the ball and run...

The first track Planet Telex feels genuinely refreshing even thirteen years later. Further on, High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees are simply acoustic treats – stirring and poignant. Bones swiftly picks up the mood before Just blows most of the previous tracks out of the water, with the gain whacked up to ten and '90s guitar solos aplenty. Street Spirit (Fade Out), although notoriously downbeat contains one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in musical history. Accompany that with haunting harmonies and a string section and it all amounts to a stunning finish to the album.

Popular opinion places OK Computer as Radiohead's finest release to date, yet the The Bends was where they really put themselves firmly into the public consciousness. On the title track, Yorke sings, ''where do we go from here?'' like he didn’t have a plan…Luckily for us, he had a pretty good one.

From its first defiant line, “Where do we go from here?”, Radiohead’s landmark releaseThe Bends is a polished bottling of the quintet’s napalm, teething through post-rock classicism and bursting with a tortured falsetto from our beloved Thom Yorke. It combines the darkest tones of rock with a haunting dread that makes it marginally okay to digest it all — even if every song sees no resolution amid the harshness of reality. It feels honest. We’re all aware that making music is no easy feat. Since The Bends has always felt like the product of both ideas and effort, the fact that it sounds like it took neither idea nor effort is an upshot of talent. This is a raw ritual, a visionary blend of brooding texture, tension, spirit, and synth”.

As I said earlier, it is staggering to see how Radiohead went from being defined by Creep to releasing an album that is considered one of the best from the ‘90s. I do not think there are any anniversary releases planned to mark The Bends’ twenty-fifth anniversary – I think the band are working on something to celebrate Kid A’s twentieth later in the year -, but I would encourage people to go and seek it out. You can buy it on vinyl, or just go and stream the album.

It is a wonderful album that still sounds unrivalled nearly twenty-five years after it was brought into the world. Five years ago, many people reviewed and reassessed The Bends. I came across an article from Consequence in Sound that is fascinating to read:

“So what do Radiohead’s undisputed craftsmanship and self-projection add up to here? After all, the one great theme of this work is that it’s thrilling because it’s just so unassuming. An acoustic-sounding guitar, bass, drums, and striking synth harmonically open up lyricism that creates new possibilities for improv. At the time, no one would have dreamed there was anything lyrical or lean coming from a band who two years prior wrote a song called “Anyone Can Play Guitar”. Yorke’s best lines sound less like they’ve been written with force and more like they’ve just seeped from a conversation or personal thought. “You can force it, but it will not come/ You can taste it, but it will not form,” he murmurs on “Planet Telex”. And later, “Everything is broken/ Everyone is broken” finds him flippant without apology, cerebral without warning. “All your insides fall to pieces,” goes the line from “High and Dry”; returning seconds later with a hurt soaked in passive bitterness, he sings: “You will be the one screaming out.”

With a gentleness whose comforts only a corpse could resist, the cracked cadence of the word “be” during the beautiful “Fake Plastic Trees” plea of “if I could be who you wanted” knocks you off your feet fast enough to swivel you around and catch you again. Of course, the riling guitar-howler “Just” and the barrage of Jonny Greenwood’s strings on “My Iron Lung” tear through bass lines so fast that it purges the air right out of your lungs, but it’s perhaps Pablo Honey’s poppier colorations, marking songs like “Sulk”, that allow Yorke and crew to slather thick coats of dread onto “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”.

You can love this record, because it’s brave, because it’s needed. So “where do we go from here?” Radiohead leaves us with the last line on the album to answer that question: “Immerse your soul in love”.

There is barely a wasted or weak moment anywhere on The Bends (that being said though, I have never been a fan of the opening number, Planet Telex). From the intense and captivating songs like The Bends, Just, and My Iron Lung, to the more emotional High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was, The Bends is such a rounded and accomplished album. The track programming is perfect, so the first half has The Bends, High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees; the second half contains Just, My Iron Lung, and Street Spirit (Fade Out). Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitars, piano and string arrangements), Jonny Greenwood – (guitar, organ, recorder, synthesizer, piano and string arrangements), Ed O'Brien (guitar and backing vocals) Colin Greenwood (bass) and Phil Selway (drums) are sublime throughout, and I especially love Thom Yorke’s huge vocal range and lyrical dexterity. I am sure you can find some rarities from The Bends at the Radiohead library, and it is clear the album influenced a host of British bands. Maybe it was Thom Yorke’s angsty falsetto that seemed like a real change against singers like Liam Gallagher (Oasis). Before The Bends, there were not a massive amount of popular bands whose singer was projecting this falsetto sound – it is hard to imagine Coldplay were it not for The Bends. Quite a few of Radiohead’s albums appear in the lists of the best albums ever – including OK Computer and Kid A -, but it is clear The Bends most certainly deserves every accolade it gets! Maybe there was some tension and struggle at the start, but Radiohead produced a simply stunning album in 1995. The album’s swansong highlight, Street Spirit (Fade Out), ends with the line “Immerse your soul in love”. That seems like a perfect way…

TO end one of the best albums ever..

FEATURE: It's Not Right and It's Not Okay: Time to Put Hologram Tours to Rest

FEATURE:

 

It's Not Right and It's Not Okay

IN THIS PHOTO: Whitney Houston

Time to Put Hologram Tours to Rest

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I am a big fan of Whitney Houston…

IN THIS PHOTO: A hologram Whitney Houston/PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Lawson/PA

and I have written about her before. Her death in 2012 took everyone by surprise, and her absence in the music world is still being felt. Although it is not a recent occurrence, deceased artists are being made to live on through holograms.  I have discussed this before but, as Houston is the latest star to receive this rather weird treatment, I wanted to re-investigate. NME caught the experience at the Manchester Apollo on 28th February:

“Good evening everyone and welcome to Whitney Houston – very much live!” gushes the controversial Whitney Houston hologram, performing at the Manchester Apollo eight years after the global icon’s death. “There’s going to be a lot of love coming off the stage tonight! We’re going to be giving you the best we’ve got!”

As avatar Whitney launches into ‘Saving All My Love For You’, the woman next  to me erupts into tears. Some fans are so taken in by the digital phantasm, they wave at ‘her’. At points, words can’t quite do justice to how unusual tonight is – the dictionary is waving a white flag.

An Evening With Whitney Houston has been endorsed by Houston’s estate, but early reviews of the first night in Sheffield were splenetic, with reports that audiences had taken to heckling, which feels like a very 2020 “Sue, you’re shouting at a hologram!” moment. But this didn’t deter the crowds from turning out in droves to Manchester; some I spoke with have come as far afield as Poland. Like many here, Oliver – celebrating his 17th birthday – was too young to see IRL-Whitney when she was in her prime. He doesn’t feel it’s macabre – or “ghost slavery” as one critic memorably dubbed it. 

Because it’s obviously a pre-recorded singing voice taken from live performances, there’s no spontaneity, no interaction, no sense of drama over whether she’ll hit the high note. While Houston’s stunning, soulful vocal pyrotechnics cut through the artifice, it’s often more interesting to watch how the crowd reacts to the hologram than what’s onstage. They clap after each song (which initially feels akin to saying “Thank you” to a self-service check-out). By the time ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ rolls around, they’re up out of their seats and moving with abandon. Some even suspend disbelief enough to cry a euphoric, “G’wan Whitney!’.

Whitney always strove for perfection: this is the idealised Disney-version fans see in their mind’s misty eye, and some have even claimed that tonight has helped them wash away memories of her disastrous 2010 tour, where she appeared drug-ravaged and raddled. The atmosphere is that of a communal live album listening party meets mass raucous hen do. Take the moment, during ‘I Will Always Love You’, when Whitney’s vocal pauses for tension and dramatic effect: fans drunkenly finish the lyrics before she does, with multiple karaoke renditions competing with each other and sounding like a fire on Noah’s Ark”.

One can only imagine the oddness of seeing a Whitney Houston show and, instead of her on the stage interacting and belting out her classics, there is this projection that, oddly, will receive applause and adulation! Perhaps people saw this coming years ago because, as technology becomes more advanced, we are finding new waves of delivering music.

IN THIS PHOTO: Roy Orbison

Everyone from Tupac to Roy Orbison have been revived and returned to the stage as a hologram. I can understand why some would want to see a hologram version of their favourite artist. It provides a chance to see them perform again, but what is the point of watching a dead artist when they cannot connect with the audience and there is no sense of connection?! Maybe we joked about cartoons and comedies that had people projecting images of dead people through headsets and were able to communicate with them. That was okay, as it seemed so far-fetched and extreme. Now, there is this odd craving for holograms that seems to make no sense. I know people who saw Houston’s show paid so much for that experience, and one wonders what they got out of it. Surely, a Netflix show could have been made and fans could watch it for free?! That image of people all together and seeing an artist who has been dead for years….it sort of unnerves me. Sadly, as people do go and watch these shows, there will be demand; another famously departed artists will be reanimated for their fans. There were plans for Amy Winehouse to return as a hologram but, thankfully, I think that has been held back! The pleasure and magic of a gig is seeing the artist and them reacting to the fans going wild.

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse/PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Knott

Having a hologram that is unable to respond seems very cold and robotic. It can be hard letting go of artists we all love…but is that why fans pay lots of money to see a hologram version?! I worry it is us as people not being able to detach from technology. Whilst fans cannot film holograms – their images will not show on phones -, it is people watching music rather than actually experiencing it. I would hate to see artists like Tom Petty or David Bowie come back as a hologram, and I hope their estates refuse any offer, should it come their way. I cannot see any justification for having holograms perform. It seems more expensive than seeing the live artist, and what difference is there between YouTube videos and old T.V. footage and a hologram?! It is all rather unsavoury, and I do sort of question anyone who would happily see a deceased artist back on the stage in such a ghoulish form. The revolution is here to stay, but I struggle to get my head around it all. It seems that profitability and revenue is, as always, at the heart of things – as this fascinating article explains:

“Pop-star holograms are exploding out of a chemical reaction between three elements that have been influencing human decision-making for thousands of years: supply, demand, and survival instinct. Binelli points out in the Times that, per Pollstar, “roughly half of the 20 top-grossing North American touring acts of 2019 were led by artists who were at least 60 years old,” including the top three: the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Bob Seger. His conversation with a member of one major hologram-production company suggests this technology could transform those data points from evidence of an imminent music-industry crisis into evidence of an enduring business opportunity:

“If you’re an estate in the age of streaming and algorithms, you’re thinking: Where is our revenue coming from?” Brian Baumley, who handles publicity for Eyellusion, told me. Some of those estates, Baumley bets, will arrive at a reasonable conclusion about the dead artists whose legacies they hope to extend: “We have to put them back on the road.”

PHOTO CREDIT: @ericmuhr/Unsplash

The art industry has just as much of a stake in extending the legacies—and profit windows—of major talents approaching (or past) the ends of their productive lives. By this point in time, the interplay between aesthetic evangelism and financial opportunism has been incentivizing choices within artists’ studios and estates for over a century, with each project finding its ethical level based on weighing those two factors.

Consider that every single plaster, bronze, or marble cast by Auguste Rodin was actually fabricated by another skilled artisan using only Rodin’s small clay models. Or that the Dia Art Foundation and the artist’s estate (with funding from Gagosian) completed Walter De Maria’s installation Truck Trilogy four years after his death. Or that the estates of Roy Lichtenstein and Constantin Brancusi both produced new editions of important sculptures decades past the dates their respective creators beamed up to that big studio in the sky.

Assuming performance art’s popularity surge continues, then, why wouldn’t a major gallery and/or institution be tempted to restage, say, the centerpiece of Abramović’s “The Artist Is Present” via hologram for a paying audience? Abramović herself might—might—be appalled by the idea as she lives and breathes now, but anything can happen when opportunities present themselves to estate executors. After all, visitors to the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida can already interact with a ghost of its namesake digitally resurrected on flat screens throughout the institution”.

I shall leave things here but, whilst I can appreciate technology allows artists to live after death, it also gives record labels an excuse to milk their legacy – and artists who have died do not have a say in things. Although the hologram market is a lucrative one, our beloved and departed favourites…

PHOTO CREDIT: David Corio

ARE worth far more than that.

FEATURE: With the Summer Looming… The Coronavirus and How It Will Affect Live Performance

FEATURE:

 

With the Summer Looming…

PHOTO CREDIT: @trapnation/Unsplash

The Coronavirus and How It Will Affect Live Performance

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THERE is a lot of doubt…

PHOTO CREDIT: @v_well/Unsplash

as to how the coronavirus will spread and what impact it will have on the music industry. Of course, some nations are affected worse than others, and it will be a while before the disease is contained and things can return to normal. I have seen some gigs in the U.K. cancelled (near areas where people have tested positive) but, so far, it seems like Glastonbury is going ahead – as this article from The Guardian explains:

“The London book fair, which was scheduled to run from 10-12 March, has been one of the highest-profile cancellations, but organisers of other mass participation events taking place in the spring and early summer are ploughing on with their plans.

Glastonbury takes place in 16 weeks’ time, with Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Diana Ross as headline acts and more than 200,000 people expected to attend. Organisers said they were working closely with all the relevant agencies: “We continue to plan and prepare for the event, while at the same time closely monitoring developments with the coronavirus situation”.

It must be a tense time for music fans, as we do not know how far the disease will spread and whether it will impact summer festivals nearer the time. At the moment, only a very small number have people have contracted coronavirus, so I think it is a case of hoping for the best. There is a worry that festivals and gig organisers might err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting the public.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jay Janner/Associated Press

I think festivals closer to big cities will be more vulnerable, as there will be more tourists and those from overseas attending. It is hard to protect those festivals and gigs already announced, but one of America’s biggest annual festivals has been struck:

“Following South by Southwest’s announcement on Friday that the annual conference will not be held this year due to concerns over the coronavirus, artists and other members of the music industry say they’re losing critical professional opportunities and financial investments.

SXSW was scheduled to start next weekend and run March 13-22, but was canceled following a press conference where Austin Mayor Steve Adler declared a local disaster. This is the first time SXSW's 34-year history that the entire event has been cancelled.

For emerging artists in particular, SXSW provides a significant platform for fan and industry exposure alongside networking opportunities with members of the music business whom they may not otherwise encounter. Many of the artists, managers and publicists with whom Billboard spoke say that their tours, album releases and marketing campaigns were designed around the conference, which last year drew close to 160,000 attendees.

“We picked March to put out our record because we were gonna go to SXSW,” says Sean Solomon, singer-guitarist for L.A. post-punk band Moaning, who were scheduled to play more than a dozen shows at the festival. “Every time we played past years, we were able to reach as many people as we would touring for a whole month, because you’re playing three or four shows a day.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Plunkett/AP

Solomon continues, "Had I known I wasn't gonna be there I would've tried to get work in L.A. We still operate as an indie band, we're not raking in a ton of money. We all have jobs. Now I don't have anything lined up."

It is hard for those acts who were due to play SXSW this year. I wonder whether there will be smaller gigs organised around the world that includes the artists booked for SXSW. Maybe some of the smaller acts who rely on the exposure of SXSW will be able to band together and perform. In any case, there will be eyes trained the way of festivals here like Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. As I say, there have been no announcements regarding cancellations, but we are hearing of more cases of the coronavirus, so I am not sure. It is a shame for the ticket holders, but the biggest loss is for the artists themselves. So many hungry and promising artists were due to attend SXSW, and it would have been a massive opportunity. I hope there are contingency plans should a major festival like Glastonbury have to be scaled-back or cancelled. Whilst it would be rash to cancel any big festival here without just cause, there does need to be some sort of guarantee for artists playing festivals. I know organisers are not to blame when they have to cancel, but it is gutting if you have to lose out on this big festival/gig appearance.

PHOTO CREDIT: @arstyy/Unsplash

This article explains what has been cancelled or postponed, and I wonder whether SXSW could have been reorganised or held somewhere else – maybe it is a bit too close to the day to do that. I think other festivals should offer a rescheduled date(s) if the worse comes to the worse, but let’s hope things will be alright. I feel sorry for artists who have been building to a big festival, and they have found the thing cancelled. Smaller venues have less to lose – and artists cancelled can book at another venue – but live music around the world is being affected. Some fans would argue that, in the case of SXSW, they would have risked things, and it is a bit premature cancelling an entire festival when measures could have been taken to isolate those with coronavirus from the rest of the punters. It is tricky to see whether, in the U.K. at least, there will be a big rise in cases, and when we might see the last of it. Every sector is being impacted at the moment, but there is something heartbreaking when an artist is not able to perform and fans are unable to see them. Every music fan hopes that, in this current climate, our summer festivals…

PHOTO CREDIT: @marvelous/Unsplash

WILL be alright.

FEATURE: Spotlight: PINS

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Ellis

PINS

___________

THERE are a few different reasons…

why I am including PINS in this feature. Usually, I include acts that are a bit newer, but I think the Manchester-fronted band warrant a lot more exposure, and they are on the precipice of hitting the big-time. Consisting singer/guitarist Faith Vern, guitarist Lois MacDonald, and bassist Kyoko Swan, PINS have been around for a few years, but they look set – I hope – to release a new album this year. Having already released E.P.s and a couple of albums, the PINS trio are fully in their stride, but I keep looking at festival line-ups that lack women on them. The argument, from organisers and a lot of ignorant music fans, is that there are not enough women to fill slots; most great bands are men and, so, festivals have to respond to demand. International Women’s Day was yesterday, and I saw so many posts bigging up female artists and highlighting the great work done by women in music. With bands like PINS capable of owning the stage and providing a storming set, I know they will headline a major festival very soon. I love their single, Aggrophobe, with Iggy Pop from 2017 and stormers like All Hail. The band are sensational and, according to their Twitter feed, they have some exciting news to share with us this week – might it be a new album?! This is what makes this feature timely: PINS are new to some people, and they need to keep their ears and eyes trained the way of this incredible trio.

By the time many people read this, the news from PINS will be out. Before I conclude, I want to bring in reviews from their two albums, and quote from an interview they provided to promote their E.P., Bad Thing. Girls Like Us arrived in 2013 and, as debuts go, it is pretty impressive! It is rare for a band to put out a debut that is tight but has so much going on; a blend of emotions and sounds with a distinct and fresh personality. I can recall hearing about Girls Like Us in 2013, and I could not think of anyone on the scene like them – to be fair, I still cannot compare anyone to PINS. Girls Like Us received some positive reviews. In their assessment, this is what Pitchfork had to say:

“Similarly, the band manage to obtain a skilful control of dynamics and pacing throughout the course of the record's wiry 33 minutes; meaning that it coalesces into far more than the sum of its parts. And in terms of standout points, the superb ‘Get With Me’ twists and turns around a memorable anthemic chorus, the aforementioned ‘Lost Lost Lost’ carries a superb understanding of pop music within its chameleonic DNA, whilst the spoken word ‘Velvet Morning’ – set against a kaleidoscope of backwards guitars, descending chord sequences and intricate drum work – is quite beautiful.

Influences carry scant relevance when they’re used appropriately. The truth is that any guitar music is heavy with influences spreading back over six decades. It is the way that you distil said influences that matter and when they’re sprinkled throughout the course of a record in carefully dropped combinations, they become an amalgam, a catalyst: their own. What PINS do is to turn those influences into their own sound: a synthesis that Walter White would approve of to create a record that genuinely strikes out PINS as a thrillingly new and unique voice in the contemporary British scene”.

Whilst a couple of the songs on the album include some less-than-striking lyrics, the energy, tightness and force you get from this band is clear! It would be two years before they followed up their debut, but they were definitely in demand on the live circuit. If you want to catch them this year, check out if they are heading your way. I think PINS’ instant appeal came from the fact that there was a gap in the market in 2013, and many people hooked on to Girls Like Us. In 2015, they put out the stunning Wild Nights. Perhaps a little stronger than their debut, there were some great reviews for Wild Nights. Apart from a few tin-eared critics (I’m looking at Pitchfork!), most people were on board with another cracking album. The Line of Best Fit were eager to (all) hail PINS:

“Fear not though, PINS haven’t lost their bite. Certainly their second effort eschews aggression for aggressions’ sake – but rather than wasting their breath howling and rallying, the band whip up tension in order to harden their edges.

“House of Love” has a dusty, almost western feel which is built around a monotonous bassline and Holgate’s deadpan intone of:  “Before you leave this house of love, take more, it’s what you came here for.” Later, “Oh Lord” walks a wire stretched to breaking point before insistent bass and angular guitars disintegrate into a messy climax.

The clamorous moments are not over-laboured, however. Wild Nights is a much more concentrated effort than its predecessor: the songs here are streamlined and longer than on their debut, yet the album itself is shorter. The noise-based, jammy interludes that interspersed Girls Like Us have been abandoned.

In 2012, PINS were put together by Holgate who longed to be in a band without having to be the token female member, but a real bond was forged between the girls over a love of Hole, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Best Coast records. Their second album is ultimately the sound of the band exploring the myriad influences that make up their sonics, in doing so realising who they are and focusing bloody-mindedly on driving the point home”.

I like the fact that PINS were formed because of a desire to have an all-female force, rather than there being one woman surrounded by men. There are all-female groups at the moment – including The Big Moon, and The Staves -, but not a whole lot. I think PINS have actually inspired a lot of other women to form bands, not that there is anything wrong with a male band with a female lead. There are some great interviews online with PINS, but I wanted to source from a Skiddle interview of 2018. The band were promoting their Bad Thing E.P. and, among other things, they talked about working with Iggy Pop. They were also asked about releasing music on their own label:

 “Tell us a bit about your label Haus of PINS?

That's pretty much something we started as soon as we started the band because we wanted to release our own first single, which was called 'Eleventh Hour'. We hadn't really got into it with any labels at that point, different people we're asking us if they could put it out for us, but we didn't want to be tied down to something so early because we'd literally played about three gigs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Asupremeshot

So we decided - in true PINS fashion - just to make our own label and the first thing we released was our own music. After that, we spoke to the bands we met while we were out touring and if any of them wanted to put something out we would take it and create the artwork and everything.

Why did you create your own label? Is it important to you to be able to put your own music out?

Yeah! I think it's good because there needs to be a stepping stone between being a band that's completely alone and being a band that's on a label. You need that in between, where you're not tidied down to being in a contract but you can still release some music - it was just enjoyable to work with other bands. We've kind of gone full circle because we released the record we just did on Haus of PINS, so we've gone from Haus of PINS, to being on a label, back to Haus of PINS again.

Is there a particular reason you went from releasing music on a label to going back to putting it out yourself?

I think it was just about... because we were in between everything and not sure what the next step should be, we just thought, "well, let's do what we usually do and take back the control and do it out own way", because then we know everything that's happening with the release and there's no extra people involved - to an extent anyway.

Obviously we're fortunate enough to have radio people now, and press people, but with the actual record that was just completely down to us. The artwork, what songs went on it, when it was released, what video would go with it. So we just wanted to hold the reigns again for a little while.

Where there any particular influences on the new Bad Things EP?

I think the whole thing just took more of an electronic influence. That was our first introduction to having drum pads and I think they're used on every song. So Sophie has drum pads and samples now, which she didn't have before. I think that was the main thing that's made it sound a little bit different to what we were doing before. I can't think of a band I could say it was specifically influenced by, just generally more electronic sounds.

There's a Joy Division song on there. I wouldn't say that it necessarily stayed true to the Dead Souls song, but maybe there's a bit of a New Order influence. I don't know if you knew, but I think it's on the Unknown Pleasures Joy Division album, they made like spray sounds. I don't know whether they actually used a can of aerosol into the microphone for that, so it's like "chh chh", so we recorded or own version and made a sample of that, we put that all over the record too.

Was there a particular influence for the EP artwork? It's very striking and bold, is that what you were aiming for?

Well, we always aim for timeless - but we don't always get it right - that's always the aim. Just something bright and colourful because everything's always been so dark before. We just wanted to do something a little bit more cheeky with this. Something that says, "Yep! We're here, we're doing this now, deal with it." I guess we wanted to be a bit sassy with it!”.

I have been a fan of PINS before, but I know there are those who have not discovered them yet. I definitely feel they are one of the bands to watch in 2020 and, whatever news it is they have to announce next week – whether it is a new track or album -, that will only increase the interest their way. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next, and I know 2020 will be very busy for PINS. Let’s hope there are festival dates, and that we get to see a lot of them on the road. Whatever is going down this week, it is an exciting…

PHOTO CREDIT: James Sutton

CHAPTER for the band.

__________

Follow PINS 

Official:

https://www.wearepins.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/wearepins/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/WeArePins

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wearepins/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kbO657SWC6kiO1Dni3ook

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eAqSYNyE3_qIXDusQrAUA

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Björk – Homogenic

FEATURE:

Vinyl Corner

Björk – Homogenic

___________

ALTHOUGH this album is not…

IN THIS PHOTO: Björk in 1997/PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch

celebrating an anniversary, I think everyone should buy Björk’s Homogenic on vinyl if they can. I am a big Björk fan, and it is hard to rank her albums. Homogenic is her third album, and it was released on 22nd September, 1997. Whereas her first two albums – Debut and Post – were more energised and club-based, Homogenic is Björk returning to her native Iceland, in musical terms. There is a beautiful blend of electronics and strings to create an album that sounds gorgeous and stirring at the same time. At the time of making the album, Björk was based in London, and recording started there. The album was later recorded in Spain, and there was a little bit of movement and disruption before Homogenic was completed. Björk’s first couple of records were noted for their eclectic, multidimensional sounds; she explored genres and different worlds in these evocative and broad albums. Homogenic is a more stripped and simpler album in many ways, though it manages to arrest the senses like Björk always could! Maybe, because the album is a paen to Iceland, there is a chillier sound than previous Björk outings. I love the fact she could have repeated her first two albums but, as is common with all innovators and great artists, Björk keep moving, both sonically and geographically. I think there was some uncertainty from critics and fans in 1997, as Homogenic does not sound too like Debut and Post – it is an album harder to define than its predecessors.

Producer Markus Dravs recalled how Björk wanted to project the sound of rough volcanoes with soft moss growing. Homogenic is so hard to label, which is what you want from an album. I feel, in a year that saw Radiohead release OK Computer, Spirtualized put out Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, and the mighty Dig Your Own Hole from The Chemical Brothers hit the market, Homogenic sounded like a natural companion. There is a clash of the natural world and technological in Homogenic. In 1997, technology was on the rise, yet Björk was fascinated by the beauty of her homeland – both are contrasted against one another on the album. Even though Homogenic was released almost twenty-three years ago, it still sounds completely original and ripe for exploration. The reviews for Homogenic was hugely positive. In their assessment, this is what AllMusic had to say:

“By the late '90s, Björk's playful, unique world view and singular voice became as confining as they were defining. With its surprising starkness and darkness, 1997's Homogenic shatters her "Icelandic pixie" image. Possibly inspired by her failed relationship with drum'n'bass kingpin Goldie, Björk sheds her more precious aspects, displaying more emotional depth than even her best previous work indicated. Her collaborators -- LFO's Mark Bell, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Post contributor Howie B -- help make this album not only her emotionally bravest work, but her most sonically adventurous as well.

A seamless fusion of chilly strings (courtesy of the Icelandic String Octet), stuttering, abstract beats, and unique touches like accordion and glass harmonica, Homogenic alternates between dark, uncompromising songs such as the icy opener, "Hunter," and more soothing fare like the gently percolating "All Neon Like." The noisy, four-on-the-floor catharsis of "Pluto" and the raw vocals and abstract beats of "5 Years" and "Immature" reveal surprising amounts of anger, pain, and strength in the face of heartache. "I dare you to take me on," Björk challenges her lover in "5 Years," and wonders on "Immature," "How could I be so immature/To think he would replace/The missing elements in me?" "Bachelorette," a sweeping, brooding cousin to Post's "Isobel," is possibly Homogenic's saddest, most beautiful moment, giving filmic grandeur to a stormy relationship. Björk lets a little hope shine through on "Jòga," a moving song dedicated to her homeland and her best friend, and the reassuring finale, "All Is Full of Love." "Alarm Call"'s uplifting dance-pop seems out of place with the rest of the album, but as its title implies, Homogenic is her most holistic work. While it might not represent every side of Björk's music, Homogenic displays some of her most impressive heights”.

Although Björk was only on her third album, she had been in the industry for many years – both as part of The Sugarcubes; her actual solo debut album was released when she was a child. Many people had watched this unique and highly captivating artist evolve and produce these incredible songs. I think Homogenic is one of Björk’s best works – in a career where she has barely put a foot wrong -, and I think it set a course for her.

She would revert back to some of Debut and Post’s tones for future albums, but Björk as this artist who mixed technology and nature together came to the fore on Homogenic. In this interesting review from Pitchfork, they talk about Björk’s evolution, and why the incredible Homogenic resonates:

“By 1997, when she released Homogenic, Björk had been a familiar face to pop fans for a decade. The Icelandic singer and composer had first appeared on many listeners’ radars in 1987, when the Sugarcubes’ surprise hit “Birthday” made actual stars out of a quintet whose entire raison d'être had been to lampoon pop. (Her countrymen, meanwhile, had been listening to her since 1977, when she recorded her debut album—a collection of covers translated into Icelandic along with a few original songs, including an instrumental written by Björk herself— at the tender age of 11.)

But the main theme running through the album is the wish to rush headlong into a life lived to the fullest—an unbridled yearning for the sublime. “State of emergency/Is where I want to be” she sings on “Jóga,” a song dedicated to her close friend and tour masseuse, in which churning breakbeats and slowly bowed strings mediate between lava flows and Björk’s own musculature—a kind of Rosetta Stone linking geology and the heart. “Alarm Call,” the closest thing on the album to a club hit (the Alan Braxe and Ben Diamond remix, in fact, is a storming breakbeat house anthem) shouts down doubt with the indomitable line, “You can’t say no to hope/Can’t say no to happiness,” as Björk professes her desire to climb a mountain “with a radio and good batteries” and “Free the human race/ From suffering.”

If you’re looking for catharsis, you won’t find better than the album’s final, three-song stretch: Following “Alarm Call” comes the incensed “Pluto”: “Excuse me/But I just have to/Explode/Explode this body off me,” she sings, launching into an ascending procession of wordless howls as buzzing synthesizers flash like emergency beacons. Finally, the quiet after the storm: The soft, beatless “All Is Full of Love,” a downy bed of harp and processed strings. The title is self-explanatory, the lyrics wide-eyed, nearly liturgical. It is a song about ecstasy, about oneness, about infinite possibility—and about letting go”.

If you are new to Björk, I would say Homogenic is as good a start as any! She is a terrific artist who, for decades, has startled and moved people. Her ninth studio album, Utopia, was released in 2017, so many people will ask whether we will see another album this year. Björk is always working, and you just know she is brewing something, somewhere. I would urge people to pick up a copy of Homogenic and…

EXPERIENCE the album on vinyl.

FEATURE: After an Ocean Rescue and a Glorious Summer’s Day… Might Kate Bush Record Another Song Suite Like Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave and Aerial’s A Sky of Honey?

FEATURE:

 

After an Ocean Rescue and a Glorious Summer’s Day…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photographed for The Ninth Wave (from the album, Hounds of Love) in 1985

Might Kate Bush Record Another Song Suite Like Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave and Aerial’s A Sky of Honey?

___________

I must note two things before…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush captured in 2005/PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Leighton/National Portrait Gallery, London

continuing on. For one, I have featured a lot of women on my site over the past week. That is never an apologetic thing: I understand I need to balance things a bit to include some guys soon but, with so many incredible female artists around, it seems only right to acknowledge them. The other thing I should mention is that, previously, I have tried to limit the number of Kate Bush-related posts on this site. I figured, even at one a month, it was a little excessive! Although my site is not a Kate Bush fan page, there are a lot of articles dedicated to her. Whilst I shall limit myself to two features concerning her this month, I have other angles I want to explore throughout this year. In fact, there is a relevance to his article. Apart from the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson counts Bush as one of his five favourite women (and managed to do so in an unsettling way!), it is International Women’s Day. I have been celebrating female artists on a weekly basis, but today is especially important – and what better artist to write about than Kate Bush?! Now that I have cleared all that up, I am excited because, later this year, three of her albums celebrate big anniversaries. Her third album, Never for Ever, is forty in September; Hounds of Love is thirty-five on 16th September, whilst Aerial is fifteen on 7th November.

Of course, I will investigate each album closer to their anniversaries, but there are similarities between them that are worth noting. Both albums are, in a sense, crucially important. Hounds of Love was the album that followed The Dreaming. The Dreaming was the first album Kate Bush produced on her own, and it was her most experimental and challenging work to date – I don’t think she has made an album as loaded with texture and different styles. Although The Dreaming is an underrated masterpiece, it did divide critics, and there were big changes between The Dreaming and Hounds of Love. Bush changed her diet and took up dancing again; she moved to the country and built her own studio. If The Dreaming was made in the city and has quite an intense feel, Hounds of Love reflects nature and is more open; an album containing different colours and an artist hitting her peak. Hounds of Love was the first Kate Bush album with a song suite/cycle. Before then, she was working with songs in a traditional format; Hounds of Love featured a first side of separate tracks, whereas the second was a concept called The Ninth Wave: a woman is alone at sea and, until her rescue, she battles to stay awake and, when it seems hope is slipping away, she remembers her family and yearns for the mundane comfort of daily life.

I have not done it full justice but, on an album where Bush was under a bit of pressure, she created this magnificent suite that is accomplished, cinematic, and unique. It was rare, in 1985, for a Pop artist to construct an album with two distinct sides – even in 2020, one does not see it too often. That idea of someone being lost at sea and you do not know if they are going to be saved…I think it is a fear, irrational or not, we all share. The Ninth Wave is one of many reasons why Hounds of Love is considered Bush’s finest moment. The second time she created a suite of songs for an album was twenty years later for Aerial. If Hounds of Love was a huge evolution and a return from, if not absence, then exhaustion, Aerial was a return from the wilderness. Of course, Bush was not idle between The Red Shoes (her 1993 processor to Aerial) and her 2005 comeback. She had a son, Bertie, in 1998, and was enjoying being a mother; in addition to preparing her first double album. Not only do Hounds of Love and Aerial celebrate big anniversaries later in the year, I think both albums represent a sort of creative, spiritual, and personal rebirth. Both are very connected to nature and, whilst Hounds of Love’s suite is about the water, morning fog, and the fight for life, Aerial’s A Sky of Honey is the course of a day; a look at the sunset, of nature, and a modern-day Classical piece that is among the best things Bush has ever written – A Sky of Honey was re-titled An Endless Sky of Honey in 2010 when Aerial was released for the first time on iTunes (I have embedded the 2018 remaster of Aerial, as Rolf Harris appears on the original release, on the tracks An Architect's Dream and The Painter's Link - Bush’s son, Bertie, replaces him on the 2018 version). It is a single piece of music, but there are separate song titles and movements we run through.

Bush has said in interviews – she was asked which of her albums she likes best in a 2011 interview to promote 50 Words for Snow -, how much she loves Aerial and the importance of Hounds of Love. Although the albums were released at different points in her life, one can analyse The Ninth Wave as, perhaps, being a subconscious reaction to the post-The Dreaming period and a sense of dislocation – in spite of the fact that the album is remarkable. Aerial’s light and captive sound seems to reflect Bush as the new mum; someone embracing the tranquillity of home, but someone who was also releasing her first album in twelve years. Bush combined both of her suites when she performed in Hammersmith in 2014; her Before the Dawn residency linked her simply brilliant Hounds of Love majesty with the incredibly beautiful A Sky of Honey (such a great title!) from 2005. I have been thinking really deeply about Hounds of Love and Aerial. It has almost been fifteen years since Aerial arrived, and nearly nine years since 50 Words for Snow, I wonder whether Bush’s next album will contain a suite. The remarkable and immersive Aerial appeared three albums after Hounds of Love – The Sensual World (1989), and The Red Shoes (1993) appeared between them -, and, if there is another Bush album, that would be the third after Aerial – 50 Words for Snow was preceded by interesting Director’s Cut in 2011.

I am not going to speculate when Bush might release another album, but I do feel she will explore another suite. Given the fact the environment is under great threat, could there be a sort of combination of The Ninth Wave and A Sky of Honey?! I do think some of Bush’s most vivid, spellbinding and immersive songs have come from her song suites. I am not saying her next album should be a concept album, but a sort of modern update of Hounds of Love or Aerial would be very intriguing. Of course, she may have already recorded new songs, so my curiosity is moot. In a time for music where singles are released so quickly and there is a flood of stuff out there, do artists feel like they need to put out material quickly, or they cannot spend too long releasing a song cycle that would require some serious attention? I love the usual format of an album and singles, but there is something wonderful about concepts and song suites. Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave took us from the discovery of a woman at sea to her rescue; A Sky of Honey is a single piece of music revelling in the experience of outdoor adventures on a single summer day, beginning in the morning and ending twenty-four hours later with the next sunrise. Maybe the fact Bush’s son, Bertie, is in his twenties and things have changed in the world drastically since 2005 will force her mind in the direction of a new chapter; who knows what could come?! When it comes to Kate Bush and her next musical steps…

YOU just never know what you’ll get.

TRACK REVIEW: Deacon Blue - City of Love

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Deacon Blue

City of Love

8.9/10

The track, City of Love, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-kwypo7qcc

GENRES:

Pop/Rock/Blues

ORIGIN:

Glasgow, U.K.

The album, City of Love, is available here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/75RG9WCDjD3hyNlppcArck?si=B06kaENaS9Kr0SgQ6WFt7Q

RELEASE DATE:

6th March, 2020

__________

I have always admired Deacon Blue…

and held their music very dear (and they are named after my favourite song). Maybe it is the fact the band named themselves after a Steely Dan song (Deacon Blues is from their 1977 album, Aja), or because I have always felt uplifted by their music. I can recall one of my first music memories; I heard their track, Twist & Shout when I was a child whilst my family were leaving Madame Tussauds. I have a fond respect for Real Gone Kid, as it was one of those massive songs that was part of my childhood. Although a lot of Deacon Blue songs looked at the political, they were able to bring in the personal and do so by providing these incredible choruses, singalong moments and timeless moments. Some might argue their peak was in the 1980s, but the band are still performing and have just released the album, City of Love. Ricky Ross leads with Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Gregor Philp, Lewis Gordon and Timbo Jones part of the band. The Glasgow legends are still going strong, and there are many different things I want to cover off before I review the title track from their latest album. It is International Women’s Day and, as such, it is a time to highlight brilliant women in music whilst also asking for equality and change. I am publishing a feature later pertaining to my favourite female artist, but I hope days like today push the industry into action; so that women are not denied and overlooked like they are now. I think one of Deacon Blue’s greatest strengths is the fact McIntosh provides this female perspective. There has always been a close creative and vocal bond between her and Ricky Ross, and a lot of Deacon Blue’s finest moments happen when Ross and McIntosh are side-by-side; where you get these two singers weaving in and out of one another. Most of the bands I grew up listening to in the 1980s and 1990s were male. There were some female-led bands – like Republica; female bands such as The Bangles -, but most of what was being played was male bands. Aside from acts like Prefab Sprout, I did not often hear bands where there was this vocal harmony between a male and female singer.

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

More than merely having Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross sharing vocal duties, the two are married, and there is that huge respect between them. McIntosh is an essential part of Deacon Blue, and I think the band have got to where they are because of her invaluable role. She is an incredible force and voice, and someone who adds so much to the best Deacon Blue songs. I also think Ross, as the primary songwriter, approaches a lot of tracks from a female perspective, knowing McIntosh is by his side. On the new album, City of Love, there are a lot of personal moments, and McIntosh sounds as rich, dynamic, and stunning as ever. I was not expecting a Deacon Blue album this year, but the band has been concocting the stunning City of Love for a long time. In this interview, they talked about the process and discussed how things have changed regarding recording:

“When did you start working on the songs for City Of Love?

“It was a long process, actually. We’d only put out Believers in 2016 and I was writing solidly again by the summer of 2017. Writing without much of a goal or an end date. We initially planned to record in the summer of 2018, but I wasn’t sure we had what we needed, so we just kept going…”

Did that mean you ended up with a lot of songs?

“We always have a lot of songs. It’s always been that way. Gregor (Philip, guitarist) and I always seem to end up making a lot of demos. This time though we had the two singles right from the off, ‘City Of Love’ and ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’, so they were a real ballast to build the album around.”

It’s an 11-track record though, were you quite brutal about what made it?

“If anything, I think we overcut! There are a few songs that will definitely still come out and we’ll hope to release them in time.” 

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Has the process of recording changed much for Deacon Blue over the years? Or is it a similar way of working?

“Weirdly, we’ve come back to the way we made Raintown all those years ago. We try to do things as live as possible and to keep the overdubs to an absolute minimum.”

You self-produced the album, what did you decide on that approach?

“We’ve worked a lot with Paul Savage over the years and we felt that we’d got as much as we could from that. We had a great engineer and the demos Gregor and I had made were sounding so strong and focused that we weren’t sure what a producer could bring.”

Was it strange working without a producer?

“A bit strange. I do like having someone around to be a sounding board. But the most important thing in making a record is that you’ve got a clear sense of what you’re doing and what you want. Sometimes you need a producer to help you get there, but we had such a strong sense of where we wanted to be that it worked with just us.”

What kind of album is this lyrically? Is there a theme?

“The springboard was all from the song ‘City Of Love’. I’d discovered that the bones of Saint  Valentine are kept in a church in the Gorbals part of Glasgow, which is where we’d made the album. That gave the album a feeling. It’s a feeling of reconciliation and bringing people back together. I wanted to tell different stories of love. That really anchors the record, you’ve got the title track opening it up and then ‘On Love’ closing the album.”

IMAGE CREDIT: Classic Pop

Was the album always going to be called City Of Love?

“It was there from early on. If you get something like that, something to build around, then it’s great to have it and really work to it. We had that this time, but you don’t always get it. Sometimes we’ve had the album done and been looking at the artwork before we’ve chosen what to call it.”

You’ve got a big tour ahead of you in the autumn, how’s your live set coming together?

“It was interesting, we were in Australia when the first single dropped and we put it straight in the set and people really went for it. Over the last few years, I feel like we’ve got a real momentum about the new material and we’ve reflected that in the set. That said, you always want people to go home thinking they’ve heard a ‘Greatest Hits’ set. We’ll be trying to do that too.”

Finally, last time you were back writing a few months after the album dropped, are you already collecting songs for the next run?

“I am collecting songs again. But not for Deacon Blue…”

I wanted to bring in that interview, as it gives context regarding the album. If you are not familiar with Deacon Blue, albums like Raintown (1987) and When the World Knows Your Name (1989) are great starting places. Although the band is older than they used to be, there is still that distinct sound and brilliance that was evident and strong decades ago. Rather than review a song and tip to the album, I wanted to go deep and shine a spotlight on Deacon Blue. I think their popularity on the road, and the fact they appeal to different generations, means they will always have a place in people’s hearts. A lot of their songs do tug on the heart, but it is the feel-good factor that balances with that which is particularly potent. I have not seen Deacon Blue perform, but I will try and catch them on the road when they come to London next. I will conclude by talking about their touring plans for this year, but anyone who has ever seen the group on stage will attest to the fact they produce a hell of a show! I found this review from 2018, where the band played the SSE Hydro in their native Glasgow:

 “Oh, there are singalongs. You can imagine. Thirteen thousand people hollering 'Real Gone Kid', 'Wages Day', 'Fergus Sings The Blues', 'Loaded' and 'Dignity' is a communal thrill for the audience, and for the band, going by Ricky Ross's reaction. (Has a man ever shouted the word 'Glasgow!' into a crowd, and been met with such a rapturous rammy, or broken into a wider smile?)

More than anything, they feel like home. At one of many lovely points in this celebratory show, that very word – 'Home' – flashes up behind the band in neon, and incites both a deafening cheer and an onset of greeting across the arena.

But while they're familiar, and still elicit unbridled affection, Deacon Blue will never settle for retreading old steps, or shadow-dancing with old songs. They casually shirk the heritage route by interweaving 80s and 90s favourites with tracks from excellent recent albums The Hipsters, A New House and Believers, all released in the past six years.

Further defying the passage of time, the silhouettes of original members Ricky Ross, Dougie Vipond, Jim Prime and Lorraine McIntosh cut as youthful a dash as ever, presumably due to something in the water. Probably the rain.

A point to note about Lorraine. When the band broke through, in the late 80s, one of the things that elevated them from their fellow Glasgow melodists was the fact Deacon Blue had a female voice and vantage point. Singer, musician, dancer, muse, feminist and force of nature: she'll always be a well-loved linchpin brandishing a tambourine. To quote a somewhat enraptured man in front of us on Saturday night: 'She's still amazing and totally on it.' Well, quite”.

The fact that review mentions McIntosh as a central force and essential female perspective comes back to my first point regarding Deacon Blue’s key strength. They are, as the review also states, so youthful and they have not really slowed that much since the 1980s. I will come to the present day very soon, but I am going to step back to 2012 in a second, as there was this gap in the timeline where the band sort of stepped away. The Hipsters arrived eleven years after 2001’s Homesick. I want to source from this interview, as it provides some context, and explains why there was this pause from the band:

“We turn our attention back to Deacon Blue and speak about the fact that it has been 11 years since their last full length studio album and two and a half years since Ricky announced the band were taking time off from their concert schedule to make time to write and record a new album. I ask if the process took longer than expected. "Yes, it has taken a while," he laughs. "I initially thought that if we did an album it would come out last year. I kind of knew that 2012 was an anniversary year even though the anniversaries are a bit vague.

Did we get together in '85? Yeah, kind of." The first Deacon Blue gigs took place that year even though the line up changed right up to the release of 'Raintown'. "We sort of got together in '86 but our first album came out in '87." It was only after the debut album's release that Lorraine became a permanent member of the band. "So this is sort of the 25 year period. We wanted to do something around this time and if we were going to do a tour - I just felt that we could tour and a certain amount of people would come and see us doing old material, but I felt that to go out and tour with old material again would be really hard especially when we are always writing new songs and not to do any of that stuff would be really hard. I just thought that's depressing and you don't want to go out on a tour and feel like that. Much as it was really lovely to do some of these things, it was always good to do new material whenever you had it."

Ricky begins to chart the long and winding process which led to the album being written, demoed and recorded. "It was about two years ago in the summer I had a meeting with the guy who was going to become our manager, and he did it for a year and then it didn't work out but in a very amicable way. But he sort of inspired us and said, 'You've got to make a Deacon Blue record'. I was really going in to talk about the next McIntosh Ross record as Lorraine and I had a couple of songs already demoed and we had some stuff written for that and I was thinking that was the next project. As it happened he said, 'No, you've got to make a Deacon Blue record'. I thought, 'Well if we're going to make a Deacon Blue record I'm damn sure we're going to make a good one and I really need to knuckle down'.

I just thought if it's a Deacon Blue album we've really got to concentrate on it. I sort of control my own schedule. Normally I would be writing for other people and I just thought, right, Lorraine's going off on tour, she's off in a play, I'm just going to put the next few months aside and work on writing songs and every few days or so I would get one down and I'd phone Gregor and say 'Do you fancy coming through, Lorraine's away and I'm looking after the kids, come and stay and we'll work on songs'. So it was great. I would get up in the morning and get the kids to school and Gregor and I would work and we'd stop at tea time then later on get Seamus to his bed because he's the youngest one and then invariably we'd go back and start recording again. So it was really great for working, having the studio in the house. That was really when a lot of the work was done, 2010 and 2011, I would say".

I think the band is often considered as a produce of threw 1980s, or that they are out of step with the music of today. Although their music is more at home on BBC Radio 2 – nothing wrong with that! -, they write music, I feel, that is deeper and more compelling than a lot of what we hear elsewhere. They have that history and experience that means they can speak to their existing fanbase, yet they are bringing in younger fans and new support. I feel a lot of people are too narrow regarding tastes, and they will often rubbish a band like Deacon Blue because of their age or the fact they are not fresh on the block.

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

At a time where a lot of the best music is happening away from the mainstream, I feel music listeners in general need to throw some respect the way of bands who have been grafting for years. It is hard to endure in the music industry, and so many bands split up and struggle to remain afloat. There are others that break away and come back together, but Deacon Blue have had this family bond and solidity for decades. Although they have seen some members come and go, the core of Deacon Blue remains pure and solid. If some of the best moments from Raintown are defined by social commentary and politics, the new album, City of Love, seems more about the personal. Maybe it is an over-simplification, but I do feel that the Deacon Blue of today still has that fire in the belly. As a Scottish band, the subject of independence must be of importance. We have a Tory government, and they will be among many who feel aggrieved we have left the E.U. In an interview with The Big Issue a couple of days back, Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh talked about changing politics and how they approach what is happening at the moment:

“I think a lot of people think, undoubtedly, that we are in a horrible position politically at the moment, because we have a Tory government in control. Even people who don’t believe in independence as an idea seem to think of it as the direction of travel now.

“There’s a lot of stuff to learn before you get to that point. There’s hope, definitely, but you have to reflect and change, adapt to the circumstances. You have to deal with the government that’s there, because they’re there for five years, maybe 10. You can’t just go on a constant ‘anti’ stance.”

It’s as true for their fanbase, too – a large and loyal following, which has, over the last 10 years, returned them to arenas like Glasgow SSE Hydro, Liverpool Arena and London Royal Albert Hall, where they’ll play on their winter European tour.

The enduring appeal of their music is in no doubt – the new album’s title track City of Love was on the Radio 2 A-list for four weeks over Christmas – but, in Brexit Britain, political presumption is less predictable, as they discovered on tour in 2016.

McIntosh says: “When you start off you have nothing to lose. You can be who you want and say what you want. Ricky would talk about politics all the time, we’d go to towns in the north and he’d be campaigning for Labour, talking about Margaret Thatcher, and you felt that these people were all with us.

“But things have become much more complicated. A few years ago, when we did the song Birds [from the band’s 2016 album Believers, their most successful release in 25 years] Ricky talked about refugees washing up on the shores of places like Italy, and one night on the tour someone shouted, ‘Send them home.’ That really depressed us. It reminds you that things aren’t black and white, left and right.”

Many of the songs on their 10th studio album, their fourth LP in eight years, deal more in the intimate and the personal, than the ostensibly political.

In Our Room peeks through the window on the early days of the couple’s relationship (their marriage is Ross’s second, and they now have three grown-up children), sleeping on mattresses on floors of tenement flats with stains on the ceiling. Intervals is the lightest of pre-fledging parental reassurances to a young adult; Weight of The World a shimmering eulogy and last act of remembrance for a lost soul.

Yet it’s the album’s finale, On Love, which most catches the breath. Delivered partly in spoken word by Ross, it’s a seven-minute sepia-toned daydream of autobiographical reveries on lost love.

Wistful and unconventional, it’s one of the most affecting songs in the band’s 30 year catalogue, a universe away from Greatest Hits territory.

“When I was a student English teacher, there was a guy I worked with who’d talk about some of the essays he got as ‘a stream of unconsciousness’,” he says, with tongue in cheek self-deprecation.

“It’s a series of events from childhood to my early life, which are ostensibly all disconnected,” explains Ross.  “But it’s why I consider this to be the album of my life – it’s allowed me to tell the stories I’ve held back from Deacon Blue before.”

It is, he hopes, also an album in which the essence of a hymn he sang in his childhood, Away Far Beyond Jordan, resonates, too.

“I always thought it had a poignancy to it, that part about ‘if you get there before I do, look out for me, for I’m coming too.’ It’s a simple childlike verse but I think it’s the hope that everyone has”.

I will move on to review the title track from City of Love – which has been out for a while, but it is a song that I am keen to explore -, and I would urge people to spend some time with Deacon Blue, exploring their new album and their past material.

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

City of Love, one might expect, would start with a gentle coda or building introduction. Instead, there is this symphonic rise from strings, and a firm heartbeat that provides this urgency and sense of acceleration. At once, one is picturing all sorts of scenes as the music swells and takes you away. Ross, as a vocalist, sounds richer than he ever has. I was intrigued by the first verse: “Lost the will for keeping on/Just as the winter is dragging/What can I do with all of this?/Where can I put what I'm carrying?”. I assume there is a general weariness emanating from Ross; the lead is feeling a certain fatigue that is hard to ignore. Maybe Ross is feeling the effects of changing politics and division that is happening around him. It seems that the city of love is all that remains. Whether he is referring to Glasgow, or whether it is a general concept, one feels lifted by the chorus. He has not given up hope that there is connection and affection, but it hard at the moment. Deacon Blue have always been able to combine the personal with the spirited, and City of Love switches from the heartfelt to the uplifting with nary a moment to spare. Ross and McIntosh’s voices combine in the chorus, and that stunning composition continues to elicit shivers and it keeps the blood pumping! I think the energy and drive of the song is one of the biggest assets. Ross is propelled and compelled; he speaks of carrying on and not giving in at the end of the day – “No one can stop you, not until/You reach the end and lay down your burden”.

Many people will be able to identify with the lyrics and, the more the song progresses, I feel the city of love being referred to is more of a feeling of hope, rather than a defined geographical location. The chorus is not among the catchiest the band have penned, but it is definitely one that stays in the mind and gives City of Love a huge sense of importance and memorability. There are some lyrics that are not as direct; those that make you wonder what is being referred to. “Hold on/He said/She knows/It made sense/Don't go/Too far/You can't know/What matters” got me thinking. I love the way the lines are delivered, and the fact there is this sort of cryptic angle. The familiar and warm blend of vocals one hears definitely creates a smile, but I kept coming back to City of Love regarding lyrical interpretation. Of course, the whole story of the City of Love cannot be distilled to a single song: one must listen to the whole album to get the bigger picture. I think the title track is one that reacts to the public and personal struggles of today, and lets us know that togetherness and understanding is all that is left. The simplicity of the sentiments and the directness of the messages fuse with some more complex and oblique words. All in all, City of Love is a great song that shows Deacon Blue are still essential and can pen songs that are different to anything else around. I have listened to the whole of the City of Love album, and there is barely a weak moment to be found. There is so much variety, and so many fascinated songs to highlight. I want to focus on the title cut, as it is highly memorable, and a song that keeps me guessing. It is good to have another album out from the Scottish band. Let’s hope they keep releasing music for a very long time to come!

In terms of gigs, keep an eye on their schedule, and go and see them if you can! It is a few months until they are back on the stage, but I will go and see them when they come down to the South. I have been a fan of theirs since the 1990s, and I cannot wait to see where they head next. Of course, there is no reason to believe they will stop making albums, as they have a lot to say. I have talked about City of Love as being personal, but there are more political moments. Politics will always be crucial to the band, and they cannot ignore what is happening to the country. I feel a lot of modern music is pretty heavy and serious, and artists are all keen to explore politics, mental-health and the state of the world. That is fair, but when you have so many people doing it, it can get a bit much and hard to digest. One looks for something more spirited, or music that has a more tender and soft side. Deacon Blue are masters of the upbeat, and they blend that with songs that get under the skin and move you. City of Love is a fantastic album that has garnered some strong praise, and it is clear that Deacon Blue have a huge fanbase. I will leave things there, as I have talked about the band a lot. I do think radio stations need to be a bit more flexible regarding playlists and the type of artists they play. This assumption bands like Deacon Blue are reserved for a set demographic is a bit ridiculous! Their music is not only for those of a certain ilk or persuasion; instead, it is designed…

FOR the world.

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Follow Deacon Blue

Official:

http://www.deaconblue.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/deaconbluemusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/deaconbluemusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/deaconbluemusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jqKIZLB5WA5KquEihB3ND?si=CoTkoOq5T_qQMn24O74Fzw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/chel/UCO52dsfWLXB8LUxbZcKnt_g

ALL UNCREDITED PHOTOS:

Deacon Blue

FEATURE: Stage Bite: The Struggles of Touring Life for Older Artists

FEATURE:

Stage Bite

PHOTO CREDIT: @josephtpearson/Unsplash

The Struggles of Touring Life for Older Artists

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THIS matches a feature…

PHOTO CREDIT: @roccocaruso/Unsplash

that was published in The Guardian last week. Whilst any artist is capable of suffering injury or getting ill, one has to look at the touring demands that most major artists face, and it is amazing that there is not more absence and suffering! It is always sad when an established, iconic artist has to retreat from the stage because of ill health or they cannot carry on. The legendary Tom Petty died only a few days after finishing a tour. He was sixty-six. He was taking medication for pain associated with touring, and it is heart-breaking realising that Petty would still be here if the rigors of touring had not have taken its toll. Artists like Tom Petty do not want to let their fans down, and they love live performance. I think touring schedules have become more punishing, and people expect bigger and bigger shows. The article from The Guardian raised some interesting points about artists who has quit the road and how profitable older acts are:

 “All this comes hot on the heels of an escalating wave of older stars who’ve either quit the road entirely or begun their last hurrahs, including Paul Simon at 78, Bob Seger at 74, Kiss aged between 68 to 70, Neil Diamond at 79, and Eric Clapton at 74.

“The fact is, it’s really hard to tour,” says Dave Brooks, who covers the concert industry for Billboard. “It’s terribly hard on your body, and mentally difficult too.” 

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Simon/PHOTO CREDIT: Myrna Suarez

Jem Aswad, senior music editor of the trade publication Variety, says: “People think it’s easy to be a rock star. But try to hold the attention of 18,000 people, and perform really well, for two and a half hours every night. It’s an incredibly tough thing to sustain.”

If all that wear-and-tear takes a toll on older performers, their increasing absence from the road threatens to weaken the concert industry’s bottom line. According to the industry’s most authoritative source, Pollstar, five out of the top 10 worldwide tours of the last year featured band members over the age of 50. Three of those were peopled with players aged 60 to nearly 80. In Pollstar’s list of top 200 North American tours, the top three earners were over 70, including Elton, Bob Seger and the Stones.

When it comes to the highest grossing single shows worldwide, four of the top five positions were occupied by a group with players over age 70, while 16 of the top 20 shows featured the same band. That would be the Rolling Stones, who are about to embark on yet another American jaunt this spring and summer, despite the fact that Mick Jagger had to have heart valve replacement surgery last April”.

There is this struggle between the profitability and popularity of older musicians and the natural results of touring extensively. Although artists like Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones seem immortal and are performing lively in their seventies, the reality for most older artists is different.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kdarmody/Unsplash

One cannot blame fans and demand for the retirement of great artists and the health problems of others. I do wonder whether labels and promoters need to be a bit more vigilant and ensure that artists of a certain age – I am not sure what the best term to use is! -, are not pushed too far. Cases like that of Tom Petty’s are rare, but I worry so many artists in general are taking medication to cope with pain, and then are taking more than prescribed so they do not have to cancel gigs. Whilst the stage is not only for the young, it does seem like a very daunting place for artists from past generations. Now that the Internet allows fans and artists to connect, I feel tour schedules in general are more demanding, and artists have to travel further. It is inspiring that there are so many of the old guard on tour, and that is because they love their fans and the thrill of live performance. Musicians across the board are experiencing mental-health issues because of touring, and this also impacts older artists. At a time when Spotify is replacing physical sales to an extent, are artists touring much more so they can make the money they used to with album sales? Maybe the modern age and all its convenience will negatively impact various sides of the music industry. I was reading that Guardian article, and I did not realise just how popular – compared to younger artists – older acts were.

IN THIS PHOTO: Elton John/PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Gorman

Maybe it is that need to go on the road and fulfill demand that means, invariably, there will be consequences. Look at artists like Elton John who, at the moment, is working his way through an epic, months-long farewell tour. He has not been free from illness recently, and I can imagine how affected he is when he has to pull dates because of this. It is tricky finding a balance and remedy, though it is clear that, for many older artists, the stage today is quite intimidating. In a wider sense, I wonder whether touring has become more taxing with digital music. It would be nice to think that all of the legends still touring will be able to do so for many more years, but I think there will be a time when the physical and emotional cost will become too much. I was aware that a few classic artists have had to retire for various reasons, but reading more about this, and it is clear that many older artists are finding it hard to remain on the stage – despite the fact they are among the most popular and profitable in all of music. It is easier for younger artists to break through and perform, because of platforms like Spotify. Just look at festival line-ups, and there are so many artists there who have only been performing for a few years. Radio stations, largely, feature music from younger acts – meaning it is harder, even for the icons, to get the same sort of attention and demand without slogging it out in the live arena. I do hope things improve regarding touring and our more experienced artists because they are people who…

PHOTO CREDIT: @horizonchurch/Unsplash

MEAN so much to us all

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Millie Turner

An All-Female, Winter-Ready Playlist (Vol. IX)

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IN terms of weather this weekend…

IN THIS IMAGE: Austra

it is a bit less drastic outside, and starting to feel a tiny bit like spring. Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, so this playlist feels appropriate and timely; showcasing some of the fantastic women in music at the moment. I am going to post a few features tomorrow, but I was keen to put out this playlist with as many artists as I could – some of the very best tracks of the past week. Have a listen to the cracking tunes below, and I know you will find much to enjoy. As we head into the weekend, I think we need music accompaniment. Let’s hope there is something in this playlist that…

IN THIS PHOTO: Greentea Peng

CATCHES your attention.  

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Rina Sawayama – XS

HAIM – The Steps

Blondage – Over It

Dixie Chicks – Gaslighter

Jhené Aiko – Speak

PHOTO CREDIT: Si Moore

Esmé Patterson – Light in Your Window

Overcoats – I’ll Be There

Lisa Marini – Kite

Brandy Clark – Apologies

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lovell-Smith

Nadia Reid – High & Lonely

Millie Turner – Jungle

PHOTO CREDIT: Amalia Navarro

Berne – To the Lions

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Foster Photography.

Saint Sister – Dynamite

Grace VanderWaal – Today and Tomorrow (From Disney’s Stargirl)

PVRIS – Dead Weight

IN THIS IMAGE: Peaking Lights

Automatic, Peaking Lights – Calling It (Peaking Lights Disco Rerub)

Austra – Anywayz

Courtney Marie Andrews – If I Told

PHOTO CREDIT: She Is Aphrodite

merci, mercy – Fucked Myself Up

MORGAN – My Year

Empress Of – Give Me Another Chance

PHOTO CREDIT: Adeline Mai

The Aces – Daydream

Greentea Peng – Ghost Town

Katie Malco – Animal

PHOTO CREDIT: Willie Runte

Luna Bec – Come over Tonight

SKIA – IDWTAI

Fickle Friends – Eats Me Up

PHOTO CREDIT: El Hardwick

Porridge Radio – Circling

Róisín Murphy – Murphy’s Law

Hilary Woods - The Mouth

Hazel English – Combat

Hannah Georgas – That Emotion

Chromatics – Famous Monsters

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan Photography

Orchards – Magical Thinking

Diet Cig – Thriving

PHOTO CREDIT: Rasmus Luckmann

Kiesza – All of the Feelings

FEATURE: A Year for Acknowledgment and Progress? International Women’s Day 2020

FEATURE: 

A Year for Acknowledgment and Progress?

IMAGE CREDIT: Rough Trade

International Women’s Day 2020

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AT this time of year…

IMAGE CREDIT: Kelsey Dake

I think about women in music a lot. It is International Woman’s Day on Sunday (8th March), and it is a day where we celebrate women’s rights, call for chance and ask for a more equal world. This year’s International Women’s Day seems very appropriate and something we can all agree on:

“International Women's Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual

An equal world is an enabled world.

Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements.

Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

Let's all be #EachforEqual”.

Music, like so many other industries and corners of the landscape, is affected by sexism and a lack of gender equality. Although Reading & Leeds Festivals added some more women to their line-up very recently, they were called out because of their male-heavy line-up. It is sad that there is still so much ignorance of great music made by women, across so many genres and styles. Festivals, especially larger ones, are culpable of lacking awareness and ignoring a lot of great female artists. Festivals like Glastonbury are yet to announce their bill, but I think we will see a fifty-fifty gender balance; they have already booked one female headliner, Taylor Swift. There are minor steps occurring regarding festival bills, but it is shocking that we are still so far away from seeing equality in 2020 – the rest of this year needs to be about reversing past omissions and acknowledging the great women who deserve exposure and their opportunity.

It is not only festivals that have a problem with sexism. The music industry as a whole has an issue, but the past couple of years has been defined by incredible women dominating and releasing some of the best music around. It is impossible for me to name all the great female artists who have strengthened music and could own festivals, but artists such as Grimes, Halsey, The Big Moon and Georgia have already released huge albums. Last year, FKA twigs, Solange, Little Simz and Lizzo were among the tremendous women making 2019 bright, varied and packed with wonder. I think there was the assumption – or still is – women are solo artists and, as bands are favoured at festivals, that explains the lack of women on bills. From female-fronted bands like Wolf Alice and Amyl and the Sniffers to female bands like The Big Moon, there is no shortage of options. If you want women who can shred it with the best of the rest, there is Anna Calvi and Sharon Van Etten; confident and impassioned performers like Lizzo and Christine and the Queens can rule, whilst Billie Eilish is a sensational fit for any bill. In a wider sense, the lack of respect provided to women is unacceptable. I think music is best when everything is embraced, but I look around and there are still woeful imbalances that are not being corrected.

It is mostly women calling for change, with relatively few men in the industry joining them in condemnation and protest. I keep saying how 2020 needs to be a year for clear vision and balance, and International Women’s Day will shine a light on the importance of women in music and how, when you listen to the best music of the moment, so much of it is coming from them. There are articles that state how we really need more women producers and musicians in order to work towards parity. In terms of producers, there are women in studios and many others coming through – studios are still male-heavy, and I think there is this assumption that women cannot produce or do not want to. Whilst there might be fewer women making music than men, there are more than enough stunning artists out there. The imbalance and ignorance has very little to do with statistics and percentage graphs: more accurately those in power (mainly men) are peddling the same excuse when women are not booked for festivals and, when it comes to change, how many men are actively committed to listening to women’s voices and asking why so many women are leaving music because of abuse and exclusion?! Rather than end on a sour or angry note, it is International Women’s Day on Sunday, so I will end with a playlist that puts some of music’s finest women in the spotlight. Of course, there are many more women – and many more current women – making the music industry so strong and promising, all of whom deserve equality and a fairer industry. Let’s hope, after the countless social media posts regarding women in music and why International Women’s Day is so important, it will spur those in power to…

MAKE promises they can keep!