#Musician interview

[newmusickarl]

Thom Rylance (The Lottery Winners) Interview Podcast - Out Now!

The latest 5-9 Podcast Special is out now and its an enlightening interview with Thom Rylance, the charismatic frontman of UK indie-pop band The Lottery Winners!

With funny and insightful tales all about the making of their new album KOKO, being diagnosed with ADHD, collaborating with Reverend & The Makers, Frank Turner and Nickelback, supporting Noel Gallagher and Robbie Williams, and much, much more!

Watch the full interview with Thom Rylance above and if you enjoy it, please be sure to like and subscribe!

Prefer audio? You can also listen to the full interview, including three of The Lottery Winners' latest singles, on Spotify here.

[apokrify]

My friend Shannon is an Irish and Raramuri musician from Southern California. In this video Shannon sits for a portrait that I paint while we talk about ancestry, art and apocalypse.

[loveinpassingpress]

In Conversation with...Honey Gentry

In the quiet moments between chords and words, where melody meets memory, there is a place where stories are turned into striking lullabies, and it’s here, in the delicate space of creation, that Honey Gentry finds the pulse of her music—woven from both the light and shadow of love. As a songwriter, she doesn’t just craft songs; she distils emotion -- her soft, harmonic vocals metamorphosed into something both deeply personal and universally resonant. Drawing inspiration from the visuals of Hollywood’s golden age of cinema, Gentry’s discography is otherworldly to say the least – a lustrous ensemble of melancholy chords accompanied by velvety, dream-like vocals that enchant the listener. Having the opportunity to speak directly to Honey herself, I wanted to understand just what it is that inspires her approach to songwriting and how her love for film plays a unique role in the creative process…

★

Charlotte: Hi Honey, it’s clear to see that you draw a lot of inspiration from the 1950’s/60’s when it comes to cinematography and your own music. What is it about this era that you feel drawn to and are there any specific elements of this time period you aim to incorporate into your own work?

Honey: It’s the late 60’s that inspires me so deeply. I think if I had to call on specific elements, I’d say it was the counterculture, anti-war sentiment, the civil rights movement, and more empowered, liberated consciousness that was growing out of that time - specifically for women. Living outside of the accepted norms of society to a path that’s right for you - I think of things like the rise of Wicca after the Witchcraft Act was repealed in the ‘50s. Just more freedom to explore and be free, than the generation before. 

Charlotte: Whilst on the topic of inspiration & aesthetic, I’m curious to know just how important you feel imagery and artistic cohesiveness is as an artist?

Honey: For me personally, I do like to have a visual ‘world’ that manifests alongside the music. Not so much that the music is the skeleton and the imagery is the flesh - more that the music is a full body but the imagery is an adornment that helps express the personality on first impression. With an album like Dreamgirl in particular, I had been so inspired by my trips to California and how it made me feel - naturally there was a lot of blues and pinks that were pulling through at that time in the surrounding imagery. Almost like the Pacific and her sunsets were just making themselves really known! Even the cover art had been taken two years before the music was written - when I came across the picture again I just knew it would work. Like that’s where I mentally was when these songs came about - especially Take Me Somewhere, the album closer. So, I do think it’s important to me, as it helps communicate something about the music that helps invite other people in.

The album that Honey is referring to, ‘Dreamgirl’, is her latest album, released in 2021 – and it truly is a spellbinding embodiment of work. The title track is one of my personal favourites. Beginning with softly-struck piano chords, the follow up of Honey’s vocals, rich yet gentle, transcend the production of this track and definitely earns its place as title track of the album.

Charlotte: How do you approach the balance between crafting dreamlike melodies and conveying depth or complexity through your lyrics?

Honey: Those two things go hand in hand for me; almost like the lyrics are trying to convey the conscious and the melody trying to convey the subconscious. I use one to influence the other. If I happen to write the music first, I try and feel out what lyrics want to come forward from the melodies. If I write lyrics first, I try to shape music around their emotion without too much effort; I try to let it flow out to support the lyrics. I try not to force either of those two aspects too much. 

Charlotte: I, myself have dabbled in the art of songwriting and found great inspiration in both old classics and the more abstract of cinema. I remember watching a film called ‘Shangri-La Suite’ a few years ago and it moved me so much I immediately picked up my guitar in the dead of night and wrote a 1960’s counterculture-esque song that I felt aligned magically with the poignant themes of the storyline. I’m wondering if you also can recall any films that have had a similar impact and inspired you to pick up a pen and paper?

Honey: Oh I love this, I’ll have to check this movie out! Film is so immersive - I think that’s why us songwriters and artists are so inspired by movies. And probably most of us are processing our stories in the same way - ‘watching’ them play out as we write them, describing what we’re seeing. My list of films that have played that role for me are probably so predictable as to be a total cliche list - basically if it came out in the 90s and is about girlhood, I’ll love it: The Virgin Suicides, of course - any of Sofia’s work; Drop Dead Gorgeous; Girl Interrupted; The Craft; or my other total pleasure The Love Witch - it’s just as much their stories as the world you live in for those couple of hours whilst you watch. The world of girls and their stories. 

Charlotte: I’m interested to know how you believe the visual aesthetics of a film can influence the mood or atmosphere of a song during the writing process? 

Honey: I would say - it’s all in how the film makes you feel. If it’s a particularly beautiful film emotionally and visually, it could get you to the same place emotionally in order to write a beautiful song. Film also puts you into another world, which is really useful when thinking of new perspectives in song writing - when you really relate to a character and their story, you might find that their words and story puts something into words you’ve been struggling to say for yourself.

Charlotte: And what is the most rewarding part of the songwriting process for you? Is it the initial spark of an idea, the act of writing, or hearing the final recording come to life? Honey: For me, the most rewarding part is usually when the melody for the chorus starts to form. Because if that’s a melody I want to hum, that just seems to form itself - that’s when I know I’ve “found” the song. Although it can take me a while to get there, it’s like the rest of it unfolds from that moment and all the ideas start to flow. There’s also a moment, if I’m working on production before I’ve written any lyrics, where a certain atmosphere starts to build and I know I’ve tapped into something. I’ve written this new song called Lick The Stars, and I’m working on it with Elliott (who I created Go With The Flow with); and the second I knew I loved it was when I started working with this beautifully haunting dulcimer sound. It had such a mysterious quality to it that I could immediately see the rest of the song unfold. The way we built out the rest of the song, that dulcimer started to take a back seat, but it was the starting point for the colour, the tone of the song. I love when that happens.

Charlotte: I noticed you’ve shared the work of Louise Glück and Mahmoud Darwish, both prestigious poets that clearly seem to inspire you. Do you like to write your own poetry? Or perhaps have any other creative mediums you enjoy exploring? Honey: Louise Glück in particular has been an influence for me - Under Taurus of course being directly inspired by her poem of the same name. Whether she would have appreciated that had she ever seen it… I don’t know! And of course Mahmoud Darwish, one of many brilliant Palestinian writers who seem to be able to transmute such pain into such beauty. Something I can’t help but admire and be in total awe. As for writing my own poetry, it’s rare that I do and it’s only ever for myself. If I’m collecting couplets or images, they tend to find themselves in songs. Rather than other forms of writing, my non-musical creative pursuits tend to be more crafty. I’m not very good at it but I love making my own candles.

Charlotte: It’s certainly the time of year to begin honing in on our own creative, peaceful rituals. As we find ourselves nearing the end of this year, I’m wondering if you have any resolutions, both personally and professionally, that you hope to achieve by this time next year? 

Honey: I have resolutions, but I have resolutions all the time. I actually don’t believe that new year is a good time to try and set an intention and stick to it. Unless New Year’s Day falls on a particularly potent new moon I try and just see it as a nice bank holiday. Otherwise, it tends to bum me out! (I tend to experience birthdays the same way unfortunately - too much pressure!) Luckily, New Year’s Day is just one of many for us - we can set new intentions on every new moon; every birthday; in March when the astrological year starts… we can start over any day.

Interview conducted & written by Charlotte India Howard

To listen to Honey’s latest album, ‘Dreamgirl’, click here

Follow Honey Gentry on Instagram

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"The name Use Knife also has a political hue. Heeren says that it’s taken from a lyric by David Tibet’s Current 93: ‘The stars spell grammar or use knife.’ Which the band see as choosing words and connections against violence and polarisation. Heeren: “Use Knife stands against all the violent threats facing our worlds; the rising of powerful radical nationalist movements in the Western world but also the many dictators and the violent aftermaths they cause in the Middle East or elsewhere.”

As noted before, their music is not a remote or sanitised exercise in socio-cultural box-ticking. Use Knife’s story is one of meetings, understandings and accommodations. More dramatically, it is a story of a migrant fleeing from war, crossing the Mediterranean and nearly drowning, being arrested in Hungary and Germany, and then being arrested in Belgium. Stupidly, unthinkingly, unpardonably, I ask Al-Qaissy how he arrived in Belgium. Laughing, Saif answers “When I came to Brussels I went to prison. There was no time to think, ‘Where am I’.” Stef and Kwinten are quick to support their pal.

Heeren: “It’s not getting off the train, it’s hiding in the bushes from the cops, it’s that kind of story.”

Mordijck: “And they told him to go back, but luckily he didn’t.”

Al-Qaissy: “I didn’t want to go back. But coming to Belgium was at first a strange feeling, for sure. But I am always positive: I often say, ‘OK, good things will come.’ When you think like that it’s often okay. But that [journey] was a bad time, because I passed through so many strange moments. Some people went back, other people got sick and couldn’t continue. Because it’s not easy.”

Unsurprisingly then, theirs is an organic, spontaneous way of working that is subject to a patient and resolutely human process of exchange. Heeren: “That’s true. With the Viernulvier residency, we rehearsed together, and we improvised, and made our recordings from that. They are all long jams in a way, but even with the studio work we remained true to the organic first idea.” (The band continued this process in WORM’s Sound Studios a week after their gig, where they laid down Al-Qaissy’s percussion and gorged on Arp2600s, Korg PS3200s and Oberheim Sems for the first time. Demo drafts of new music were conjured up, upon which Al-Qaissy improvised with percussion and vocals.)

So is music the main glue between the three of them?

Mordijck: “Maybe also the talking, too, non? Though, I don’t know if Saif always likes what we do!”

Heeren: “Yes, talking. Because we are friends.”

- Richard Foster, "Music For A New Society: Use Knife Interviewed." The Quietus. October 23, 2023.

[artjipson]

Questions with... Sarah Rudy

One of the benefits of doing a radio show is the opportunity to explore music with musicians who make incredible art. To sweeten the pot, the chance to interview musicians who write genuine songs that speak to you as a person is a gift. When Sarah Rudy who records as Hello June, agreed to answer some of our questions, we were overjoyed. Hello June’s ‘Artifacts’ was our top pick for album of the…

[goldmine-bio]

WHO IS ASMA HAMZA ? WHY GOOGLE MADE HER DOODLE ?

Asma Hamza

Sudani Oud Player, Musician

Today, Google has honored Asma Hamza by making her a doodle. Asma Hamza, known as the “Queen of the Oud”, is the first female musician and oud player of Sudan.

Asma Hamza was the first Sudanese woman to receive formal training in playing the oud in 1946. She died on May 21, 2018 at her home in the city of Halfaya after a long struggle with illness.

Asma Hamza, on this day i.e. 17 July 1997, was declared the winner of the Lailat Alkadra Alkubra Music Competition in Sudan.

This victory contributed significantly to her career and she became very popular, along with it she also got a new identity in a traditionally male-dominated industry. His extraordinary talent and dedication has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the world of music.

About

Asma Hamza is Sudan’s first female musician and oud player who was born in 1936 in Halfayat al-Muluk, Sudan.

She was reputed to have composed many songs sung by many old and young singers such as Abdul Karim Al Kabali, Muhammad Mirghani, Abida Al Sheikh, Imad Ahmed Al Tayeb.

Asma was the only child of her parents. She had a keen interest in music since childhood and often used to whistle to the tune of songs.

Inspired by his talent, his father gifted him an instrument to learn singing, which looked like a veena but had a thinner neck and no frets.He studied at the Evangelical Deaf School.

Hamza had an amazing talent for learning songs and playing them in a loud voice. She used to play the instrument without any formal training.

But at that time in Sudan, it was not socially acceptable for women to take up music, yet they crossed these barriers and created a new record.

They were married in 1967. He also has a daughter Wefak and two granddaughters.

Career

Asma Hamza was a Sudanese distinguished female artist who was popular for her wonderful voice and talent in playing the oud.

She was influenced by great artists such as Umm Kulthum, Muhammad Abdel Wahab, Abdel Halim Hafiz and Shadia.

She worked in the Music Corps for 13 years, thanks to which Aziza Darwish, wife of the late journalist Mohammad Saleh Fahmi, goes to him.

Asma Hamza started her first journey in the world of music with the composition of Diwan Al-Mallah’s song “Ya Oouni” in 1948 for which she is reputed to be the first person to compose “Oouni”.

Asma’s musical career peaked in 1982 when she achieved great success in a short time by composing the song “The Good Time” by Sudanese poet Saif al-Din al-Dasuki while in the Sudanese Music Corps. This song was sung by Sudanese singer Sumaya Hassan.

He composed many tunes for talented Arab artists. Her compositions gained recognition and she became famous as one of Sudan’s leading female composers.

Short Notes

Asma Hamza is Sudan’s first female musician and oud player.

She was the first Sudanese woman to receive formal training in playing the oud in 1946.

She was born on 1936 in SudanShe used to play the instrument without any formal training.

She worked in the Music Corps for 13 years, thanks to which Aziza Darwish, wife of the late journalist Mohammad Saleh Fahmi, goes to him.

[thephilfactor]

Interview: An Evening at Macri Park with Sean Barna

I travel for work. Back in March, after a long day of driving, I was in Erie, Pennsylvania. I got to my hotel room, dropped my stuff and headed to the hotel restaurant for a beer and dinner. I sat at the bar so that I wouldn’t be taking up a table all by myself. As I was finishing up my dinner, two guys came in and sat down at the corner of the bar. They talked loudly, laughed and bantered with…

[hairmetal666]

Steve has done interviews before. Like, a lot of interviews. YouTube, podcasts, print, TV stuff. Not as a brag, or anything, just. He's been an influencer for a long time, for better or worse, and it's part of the deal.

Usually, he's comfortable in front of the camera. Usually, he's poised and well-spoken. But today, this time, sweat pools under his arms and beads along his hairline, the lights beating down on him in a harsh glare.

"Steve Harrington," Murray Bauman crosses his legs, smiles big for the cameras. "It's been a while."

He smiles too, tries to seem like he's not about to have a panic attack. "I've been a little busy."

Murray laughs and it's then that Steve understands how screwed he really is. Murray's show, it's all glitz and glamour on the surface; mixed drinks and hijinks until the celebrity guests lose their inhibitions, admitting things they probably wanted to keep secret.

It's just that, before, Steve didn't have any salacious rumors to worry about, and now--

"You've had a rough year, Steve, yeah?"

"Not my best, for sure." He leans back, tries to seem calm, unbothered.

"I was sorry to hear about your divorce. I think that announcement really took a lot of people by surprise."

His hands clench, but he manages not to shift or bounce his leg. "Thanks for, uh. Yeah. We were also sorry it didn't work out."

Murray nods, face full of sympathy. "You and Nancy, you'd been together since high school? That's almost--what? 15 years?"

"It's--" he clears his throat. "About that long." Steve takes a sip of the drink next to him, an apple martini that's both too sweet and too strong.

"Am I right to assume that you didn't see it coming?"

And isn't that a question? Sure, now in hindsight, he can see the fractures that lead to the end, but six months ago did he--it's all so--what if all along--

"All marriages have rough patches," is what he says. "We just couldn't come out of ours as a couple."

"Do you know what I've found really remarkable about this phase of your life? The content and tone of your videos in the midst of the maelstrom of rumors and gossip didn't change at all. 'Your kids' as you call them, are still as bright and vibrant as ever. You're laughing, dancing, cooking, having a great time."

"I needed that--that normalcy you know? And the kids, they're such an important part of my life, having them around helped."

"Including Nancy's brother, Mike?"

Steve laughs and it's not fake. "Totally including Mike. My relationship with Nancy has nothing to do with my relationship with him."

"He's kind of an antagonist--would you say?--in your videos, though."

"We have conflict sometimes, but it's never serious. We know how to play it up for laughs."

"So, nothing's changed between you?"

"Not at all."

"The cheating rumors." Murray's smile is soft, but all the air still leaves the room.

"What about them?" It's more combative than he means, but--

"Did Nancy cheat on you with Jonathan Byers?"

He swallows and it hurts. She did cheat, is the thing. It's not public information, still only speculation, but--

"You can't believe everything you read, Murray."

"So, she didn't cheat?" There's a glow to Murray's eyes that tells Steve he already knows the answer.

"Like, I said before, marriages are hard. We spent a lot of time apart because of our jobs. It took a toll."

"And she was traveling with Jonathan, yes? He's been her photographer for the past decade, from what I understand."

"They were co-workers, but we're all close. And those rumors didn't help our relationship, for sure. It's--not easy to hear that a bunch of people think your wife and close friend may be having an affair, that people 'ship' them. Even when it's not true, it creates--"

"Tension? Distrust?"

"Both, probably." He takes another drink as he nods. "After a while you do start to wonder if there's truth to it, and you're too ignorant or too--too trusting to see it."

"And it eroded the relationship."

"It certainly didn't help." He takes another drink.

"And how about your relationship with Jonathan's brother, Will. Has that been impacted?"

"Of course not. Never. Whatever happens between Nancy, Jonathan, and I, it has nothing to do with the kids. They know that.

"You talked about it."

"Yes. Extensively."

"I know there's often speculation on the relationship you have with them; if you're really close or it's all for the cameras."

"Murray." He leans forward. "We've talked about this before. I met Dustin through Mike, and the whole group followed. I've known them all since they were 8 years old. They're--I mean, not to be cliche, but they're my family." He sips the last bit of martini.

"And where does Eddie Munson fit into that family?"

The question shouldn't be a surprise, but he almost does a spit take, has to fight to keep it together.

"Eddie?"

"Yes." Murray's smile is chilling. "Your close friend Eddie Munson. Musician. Plays Dungeons and Dragons on YouTube. You made out with him in a music video. Ringing any bells?"

"I'm familiar with Eddie," his grin is rigid. "I don't know what that has to do with my marriage ending."

"Well, the rumors weren't all about Nancy, were they?"

"Eddie and I have--we became mutuals online years and years ago. I used one of his songs in a video and the kids are obsessed with his dnd stuff, so. We've become close."

"Friends?"

"Isn't that implied?"

"After that music video, I don't think so."

Steve rolls his eyes, lets the irritation show for the first time. "He asked me to be in his video. There's nothing scandalous about it."

"What's your relationship with Eddie right now?"

"Like I said, friends."

"Do you want it to be more than that?"

"Eddie's really important to me."

"Is that all?"

"Not really sure what you want me to say here, Murray."

"You were married to a woman for years, but now there are questions about your sexuality."

He grits his teeth. "My sexuality isn't anyone's business aside my own. People can say shit on Twitter all they want, that doesn't mean they know me. But--the end of my marriage--it definitely gave me the space for self-discovery, I guess? In a way I hadn't had before."

"And is Eddie a part of that self-discovery?"

"Yeah, as one of my closest friends, he is."

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"That's--that's not--I'm going through a divorce. My focus isn't on starting another relationship right now."

"You, famously, tattooed your initials on the inside of his thigh during an Instagram live. That's pretty intimate."

"We were just having a little fun."

"Huh. That seems like more than 'a little fun' to me. So, how's Eddie doing with the increased attention?"

It takes Steve a second to track the change of subject, mind still stuck on the tattoo, on how the ink had looked on Eddie's pale skin.

"It's hard." Steve eventually answers. "Of course he enjoys bringing his music and dnd to a wider audience, but the focus on his personal life is--it's a lot."

"Well, he should have thought about before letting you tattoo him for your 850,000 followers. Does he want a relationship with you?"

His throat is dry, burning, he wishes he had more martini. He wishes he'd never taken a sip. "You'd have to ask him. I'm just taking it day by day, you know? That's what I need right now."

"We're getting to the end of our time, but you know I have to ask. Your best friend, Robin Buckley, she very famously unfollowed both Nancy and Jonathan on all social media when news broke about your divorce. Can you tell us why she unfollowed them?"

"I have no control over Robin's accounts. I didn't even know she followed Jonathan ever, and she and Nancy have a relationship outside of me, you know? I can't say what happened between them."

"She's been in your videos with Eddie. She like him?"

"Very much. It's kind of annoying actually. They keep ganging up on me."

"Much to everyone's delight, I'm sure. So, what can we expect from the newly single Steve Harrington?"

"There are a couple things in the works, but only time will tell."

---

He walks through his front door an hour later, and Eddie's sitting on the couch, playing a soft melody on an acoustic guitar. He stops when he sees Steve, setting the guitar aside, and standing.

"How'd it go, baby?" He asks. His soft smile is so beautiful, Steve gets a lump in his throat.

"As expected." He crosses the space between them, lets Eddie pull him close.

"He ask about us?" Eddie's breath tickles his ear.

"Of course."

"And you--"

"I want--it should be just for us. We should be able to announce when we're ready. Not when Murray-fucking-Bauman asks."

Eddie kisses him, then, sweet and slow, making him lose his breath.

"Whenever you're ready, I'll be right by your side."

"You sure? All my mess--"

"Is mine too. Afraid you're stuck with me for the long haul, Steve Harrington."

[caitlinsinterlude]

jeff buckley in an interview about bob dylan writing for nina simone. bob dylan’s wrote sad-eyed lady about sara.

[hoziercriespower]

Hozier tracks n topics - Lido Sounds

❝ Are you not a sunny guy? ❞

[newmusickarl]

Hayden Thorpe Interview - Out Now!

The big 5-9 Podcast Special is out now, an interview with singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and former Wild Beasts frontman, Hayden Thorpe!

Talking about the making of his masterful third solo album Ness, working with author and poet Robert MacFarlane, collaborating with Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, supporting Newcastle United and, of course, the lasting legacy of Wild Beasts.

Watch the full interview with Hayden Thorpe above and if you enjoy it, please be sure to like and subscribe!

Prefer audio? You can also listen to the full interview, including three of Hayden's very best songs, on Spotify here.

[theteapotofdoom]

The crazy thing about George Harrison is that you will see thousands of pictures of him where he looks absolutely stunning, like drop dead gorgeous, absolutely bewitching, and then you will read dozens and interviews and testimonies of people being like "George Harrison is so much more attractive in person, the pictures truly don’t do him justice" or like "being in the same room as him was an indescribable experience that no picture can compare to" or "the photos could never quite picture how intense his eyes are" …

And it’s like "oh okay so meeting him would have killed me, I would have just fucking died on the spot, direct eye contact with him would have made me crazy beyond repair, cool."

[loveinpassingpress]

The Art of Songwriting & Creative Ingenuity with Mali McGrath

Encompassing an almost siren-like vivacity to her work as both a musician and painter, it’s undeniable that Mali McGrath’s handful of creative gifts and visionary state of mind make her such a breath of fresh air to the creative femme community. Her work, both vocal and visual, seem to evoke feelings of both joy and pain, perhaps because she herself admits to finding inspiration within her own suffering. “Heartbreak is one of the things that cracked me back open” Mali recalls. “…Following heartbreak, my artworks became much more personal, I started singing every day again, began writing songs. It felt like I had so much emotion to hold that it had to be put somewhere and creative ideas began to unfold more naturally than ever…”

Charlotte: So, could you just begin by introducing yourself and giving a little backstory as to how your creative journey began?

Mali: I am an artist, primarily a painter, and also a musician, singer, a songwriter. I currently also work for an independent jewellery business, assisting everything from designing to making pieces. I have also recently facilitated my first women’s circle, which incorporated some singing, and I am working to grow this endeavour of space-holding and leading healing spaces into one of my multiple lines of work.

My creative journey has been life long. Music from around the world was always playing in my childhood home, books overflowing off the shelves of every room. I spent most of my time as a child drawing and writing stories but was also wildly confident in singing, dancing and performing. My teenage years stamped out all of the spirit of my inner child. I wouldn’t sing to nearly anyone, even friends and family. I always kept making art and writing but without such a sense of freeness.

Charlotte: Seeing as you seem to identify strongly and are recognised for your work as both a musician and artist, I’m interested to know which creative medium you personally feel most drawn to?

Mali: Visual art, my paintings, definitely lie within more of a personal comfort zone. It is perhaps where I feel more knowledgeable and confident. I have maybe resonated with being an artist for longer, my whole life even, whereas writing my own music began around four years ago. But that said, music has grown to probably be my primary outlet. I sing every day, songs are constantly flowing out of me, writing music doesn’t depend on my energy levels or good mood or focus, it feels like something that happens no matter how I am. Singing, my own songs in particular, is where I feel most free. I feel like my art and music and various other creative mediums are an ecosystem and, even if I am creating vastly different things in each, they do thrive best when I give time and energy to both. They’re also heavily woven within my personal mythologies and a sense of magical realism and storytelling, so they are very much intrinsically linked and can share imagery, symbolism and sometimes storylines.

Charlotte: Could you tell me about where you drew inspiration from when writing your two latest singles, Out Of A Flowerhead and The Sea Monsters Daughter?

Mali: Out Of A Flowerhead began as a poem but grew into a song and it feels like this psychedelic earthly ode to a really conscious, reflective stage in heartbreak and healing. It is inspired by nature, ritual, reflection, abundance and consumption. The cord cutting reference relates to ancient witchcraft but also involves word-play on later themes of death and birth cycles. The symbols of fruit and flowers also link to this sense of dying and re-birthing as well as representing abundance and the idea of this all-consuming person eating their way through all the beauty and fruitfulness in your life and world.

The symbolism in this song links closely to my art, in which ripe or seeping fruit and the heads and petals of flowers are recurring symbols. They are so ingrained in my world of storytelling and image making that it is hard to root back to how they became so significant, but this song is definitely a perfect example of the poetry I continuously find within certain symbols such as these.

…The Sea Monster’s Daughter is completely inspired by dreams and mythology. It tells the story of a real dream I had. I am deeply inspired by the profoundness in folklore surrounding mermaids and the sea and, whilst the song focuses more on real people, ultimately the sea represents a separation of worlds, a threshold. There is a parallel with dreams also being thresholds and a separate realm or world. I read a lot of folk stories as well as listening to some extremely old traditional folk music from here and around the world, so I think my understanding of mythical folkloric archetypes and ideas has been absorbed greatly from these and inevitably surfaces in my own storytelling.

Charlotte: So as a lyricist and musician, do you find it important to tell a story through your music? If so, does that part of the song writing process come naturally to you?

Mali: Yes it definitely comes naturally. I think I find it important to express my emotions through song writing, to capture feelings and experiences, so stories lend themselves well to this and organically emerge. Equally, the influence of mythology, folk-story and folk music certainly inspire my musical expression to follow a similar form. My songwriting process ranges in the way it takes place. It is very occasionally that I think of something I’d like to write about and intentionally sit down to try to shape it into a song. More often than not, I simply feel overcome with a need to express and this drives me to write or to sing and, in these moments, the best things tend to flow out, the most detailed stories are written. Sometimes I don’t even feel like I am present or consciously creating, and I describe this process as channeling. It is as if I open my self up and stories and songs just come through me.

Charlotte: Growing up, do you feel literature played any significant role in your love for songwriting? Were there any books or stories that you remember feeling drawn to or inspired by?

Mali: Absolutely. I have always been drawn to folk stories, and myths, anything surrounding the mystical or magical as well as the emotional. I also spent a lot of my childhood at poetry readings as my Dad is a poet. They would usually be late in the evening or night so, when I was really young I would often curl up to sleep there, listening to the poets read. I think this definitely had a subconscious but huge influence on me and the way I write.

Charlotte: And finally, I’m curious to know if you could name any artists or specific art pieces that you feel inspired by?

Mali: Some artists I adore are Naudline Pierre, Sara Anstis, Marit Benthe Norheim, Carol Rama, Ana Mendieta and Kiki Smith. I am also very drawn to the symbolist painters who focused on the occult as well goddess folk art and Indian miniatures. A specific art piece that I feel continually inspired by is Kiki Smith’s ‘Sky’. It even inspired a song lyric of mine and I just find it so beautiful and awe-inspiring. The illustrations of the classic Rider Waite Smith tarot deck also inspire me greatly. Every aspect of each image is a symbol, steeped in meaning and significance and I love that level of detail. Tarot imagery has informed a lot in my artistic practice.

Listen to Mali’s latest singles, “Out Of A Flowerhead” & “The Sea Monsters Daughter”

Follow Mali’s Instagram here

[tragic-vaudeville]

"MAKING THE FUR FLY" - Sunday Magazine; issue September 4, 1983

I FINALLY FOUND THE ARTICLE WHERE IAN MCCULLOCH IS HOLDING BUNNIES TO GET HIGHER QUALITY SCANS!!! IM SO HAPPY

[smallphoenix13]

i had a dream that there was a new robert pattinson vampire movie coming out and kris got cast as his one night stand so the majority of his screen time was a sex scene with robert pattinson

and then kris got so excited he accidentally leaked all of this on insta