Shirley Manson on New Garbage, Recovery, and Raging Against the Dying of the Light

Shirley Manson has never been one to shy away from big feelings, big statements, or big synths. Speaking with Kyle Meredith, the Garbage frontwoman dives into Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, a record that flickers with vulnerability, political outrage, and, surprisingly, hope. The follow-up to 2021’s No Gods No Masters, the new LP serves as a spiritual twin — but this one stares down the chaos with resilience rather than just rage. Listen now.

“I realized that if I didn’t change my tack, I was going to lose my mind,” Manson says of her shift in perspective after the last album. “I wanted to project love, even though I was feeling physically broken and emotionally spent.” That brokenness included two hip surgeries and the loss of her dog — yet she funneled it all into a more nuanced lyricism.

She also reflects on her refusal to stay silent about world events, especially the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine. That same spirit fuels the band’s creativity; even with new recording methods during her recovery, she embraced the challenge: “I’d get these musical sketches from the guys and I’d say to my husband, ‘What the hell am I supposed to do with this?’ But eventually, they sparked my imagination.”

Listen to Shirley Manson chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

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