Music Life

Esperanza Spalding, Marcos Valle, Patrick Paige II and Tom Misch discuss why playing music is dangerous, the sound of your first love, why drinking on stage is a bad idea, first takes v lots of practice, and recording an orchestra in one take.Grammy-winning bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding has performed at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama’s Stevie Wonder tribute, and after a jam session with Prince, was invited to perform for his BET Lifetime Achievement Award tribute in 2010. She’s since released six studio albums, and worked with the likes of Janelle Monae, Bruno Mars and Tony Visconti. Joining her is Marcos Valle, who has spent the last 50 years fusing classical, Brazilian popular music and jazz, and is regarded as one of the most influential musicians in Brazil’s history. Tom Misch is a London-based producer, songwriter and guitarist who has become one of the most distinctive voices in the UK contemporary jazz scene, and one of its most in demand producers. Patrick Paige II is best known for his funky basslines in LA funk/R&B band The Internet. They have released four critically acclaimed albums, including the Grammy-nominated Ego Death in 2015, and collaborated with the likes of Tyler the Creator, Janelle Monáe and Kaytranada.

Cola Boyy, Faye Webster, Juan Wauters and Cherry Glazerr's Clementine Creevy discuss why it takes leaving a town or city to appreciate it, not writing any lyrics down, how to make songs catchy, using movies for inspiration, and why songwriters have no privacy anymore.Cola Boyy is a self-taught musician and singer from Los Angeles. He released his debut album, Prosthetic Boombox, in June this year. The lyrics are inspired by his real life experiences, including being a person of colour with a disability, as he was born with spina bifida and scoliosis. Joining him is Faye Webster, an artist from Atlanta whose songwriting brings together honest and emotional lyrics with rap influences and pedal steel guitar. Her latest album is I Know I’m Funny Haha. Clementine Creevy is the lead singer and guitarist in LA-based rock band Cherry Glazerr. Her music blends punk, grunge and new wave with witty lyrics, and she’s collaborated with Tyler the Creator and Death Grips. Finally, Juan Wauters is a Uruguayan-born singer-songwriter. He released the album Real Life Situations, in which he reflects on all aspects of the human experience, weaving in samples of television shows, and real conversations from voice notes he recorded on his phone. The album’s impressive list of collaborators includes Mac Demarco, former Music Life guest Nick Hakim, and today’s host, Cola Boyy.Together the group discuss why it takes leaving a town or city to appreciate it, not writing any lyrics down, how to make songs catchy, using movies for inspiration, and why songwriters have no privacy anymore.

Young Australians Mallrat, Ninajirachi, Daine and Donatachi look into the epicentre of the media term ‘hyperpop’. It’s bubble-gum sweet, with chaotic synth sounds mixed with pop and autotuned vocals, and the volume turned up to 11. Together, they discuss feeling old in the hyperpop genre (they’re all in their teens, or early 20s), not having any musical training, why face-to-face sessions are tough, how Daine’s autism feeds into her music, and how they feel when their music gets put in a playlist called Chill BBQ Music.Ninajirachi is a songwriter, producer and DJ who’s been tagged as “one of Australia’s first notable hyperpop artists”. She got into music production after hearing the ‘hyperkinetic’ pop producer Sophie. Earlier this year, she released the True North EP with musical prodigy Kota Banks. Donatachi is a musician from Brisbane, described as one of “Australia’s best-known Hyperpop producers”. Their 2019 underground hit Crush on U, in collaboration with Slayyyter, is credited as being the song that set the hyperpop scene in motion. Daine is a Filipino-Australian producer from Melbourne, whose latest track, boy wanna txt, is produced by former Music Life guests 100 Gecs. And hosting the show is Mallrat, from Brisbane. She makes dreamy electronic pop and was recently named as one of the “100 Women Revolutionising Pop”. Mark Ronson is also a fan.

Tom Furse, Caroline Shaw, Holly Herndon, Arushi Jain and Mat Dryhurst discuss why using computers makes their music feel more human, using the sound of plant pots, and how new technology will be viewed as old fashioned and retro in a few years.Tom Furse is the keyboard player with British rock band the Horrors, and is also a producer, remix artist, and “maker of music”. He’s talking to Arushi Jain, a composer, pianist, synthesist, and singer from New York who grew up in Delhi. She blends her computer science and engineering studies with her musician influences, including Indian classical. Holly Herndon is an American experimental composer based in Berlin, and her husband, Mat Dryhurst, is a philosopher and digital artist. And Caroline Shaw is a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and violinist based in New York. She’s written film scores and worked with rappers Kanye West and Nas, and her latest album brings together influences as wide ranging as Abba and author James Joyce.

Sinead Harnett, Grades, Jae Stephens and Monro discuss why naming songs is the easy part, balancing life and music, the importance of breaking away from music in order to live and gain experiences to write about, and the influence of R&B on their sound.Born in the UK before moving to Los Angeles, Sinead Harnett's latest record, Ready Is Always Too Late, is about “[embodying] the best version of yourself”. She’s worked with musical heavyweights such as Disclosure, Rudimental, EARTHGANG and Lucky Daye, as well as former Music Life guests Masego and MNEK.Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and DJ Grades has worked with and remixed artists including Labrinth, Bastille, Becky Hill, Nile Rodgers, Dua Lipa, and Nao. Jae Stephens is an artist, songwriter, producer, and singer originally from Dallas, now based in Los Angeles. She started singing at the age of 12, recently performed with Khalid, and is very much an artist to keep your ears on. And Monro is a Grammy nominated producer, songwriter, and artist. He’s written and produced for the likes of Jhene Aiko, Rico Nasty, and our host today, Sinead Harnett.

As the world famous Notting Hill Carnival isn’t taking place this year, we thought we’d have a party of our own, Caribbean style. Ragga artist and MC General Levy leads the charge. His parents were Trinidadian, and from an early age he started to write lyrics and form sound systems. If you don’t recognise the name, then you’ll definitely know the voice; Incredible, his ’94 track with M-Beat, changed the changed the sound of jungle and drum & bass forever. Joining him is carnival royalty, the selector Lady Banton. She set up the first all-female soundsystem in the UK, the Mellotone Sound System, in 1989, and became a Carnival favourite soon after. Mikey Dread is a founding member and chief selector of one of the UK’s best known and most loved sound systems, the Channel One Soundsystem, who have played at the Carnival every year since 1983. Named after the famous studio in Kingston, Jamaica, they bring the reggae, the dubplates, and the “hot steppas”. And finally, breathing new life into the festival is Alicai Harley. Born in Jamaica, she caused a stir releasing a string of singles and EPs, before working with the likes of Stefflon Don, Kamille, Stonebwoy, Aluna, and Kojo Funds. She released her debut album The Red Room Intro earlier this year and is the self-proclaimed “yard gyal inna Britain”. Together the group discuss all things Carnival: the cost of those costumes, when and how they got started, why you need the rain to cool you down, you parents not letting you go, and the importance of talent over hype.

Cassandra Jenkins, Arooj Aftab and Charlotte Dos Santos discuss being inspired by physical spaces that no longer exist, the emotional aspects of releasing music, why you never really complete a piece of work, and why handing music into your label is a bit like running for a flight.Cassandra Jenkins is an indie-folk musician and songwriter from New York. She’s always been surrounded by music, growing up with musical parents, and her latest album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature was released earlier this year, produced by Josh Kaufman (The National, Taylor Swift).Charlotte Dos Santos is a Brazilian-Norwegian singer and composer who creates hypnotizing neo-soul sounds. Blending her love of flamenco, samba, and bossa nova with jazz, folk and soul, the Berklee-trained musician explores themes of femininity, power, nature, and personal growth. And Arooj Aftab is an enigmatic Pakistani composer, based in New York City, who is reimagining traditional South Asian music and poetry. She moved to the US to also study at Berklee, where she began experimenting with jazz and electronic sounds.

Vagabon, Vieux Farka Touré, Mary Lattimore and Mereba discuss the impact family can have on musical journeys, the perks and perils of collaborating with other musicians, and how cultural origins can mean that a musical life is looked down upon.This week’s host is Laetitia Tamko, better known as Vagabon. Born in Cameroon and growing up in New York City, Vagabon’s music fuses pop, indie and punk. Her debut album Infinite Worlds was released in 2017, taking influence from a huge span of genres, everything from post-punk to dream pop. She performs in both English and French, and recently released a track with Courtney Barnett.She’s joined by Ethiopian-American singer, songwriter and producer Mereba. She released her debut record The Jungle is the Only Way Out in 2019, and has since collaborated with 6lack, J.I.D and other breakout artists from America’s exciting hip-hop and R&B scenes. Vieux Farka Touré is the son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré, and has carved out his own legacy as a musician, taking influence from West African rhythms, blues, and rock. Finally, Mary Lattimore is a harpist from Los Angeles who has played alongside Thurston Moore, Jarvis Cocker, and Kurt Vile. Her music takes simple components, often just a harp and loop pedal, and creates vast, experimental soundscapes.

Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes, Roberto Lange (aka Helado Negro), Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy and saxophonist Joseph Shabason discuss music as a form of healing and the impact it has both on themselves and those who listen to it, not being able to find the right thing to say when they’re approached after a show, and how selfishness can benefit the creative process.Roberto Lange, aka Helado Negro, is an Ecuadorian-American singer, songwriter and producer. His 2019 album, This Is How You Smile, was critically adored and his newest, Far In, is due later this year. Musician and guitarist Meg Duffy hails from New York, and is the founder, songwriter and sole permanent member of indie rock group Hand Habits, who released their latest album Placeholder in 2019. They have also written and performed with The War on Drugs and Weyes Blood. Canadian saxophonist and ambient electronic artist Joseph Shabason has worked with Destroyer, The War On Drugs, Hannah Georgas, and many more. His latest album, The Fellowship, explores the duality of the Jewish and Muslim household he grew up in.

Joeboy, Ray BLK, 2baba and Ayra Starr discuss their best choruses, the direction Nigerian music is going in, mums crying to their music, and why it’s important to remember: “if I can't remember the lyrics or melody to my own song, how can anybody else?”Mr Eazi protégé Joeboy blends Afrobeats, R&B and pop and was discovered online covering Ed Sheeran. He’s just released his debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic. 2Baba is one of Nigeria's biggest pop icons. He's a singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur who found fame with his international hit African Queen in 2006, and has worked with everybody from Burna Boy to WizKid and Tiwa Savage. Nigerian-Beninese artist Ayra Starr is tipped to be West Africa’s first female global teen superstar, the voice of a generation on the rise. She’s gained fans all over the world for her blend of trap, Afropop and R&B, and racked up 3 million views for her smash single Away. And finally, Nigerian-born London-based singer Ray BLK is one of the most important voices coming out of the UK right now. She’s been called “the UK’s answer to Lauryn Hill” for her ability to blend different genres and take on subjects ranging from youth violence to female empowerment.