Music Life

Caroline Polachek, Perfume Genius, Jlin and Oneohtrix Point Never discuss their links to poetry, and how they find harmony between competing elements in songs.Caroline Polachek is a pop and avant garde musician, record producer, writer and singer, who broke through in 2008 with her band Chairlift. She’s now releasing music under her own name, and counts Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, and Taylor Swift as fans. Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, is an art-pop singer who addresses topics such as sexuality, domestic abuse, and his personal battle with Crohn’s disease in his music.Experimental electronic producer Jlin has worked with the likes of previous Music Life host Max Richter, Holly Herndon, St Vincent and Björk, and her latest record deals with issues such as “history, mythology, imprisonment, culture wars, and a clash of civilizations”.Finally, Brooklyn-based musician, soundtrack composer, and producer Daniel Lopatin works under the name Oneohtrix Point Never, and has collaborated with Iggy Pop, Anohni, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, and FKA Twigs.

Eliza Shaddad is joined by Oddisee, Gaidaa and This Is the Kit's Kate Stables to discuss working from home, where they now record, and how factors such as politics and heritage feed into the creative system.Eliza Shaddad is a singer songwriter whose debut album Future came out in 2018, which she described as her “sonic journal”. Oddisee is a Sudanese-American rapper and producer based in Brooklyn, originally from Washington DC. His first release was a collaboration with DJ Jazzy Jeff in 2002, and since then he has released a series of acclaimed mixtapes, EPs and albums, as well as founding the rap trio Diamond District. Gaidaa is a Sudanese Dutch artist who grew up between Sudan and Eindhoven in Holland. Her debut EP Overture came out last year, firmly establishing her as a rising star in the spheres of neo-soul and R&B. And Kate Stables is the creative force behind the band This Is The Kit. Their songs are said to “untangle emotional knots and weave remarkable stories”, and the band’s latest album Off Off On came out on Rough Trade last October.

Mike Lindsay of the pioneering folktronica band Tunng is joined by Falle Nioke, Hannah Peel, and JFDR to discuss the power of a concept album, disappearing music, and how it feels getting new gear for your studio. Plus Falle gives us all a lesson in percussion. Falle Nioke is a singer and percussionist from Guinea, West Africa. He was part of the DawoLos crew as a teenager, sings in eight languages, and is a master of the gongoma, a traditional instrument combining percussion and melody that you play with your thumbs. JFDR is an Icelandic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She studied classical clarinet before releasing music as part of different groups including Pascal Pinon, Gangly and Samaris, catching the attention of Bjork along the way. Hannah Peel is a composer, producer and broadcaster from Northern Ireland. She’s inspired by connections between science and music, and has scored music across television, film and theatre, including the Game of Thrones soundtrack, which earned her an Emmy nomination.

Liz Lubega, R-Kay, Intalekt and TINYMAN discuss the importance of community, the love of language and culture, and whether self-doubt has got in the way of creating.R-Kay is a Ugandan producer and multi-instrumentalist from Brixton, South London. His sound blends hip-hop and jazz influences with his classical training, having studied cello from an early age before taking up piano. Last year, he composed the score for the documentary Damilola: The Boy Next Door, and released his debut album Ivory. Intelekt is a South London-based producer, artist, DJ, and mentor. As well as being a solo artist, he makes up half of soulful, jazz-influenced rap duo Billy Dukes. He self-released his debut EP It Is What It Is in 2015, which featured collaborations with Ella Frank and former guests on this show Jacob Banks and Kojey Radical. TINYMAN is an artist, writer and founder of groundbreaking collective Orphgang, which counts R-Kay and Intalekt as members. His boundary-pushing music means he’s been able to work with the likes of Ray BLK, Jaz Karis, and Che Lingo to name just a few. And the host this week is Liz Lubega. Born in East London and raised in Uganda for most of her teenage years, she’s worked and toured with the likes of Childish Gambino, Nicole Scherzinger, Tom Odell, and Stormzy.

Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton, Abby Anderson and Twinnie discuss issues around the country music industry, how they tell stories in their songs, and the importance of being yourself and speaking your mind.Jimmie Allen is an artist from Southern Delaware, USA, who mixes country, rock, R&B, and pop. He released his debut album Mercury Lane in 2018, a tribute to the street he grew up on, which led him to be labelled “one of the hottest rising stars in country”. His latest EP, Bettie James, is a collaborative projective released last year. On that EP is Mickey Guyton, and she’s also on the show today. She’s a singer-songwriter from Texas described as “the unapologetic voice country music needs right now”. Her debut single, Better Than You Left Me, broke the record for being added to more country radio stations in its first week of release than any other debut single. She also recently made history as the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category. Abby Anderson is also from Texas, where she learned to play the piano from the age of 5. She moved to Nashville at 17 before releasing her debut EP I’m Good in 2018. Since then, she’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in country, and is getting ready to release her debut album. And finally, Twinnie is a singer-songwriter from Yorkshire, England, with strong ties to Nashville. Her career started in acting, and she performed in film, TV and theatre, before releasing her debut album Hollywood Gypsy in April 2020.

South African artists BŪJIN, Desire Marea, Lynn Daphne Rudolph and Jackie Queens discuss why the collective experience of creating is better, their biggest failures, and getting into trouble. Cape Town-based artist BŪJIN makes music that blends East African techno with funk, bass and classical orchestrations. Her work incorporates performance, sound installation and research into the realms of sonic theatre.She is joined by Desire Marea, a multi-disciplinary artist born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They’re one half of the music and performance duo FAKA, along with Fela Gucci, and at the start of 2020 they released their first solo album, Desire, on their label Izimakade Records.Also joining them is one of South Africa’s leading classical violists, Lynn Daphne Rudolph. They switched to viola from the violin in 2014, and won the Mabel Quick prize for Best Instrumentalist in 2015. They studied performance at Nelson Mandela University and are part of the Alternative Orchestra SA. Jackie Queens is a South African songwriter and vocalist born in Zimbabwe. She makes Afro-house and tech and set up her own record label, Bae Electronica, which provides a platform to new and emerging artists through projects such as GIRLS and Women of House.

Jazz musician Sarathy Korwar talks to Nadine Shah, James Holden and Nubya Garcia about whether there is something inherently dysfunctional about being a performer, relationships with their voice or instruments, and what it means to control and own your own music.Sarathy Korwar was born in the US, grew up in Chennai and Ahmedabad in India before moving to London. He’s a percussionist, drummer, producer, and bandleader who’s at the forefront of the jazz world right now, using both modern methods and pulling resources from his classical roots. Joining him is the formidable singer-songwriter Nadine Shah. Her 2017 album Holiday Destination was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and her most recent record, 2020’s Kitchen Sink, arrived to huge acclaim. Her sound has been described as everything from "loner pop" to "jazz meets indie". James Holden is an electronic pioneer who’s revered by musicians and fans alike. He now runs his own label, has made a soundtrack, and performs improvised synth music in his ‘spiritual-synth-jazz-trance’ band The Animal Spirits. And finally, Nubya Garcia is a saxophonist, composer and bandleader. As well as being one of the most important musicians in the UK right now, her long awaited debut record Source was released in the summer of 2020. She also plays in the bands Nérija and Maisha with some of the UK’s finest musicians.

DJ and producer Eris Drew talks to Octo Octa, Jayda G, and Kate Pierson of The B-52's about who they’ve remixed recently, why it's hard to do DJ mixes and not be able to look at the crowd, why 1950s rock'n'roll is important for dance music, and the role positivity plays in their music.Eris is a transgender DJ and producer, originally from Chicago, who started raving in the early 90s, eventually mastering the art of vinyl DJing. She now tours the world playing back-to-back with her partner in life and music, Octo Octa, the ecstatic House producer and DJ based in New Hampshire. They run the T4T LUV NRG record label together.Also on the show is Jayda G, a Grammy-nominated Canadian DJ and producer now based in London, who has made a huge impression on the underground dance scene over the last few years. She released her debut album Significant Changes on the Ninja Tune label in 2019. She’s also a scientist, having studied environmental toxicology. And finally, we have musical royalty with Kate Pierson. A singer, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder of one of the world's most famous rock'n'roll bands, the B-52’s. They defined rock through the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s with hits such as Love Shack, Roam, Private Idaho, and Rock Lobster.

Soul singer and producer Aloe Blacc talks to Gregory Porter, Kadhja Bonet and Chelsea Jade about the purpose behind some of their work, writing songs in planes under blankets, and what happens to the creative process after losing those closest to you.Aloe Blacc is a soul singer and producer raised in Orange County, USA. He absorbed the sounds of cumbia and salsa from his Panamanian parents, before moving on to hip-hop, forming the duo Emanon. Then came his worldwide hit I Need a Dollar, and his life would never be the same again. He’s talking to artists both new and legendary, all now based in California. First up is soul, jazz, and gospel singer Gregory Porter, a Grammy winner who’s been compared to the likes of Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder. He released his latest album All Rise is August last year. Next is Kadhja Bonet, a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter with a background in classical violin. She blends cosmic jazz, R&B, folk, and classical, and her father is an opera singer, so music runs in the family. Finally, Chelsea Jade is a South African-born pop singer and producer, who grew up in New Zealand and is now based in LA. She was previously known as Watercolors, and dropped out of art school before finding her feet in the music industry.

Experimental sitarist, singer, and producer Ami Dang is from Baltimore in the US. Her sound fuses North Indian classical with ambient electronics. She’ll be asking the group today all about the importance of not knowing where a song will end up, persevering with a project even when it’s not going well, and how relations with family can inspire stories of positivity and tragedy. Talking about those subjects is Elisita Punto, a producer and composer who was part of the band MKRNI from Santiago, Chile. They made ”psyche-elec-tropical” sounds before disbanding; she now performs solo as Futuro Fosil, and has been described as creating "unpredictable, reverb drenched, beat-heavy, delicate, ambient sounds”. Nazar is a producer who draws on deep subject matter with his music, including his father’s role in the Angolan civil war. Nazar returned to the country in 2002, which is where his journey into music production began. Having grown up in Belgium, he describes his music as “rough Kuduro”, mixing traditional music with sounds of war, synths, chanting samples, and lyrics that deal with issues of massacres and violence. And Tuna Pase is an artist, lecturer, ethnomusicologist and engineer born in Istanbul, and now based in Barcelona. She plays electronics, flute, percussion, and sings, and her music is inspired by “sleeping, dreams, nature, poetry, photography, street art, and bicycles”.