FaceCulture: Giving You The People Behind The Music

Scottish singer and songwriter Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, rose to fame as the frontman for progressive rock band Marillion in the 80s, penning hits like Kayleigh and Lavender. After leaving the band Fish continued to turn heads with his solo work, culminating in his final (ever!) album Weltschmerz which is released this year. It was an absolute pleasure to talk to fish, as he was very kind with his time, his willingness to discuss any- or everything, and his very accessible personality. It genuinely felt like talking to someone I had known for years. We talked about the current situation in the world with the pandemic, why he left Marillion at the height of their powers, what he wants to do after he retires from music, and a lot more! I hope you enjoy this talk as much as I did! By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

Back in 2018 I was invited to take the train up to Köln, Germany to interview Tuomas for both the Nightwish Decades album and for the debut of Auri, a band Tuomas had created with his wife and singer Johanna Kurkela and bandmate and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. In my talk with Tuomas we journeyed through the history of the band, the various line-up changes, the music that came out of it like The Poet and The Pendulum, and arrived at where the band was now, the chemistry between them and his start on what would become Human:||:Nature. After having had the pleasure to talk to people like Floor and Troy in the past, it was a great experience to talk to the mastermind behind this fascinating band and see things fall into place. Tuomas, as always, was considerate and intelligent in his answers which made for an interesting (retro)perspective on the band up until Decades. By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

I was first introduced to the music of Glen Hansard through the movie Once, but it wasn't until researching him for this interview, and delving into the album Didn't He Ramble, that I got a real sense of what kind of songwriter he was. It's not just the storytelling, but the warmth, the sincerity, the emotion that draws you in. And in person, he was the same; he was open, genuine, contemplative about his own craft, all the things you need for a good conversation. We spoke about the album, art vs craft, writing about his friends, music with no agenda, emotionality, and a lot more! After the interview he also played us a beautiful rendition of "Her Mercy" my favorite song on the album. In these moments I feel really lucky to have this as a job!By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

Another one of my favorites from back in 2016. Matt is such a charismatic and intelligent talker and his openness about not only the music but how he perceives things in the world and his own emotions and feelings is really engaging. Oh, and the music isn't too bad either! We spoke about self-acceptance, not having one particular sound, music as catharsis, his appreciation for fans, and a lot more! By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

Another one of my favorites. Before we started the interview Corey and I were talking a bit. He couldn't have been more genuine and nice. Then, as I pressed record the mask went on and I must admit for the first minute or so it felt a bit strange  and intimidating. But as our conversation went on about his first introduction into metal, sharing pain and grief, doing things their own way, previous slipknot albums, and more! his kindhearted nature shined through once more. It was an absolute pleasure and it has broadened my mind about what I thought metal music was. By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

This was actually my very first interview I did for FaceCulture. It was my first week, and it just so happened that I was the only one available. It didn't hurt that I harbor a strong love for the blues, so it was decided that I would be thrown into the fire and interview global star Joe Bonamassa, one of the best blues guitarists I've ever heard play. The one thing that I remember most from this interview, aside from how courteous and open Joe seemed to be, was the realization that he was just another guy. Obviously one that was ridiculously talented, but a person like me and you. This was a very useful lesson to have learned early on because seeing "famous" people on a screen is very different from sitting across from them, and I was very glad that it didn't affect how I approached Joe that day and everyone I've interviewed since. We spoke about his then acoustic show in the Vienna Opera House, being an interpreter of the blues, Rory Gallagher, his work with Kevin Shirley, not being predictable, and a lot more! By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

As I walked into the Gibson guitar offices in Amsterdam (one of our favorite spots to film for obvious reasons) Mike was sitting there just noodeling on some of the guitars. It is a special thing to see a truly professional musician playing a song from up close. I had interviewed Mike before, but I prefer this one because we immediately could talk about substantive things. We spoke about his American roots, To Be Free, a delicate subject, the American songwriting tradition, a road trip, the extremes in America, a visual approach, acoustic versions, having a big song, the title track Runaway, and a lot more!By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

This very intimate interview with Charles Bradley was one of the first that I edited when I started working for FaceCulture back in 2013. My colleague Martin Kuiper did the interview, and I was blown away by how raw and real this interview was as they chronicled through the immensely difficult and tragic life Charles had lived, from being homeless as a teenager to being wrongfully put in jail, to the present where he was living his dream of bringing people joy with his music. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Charles myself a couple of years later, and for a man who had every right to be bitter about the cards he was dealt in life, he seemed like one of the most genuinely warm and loving people I have ever met. By: Robin HignellSupport the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

Sometimes the most fun interviews are the ones you didn't expect to happen. I was scheduled to interview Theresa Wayman from the American indie rock band Warpaint at the Best Kept Secret festival in the Netherlands. So I prepared accordingly, but at the last second she was no longer available so I got to talk with Stella and Jenny Lee instead. With my preparation mostly out the window I decided to just try to have as genuine a conversation with them as I could. Plus, I had spoken to Jenny Lee on a couple of occasions so I knew it would be excellent anyway. Both Stella and Jenny Lee were great fun and I really loved the laid back attitude we all had in this interview. We spoke about Stella joining the band, recording The Fool, developing in other musical areas, dealing with egos,  trying to avoid pressure, growing as a band and a lot more! Support the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

Back in early 2019 we had a chance to sit down with New-Zealand artist Aldous Harding when she was in Amsterdam. From the moment we started the interview I noticed how deliberate she was in choosing her words. I truly appreciated that she took time to think about giving the most genuine answers to my, at times admittedly somewhat vague, questions. We spoke about the notion of having a purpose, falling into music, her album Designer, making the personal impersonal, and a lot more! Support the showThank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.