New Music Interviews

theartsdesk Q&A: Abel Selaocoe

Tim Cumming Friday, 23 September 2022

South-African cellist Abel Selaocoe is about to begin his third major concert in London in under a year. As the support artist for kora player Ballake Sissoko and cellist Vincent Segal at the Roundhouse in January, he received a lengthy ovation for his 30 minute set, having demonstrated an uncanny ability to play the audience as dexterously as he plays his cello.

theartsdesk Q&A: Marc Almond of Soft Cell

Harry Thorfinn- Thursday, 12 May 2022

Soft Cell, the duo consisting of Marc Almond and Dave Ball, announced they were calling it quits in 2018. The two sold out shows at the 02 in London were supposed to be their swan song, waving goodbye to their Soft Cell days. But as their eponymous Eighties single hinted, waving goodbye is often paired with a hello.

10 Questions for Musician Jarboe

Guy Oddy Friday, 22 April 2022

Jarboe is a singer and musician who first rose to prominence as a member of Swans from 1985 to 1997. During this time, she and her then partner and fellow Swan, Michael Gira, also released three albums as Skin (known as World of Skin in the USA).

10 Questions for musician and DJ Pete Tong

India Lewis Friday, 03 December 2021

Perhaps appropriately, when I called Pete Tong for his 10 questions I was hungover, on the phone in a park after a night at a very good party. It’s a sign of the times that things are appearing to return to a relative normal, despite the threat of Omnicron and a precipitant winter lockdown.

theartsdesk Q&A: jazz musician Charles Lloyd

Nick Hasted Saturday, 20 November 2021

Miles Davis stole Charles Lloyd’s band, and much else.

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theartsdesk Q&A: Low, the band - 'Structure is key in minimalism. Especially in pop minimalism'

Kieron Tyler Friday, 19 November 2021

After its mid-September release Low’s 13th studio album Hey What hit 23 on the UK’s Official Charts, their highest ranking to date. Back in early 2001, Things We Lost in the Fire topped out at number 81. Despite the increasing profile, Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk remain largely autonomous. There’s the odd change of bass player, label or producer, but their work together as Low is self-determined. They do what they want, and they define Low.

10 Questions for Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream

Thomas H Green Friday, 02 July 2021

Bobby Gillespie (b 1962) is best known as the lead singer and driving force of rock band Primal Scream. He was born and raised in Glasgow and met future Creation Records boss Alan McGee at school.

Singer-songwriter Peggy Seeger: still in the vanguard of her musical dynasty

Liz Thomson Monday, 12 April 2021

If American music has a royal family, it’s surely the Seeger clan. Charles, the patriarch, the composer, musicologist and teacher who could be said to have invented ethnomusicology, married first to Constance de Clyver Edson, a violinist and teacher.

10 Questions for Vocalist-Lyricist Georgia Mancio

Sebastian Scotney Tuesday, 23 March 2021

This week marks a major step in the songwriting collaboration between British/Italian singer-songwriter Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent, the Grammy-winning jazz pianist who has played with Woody Herman and Charlie Haden’s Quartet West.

theartsdesk Q&A: Daryl Hall

Owen Richards Monday, 08 March 2021

Writing something people want to stream one billion times is inconceivable for most of us. But then, most of us aren't Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall.