FEATURE:
Eat the Music
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for The Sensual World (1989)/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
Kate Bush: 2020-2021
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THIS will be a short one…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at her family’s home in East Wickham, London in September 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Whilst I have plenty of Kate Bush features going up before the very end of this year, I wanted to sort of look back and forward at the same time. This year has been a very busy one in terms of Kate Bush. Although there have been no new songs put into the world, there has been this flurry of activity and attention! As I write this (2nd December), there is a magazine coming out from Record Collector that, as the title suggests, is about collectable music and rarities. I am going to do a few features off the back of that in the next week or so but, looking back, and it is amazing to see all the love that Bush’s music has inspired. I have said it before but, when we look at iconic artists still with us, how many inspire such impassioned following and fascination?! Even though Bush’s last album was released nine years ago, people are still interested in her and there are legions of new people discovering her music. I wonder whether she is aware of just how many people on social media throw love at her music and how much discussion there is! Every day, there is this wave of affection and fascination. I have already written features around MOJO and PROG publishing these wonderful features and spreads dedicated to Kate Bush. Not only have these magazines opened Bush’s music to people who might not have known about her, but we all have learned more about an inspiring and enigmatic talent.
In addition to these great magazines revolving around Bush’s wonder, as three of her albums have celebrated big anniversaries this year – Never for Ever (forty), Hounds of Love (thirty-five), Aerial (fifteen) –, this has provoked a lot of focus on the remarkable music. I am not sure whether there will be anything else arriving this year regarding Bush and her music but I have been thinking back on everything that has come and the sheer size of respect there is for her! This year has been a really tough one and I wonder whether Bush’s music has provided comfort for people who are struggling. For me, I am listening even more because her songs do inspire strength and a sense of protection. I know that many people who only associated Bush with albums such as Hounds of Love have dug deeper and are discovering albums and revelations that alluded them previously. It goes to show that an artist does not need to put out albums regularly or saturate social media with endless posts to get people listening and paying attention! The power and influence of Bush’s music is clear and, as I have also noted in a previous feature, I do feel that other artists have injected a bit of Kate Bush into their own sounds. Now, more than ever, there are so many who are incorporating some D.N.A. of Bush and are moved by her music.
This sort of gets me back to a subject that I have broached a few times: the relative restrictions that radio stations place on her work. I do hope that stations broaden their remit and widen their net when it comes to Kate Bush in 2021. As much as I love the songs of Hounds of Love and the singles that we often hear, it is baffling that only a small number of her songs are ever played. If this year has proved anything regarding Bush, it is that all of her music affects people. I don’t think we should easily define any artist and, for one as broad and fascinating as Bush, it is a pity that radio playlists are so predictable and formulaic when it comes to her music! This sort of makes me wonder what next year has in store. There aren’t any huge anniversaries regarding her albums – The Whole Story (her greatest hits package) turns thirty-five, whilst 50 Words for Snow is ten -, but I feel there will be a lot of focus still on Kate Bush. It is exciting to think what will come and how her music will reach fresh ears. I know there is at least one book coming out next year - and I think that we will see more come onto the market.
Maybe there will be more magazines that spotlight Bush or an aspect of her career but, really, people want to know whether there will be another album. I do not want to suggest or predict, but it would be a perfect follow-up to a bad year if Bush was to announce another album – maybe one for the autumn or winter 2021. It will be a very interesting year, and certainly one better than 2020! I am amazed that there has been so much Bush-related material put out but I am not shocked. It is so heartening and inspiring seeing so many people come across her music and modern artists tackling her work – and other simply acknowledging how much she means to them! There is a lot to look forward to next year, and I do feel that we will get some interesting books, magazines and other Kate Bush-themed goodies out! Perhaps there will be a new album but, before then, I would urge people to listen to what is already out there and dive as deep as you can! If radio stations are ridiculously narrow in terms of their representation, the listener has a lot more freedom and flexibility. Kate Bush herself could not have envisaged that her music would reach so many people and would be so cherished this many years down the line. I think about Bush in 1977 recording The Kick Inside (her debut) album; something she had always dreamed of but, really, there was no dreams of fame or long-term goals. Could she imagined such passion for her music in 2020?! Nearly forty-three years after the album came out, her army fans has grown and grown! As 2021 comes into view, we will all watch…
WITH great interest.