FEATURE:
Live Through This
IN THIS PHOTO: Courtney Love/PHOTO CREDIT: Victor Boyko
Courtney Love’s Women and An Important Spotlighting of Female Artists Through the Years
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I wanted to spend some time…
PHOTO CREDIT: Nicholas Hunt
looking at a new series that will be on Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds very soon. It features a host of amazing female artists played and discussed by the incredible Courtney Love. The Hole lead will explore women who have meant a lot to her. Those who are influential and deserve recognition. Before getting to that, there is also another series. One that features her late partner, Kurt Cobain. The BBC has more details:
“On Friday 5th April, BBC Radio 6 Music will remember Kurt with Kurt Cobain Forever.
Each hour from 7am-7pm, presenters Nathan Shepherd (sitting in for Chris Hawkins), Deb Grant (sitting in for Lauren Laverne), Mary Anne Hobbs, Craig Charles and Emily Pilbeam (sitting in for Huw Stephens) will play a track by the lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of Nirvana.
The songs will be introduced by voicenotes from famous fans of Kurt, including musician and producer steve albini, Michael Azerrad (author of Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana), Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai, Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and 50FootWave, musician Nuha Ruby Ra, painter and author Billy Childish, Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols, Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines D.C., Lia Metcalfe of The Mysterines and more.
A collection of programmes dedicated to Kurt Cobain will also be available on BBC Sounds from Friday 5th April, including: the Kurt Cobain Forever Playlist; Nirvana Live, featuring recorded live tracks performed in Seattle, Reading and New York (first broadcast in 2023); The First Time With…Dave Grohl, in which the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman shares his musical milestones with 6 Music’s Matt Everitt (first broadcast in 2015); Nirvana at the BBC, featuring Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Butch Vig in conversation from the BBC archives (first broadcast in 2023); and Deep Dive into Nevermind, in which Butch Vig, Bat For Lashes, Teenage Fanclub, Breeders, Wu Lu and many more share their memories and passion for Nirvana’s seminal LP, with the album played in full (first broadcast in 2021).
On BBC Radio 2, Jo Whiley will be playing tracks from Nirvana’s album Nevermind and sharing listeners’ memories in her show (from Tuesday 2nd to Thursday 4th April, 7-9pm) and Dermot O’Leary will mark the anniversary by playing a Nirvana track in his Saturday show’s weekly vinyl slot (Saturday 6th April, 8-10am)”.
It is a coincidence of timing, though it is quite moving that we are remembering Kurt Cobain and his legacy whilst also featuring Courtney Love as she explored artists who have made a difference to her. I think that Courtney Love’s Women is a series that everyone needs to hear. The BBC press release lets us know what we are in store for:
“This April, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds present Courtney Love’s Women (8 x 60m) – a candid and raw new music series, in which the legendary Courtney Love shares the ultimate soundtrack to her life as she reflects on the women in music who have shaped her journey, her sound and her next chapter.
With incredible access to one of music’s true icons, Courtney Love’s Women is an unique and personal glimpse into Courtney’s life as she celebrates women in music - the music they made and the music that made them.
Across eight episodes, the founder and lead singer of Hole takes listeners on an intimate and unfiltered, era by era journey through her life and the music that made her, alongside her friend and renowned music-podcaster and writer, Rob Harvilla.
Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music says: “Courtney Love is an icon and a trailblazer - her influence on music and culture over the decades is undeniable. At 6 Music, we invite artists to share their stories directly with their fans and our listeners and I’m very proud that Courtney will be hosting a series of incredible shows for us in April. Halfway through the series, on Friday 12th April, we’ll celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of Courtney’s most powerful works – Hole’s ‘Live Through This’ - by dedicating the schedule to her music, the music that influenced her and the artists she’s inspired in Courtney Love Forever.”
IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Deb Grant
Throughout the series, Courtney recalls: her formative years, in which she discovered disco through the record collection at a childhood care home; reciting Sylvia Plath poetry for a Mickey Mouse Club audition; her love of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone; her time at an all-girl boarding school in New Zealand and in juvenile detention; couch-surfing across America; her struggles with drug abuse; her acting career – which resulted in a Golden Globe nomination for her role in The People vs. Larry Flynt in 1997; how she attempted to creatively matchmake Stevie Nicks and Billy Corgan; hanging out with Debbie Harry at a Limp Bizkit album launch at the Playboy Mansion; Gwen Stefani; her relationship with Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain; taking pandemic guitar lessons with The Big Moon’s Juliet Jackson and much more.
Courtney Love’s Women is not just the perfect listen for music fans or fans of Courtney and Hole - it’s also a varied soundtrack across musical eras, championing female artists along the way.
Episodes 1-4 will be available on BBC Sounds from Monday 8th April and broadcast on 6 Music on Monday 8th – Thursday 11th April, 11pm-12pm.
Episodes 5-8 will be available on BBC Sounds from Monday 15th April and broadcast on 6 Music on Monday 15th – Thursday 18th April, 11pm-12pm
To listen search Courtney in BBC Sounds.
6 Music’s celebration of Courtney Love continues on Friday 12th April with Courtney Love Forever.
On the 30th anniversary of Hole’s second album, Live Through This (which was released on 12th April 1994 on DGC Records), 6 Music will be celebrating Courtney Love throughout the day (7am-7pm).
Presenters Emily Pilbeam (sitting in for Chris Hawkins), Deb Grant (sitting in for Lauren Laverne), Mary Anne Hobbs, Craig Charles, Huw Stephens will play one track per hour by Courtney Love: Celebrity Skin, Doll Parts, Violet, Malibu, Miss World (from Reading Festival 1994), Miss Narcissist, Mono, Awful, Petals, Olympia (from a John Peel session in 1993), Starbelly and Plump. Tracks will be introduced by voicenotes from musicians and other famous fans of Courtney including Lambrini Girls, Sprints, The Last Dinner Party, the producers of Live Through This – Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade – and Kate Nash.
All tracks played throughout the day on 6 Music will be from artists who have influenced Courtney, her riot grrrl contemporaries, and acts that have been influenced by her.
A Courtney Love Forever collection of programmes, featuring performances and interviews with Courtney will be available on BBC Sounds from 12th April”.
It is going to be an amazing celebration of some wonderful women. I think it is quite a timely moment. There are not many series where female artists are highlighted. Giving over that amount of time to their influence and importance. The music industry is still one dogged by sexism and misogyny. Not giving enough opportunity to women. We are also in a moment when women are dominating music. Producing the best music around. The landscape is slowly shifting. We hope there will be equality and proper recognition very soon. I hope that people tune in. Such an icon herself, it will be fascinating to hear about the women who have made a big difference to Courtney Love. There will be some new discoveries and some familiar names. I am really thrilled and intrigued to see and hear these wonderful women being celebrated. I also hope that we get similar series in the future. An opportunity to hear female artists at the front. In an industry that has always been so male-focused and heavy, it is justified and encouraging that some truly amazing women are…
GETTING the recognition they deserve.