M68

LIONEL RICHIE

Members Music Magazine Issue 68 June 2018

all night long, all night!

BILLY BRAGG Bridges not walls

PROMS 2018 art and ambition

John newman

DaVe

CaYa sounDsYstem

the IVoRs

The Spitfire Audio LABS programme is an infinite series of software instruments, free to install and easy to use. Made by musicians in London for anyone anywhere.

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Let’s all become something.

digital edition

contents

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COVEr FEatUrE

18 smOOtH OPEratOr American idol Lionel Richie on how songwriting simplicity has fuelled a stellar career

Instagram

22

26

The musicians’ guide to likes and swipes

14

JUst JOInED

JACOB BLICKENSTAFF, RIKARD ÖSTERLUND

Get to know PRS for Music's newest members

BILLY Bragg

PrOms 2018

The Bard of Barking talks roots, radicals and rockers

Meet the composers who are conducting culture in 2018

4

60 sECOnDs

I WrOtE tHat

PICtUrE tHIs

Career breaks and comebacks: John Newman on the new him

Dave and Fraser T Smith on their award-winning political put-down Question Time

Rewiring the soundsystem: CAYA founder Thali Lotus switches things up

5

33

34

SOCIAL @m_magazineprs @m_magazineprs prsformusic prsformusic m_magazineprs

cover photo: lionel ritchie

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

Editor Paul Nichols

Production & Design Carl English

Associate Editor Anita Awbi

Membership Advisors Simon Aldridge Myles Keller

CONTRIBUTORS Lucy Doyle, Maxie Gedge, Ashley Howard, Michael Hyland, Alex Sharman, Kimberly Tan, Harriet Wybor.

If you would like to stop receiving a print copy of M Magazine from PRS for Music by post please contact us, confirming your full name, postal address and CAE number, at writerquery@prsformusic.com or publisherquery@prsformusic.com

PRS for Music, 2 Pancras Square. London N1C 4AG T 020 7580 5544 E magazine@prsformusic.com W prsformusic.com The printing of M Magazine is managed on behalf of PRS for Music

by Cyan Group Ltd, Twickenham. cyan-group.com Advertising T 020 3225 5200 E joanna.lisbie@media-ten.com Advertising does not influence editorial decisions or content. The appearance of advertising in M is neither a guarantee nor an endorsement by PRS for Music of the product, service, or company or the claims made for the product in such advertising.

ISSN 0309-0019© PRS for Music 2018. All rights reserved. The views expressed in M are not necessarily those of PRS for Music, nor of the editorial team. PRS for Music accepts no responsibility for the views expressed by contributors to M, nor for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, nor for errors in contributed articles or advertisements. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

M is printed on paper manufactured using chlorine-free pulps and the raw materials are from fully managed and sustainable forests.

m68_june 2018_3

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sign up for information about becoming a member visit prsformusic.com/join

sports team

janey starling Dream Nails’ ringleader Janey Starling, who pens self-styled ‘DIY witch-punk’

electra perivolaris

boy azooga

Mercurial classical talent tipped by the London Symphony Orchestra

New Heavenly Records signings from Wales making rave-tinged indie-rock

Sports Team are a theatrical sextet offering a glammed up, washed out antidote to cookiecutter indie-rock.

Their suburban histrionics and louche posturing is masterminded from their base in North West London, nestled in between a McVities biscuit factory and an evangelical church. With city grit and provincial mundanity meeting head on, their anarchic sound emerges from the general disdain they hold for their surroundings.

kabantu Guardian-tipped five-piece fusing the sonic might of Brazil, South Africa and Scotland

Find out about some of the other new PRS for Music members at m-magazine.co.uk

Tired European stereotypes, the horse meat scandal and mockTudor semis all come under

scrutiny, with Sports Team popping fun at the ‘red top’ mindset with rock ‘n’ roll relish.

Shades of Psychedelic Furs, Velvet Underground and current social misfits Shame and Fat White Family are instantly audible, as the band’s freewheeling riffs merge with snarling realism.

With their debut EP Winter Nets landing to rave reviews earlier this year, and blog-baiting shows at The Great Escape and All Points East festivals in the bag, 2018 might just be the year that Sports Team get over the finish line. facebook.com/sportsteamband

laolu After three years away from music, Laolu Iyiola has returned with a slew of slo-mo RnB jams that are currently tickling the ears of leading UK tastemakers.

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an intimate diary entry, born from real-life anxieties about her mental wellbeing. With one eye on old-school RnB and another on space-age soul, its sublime vocal layering hints at a talent in its ascendency.

They’ve gone a bundle on her sultry sounds and lyrical authenticity, which tackles headon the bouts of depression that sporadically stall her music-making. It’s raw stuff; thoughts and feelings soulfully laid bare, with lush electronics and glitchy percussion to keep things moving.

Katy B and Little Simz certainly think so: Laolu has already worked with both of them, as well as collaborating with DJ and producer Blinkie (Major Lazer, Wretch 32, Lana Del Rey) and singer-songwriter J Warner. A welcome return from the South London soulster.

Her latest offer, How To Feel, which premiered recently at m-magazine.co.uk, feels like

soundcloud.com/laoluofficial

Kabantu #fundedbyPRSF

members & music

sixty seconds

john newman In 2016, with two Top 10 albums, six million single sales and collaborations with Rudimental and Calvin Harris under his belt, Yorkshire powerhouse John Newman did the unthinkable and took a break.

Since then, he’s dealt with the return of a persistent brain tumour, travelled around Thailand and Japan, got engaged and packed in Los Angeles for the Kent countryside. All the soul-searching time away from the limelight has clearly reignited his creative spark, with the euphoric comeback single Fire In Me hinting at bigger, bolder things to come...

You’re back after nearly two years – how are things with you now?

Good, it was a much needed break. I felt like the quality of my music was starting to deteriorate.

When you start losing a bit of success, you start losing people around you – and when they start going sour on you, it really affects you. My health wasn’t great and I needed to stop and get out.

Thank god I did, because I’m coming back now with a totally different mental attitude.

What did the time away teach you about the direction you want to take musically?

I went to Thailand, rode around on a scooter, then went to Japan and got engaged. I thought, ‘Right, time to stop worrying whether there’s a chauffeur driving me and if I’ve got a number one’. That’s not the vibe. Instead I started thinking, ‘How do I get back to being the musician I used to be, and fall back in love with music and not the scene?’ I figured the way to do it was come back from LA, because it was turning a Northern, Yorkshire pudding-eating guy into some slick wanker, quite frankly.

What was the Yorkshire pudding situation in LA? Non-existent and that’s why I came home! The main focus was to get back to my bedroom and start making music there, instead of the posh studios that were costing me a fortune.

In Fire In Me, you sing about getting back to your old ambitions – what were they?

My old ambitions were to play to the biggest crowds, let as many people as possible hear my music, release the rawest songs and do whatever felt right to me. When I was 16, I used to sing pop

The biggest thing I’ve learned since experiencing fame?

Never put pressure on yourself: it will kill your career. songs down the phone to charm the girls. Then when I found out Otis Redding and my two best mates died, I started making really raw music.

the most exciting thing about it: I’m free to make music that I want to make because I’ve released that pressure.

But gradually I feel like it slipped into making music to impress people, or impress girls, and singing cheesy lines like Olé. It just felt like I needed to get back into that raw place where I started from - wanting to move people emotionally, not just impress them.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself as a songwriter since experiencing all the fame?

Never put pressure on yourself: it will kill your career. Simplicity and no pressure are the most important things to maintain.

How has your approach to your career changed?

I think I’ve got to deliver a higher volume of output and it’s got to be better quality. With my first and second album, I’d find a hit with one song and the album would rely on that. We live in a different world now where each song has got to be at the same brilliant level.

What advice would you give to new songwriters tasting fame for the first time?

It’s good to enjoy the ride. Just step back and maintain who you are. Some people hang around with the next hot thing and then they’re not interested. Just keep doing what matters, which is the music. You’ll end up having a better time instead of trying to be liked.

How do you think your sound is evolving?

I think my sound became too much of an attempt at pop music for radio. But now, it’s literally coming from what feels right. That’s

John Newman performs at Curious Arts Festival, Lymington, on 20 July.

He is published by Kobalt Music Publishing. m68_june 2018_5

members & music

TALENT, TROPHIES AND TEARS

This year’s Ivor Novello Awards has to be one of the most emotional yet, with legends of soul, pop and rock shedding their fair share of tears in front of scores of their songwriting peers.

Trinidadian RnB legend Billy Ocean kicked it all off when he picked up the International Achievement Award, just three presentations in to the packed May day at London’s Grosvenor House. ‘You know the reason I’m crying? When I looked at the screen I saw how young I was!’ he joked of the intro segment showing clips of some of his biggest hits.

Next to share the love was hitmaker Cathy Dennis, who cowrote Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head and Britney Spears’ Toxic. She was visibly moved when she received the Outstanding Song Collection gong, adding: ‘I really hope I can inspire other women.’

Later, The Pogues’ Shane McGowan caused the audience to stir when he picked up the coveted Ivors Inspiration trophy. Suffering from ill-health, and now wheelchair bound, the lauded songwriter was among the ceremony’s highlights.

But it was Ed Sheeran who took home the biggest accolades of the year, with the Songwriter of the Year and PRS for Music Most Performed Work trophies now jostling for space on his already heaving mantlepiece.

Elsewhere, Stormzy took home the Album Award for his debut LP Gang Signs & Prayer, while Dave and Fraser T Smith were honoured in the Best Contemporary Song category for their track Question Time (see page 33).

Our cover star Lionel Richie was given the PRS for Music Special International Award (see page 18) while this year’s Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award, also presented by PRS for Music, went to singer, songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg (see page 22).

For behind-the-scenes video interviews with winners including Billy, Lionel, Mica Levi, Thea Musgrave, Elbow, Stormzy and Dave, see m-magazine.co.uk/features The Ivor Novello Awards are presented annually by the British

MARK ALLEN

Academy of Songwriters & Composers and sponsored by PRS for Music

Pictured above: Ed Sheeran and Lionel Richie with PRS Chairman Nigel Elderton and PRS Executive Director of Membership, International and Licensing Paul Clements; Mica Levi with Beggars Music’s Andy Heath (inset); Stormzy with Warner Chappell’s Amber Davis; Cathy Dennis (inset).

Bottom row: Billy Ocean: Thea Musgrave; Elbow.

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Mica Levi #fundedbyPRSF

members & music

CREATIVE CLOUT

We’re here to help!

Pam Sheyne is an LA-based songwriter, vocal producer, singer and mentor. Over the last two decades her writing nous has brought success on a global scale, spanning hit records and high-profile syncs in film and TV across all continents.

During that time, she’s had a hand in some of pop’s biggest hits, including Genie in a Bottle – the first single from Christina Aguilera’s debut album in 1999. The song reached number one in 27 countries and won Pam an Ivor Novello Award the following year. Here, she shares some advice for songwriters and puts paid to the biggest misconceptions surrounding the profession: There are five common misconceptions about songwriting…

Firstly, anyone can be a songwriter. Secondly, you have to read music or be musically trained to be a songwriter. Thirdly, songwriters make loads of money. Fourthly, it’s easier than taking a 9-5 job and, finally, your songs sound like what’s on the radio now.

Like any art, the more you practice the better you become at it…

You need an element of raw talent to polish, but songwriting is a craft and there are a mix of skills, techniques and experience that can be taught to help others improve theirs.

Everybody has an opinion, but it doesn’t mean they are right…

Trust and believe in yourself. Be unique, don’t follow the herd, lead the herd. Get out of your cave and network, you won’t get discovered staying at home. Make your demos outstanding; A&Rs won’t listen to a bad demo. Write with people who are more successful than you. Get savvy and educate yourself on the business side of songwriting. Be nice to everyone, the business is smaller than you think.

Members Benevolent Fund For more information call us on.. 0203 741 4067 Email: fund@prsformusic.com Supporting songwriters and composers Registered charity No 208671

Read the full interview at m-magazine.co.uk/features and get your PRS members’ discount for Pam’s next songwriting camp. m68_june 2018_7

members & music sound effect

DJ, arts facilitator and electronic music connoisseur Bengi Unsal is Senior Programmer of Contemporary Music at the Southbank Centre, London. She relocated from Istanbul to take up the post two years ago, becoming heavily involved in MIA’s Meltdown Festival in 2017 before overseeing the centre’s wider gigs programme.

This year, she’s been working with Robert Smith of The Cure to deliver the 2018 edition of Meltdown, which hosted more than 50 acts including Mogwai, Manic Street Preachers, My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails and Placebo this June.

Her latest invention is the Concrete Lates strand, which takes place monthly at the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer to showcase the best names in experimental electronic music. Shiva Feshareki, E.M.M.A, Coby Sey, Vessels and Giant Swan have so far featured.

CESARE DE GIGLIO, SUKI DHANDA, MARK ALLAN

The first record I ever bought was…

I have a feeling it was Arena by Duran Duran.

My cousin was a fan and that’s how I heard of it. We didn’t have many record shops in Istanbul back then, so I asked my father to buy the record for me. It was on cassette, of course. Play, turn, rewind, Wild Boys. Rewind again. Great album. Save a Prayer is still one of my favourite tracks.

The first song I developed an obsession for was…

Obsession by Army of Lovers. Just kidding.

I am not exactly sure when my obsession for songs began – I think it began with an obsession for the artists. I remember listening to the True Blue album by Madonna a lot or George Michael’s Faith, but as I said, music wasn’t easily accessible in Istanbul until music videos and radio stations came.

My favourite cover version is…

Either George Michael’s Killer (Papa Was a Rolling Stone) or Brother Can You Spare a Dime, again by George Michael. Both are amazing. Actually, the parent record, Songs from the Last Century, is the best covers

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album ever. He was really established at the time and I love the fact he didn’t shy away from it.

The song that should’ve been a hit but never made it is…

Pray for a Star by Felix da Housecat. Amazing song. That bassline, those strings... the perfect combination of dance beats and melancholy.

The last great record I listened to was…

I have two candidates: Nils Frahm’s All Melody and Rest by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Both are amazing from start to finish.

– I have been crying to songs for 30 years now! When I think carefully, I remember crying to Sébastien Tellier’s La Ritournelle, Gnarls Barkley’s She Knows, and I once cried out of happiness listening to Born Slippy by Underworld live.

The song that I know all the words to is…

There are a couple of them. I probably know all the lyrics to Kylie Minogue’s first albums.

I might confess to knowing a couple of Take That songs too... I also know a lot of Blur songs by heart, like Parklife. I am generally quite good at nineties stuff actually.

The song I wish I’d written is…

Honestly, I’ve never wanted to write a song.

I wanted to play the drums for about 20 years and started learning recently, but I’m not interested in creating music. I’ve always felt happy listening to songs and perhaps most happy selecting them, be it as a DJ or a programmer.

My all-time favourite film soundtrack is…

There are so many! I used to work at Polygram/ Universal and soundtracks were a thing back then. Hard to choose but I will go with Baz Luhrmann. I am a fan. His soundtracks compliment the films. Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge are both great soundtracks.

Though there is also Sofia Coppola, who is another master of the soundtrack.

The song that makes me cry is…

The answer changes with the time and mood

Hear Bengi’s selection at m-magazine.co.uk/listen

members & music

words of wisdom Artists, composers and songwriters share their best musical advice…

Ian Parton, The Go! Team Don’t just write songs – take an angle. I think a band’s aesthetics are more important than being able to play amazingly. So, I’d say less shredding, more angle. @the_go_team

Stormzy Keep writing. Your pen is your weapon, your pen is your sword. That’s the best advice I can give you. @stormzyofficial

Ruby Wood, Submotion Orchestra Many people will try to give advice or change what you do, so make sure you’re making the sort of music you want to make and don’t get distracted. @Submotion

Charismatic Megafauna There’s value in expertise, but there’s also value in making up your own way. Making music in the first place is more important than worrying about how ‘well’ you’re doing it. @cxmxfx

Jules Buckley, composer For all musicians - if you’re practising five hours a day, you can be damn sure someone’s practising five and a half, so you better start practising six! @julesbuckley

Ruth Barrett, composer If you get goosebumps when you listen to your music, it’s got to be good. Those are the pieces that will get you places, rather than trying to second-guess what others will like. ruthbarrettmusic.com

@BiigPiigMusic

m68_june 2018_9

money & business VITAL STATISTICS: SONGWRITING, STREAMING AND SUCCESS

‘When you’ve got a growing market, you have to invest in it; you have to track it; you have to develop it and work with it – it doesn’t just happen,’ says Robert Ashcroft, PRS for Music Chief Executive, ahead of the society’s 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

He’s discussing another record year of collections and distributions for PRS members, with just over £605m paid out in royalties to songwriters, composers and publishers in 2017, an increase of £77.5m (14.7 percent) on 2016 figures.

During this time, total revenues rose by 12.7 percent (or £80.7m) to £717m. In fact, over the last five years, PRS has achieved 40 percent revenue growth, equating to more than a £200m increase in income since 2013. This is against a backdrop of exploding music data from streaming, with the organisation confirming that six and a half trillion performances were reported to it last year alone.

We’ve always been focused on licensing online services and we have always been pioneers – and this is certainly one of the drivers of our growth.

Ashcroft believes the society’s approach to digital music has, in part, helped secure the phenomenal growth. He continues: ‘Our approach to online is an important part of our strategy: we were the first society to license iTunes and the first to license YouTube; we were the first to license SoundCloud and we have just licensed Facebook. We’ve always been focused on licensing online services and we have always been pioneers – it has certainly been one of the drivers of our growth.’

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Over the last year, ICE, PRS for Music’s joint venture with the German collecting society GEMA and Swedish society STIM, has been working with the major players in digital to secure fairer licensing terms, to deliver better value to members, and has won new publisher mandates. This has also helped bolster PRS’ position in the marketplace, explains Ashcroft.

Success story Later, at the PRS AGM, Ashcroft announces the financial results in detail to members who are gathered at the British Library in Central London. Total online revenues rose 52.7 percent from £80.5m in 2016 to £122.9m in 2017, he says, while streaming income increased by 68.6 percent (£42.2m) - all against an industry-wide market growth of around 50 percent.

Ashcroft reiterates the organisation’s forwardthinking position on online licensing, but also the need to collaborate with other collecting societies and help push the copyright agenda across Europe. ‘We identified the importance of collaborating with overseas societies; we focused our lobbying efforts on the need to secure a fair rate for the use of our members’ works online, and we wanted to evolve our public performance licensing from merely enforcing the need for music users to obtain a licence, to upselling the value of music to businesses.

Taken together, these initiatives have enabled the value of our members’ rights to increase by

almost two thirds over the past eight years,’ he tells members.

During 2017, international revenues grew by more than five percent (or £12.9m) on a constant currency basis, with more than a quarter of a billion pounds (£261.4m) now coming back to PRS members from use of their music overseas. Elsewhere, broadcast revenues increased 8.5 percent in 2017 to £134.6m, and public performance income grew 8.1 percent to £198.1m.

Data log But it hasn’t all been plain-sailing for the society, which now has more than 130,000 songwriter, composer and publisher members. A series of distribution errors in April impacted some members, who were paid incorrectly. Ashcroft acknowledges the situation at the AGM, and outlines the steps the society is taking to overcome the underlying issues. ‘There is no higher priority for me or indeed the organisation than ensuring your distributions are right – this runs to the very core of what we do,’ he says.

‘Our focus now is on making sure that we do not have a recurrence of either these, or any similar problems in the future and we have been working hard to understand both their root causes and potential solutions.

‘We have been trying to maintain too ambitious a distribution schedule given our systems and the amount of data we are handling, and need, as an interim measure at least, to bring forward the cut-off for receipt of usage data to allow more time for checks to be made, before sending out the money,’ he continues.

New directors Also at the PRS AGM, full and associate members of the society voted in music creators Jim Duguid and Dru Masters as new Board directors. They replace outgoing directors Crispin Hunt and Mick Leeson, while composer Edward Gregson returns to the Board. Concord Music’s John Minch and Simon Platz from Bucks Music Group are reelected as publisher directors, and Stephen Davidson and Mark Poole are re-elected as external directors.

Find out more about the financial results and the society’s governance prsformusic.com/aboutus

Pictured above (l-r): Dru Masters, PRS Chairman Nigel Elderton and Jim Duguid.

business news

business

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THE BIG NUMBERS

£605.1M

Paid out in royalties to songwriters, composers and music publishers.

£717.0M

Year-on-year revenue growth represents another high-water mark.

£107M

BROADCAST

INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE

ONLINE

£134.6M

£261.4M

£198.1M

£122.9M

8.5%*

5.2%*

8.1%*

52.7%*

*INCREASE ON 2016 - ALL FIGURES ON A CONSTANT CURRENCY BASIS

INTERNATIONAL £261.4M EUROPE - £155.4M NORTH AMERICA - £55.0M ASIA PACIFIC - £28.5M LATIN AMERICA - £9.3M CRUISE LINES & AGENCIES - £9.7M

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE

OTHER - £3.5M

NEW DAWN FOR MUSIC Music is enjoying a ‘new dawn’ which can help the industry ‘correct all the flaws of the past model’, multi-million-selling songwriter and producer Crispin Hunt has said.

Addressing delegates at The Great Escape convention in May, he added that the industry is still behaving cautiously despite recent signs of healthy growth – and should instead embrace new developments to fix past mistakes.

‘The future is suddenly looking a lot brighter and with luck, we should be on the verge of an unprecedented musical revolution both in terms of scale and opportunity,’ he said. ‘But it’s up to us, the creators, our industry and the online platforms, to work together to get that future right.’

£198.1M PUBS & CLUBS - £46.9M LIVE - £34.5M HOTELS & RESTAURANTS - £26.0M

Referring to the movement away from physical distribution to curated, ‘sophisticated’ and ‘boutique’ streaming platforms, he urged all stakeholders to redress old imbalances.

INDUSTRIAL PREMISES - £23.9M

Hunt, who is also Chairman of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) added: ‘I hope to see a new business model that actually reflects the current mechanism, with rights and creator remuneration embodied within it. Why do we chain ourselves to a normative structure which is outdated and doesn’t reflect current consumption patterns?

SHOPS - £21.1M CINEMAS - £8.5M OTHER - £37.2M

BROADCAST £134.6M TV £84.8M

RADIO £49.8M

ONLINE £122.9M VIDEO-ON-DEMAND £13.8M STREAMING £103.7M DOWNLOADS £5.4M

‘But change is in the pipeline, we’re turning around, we’re in a new dawn for music, we have a fantastic new way of getting our music heard, so lets take this opportunity to draw a line in the sand and correct all the flaws of the past model and work towards building a new one.

‘We have the technology for a new bionic music industry; better, stronger, faster than ever before, one based on trust, transparency, accuracy and partnership, where every tune gets played, wherever it gets played, gets paid.’

Hunt was talking at the Five Years of the Momentum Music Fund session, presented by the fund’s founder PRS Foundation, alongside PRS for Music and PPL. He went on to praise the work of the Momentum Fund, which is supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales, Spotify and others, adding: ‘In setting up the Momentum Fund they plugged a gap in market that was gushing creativity and proved support to an army of talent which might not otherwise have surfaced.’ m68_june 2018_11

money & business FIVE YEARS OF MOMENTUM PRS Foundation’s Momentum Music Fund has generated more than £13m for the British music industry over its five-year life span, according to a new study from the charity.

The fund, which offers between £5,000-£15,000 to artists and bands at a pivotal stage in their career, has supported more than 273 acts and awarded more than £2.5m in grants since 2013.

This has enabled the creation of over 160 albums and 180 UK tours, adding up to more than 1,000 live dates.

NEW LIVE MUSIC TARIFF The Copyright Tribunal has agreed PRS for Music’s new live music tariff for venues and festivals, following three years of negotiations between the collecting society and the live industry.

The tariff, known as LP, will introduce higher rates for most popular music events from 11 June, with a reduction in the minimum fee – or a complete waiver if reporting requirements are complied with.

The general rate rises from three percent of revenues (excluding VAT) to four percent for those venues declaring full booking fees, administration and service charges. For venues which do not declare such fees, the tariff will rise to 4.2 percent.

The minimum charge for small gigs at grassroots venues reduces from £39 per event to £15 per event, with the minimum charge waived entirely for venues complying with PRS for Music’s set list reporting requirements.

There will also be a new licensing rate for festivals which meet certain criteria, such as being an outdoor event with temporary infrastructure. The tariff drops from 3 to 2.5 percent, or, where organisers don’t declare full booking fees, administration and service charges, 2.7 percent.

The new tariff follows three years of negotiation between PRS for Music and stakeholders across the live industry.

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The parties came to an agreement last September and the tariff was passed to the Copyright Tribunal for approval, but the final decision was delayed following a third-party intervention. The Tribunal subsequently approved PRS for Music’s proposal.

Among those already funded include independent artists Little Simz (below), Public Service Broadcasting, Floating Points, Bugzy Malone and Anna Meredith, with the likes of Years & Years, Oh Wonder and Yungen going on to sign to major labels off the back of funded projects.

Around 43 percent of grants have gone to either female or mixed gender groups and, since monitoring ethnicity in 2014, 49 percent have supported Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) artists, the foundation said. prsfoundation.com

Paul Clements, Executive Director of Membership, International and Licensing at the society, said: ‘I’m very pleased that the Copyright Tribunal has now approved the terms, as agreed between PRS for Music and the Live sector representatives.

‘We have reached an agreement which not only recognises and rewards the huge contribution made by our songwriter and composer members to the live industry but, as importantly, recognises the different needs and strengths of the thousands of venues and events across the UK that are critical to the ongoing sustainability and diversity of the UK live music scene.’

Mark Davyd, founder and Chief Executive of Music Venue Trust, told IQ magazine he ‘warmly welcomes’ the new tariff, adding: ‘It’s a major victory for small venues – especially those under 200-capacity, which desperately needed the abolition of the minimum fee.’

Your next paydays Performing (PRS): 13 July, 15 Oct, 14 Dec, 15 April Mechanicals (MCPS) Non-Recorded Media: 13 July, 15 Aug, 14 Sept, 15 Oct Recorded Media: 29 June, 31 July, 31 Aug, 28 Sept

business

There is a new sweet spot emerging which combines the expertise, skills and experience of both music teachers and music leaders: schools and music organisations working together to devise and co-deliver a curriculum.

work of our individual organisations, our number one priority has to be young people: giving them the right support and inspiration to make music, wherever that takes place. Music-making that’s theirs; that’s diverse, inclusive and representative of the communities we all serve. At Youth Music, the youth voice is central to our purpose and values, and young people are exploring a huge range of styles of music in the projects we support.

TOMORROW’S WARRIORS Matt Griffiths, Chief Executive of Youth Music, shares his thoughts on the future of music education in our school system and beyond, and suggests how independent organisations can play a vital role in supporting progress.

In May I was invited to speak at The Great Escape, which this year included for the first time an education strand. This one-day convention consisted of a wide range of panel discussions mapping music education and particularly the music industry’s role - or not - within it. A recurring question throughout the day was; ‘Is music education in crisis?’.

Everyone on my panel answered a very clear ‘No’! Let’s get some perspective here; this is not a crisis, although there are certainly challenges, particularly regarding the position of music in the school curriculum, and the training of the current and future workforce.

Interestingly, across social media, the response from many in the academic community was that there is indeed a crisis, particularly in schools. Some commenters also observed that the conference panels didn’t include any music teachers from schools.

It got me thinking that while progress has been made in bringing together different aspects of music education, particularly over the last five years since Music Education Hubs started, there is still loads to do. Rather than focusing on defending or protecting the

I strongly believe that a vibrant, innovative music curriculum in schools is vital, but I also believe we need to change the music education narrative and business model to achieve this: focused on young people’s health and wellbeing as much as on their academic attainment. There is a new sweet spot emerging which combines the expertise, skills and experience of both music teachers and music leaders: schools and music organisations working together to devise and co-deliver a music curriculum. This work is taking place not just within schools, but also in a range of innovative, industry-type environments even more conducive for high quality music-making.

Our four-year action research project Exchanging Notes is focused on this emerging model, with seven collaborative partnerships taking place across England. The work has unearthed some fascinating insights in terms of developing a shared understanding between music teachers and music organisations, and also in pointing towards possibilities for scaling-up this way of working across the country.

I don’t underestimate the challenges that exist, but I also know there are exciting opportunities to help solve them. There continues to be resources and expertise in the music education system, and the national curriculum for music is broad (and short) enough for it to be innovatively delivered between the type of partnerships I’ve mentioned. Sadly, in much of the music education commentary and chatter, I see very little, if any, talk of proactive solutions. My worry is that the cries of ‘crisis!’ will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s in our collective hands to make sure it doesn’t - we all need to step up.

Otherwise, we’re doing young people a massive disservice. youthmusic.org.uk

Matt Griffiths is Chief Executive of Youth Music, a national charity investing in music-making projects for children and young people experiencing challenging circumstances. Matt originally trained as a percussionist and was a professional musician and music educator for 10 years. During this time, he led workshops and projects in prisons, young offender institutions, special schools and mental health settings.

m68_june 2018_13

Instant karma Instagram is fast becoming the de facto social media platform for music-makers to share their work, communicate with fans and give behind-the-scenes access into their daily lives. Rhian Jones finds out how they can make the most of what the site has to offer.

From DJ Khaled’s airplane etiquette to Selena Gomez doing movie night and Justin Bieber’s baby photos… Instagram has broken down the barrier between artist and fan in a big way. Over the last few years, the photo and video sharing site has rocketed to 800 million monthly active users, becoming one of the biggest social media platforms around, and a key promotional tool for the music industry. That’s thanks in part to its Stories and Live features, which offer behind-the-scenes access to the daily lives of today’s biggest stars.

‘Instagram has given artists a whole new way to put themselves in the public eye, and they love it as a way to share their creativity and build a personal connection with fans from around the world,’ Lauren Wirtzer Seawood, who is Head of Music Partnerships at Instagram, says. ‘By nature, artists are over-thinkers of the creative content that they’re putting out into the world, but features like Stories give them the opportunity to share behind-the-scenes moments that previously would have been lost to fans.’

Instagram best practice So how can you make the most of what Instagram has to offer? British singer, songwriter and producer Shakka, who has nearly 40,000 followers on the platform, says the best approach is to ‘find out what you're good at, and what you like about life, and share it with the world in the most entertaining way that you can.’ He continues: ‘I use Instagram to give fans a

deeper insight into what inspires me. If I think something is sick in music, movies or life, I'll share it.’

Alongside photos, motivational stories, behind-the-scenes videos and tour updates, one of Shakka’s most innovative ways of using Instagram is through the creative concept #TribeTuesdays. In one hour, he writes, sings and produces a song live on Instagram, asking followers to contribute with beats, lyrics, visuals or animation. Shakka then collates the results and records the songs on Live, before distributing the content on Stories. Lauren explains: ‘This brings fans into the creative process, engaging directly with them in a fun and creative way, before actually generating content that they contributed to. It produces great work and the fans feel valued as a result, so it’s a win-win!’

Web-savvy singer-songwriter Hannah Trigwell, who scored a number one song in Vietnam after uploading tracks to Youtube, generally posts on Instagram every day. The Leedsbased former busker finds that followers prefer posts that are accompanied by a caption telling the story of an image, and giving insight into what she’s thinking or feeling at the time.

It’s all about posting things that fans want to see.

ONLINE

Artists tend to overthink Instagram a lot, and end up creating something that's a bit forced and fake.

She adds: ‘I used to have a recurring theme of using high contrast, super sharp and quite dark filters, but I've realised the content that works best for me is stuff that is real and not overly edited, unless it's artwork.’ Hannah has a similarly unpolished approach to Stories, which only last online for 24 hours, and are used to showcase her daily life. Through Live she performs new songs for fans in South East Asia who don’t to see her on tour as often as those in the UK. Hannah’s main piece of advice is to post regularly and authentically. ‘Don't wait because you're scared of what people will think or say,’ she says. ‘I think people overthink it a lot, and end up creating something that's a bit forced and fake. Obviously branding is important, and you can do different things to bring that through in your posts, but what connects the most is the stuff that’s real.’

Engagement can be created by asking genuine questions on posts and replying to the comments that fans respond with.

Hannah adds: ‘I love talking to my followers and find that it creates a deeper connection between musician and fan.

You’re wasting your post's potential for engagement if you don't reply to comments that you get.’

Quality not quantity For artists who don’t have time or the inspiration to find things to post regularly, Dan Lee, who is Digital Marketing Manager at Deviate Digital, suggests spending some time gathering a bank of content that can be published over a few months, interspersed with real-time posting. He says: ‘We often have our artists out on a full day’s content collection. Get a photographer and videographer and make some plans on where and what you’ll shoot, take a load of outfit changes if you’re in shot, and create as much content as possible to have ready. You can also use this as a brand endorsement exercise if your life, music and style is affiliated with certain brands.’

When planning what to post, Darren Hemmings, who is Managing Director of digital marketing consultancy Motive

Unknown, agrees with Hannah that authenticity is important, but says the focus should be on quality, not quantity. Examples of videos that are likely to create engagement include those filmed while on the road, pieces to camera… and compelling adventures while lost at sea. ‘It’s all about posting things that fans want to see,’ he says. ‘Nobody cares about something filmed while on the bus with a view of a coach seat, but there are fans in America who want to see what Paris looks like, for example. And if you deliver great things, it will go viral.

‘At one point, DJ Khaled was on Snapchat filming himself lost on a jet ski —he’d sailed away from the shore and couldn’t work out where he was. Instead of phoning the police like any normal human, he was using Snapchat like, “I don’t know where I am!” It was a train wreck, but very compelling to watch. So, looking and seeing what people respond to helps. I hate to see someone doggedly trying to post loads of rubbish video just to tick the video box, it doesn’t work. Content first every time.’

Instagram don’ts How about what not to do? Dan offers a number of tips for how musicians can avoid making the Instagram marketing no-nos he regularly sees. Firstly: hashtag spam. ‘Hashtags and locations can be a powerful way to help users find your posts and have them surface in other relevant feeds, but use these tools wisely,’ he says. ‘Keep them relevant and do some research to find which ones will benefit the post most. Too many hashtags can make posts feel inauthentic and irrelevant ones make you look stupid. Take some time to think about what tags are best.’

Too much text on image and video posts, and content that’s been duplicated from elsewhere, also isn’t a good idea. Lee adds: ‘Just like Facebook, Instagram’s algorithm won’t respond well to this and it makes your profile look shoddy.

If you don’t know what to post, play with the creative tools like boomerang, polling stickers/sliders, GIFs and face filters in Stories.’

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life A mental health stress support line and money service for the anxiety music industry. pressures Call 0808 802 8008 depression relationships illness or injury unexpected changes Knowing I had the support of Help Musicians UK was incredibly reassuring during a volatile and unpredictable time.

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Donate at helpmusicians.org.uk or call 020 7239 9100 Scan to listen to Tyni’s Fighter, the official theme song for #MusicMindsMatter

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Previous page: Shakka Left: The Pretty Vicious Below: Hannah Trigwell

Excessive use of capital letters and exclamation marks are also among Dan’s pet peeves, as are low-resolution images and videos, mobile unfriendly formats (film in vertical only) and external links that appear in URL form.

He explains: ‘Every link should be wrapped, not only for retargeting and analysis purposes, but also to cover your back if anything needs tweaking after posting. For important posts that need links, point fans to your call to action on your profile, like “link in bio”, or add a swipe up link in Stories. Oh, and update your profile link before posting, of course.’ When it comes to converting new followers into fans, British band Pretty Vicious say artists have to make it as easy as possible for them to check out your music. They recommend having a smart link on profiles directing people to a platform of choice, either in the bio or within a highlighted Story.

Money, money, money When it comes to monetisation, the UK rollout of clickable tags within images in March was ‘a massive tipping point’ for artists being able to use Instagram as a revenue generating platform, says Darren. The feature means artists can post an image of things like merchandise, box sets or tickets, which display a pop-up price and drive people through to purchase using links — activity which is managed via a business account (anyone can open one of those for free on the website). In addition, swipe-up links in Stories, which can show larger pieces of content, like longer-form video, and direct to new music, can also be used to direct fans to online stores.

However, Dan offers a word of warning for sales practice on Instagram: ‘Hard selling and forceful or blatant advertising posts will fall flat on their face,’ he says. ‘Your fans should know you and they will see these a mile off. If you want to point fans in certain direction, combine some personal content with a subtle call to action. Grab their interest first and then dangle the carrot.’

Instagram parent Facebook has recently signed a string of licensing deals with major music companies, including ICE (the first licensing hub to licence Facebook), for the use of music in user videos and new social features on Facebook, Instagram, Oculus and Messenger. It means PRS for Music members have the potential to earn royalties when their music is used on Instagram. Darren predicts the deals will mean more use of music in user-generated content, which will contribute to the viral growth of tracks and artists. ‘It could potentially help level the playing field, where songs people haven’t ever heard of could go viral,’ he says.

‘It could be a phenomenal extra tool at fans disposal to spread the word about great music.’

To learn more about PRS for Music’s online licensing and processing venture, ICE, visit iceservices.com

M68_JUNE 2018_17

W H AT A

From huge hits like Dancing on the Ceiling and We Are the World to winning an Oscar and smashing Glastonbury Festival, Lionel Richie remains one of pop’s brightest stars. As he receives the Special International Award at The Ivors 2018, Jim Ottewill catches up with the hitmaker to find out why he believes singing ‘I love you’ will never go out of fashion…

‘Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?’

More than 40 years into Lionel Richie’s glittering, showbizfilled career and the answer is still an emphatic yes. Goodbyes can be tough but with Lionel it doesn’t matter - there’s no need for farewells just yet.

From globe-trotting success with legendary funk and soul outfit, the Commodores, to the glitz and glamour of a multi-million-selling solo career and a recent star turn as a judge on hit US show American Idol, few names are more household than his.

Lionel’s career shows no sign of slowing, with the addition of the PRS for Music Special International Award at The Ivors to what one would assume to be several mantelpieces already buckling under the weight of his accolades.

‘I’m the biggest fan in the world of songwriters so this means a lot,’ says the star. Despite an unrivalled career with multiple Grammys under his belt, Lionel is still remarkably humble, particularly about this latest triumph presented to him by Ed Sheeran at the star-studded bash.

He continues: ‘From looking at the past award winners, I consider this to be right at the top of the food chain.’

The magic formula The Ivor Novello Award should come as no surprise for anyone even vaguely in touch with the last few decades of pop. Lionel commands a songbook bedazzling with musical riches that have gone beyond mere songs: his hits are deeply ingrained within popular culture: Three Times a Lady, Dancing on the Ceiling, Say You, Say Me, Hello, Endless Love with Diana Ross and many, many more. As a solo artist, Lionel was known as king of the ballad, his songs aural aphrodisiacs soundtracking the creation of an entire generation via some of pop’s most romantic moments. If love is a drug, then he’s one of its biggest dealers.

‘Simplicity has always been key to my songwriting,’ says the star when unpicking the creative process. ‘To just say it like it is, common words that everyone uses every day. “I love you” will never go out of style.’

Are there any secrets he can divulge when it comes to the magic formula needed to birth a hit?

PROFILE

Simplicity has always been key to my songwriting.

M68_JUNE 2018_19

Glastonbury was one of the highlights of my entire life.

And a confirmation to me that I will never stop singing.

‘Only that a song must be relatable. It must be able to touch an emotion. My success is based on keeping it simple.’

The Commodores Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Lionel’s early musical loves were RnB and soul, passions he channelled into the Commodores. Signed by the Motown hit factory, it was there that his songwriting romance turned into a full-blown affair, with timeless classics gushing from him. At what point did he know music was for him?

‘The day the girls on the first three rows screamed and said: “I love you Lionel”. It also helped when I found out you could get paid for something you really love to do.’

The group's popularity took them around the world, performing to huge crowds from Europe to Australia and beyond. ‘Half of the stories I can't tell you,’ laughs Lionel.

‘Every imaginable thing I learned as a young man from 22 years old on, I learned with the Commodores. It was the first time I discovered I was a songwriter. We were not always right, but never wrong.’

Breaking up As Lionel gradually accepted more songwriting projects outside the Commodores, a solo career became an inevitable if not tricky pill to swallow.

‘Going it alone was incredibly difficult for me,’ he remembers. ‘I had developed a bond with the Commodores that was almost like family. They were the only band I had ever been in. But it was clear that after Endless Love and Truly, the next level was to come.’

No one could have predicted that this next level would turn into over 40 years at the top of the hit parade. From striking it alone back in 1982 with his eponymous debut solo release, his rise has been stratospheric. Are there any particular moments he can single out?

MARK ALLAN

‘It’s all been a highlight: we started with the first worldwide hit record – Three Times a Lady. Then of course, the Oscar and Golden Globe for Say You, Say Me; the worldwide event for We Are The World [written with Michael Jackson], where we received a Grammy for Song of the Year. From there to the 1984 Olympics and performing All Night Long. And other great events like the Kennedy Center Honors and Glastonbury.’

Our songwriting craft needs to be thought of as an occupation instead of something we just do for fun.

PROFILE

Pictured: Lionel Richie accepting his Special International Award at the Ivor Novello Awards, May 2018

Festival fever Ah yes, Glastonbury. His triumphant Sunday afternoon set in 2015 was the biggest party of the weekend, while also proving to be smoother and more polished than anything the Pyramid stage had ever seen. Alongside American Idol and his place as a judge with Katy Perry, it’s ensured his songs have made a mark on a whole new generation of music lovers.

‘It was one of the highlights of my entire life,’ remembers Lionel. ‘And confirmation to me that I will never stop singing. There were two things I was not expecting at Glastonbury; one was the sun. And two, the crowd ranged from all ages. It just goes to show that the songs are more famous than I am.’

He may think his music is bigger than him, but Lionel is also much larger than life. An uncanny knack to own and acknowledge his public persona, look and past has helped his career flourish in the digital age. His instafriendly eighties style is perfect for our social media obsessed times, meaning he’s perched in a peculiar space in the cultural cosmos. Bestival thought fit to build a giant sculpture of Lionel’s head back in the early 2010s while Hello’s lyrics and accompanying video make for thumb-stopping meme fodder. While Lionel is a serious songwriter, he’s unafraid to embrace or acknowledge his slightly silly side.

Take All Night Long and its legendary lyrics ‘Tom bo li de say de moi ya’ and ‘Jambo jumbo’. Their meaning has been debated since the song first became a global smash but it turns out there’s not much to them…

‘I’ve been complimented my entire career on how I managed to weave that African phase into that song. But I can announce with pride they mean nothing. I just made them up. They told me there were 101 African dialects.

Now there are 102.’

Master crafters At the same time, songwriting is a serious business and Lionel is passionate about ensuring creators are rewarded for their efforts. Citing heavy hitters like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd as current favourites, he’s concerned by the technological changes sweeping through the industry.

‘I’m waiting for the day when songwriters get paid fairly again for their work,’ he says. ‘We are a business and songwriters are master craftsman with families to raise and livelihoods to be maintained. Our craft needs to be thought of as an occupation instead of something we do purely for fun.’

Amen to that but what next for Lionel? With American Idol now wrapped up, his All the Hits live juggernaut continues to roll around the globe, bringing a Vegas vibe to the UK this summer. It shows no sign of slowing, a mega-party that’s as alive and as a vital as its host.

‘My adventures with American Idol gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge with up and coming artists and the world of business,’ he says. ‘But touring and songwriting will always be a part of my equation. I absolutely love performing. It will never get old as long as the crowd carry on singing louder than I do…’

M68_JUNE 2018_21

ESSEX AGITATOR Stormzy, stage dancers and strikes: Billy Bragg chats to Anita Awbi about politics, music and everything in between…

What’s happened to the Bard of Barking? Once a feisty outsider, the working class hero has morphed into a proper British institution, complete with a shiny new Ivor Novello Award for his Outstanding Contribution to British Music. A lot has changed for Billy – and for Britain – since the punk-fuelled early eighties, but his socialist ideals, his love of banter and his ear for a good tune remain reassuringly intact.

But for Billy, there have been plenty other big moments in music worth celebrating over the last 12 months. Like when Stormzy spoke out about Grenfell at The BRITs, or when Beyoncé beamed Black Panther imagery into millions of homes via her Super Bowl performance, or when Dua Lipa’s New Rules called on women to ditch doomed relationships from the top of the singles chart.

‘I’m trying to muscle my way in between Beyoncé and Dua Lipa to get myself heard these days,’ he says in his trademark Essex drawl. ‘But it’s not that easy, I don’t have any dancers. The dancers are crowding me off the stage, and I’m fighting my way through… it’s tough!’

‘It’s great!’ he enthuses. ‘We are all in the same industry and we are all, in our own way, trying to do a similar thing - make real music that we believe in, and stand up for something positive. I don’t judge young songwriters on whether they’re political or not. I’m more interested in them telling me what pressure they feel under and how they’re dealing with that.’

Billy is joking about life as a renegade songsmith in 2018. As an outspoken grime enthusiast and pop appreciator, he’s audibly excited by the younger artists currently making strides. It’s a refreshing stance for a musician, author, broadcaster and leftwing activist who’s just entered his sixties.

JACOB BLIKENSTAFF

‘You’ve got to be putting ideas out there,’ he continues.

‘You’ve got to try and make a principle to stand on something. I’m always pleased when music is doing that. All the stuff I listen to is putting out a message of empathy and encouragement, not a message of cynicism.’

Last year’s Bridges Not Walls EP was his own, most recent, statement of intent. Across six vital tracks he captured the nuanced mood of the nation, sensitively exploring Brexit, nationalism and immigration with the skill of a songwriter in his stride. The set garnered rave reviews and showed him to be as relevant as ever.

Tough Love Billy’s first call to arms was arguably more purist, driven by bags of youthful vim and a seething rejection of the era’s divisive politics. Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy is 35 years old this year, but it still crackles with nonconformist talent and raw angst. Its efficient mix of leftwing politicking and candid love songs clocks in at little under 16 minutes and, despite its brevity, managed to wedge itself firmly inside the album chart’s Top 30. It also spawned his first hit A New England, which was later covered by Kirsty McColl.

Over the years, he’s recorded another 10 classic Top 40 albums, the most recent being Shine a Light, an LP of field recordings from the American railroad, made with songwriter/producer Joe Henry. It may seem like a wonky left turn, but Billy has been embracing the history of America’s modern music scene since his own sonic awakenings in seventies’ Barking.

PROFILE

At its highest level, a song can make you feel empathy for the person who wrote it and respect for the culture they come from – even if it’s written in a different language.

M68_JUNE 2018_23

I’m not really a political songwriter, I just write songs about things that have pissed me off.

Back then, he was into the Simon and Garfunkel records that ‘all the sensitive older girls’ were playing, and soon became ‘that strange kid at school who was into Bob Dylan at a time when Bob Dylan wasn’t around and wasn’t fashionable’. Smokey Robinson and Tamla Motown also figured, filling his ears with subversive American melodies and his head with ideas.

Across his career, Billy has openly embraced folk, punk, Americana and pop. He’s also recently authored the skiffle book Roots, Radical and Rockers, which explores how the guitar rose to the forefront of British music and ultimately led to the Brit invasion of sixties’ America.

He’s always stuck close to his original mission, though: ‘I don’t want to write cynical material. I want to write songs that offer tough love, but in a positive way. I’m trying to make sense of the way the world is by offering a different perspective, it’s a different way of coming at this. You don’t have to be a victim of the circumstances you find yourself in.’

Civic pride You can’t chat to Billy Bragg without discussing his politics which, with age, have become as nuanced as his music.

As his old friend Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said when he gave Billy his Ivor on behalf of PRS for Music recently: ‘I was politicised

by Billy Bragg and Red Wedge in the eighties, and in the three decades I’ve known him, I’ve learned his unique argumentative style.

‘He’s convinced me of the merits of matters as diverse of House of Lords reform to the many qualities of leadership possessed by Jeremy Corbyn. He’s my hero, not just for his politics, but for the love in his songs.’

MARK ALLAN

Despite Billy’s palpable political persuasions – and his on-point lyrics – the songwriter himself remains surprisingly averse to the ‘protest pop’ tagline. ‘Many songwriters keep their focus in the bedroom; I’ve always been interested in what’s going on outside as well,’ he says. ‘I’m not really a political songwriter, I write songs about things that have pissed me off. That could be relationships, it could be my own behaviour, or it could be what the government is doing.’

Nevertheless, he’s always been able to combine music and politics in an authentic way that has eluded many of his peers - whether that’s performing for the miners on their strikes, penning songs of solidarity in Which Side Are You On? and Never Cross a Picket Line, or fronting the Labour-affiliated Red Wedge movement.

PROFILE

Most recently, he appeared at the ‘cleaners’ strike’ in April, which was organised by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain to dispute the working conditions of outsourced cleaning staff, porters, receptionists and others in the higher education system. ‘They invited me to come along; they obviously felt that me playing a few of my songs would make a contribution to what they’re trying to do,’ he offers.

Now, at a time of unprecedented social and economic upheaval and political unrest, and with movements like grime and hip-hop successfully soundtracking the struggles – along with his own back catalogue in demand – surely the time is ripe to revisit the ‘political pop’ tag?

‘Maybe. But music can’t change the world, trust me, I’ve tried,’ he says, frankly. ‘I’ve tried really hard, but it can’t do that. What it can do, though, is make you feel like you’re not alone. And that’s its power.’

People power This feels like a shocking revelation – like Billy is pulling the carpet out from under every idealist’s feet.

But he explains: ‘Just because you are aware music can’t change the world, it doesn’t mean you don’t want to take your music to a place where it can make a difference and bring people together.’

It seems his time on the picket line has shown him exactly what bars and beats are capable of. He talks of the ‘emotional power’ of politically-charged music and ‘the buzz’ it gives you, ‘But for an artist to suggest they’ve got the answers and they’re going to save everybody is a betrayal of the relationship between the listener and the artist.’

Billy knows full well he’s not going to influence a voter with music alone. ‘I can’t follow people home and make sure they uphold my politics. Just the same as Dua Lipa can’t follow you round and make sure you’re sticking to your three new rules. It doesn’t work like that… The changing the world bit, that’s down to the listener.’

Pictured above: Tom Watson MP and Billy Bragg at The Ivors.

Creative currency Songwriting and music-making is surely part of a deeper civic duty for Billy, one that also involves campaigning for positive change at parliament, lobbying bankers or running Glastonbury Festival’s Leftfield Tent to encourage open speech and action.

But music is still by far the most powerful tool in his altruistic arsenal; even if it’s not going to change the world, it will always touch people.

‘As songwriters, our currency is empathy,’ he figures.

‘A great song can make you feel compassion for someone you’ve never met or give you understanding of a situation you yourself have never experienced.

This isn’t just a political thing. At its highest level, a song – even if it’s in a different language or doesn’t have lyrics – can still make you feel empathy for the person who wrote it and respect for the culture they come from.’

He continues: ‘Considering the times we’re living in, where empathy seems to be in short supply, it’s really important we consciously think about that when we’re writing our songs. We need to be putting out a message that helps people rather than one which puts people down.’

Billy Bragg appears at festivals including Boomtown, OnBlackheath and Manchester Folk Festival this summer.

M68_JUNE 2018_25

It’s the sheer numbers and far geographical reach of potential listeners that make the Proms such a gift to contemporary composers.

PROMS

IN TUNE Emma Bartholomew spends time with some of the leading lights behind this year’s edition of the Proms to find a classical music community teaming with optimism and invention.

There is tangible positivity in the atmosphere surrounding this summer’s Proms, set against a backdrop of widespread optimism about the general health of classical music. Recent figures released by the Association of British Orchestras show an increase from four to five million in live classical audiences from 2010 to 2016. And the health of the genre among radio listeners is also vibrant. A recent Classic FM study recorded an encouraging 43 percent rise in its under25-year-old audience - a welcome renaissance for a genre well into its dotage.

This upswing is reflected in the Proms figures themselves, with more than 35,000 brand new attendees to the festival last year. Director David Pickard is obviously excited by this, and pleased that initiatives such as the Relaxed Prom and Late Night Proms are reaching new audiences, but he actually thinks the popularity of the broadest range of classical music itself is what draws the crowds.

‘We do bring in new elements that might have wider appeal, but a huge number of those who came for the first time in 2017 were there to hear traditional classical music, which is so encouraging,’ he explains.

David believes this is symbolic of a trend for greater democracy and acceptance in listening habits. ‘When I was at school you were considered a bit of an oddity if you listened to classical music. These days those boundaries have come down. It’s OK again to listen to classical alongside all the other types of music you like.’

A broad church Although there is tremendous audience support for the traditional content of the festival, it is also known for commissioning plenty of new work. The task of talent discovery on this sort of scale is immense. It happens via received submissions, orchestras and choirs approaching composers, organisations like Sound and Music nurturing new talent, and the Proms team reaching out through the international network.

David, who describes himself as ‘less the artistic dictator at the top and more the creative producer’, is supported in this

Hannah Kendall, Roxanna Panufnik, Philip Venables #fundedbyPRSF

task by his broad range of colleagues, friends and contacts, be they orchestras, conductors, publishers or agents.

However, he explains: ‘There are a significant number of new composers out there without representation. I’m hugely proud of our dedicated BBC learning department. Our Proms Inspire initiative is making great strides in unearthing new talent. We’re doing what we can to encourage young people to be the composers of the future.’

Like David, Philip Venables, one of the composers originally discovered by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005 when shortlisted by the then SPNM (now part of Sound and Music), notes the importance of the inclusion of new music in terms of audience reception: ‘The enthusiasm for new work keeps growing,’ he says. Philip has also noticed his own work has made a big impact across diverse audiences too.

Engaging a broad demographic is part of the huge ongoing success of the festival: accessibility has been key since it began. Once described as ‘the world’s largest and most democratic music festival’, the two-month gala is still the biggest such event anywhere. David explains: ‘Part of the initial mission in 1895 was to have the audience at the forefront - cheap tickets are still a huge driving force. It’s very important to us to make it genuinely accessible to as many as we can. We don’t want people who buy the cheapest tickets to find they’re shoved to the back; we want them to be right in the centre of everything.’

Roxanna Panufnik, whose Songs of Darkness, Dreams of Light premieres on The Last Night this year, agrees: ‘Tickets start at £6 and you can hear and see the music for free on the radio or online.’ Fellow composer Hannah Kendall makes a wider point: ‘Culture is vital. It is so important that people of all backgrounds have access to classical music and culture more broadly, which is what the Proms offers so brilliantly.’

Building bridges Reaching the widest audience is important to all those whose work is being showcased. Hannah is particularly pleased to be highlighting a part of history not often discussed - the part the West Indian community played in the First World War. She explores this in her work, Verdala.

M68_JUNE 2018_27

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We campaign to protect the rights of composers and songwriters and celebrate excellence through world-class awards ceremonies – The Ivor Novello Awards, the British Composer Awards and the Gold Badge Awards. We also offer our members an array of benefits to help support their careers as music writers. From professional development seminars, industry training, critiques and master classes, joining BASCA provides the opportunity to join a community of the UK’s most talented music creators. info@basca.org.uk

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PROMS

Previous page: Hannah Kendall Above: Roxanna Panufnik Centre: Philip Venables Right: David Pickard Below: Tansy Davies

‘We sometimes forget the contribution made by the West Indian and other black or ethnic minority communities throughout the ages. Telling this story is imperative, especially on a platform as culturally and internationally important as the Proms. I always want to reach traditionally underrepresented audiences with my commissions,’ she says.

Her piece is reflective of one of the central themes of this year’s festival - world-changing events. Tansy Davies, whose piece, What Did We See?, is also inspired by the events of 9/11, expresses the scope of the challenge ‘to make a unique statement and communicate it with enough clarity to make its presence felt in such an institutional context’. The adventurous 2018 programme pays tribute to six centenaries, including women’s suffrage. Roxanna sees these commemorations and their musical interpretation as integral to the power of music and her own, ‘ongoing mission to build musical bridges between different faiths and cultures’.

BENJAMIN EALOVEGA, HERALD HOFFMANN, THANE BRUCKLAND, RIKARD ÖSTERLUND

New horizons As a platform, the festival itself remains pivotal to the classical composer. With its blend of well-loved traditional repertoire, cross-genre fusions and world premieres, it offers a unique placement for composers. In Tansy’s words, this is ‘exciting and important for contemporary composers because it offers the chance to reach a broad audience in a world-class festival.’

Philip, who will premiere Venables Plays Bartók, describes it as ‘hugely important. The BBC is the largest commissioner of new music in the UK. It’s vital for new work to have its place on such a large and prestigious stage.’

Roxanna Panufnik agrees, adding: ‘I’m so proud of the Proms - that in an ever-changing world we still manage to put on this gargantuan music festival with the best musicians from all over the world.’

She is particularly excited to have been commissioned for The Last Night. She describes how the ‘joyous and high octane atmosphere could compete with any music festival of any other genre... it’s the sheer numbers and far geographical reach of potential listeners that make this such a gift to contemporary composers - with deft programming, the producers ensure that our music is heard by people who may not necessarily go out of their way to listen to a new classical piece.’

The opportunity for women, especially female composers, to be showcased, has traditionally been less visible. However, having signed up to the PRS Foundation’s Keychange initiative to ensure a 50/50 gender split line-up by 2022, positive steps are being taken. But as David explains, this comes with challenges laid down in the past.

‘When it comes to classical music, we are dealing with a lot of history, which has not encouraged female composers.

I’d love us to not only be featuring more living women composers, but also those who’ve died and contributed to the classical canon.’

However, he has a great sense of optimism about Keychange: ‘It is a wonderful incentive to us to go out there and find the best female talent and bring it to prominence.’ He also emphasises that he is particularly passionate about women conductors, and, looking to the future, hopes to have a wealth of female conductors in forthcoming programming. ‘I’m sure that, in five years time, we will be looking at a different landscape than the one we’re on now,’ he adds.

When asked about his particular highlight for the 2018 programme, David says he’s excited by its overall experimentation: ‘Classical music is an exciting genre. It is still growing and is ever evolving. Music that has a broader appeal and mixes things up. Anna Meredith’s Five Telegrams for the First Night is a perfect example. She has her own band, appears on BBC Radio 6 Music, has created a full orchestral work and is working with different visual mediums. Different talent across different genres coming together is really thrilling. Those kind of musical events, which are hard to define, sum up the excitement of possibility at the Proms.’

The Proms 2018 opens at the Royal Albert Hall on 13 July. Events take place at a range of venues, including Roundhouse and Alexandra Palace, with outdoor events at Hyde Park, Glasgow Green and Colwyn Bay, and broadcast across BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV, until 8 September.

Tansy Davies#fundedbyPRSF

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Vick Bain, Chief Executive of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) shares her thoughts on the importance of the British Composer Awards in recognising and rewarding musical innovation across the UK, and explains how to enter the 2018 edition.

‘For art and society to grow, we have to form new dialogues in our work,’ Shiva Feshareki said when presented with a British Composer Award for Innovation at last year’s awards.

Whether it’s a feminist opera featuring Barbie dolls or duets that weave together spoken word, British sign language and architecture – these awards never fail to surprise, when it comes to exploring unknown or rarelytraversed territory.

Confronting creativity You’ll never be quite sure where each composer may find inspiration either. Some of last year’s nominees and winners drew on a variety of subjects – from seemingly ordinary holidaymaker postcards to the more weighty and complex subject of Patrick Pearse’s role in the Easter Rising, which inspired first time winner Andrew Hamilton’s Proclamation of the Republic in the Choral category.

Sponsored by PRS for Music, the British Composer Awards is unique in making contemporary classical, jazz and sonic art the focus of its annual celebration. The event is run in association with BBC Radio 3 providing exclusive broadcast coverage. Yes, they are an opportunity to highlight the best contemporary compositions that premiered in the UK in the past 12 months, and bring the music to a wider audience. They also present a welcome opportunity for composers to have their works critiqued and celebrated by their peers. Each category is judged by a diverse and extensive set of panellists – compiled mainly of composers, but also performers, conductors, promoters and festival directors.

There is little that these composers shy away from confronting or exploring either – however painful or extraordinary. We live in increasingly uncertain times and it’s becoming harder to ignore our vulnerability. The piece Between Worlds by Tansy Davies, an opera set in the North Tower during 9/11, which won in 2016, resonates all the more for this reason, inviting us to contemplate our own human spirit in the face of unimaginable horrors. These awards continue to express the complexities of our experiences through particularly unique, and often challenging, mediums.

But ultimately, it’s the composers’ continual search for different perspectives that make this one of the most important fixtures in BASCA’s calendar. They stand out for their commitment to finding, exploring and embracing voices that may otherwise remain silent or sidelined.

An open door They’ve become increasingly special to us too because, not only do they cross boundaries and mix genres, they reflect that Britain is home to many international composers and sound artists.

In 2016, a fifth of our nominees were born oversees. Previous award winner Shri Sriram is an example of this – his influences stretch from Bombay street music to Wagner and drum and bass. We also had more women nominated than ever before too. In 2017 more than half of winners were female for the first time.

In recent years we’ve made several changes to the awards’ entry process – such as introducing anonymous judging and allowing

It’s the composers’ continual search for different perspectives that make the British Composer Awards so important. They stand out for their commitment to finding, exploring and embracing voices that may otherwise remain silent or sidelined. composers and sound artists to enter their own work, which we believe may have contributed to the increased diversity of the shortlist and winners.

We think it’s important to continue adapting the awards each year, so that they continue to grow and evolve. This year, we’ve replaced our Contemporary Jazz Composition Award with two separate awards that we feel better reflect the wide scope of the genre – Jazz Composition for Small Ensemble and Jazz Composition for Large Ensemble.

Entries are now open for this year’s awards. Eligible works must have received a UK premiere, either live or broadcast, between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 and have been composed by a British-born or UK resident composer.

To enter your own work, or a piece you’ve heard and enjoyed by another composer, visit our entry website at basca.secure-platform.com, where you can also find the rules and guidelines.

For more information on the British Composer Awards visit britishcomposerawards.com and follow us @ComposerAwards Above: Innovation Award winners, Haroon Mirza and Shiva Fesharek.

Left: Amateur or Young Performers Winner, Kerry Andrew

PHOTOS: MARK ALLEN

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Celebrating your success

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i wrote that

song writing

London rapper Dave is one of the UK’s hottest new musical talents.

With only a handful of releases to his name, he made the BBC Music Sound Of 2017 list, received love from US powerhouse Drake, who remixed his track Wanna Know, and has just won an Ivor Novello Award for his seven-minute call to arms Question Time. We caught up with him and his co-writer Fraser T Smith to find out how the track came to life…

Fraser: I met Dave when I was working on Stormzy’s debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer.

His managers approached me saying they had this amazing artist who they’d love me to meet. I had my hands full with Stormzy’s record but we managed to squeeze in some time to hook up, got on well and put a session in. We wrote Picture Me from the Six Paths EP and we managed to continue working together as Stormzy was doing some live gigs and I had some free time.

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Dave would start on piano, I would jam with him on the guitar, and we had this real musical connection from the beginning. We worked heavily on that first EP together along with 169, who Dave had been working with since doing his first ever track, JKYL+HYD. We could see how well it was received with these conscious lyrics, and I noticed the way Dave was able to touch on such brave issues.

We next moved on to the Game Over EP, which includes the track Question Time. We talked about lyrical content and agreed it was important to push the conscious, stark style, and really hone in on what he was saying. All the tracks on the release go deeper.

MARK ALLAN

Lyrically, Question Time is a masterpiece, while the chords felt influenced by James Blake and Radiohead as we were looking for a dark musical backdrop. It took some time to find the right music to accompany Dave’s delivery. We worked on this for about three months trying to get it right; Dave is very exacting on how he wants something to sound and feel.

We thought it’d be cool to divide the song into different sections with musical variations between each, so it became like the chapters Dave #fundedbyPRSF

To be able to speak for the voiceless in that track means the world to me. of a book. In the first section he’s talking about our own government, Theresa May, then Donald Trump, then Jeremy Corbyn.

I feel really proud of Dave for his ability to say exactly what’s on his mind; I think he has the potential to become the spokesperson of his generation. There aren’t many people asking direct questions of governments around the world through the voice of an 18-19-yearold – and doing it in such an intelligent way without political bias. It’s an incredibly brave record to have released, and it’s an incredible achievement to have received an Ivor for such a highly political seven-minute song.

It’s also testament to The Ivors that they can respect his art.

Dave: I’m not the easiest person to work with – I don’t know what I’m going to do myself half the time. But when I have something in mind it all flows from there. I wrote the lyrics for Question Time backwards – it’s not one I wrote from start to finish in a straight line.

I kept going back to Fraser for advice about what was important, what was working.

When talking about a subject as touchy as politics, something I don’t know everything

in the world about it, it was great to have someone like him guiding me.

I would say I’m mildly political, but I think I was feeling spicy when I was writing Question Time! It was great to be able to show that side of us and our work together.

I wanted to make something that felt like a time capsule. Something I could listen to in 10 years and know that the UK was in this place, in this time. I wanted to say something that I hope will stand the test of time. There are a lot of statements made in Instagram posts or tweets that are here today, gone tomorrow. But I know that I’ve written a song that people can listen to and take in for years. As I’ve toured in America and other countries it’s been interesting to see how people connect to it – people from different worlds and different backgrounds. To be able to speak for the voiceless in certain parts of that track means the world to me.

Question Time Written by Dave and Fraser T Smith Published in the UK by Warner/Chappell Music Ltd and Kobalt Music Publishing Performed by Dave m68_june 2018 _33

picture this

picture this

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Thali Lotus, Come As You Are (CAYA) soundsystem, May 2018, Bedford

Thali Lotus is the founder of CAYA, a 21st century soundsystem mining a rich cultural seam which counts the legendary Channel One and Coxsone Sound among its forebears. Through events, community outreach and workshops, she’s breathing new life into the scene and helping spark a resurgence across the UK. This picture of me and my pre-amp, called Spirit, was taken in my back garden. As the device that pumps sound into the PA, the pre-amp is central to most people’s idea of the soundsystem. But for me it goes further; the connection I have to it is musical and also spiritual.

SAKHINA BENKMAEL

The tinfoil represents this – it’s showing the electrons passing through me to the pre-amp and the connectivity I feel to my soundsystem.

I don’t just get 13 amps of electronic power from it when I plug in, it’s so much more than that.

CAYA was born in November 2016. I’d researched soundsystems for a year prior, visiting the elders who’d had them for decades to get a sense of what I wanted to do. I based the design on a few soundsystems I’d seen

34_june 2018_m68

and liked, but I also wanted to put a modern spin on my approach. I initially used a crossover unit and EQ instead of a pre-amp, and then I had a Tubbys pre-amp, but it was old and complex, and I didn’t really click with it. So, I had Spirit custombuilt for me, and the connection is really there.

My dad had a soundsystem when I was growing up in the eighties and it was a big part of my childhood. Back then, he predominantly played rare groove and Lovers Rock. His soundsystem was feeding community demand for shabeens and creating a space for people to congregate, being first generation migrants.

Soundsystem culture has changed a lot since then – it’s become a more accepted way of life.

It’s now embraced not just by black communities but by multicultural communities all over Britain.

Leicester, London, Bristol, Birmingham: it’s definitely enjoying a resurgence. But my mission with CAYA is to take it to another level. I see myself as a sound artist, rather than just a sound operator. I want to build a platform to share the message and inspire other women.

We’ve still got a long way to go in terms of equality as it’s such a male-dominated

environment. I know it’s a continual challenge but I’m positive we’re making change. Across society, women have to be exceptional at what they do, otherwise they’re not even considered.

I know this, and that’s why I’m focused on other aspects of CAYA too – I don’t want to get caught up in proving a point. The artistic and academic sides of my work help sum up the experience too.

Having said that, I do feel part of an open and connected heritage – this music is very much part of me. I suppose it’s like an old heirloom to a British family, which has been passed down through the generations. There are always going to be advancements and differences, but my take on it is a bit more out-there! My sound is message music - I concentrate on roots and dub. I feel dub is the language of the cosmos, and the soundsystem is our way of transcending into that space. It’s a doorway into that universal experience, and a sacred space for a lot of people.

Thali is hosting a soundsystem workshop at Pull Up! A Celebration of Reggae Culture at Nottingham Arts Centre on 14 August. comeasuare.com

I Quit My Day Job Because I Make More Money From My Music.

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it —quitting your day gig because you make more money with your music.

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I joined TAXI. Looking back, I wish I’d joined years earlier. TAXI taught me how to create music that people in the industry actually need. Then they gave me 1,200 opportunities a year to pitch my music!

Matthew Vander Boegh, TAXI Member My income keeps growing exponentially, and my music keeps getting better because it’s my full time gig now! Here’s the ironic part…

I live in Boise, Idaho, not Hollywood, yet my music is on TV nearly every day.

My studio is in a glorified tool shed in my backyard, and my gear setup is so quaint other musicians ask, “Really?

That’s it?!” I’ve got a computer, monitors, a few mics, and a cheap little interface.

No fancy outboard gear, no rack-mounted anything!

I’m getting paid for my music now instead of sitting on my couch dreaming about it. I’m my own boss, and some day my music will probably pay for my retirement, a vacation home on an exotic beach, and some umbrella drinks!

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Actually, TAXI changed my life.

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