13 minute read
Heroes
Returning from exile
How revisiting her rebellious musical past helped the Chicago-born singer-songwriter rediscover herself in the present
Words MARCEL ANDERS
Right from the release of her 1993 debut album, Exile in Guyville, singersongwriter Liz Phair has set herself apart from the status quo of the music scene as a disruptor and someone who confounds others’ expectations. It makes sense, then, that 11 years on from the Chicagoan’s last release, the album Funstyle – and at the most unexpected of moments – she’s back.
Soberish sees Phair reunite with Brad Wood, the producer with whom she made her defiant, groundbreaking debut and its two follow-ups. Cited as an inspiration on more recent indie artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski, Phair – with Wood’s help – showed that female songwriters could be both feminine and frank, making art that feels vulnerable but also holds its own in the maledominated indie music scene.
Here, the 54-year-old discusses changes in the musical landscape over the last decade, and how she has created a record that honours her past while also navigating an industry transformed by the internet.
the red bulletin: What made you return to the scene after 11 years?
liz phair: It was good timing. When my son was in school, I switched to scoring TV [shows] so I wouldn’t be out of town as much. Then he went off to college. In the interim, I was inspired that so many young female artists had sprung up. If you think of my first album, Exile in Guyville… it feels like ‘Girlville’ has happened now. It was like moving back into a better and inspiring environment.
And you chose Brad Wood as your producer again…
Listening back to my early recordings and talking with everyone, I felt an emotional connection. I almost remembered who I was and how we made that record. Brad really takes all my crazy ideas and tries to realise them. So he’s very much responsible for the sound, but he let me produce as well. It’s collaborative. But the gorgeousness of the sound is all Brad.
It’s interesting you came up with something very similar to Exile in Guyville yet somehow different…
It was a lot of fun to say, “How can we evoke the past, not just showing where we are right now, but looking to the future the way Guyville did back then?” My first record occupied an unusual space in culture; it felt new, different. And so how can we evoke the past and yet have our present-day product evoke the future?
Does it feel like the fans own you in some way? Like some just want Exile in Guyville, while others prefer pop tunes?
I’d like people to understand that art it’s not a fixed thing. Creativity is a fluid, ever-changing medium. It’s like mercury – if you try to box it, it’s going to slip out. And I wish the world in general would understand the great gift of the transmutability of our creative lives. I think people would be happier if they could experience more creativity and take it less as my identity and my ego.
What’s behind the title, Soberish?
I felt very ‘soberish’. [Laughs.] Living in America under Trump, for a while I couldn’t take reality head-on. [The title] could be interpreted to mean all the different things we do to avoid direct reality; not just substance use, but all the ways in which we can exist, both in the real world and in denial.
Probably the best line on the album is: “I meant to be sober, but the bar is so inviting”…
Yes, isn’t it just? We all dream that we can use substances to feel great, and nothing in life will go wrong because of it. But you can never hold that line.
How has the industry changed while you’ve been away?
All the things that are required of an artist today, like the social media presence, the self-management, entrepreneurship… it just seems so daunting. There are more things than ever to compete against, more people than ever out there making music because of home technology, and the algorithms are ever more unforgiving.
And streaming doesn’t make you as much money, does it?
[There’s] less money to be made. I know, depressing. Add that to our depressing pile and let’s go to the bar.
Do you feel as if the world doesn’t appreciate you? It’s something you reference in the song Flowers [from Exile on Guyville]…
Well, it’s tongue-in-cheek, but yes, I feel like I’m always going against the grain, like I’m a woman who fits neither the mould of the bohemian artist nor the goodly-wife type. I’m stuck in the wrong time. Like, if I were born 30 years later, I’d be normal.
Somebody has to be the pioneer…
[Laughs.] Someone’s got to do it. But my head hurts.
So, what we’ve got on Soberish is the essence of Liz Phair, then. Do we have our old Liz back?
I think so. I feel like myself again. That sense of myself as a boundarypusher, too much imagination, dramatic emotional cartographer. That person is back. Liz Phair’s new album Soberish is out now; lizphairofficial.com
Calling the shots
The future star of British tennis has used mental tenacity to his advantage on his rise from council-estate kid to sporting ace
Words CHARLIE ALLENBY
At just 21, Paul Jubb has already overcome his fair share of adversity. Orphaned as a young child and raised by his grandmother on a council estate in Hull, Jubb is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason – he even has the phrase tattooed on his arm. “Everyone has their own path, and whatever things come your way – good or bad – it’s meant to happen,” says the tennis star. “It’s your response to that which will determine where you go.”
In Jubb’s case, it has taken him around the world. In 2019, while attending the University of South Carolina, he won the men’s singles title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Tennis Championships, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe and earning a wildcard entry to that year’s Wimbledon.
The Brit failed to progress beyond the first round of the iconic tournament, but since then his career has been a rollercoaster, with highs such as turning pro and signing to Andy Murray’s management company, and lows that included a season ravaged by injury and COVID cancellations. Jubb now lives in London, where he’s training as part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s Pro Scholarship Programme – a scheme that financially supports players with top-100 potential.
Jubb is now fighting fit and ready for a full season. And, although his journey to this point has been less than straightforward, he says he wouldn’t have it any other way. of my journey. Once I’d been [in South Carolina] for a while, I realised how big a move it was. A lot of people weigh up a few options, but I didn’t do any of that – I just signed the papers.
the red bulletin: How did you develop the strong mindset needed to overcome adversity?
paul jubb: That mindset was built into me from a young age. The way I work it to my advantage is just having self-pride. I always respect my opponents, wherever I’m playing, but once I’m on the court I’m going to do my best to not make it easy for them to win.
What part did your grandmother play in that development?
She had to play [both] the mother and father roles, so yeah, she’s been a big rock in my life.
How easy was your progression in tennis while growing up?
The thing that I struggled with [back then] was getting to places – organising that sort of thing was a lot harder. [My grandma didn’t drive, so] I ended up having to organise lifts or get on public transport at night so that I could train. Getting over that was something I struggled with; sometimes I just wanted to go out with my friends – a much easier option. But my coach Jonny [Carmichael] helped me get into the mindset that these are the things you’ve got to do if you want to start moving forward. And I’ve always had a competitive nature.
What was it like swapping Hull for South Carolina when you were offered a scholarship in the US?
For sure I didn’t know what it was going to be like in the States. When someone mentioned the college route [to get to the pros], I knew that was the next step
Winning the NCAA men’s singles title in 2019 won you a wildcard entry to Wimbledon. What was it like to play on hallowed ground?
It’s the pinnacle of our sport and where everyone wants to be – you feel like royalty. It was completely unique. It was great to get that experience under my belt, although the match has pretty bad memories [he lost 3-1 in the first round]. I use that as extra motivation. It makes me strive to play there again in the future. I’ve got to get back and put it right.
You’ve been described as Andy Murray’s protégé. What’s the best advice he has given you?
It’s obviously good to be associated with Andy, be a part of his agency and also get to train with him, but I’m on my own journey. I’ve got to focus on that. Now I’m going to play a full year’s schedule, it’s inevitable that I’m going to lose more – only people like Novak [Djokovic] go week-to-week taking titles. The main thing Andy said was to focus on how I’m going to respond and not dwell on that loss. That’s the thing about tennis – you’ve got to go forward without letting the last week affect the next.
You already have a title under your belt in 2021, having won a tournament on the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour in Egypt. Is the top 100 in sight?
The main thing is getting a lot of matches under my belt. Hopefully I’ll get my ranking up a bit as well. I’m taking it match by match, though; if you think about the ranking too much it can get on top of you. I obviously have aspirations to get into the top 100, but what will be will be. It’ll come. Right now, I’ve just got to continue that momentum. Instagram: @pauljubb_99
Rebooting history
This archaeologist is doing more than digging up old relics – she’s laying foundations for the future
Words RACHAEL SIGEE Photography CHRIS SAUNDERS
In Ecuador’s Cotopaxi province, archaeological sites more than 500 years ago are in danger. Under threat from human interference, climate change, land development and – most unpredictable of all – a volcano active since 2015, these settlements dating from the late Inca period could soon be lost for ever.
Speaking to The Red Bulletin from her home in Paris, archaeologist Terry Madenholm is in a race against time. The 31-year-old is part of a team using cutting-edge drone technology and digital mapping to build 3D models and preserve a digital record of this precious South American heritage.
Born in Stockholm and raised in Poland, Madenholm has travelled the world extensively, though not always to uncover hidden wonders; she has also shot campaigns for the likes of L’Oréal, Clarins and L’Occitane in her sideline career as a model. Having initially only taken modelling jobs as a means of supplementing her archaeology studies, no one is more surprised than Madenholm that her time continues to be split between excavations and photoshoots. But it’s still the search for clues to the ancient world that excites her most.
“I think of myself as an archaeologist who just happens to be a model on the side,” she explains. “I like to think that each time I discover something, I travel in time. Whenever I put my hands into dirt, covered in mud and sweat, this is when time travel is happening for me.” bolder questions. I think the history of ancient cultures will be totally rewritten. Being able to make 3D reconstructions of monuments and artefacts is so important for preserving them for posterity and making them fully accessible. With what we’re trying to do in Ecuador, the technology is becoming so sophisticated, hence it democratises archaeology. Making 3D imaging of these monuments will break educational and cultural barriers.
What has been the highlight of your archaeology career to date?
Like most archaeologists, I’m still looking for my holy grail. But [my highlight so far] was uncovering a 2,000-year-old ring on the coast of Tel Aviv. When you work on a project for months, dreaming of finding something amazing, and then at the last minute, before the project is shut for the season, you’re able to find something like that in the ground… I felt in that instant as if it was dropped 2,000 years ago and all this time it was waiting, concealed, for me to unveil it. I know it sounds silly, but I started crying. I still hold on to a picture of it. When you find a piece like that – and it was obviously something sentimental, because a ring is personal – you instantly create a story about who made it, who wore it. I invented in my head a fat merchant, because the ring was huge – I could easily fit it on two fingers held together.
the red bulletin: What is it like being on a dig?
terry madenholm: It’s a full-on experience. It takes a lot of patience, perseverance and humility, because you don’t always reach your goals. Sometimes, over months or even years, you work on something that turns out to not be as fruitful as you’d wished. That’s the challenging part. There’s also your mental state and the physicality of the work during an excavation. You constantly struggle with yourself and push your own limits. But that’s one of the things I like about archaeology, because it really makes me feel alive.
How do you use technology to map and preserve ancient sites?
With [tools] like LiDAR [Light Detection and Ranging]. It’s actually very simple: a laser examines the surface of the Earth and creates a 3D image of what’s hidden beneath. These tools are very new to archaeology, but they’re so revealing and sometimes even more precise than decades-long surveys. One of the things that has really struck me over the years is how many sites are under threat because there aren’t enough resources to protect them. It’s not even about keeping them in a good state, but about keeping a good record. Using drones makes it easier and much quicker – you get a bigger view of the site and can quickly make a recording that would otherwise take months or even years.
What does this technology mean for the future of archaeology?
It can open new perspectives. With technology like LiDAR and drones, suddenly we start asking bigger,
What are your hopes for the future in your work?
I’d like to be surprised. That’s what is amazing about archaeology. When you think about Pompeii, historians were convinced that Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August, 79 AD. And yet, in 2018, an ancient inscription written in charcoal was discovered, which revealed the eruption took place two months later. It showed that archaeologists and historians get things wrong. That story speaks to me. I just want to be surprised. I want something to blow my mind. Terry Madenholm is a project partner for Drone Archaeology; dronearchaeology.com
Pictured: Terry Madenholm on location at Neolithic-period site La Cave aux Fées in Brueil-enVexin, near Paris, France
32 TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD 40 BIOHACKED PRO PLAYERS 46 THE USA GAME 50 FARA WILLIAMS 56 FANS IN FOCUS 66 SUPPORTERS’ STORIES
The story of football is filled with heroes: players, managers, trainers, fans... Over the following 36 pages you’ll encounter a few famous ones, some unknown, and others destined for legend. But all play a vital part in a tale that is far from complete and, as we’ll show, has its greatest moments yet to come
