The Anchoress joins Elton John on Apple Music 1 to discuss her recent album 'The Art of Losing'. She tells Elton why collaborating with James Dean Bradfield was a 'dream come true' and delves into the production process behind the record. Also in the interview, Elton expresses his support for female artists, noting that in his view, "the boys are lagging behind".
The Anchoress Tells Elton John About Collaborating With James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers…
We are good friends now, yeah. I mean, I grew up just completely idolising the band. So for me, it was a bit of a dream come true to duet on their record, their last album. And then, I thought, "Well, I'll ask him if he'll return the favour on mine," which he dutifully did. I don't know if it was under duress. But yeah, it was amazing to hear that song back, something that I'd written, and then hear our voices together, when I'd grown up singing along to Manic records since I was 12 years old. So it was just, yeah, mad, absolutely mad.
The Anchoress Tells Elton John About Self-Producing Her Album ‘The Art Of Losing’ …
I wrote and produced the entire thing myself in the studio here, that you can see. So I had that luxury of not having an A&R person over my shoulder saying, "Oh, we need a couple more tunes like this." So it is completely an artistic indulgence. And how often do you get to do that anymore?
The Anchoress Tells Elton John That Her Work Has A 'Filmic Quality'...
I mean, I was really lucky to get to do a kind of expanded three-CD edition. And it's got these beautiful alternative images, very David Lynch inspired. It's almost like there is a kind of filmic quality, I guess, to the album. And it takes the listener on a journey. I'm desperate to play, but equally, we've got to be careful about playing live. And it's just unknown at the moment, isn't it? I think we're all in the same boat.
Elton John Tells The Anchoress That Female Artists ‘Are Doing All The Good Work’…
I can see the vision in the songs, a bit like Rina Sawayama. The female artists at the moment are doing all the good work. The boys are lagging really, really behind… It's all about the females at the moment, as far as I'm concerned.
