For the inaugural episode of Sidetracked with Annie and Nick, Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw are joined by Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who shares his thoughts on AI, authenticity in music and the role of vinyl;
He said: “If you really want to listen to a record properly… I mean digital is toy town. Synthesizers, not you have AI, which is even more superficial… But AI is like anything else. It can either be a tool, or it can be a toy. And most times, all of these things become toys. But it’s like how you use it. Recording is a special art in a way. I don’t know really how to put it into words. Because I mean, if you could put music and what it does into words, there’d be no point in it. But vinyl will give you what’s real and I prefer to hear it that way. I like real.”
The due rake over the week in music including their experiences promoting the new podcast together. As they try to remember what they’ve been up to since they met back in the 00s, Nick recalls an awkward moment with Lady Gaga;
“Lady Gaga came in and had definitely not been to bed, she was beautifully chaotic, and was like ‘I want to play you my new music and I was like ok, great! Thinking, another time. And she took me into another studio and played me a song, and stood really close to me, which is my hell, and sung all her songs to me, in my face and she’d not been to bed and I had, and was like ‘oh yeah!’ trying to get into it. And it was good and I love her but it was just too much to handle”
We also hear what their reaction is to Usher being announced for this year’s Super Bowl half time show, discussing their favourite – and least favourite – Usher tracks. Nick and Annie share their thoughts on stan culture and the impact the intensity of some fandoms has on artists, following Doja Cat’s controversial tweet dismissing her fans.
Join Nick and Annie each week as they shoot the breeze about the world of music with the help of artists, friends, industry experts and listeners. The week in music and the week in their lives, Sidetracked with Annie and Nick is the destination for music and pop culture lovers looking for an authentic and hilarious take on the week’s most compelling stories, and getting seriously sidetracked along the way.
Sidetracked with Annie and Nick is available every Thursday on BBC Sounds.
