Anoushka Shankar, Arooj Aftab, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Nadine Shah talk about the role of spirituality in their music, what their sound gives the audience, and share thoughts on being women of colour in the music industry. Born in the UK, Anoushka Shankar spent her younger years in London and Delhi before moving to California. She began learning the sitar aged 9 with her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, and made her professional debut at 13. Since then has been nominated for nine Grammys,...

Steven Wilson, Roland Orzabal, Lucy Rose and Andy Partridge talk about the effect of fan expectations on the creative process, whether the world needs any more new music, and if “retro mania” is stopping rock music from evolving. Born in London and raised in Hemel Hempstead in the UK, Steven Wilson developed an interest in music as a child and was heavily influenced by Pink Floyd. His dad built him a multi-track tape machine when he was 12, which allowed him to start experimenting with...

Xefer, Apashe, Kovacs and Raja Kumari discuss singing in English or their native languages, overcoming obstacles due to where you live, and how to evolve as an artist through songwriting. Xefer was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and her journey in music started on YouTube where she would upload covers of herself performing songs in English of the likes of Bruno Mars, Jessie J and Paramore. She released her first single, Judge, in 2016, followed by her debut album, Uncaged, in 2017....

Devendra Banhart, Phil Elverum, Jenny Hval and Bedouine discuss eating on tour, how art is intimacy exposed, and what can be learned from terrible shows. Devendra Banhart, was born in Texas and raised between Venezuela and California, where he attended the San Francisco Art Institute. After dropping out in 2000, he started moving around different cities, experimenting with songwriting and busking as he went. When he released his second album, Oh Me Oh My, in 2002 ,he signed to XL Recordings,...

Lea Salonga, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Gerard Salonga and Daniel Edmonds discuss the process of working through a piece that isn’t going well, what drives them when starting a new project, and the most important things they look for in a performer of musical theatre. Lea Salonga has done everything from playing Kim in the original production of Miss Saigon, to playing Fantine and Éponine in Les Misérables. She has also released 12 of her own albums. Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record...

Jeff Mills, Neue Grafik, Prabhu Edouard and Knoel Scott talk about improvisational performance, rhythms as a form of communication and how technology is overtaking the artist. Jeff Mills started out on the Detroit techno scene in the 1980s before founding Underground Resistance with ‘Mad’ Mike Banks in 1989. He left Detroit for New York in 1991 (via a residency at Berlin’s mighty Tresor), to pursue a solo career and set up his own label, Axis. Since then, he’s released a number of projects,...

Eyedress, Homeshake, Na'Kel Smith and María Zardoya discuss the difficulties of re-capturing a moment, pushing everything else away when going through a creative block, and the importance of controlling your own visual identity. Eyedress is a singer, rapper and producer who grew up in the Philippines but moved to the USA with his family at the age of six. He grew up playing in punk bands, before moving back to Manila in 2005, where he formed garage pop band Bee Eyes. Meanwhile, he was...

Hak Baker, Benjamin Zephaniah, Celeste and Baxter Dury talk about writing whilst living in London, their view of success in their careers so far, and the impact of family and cultural history on their writing. Hak Baker was born in Luton and raised on the Isle of Dogs, in London. At a young age he was exposed to everything from reggae and dub to classic pop, R&B and soul via friends and family. His first introduction to performing was as part of the Southwark Cathedral choir, before...

British folk musicians Kathryn Tickell, Laura Cannell, Amy Thatcher and Ruth Lyon discuss their musical and personal identities, the music they made when they were younger, and whether or not place affects the music they create. Kathryn Tickell is from the North Tyne Valley of Northumberland and comes from a musical family of pipers, singers, fiddlers and accordion players. She took up the Northumbrian small pipes at the age of nine, and began learning tunes from old shepherd friends and...

Busiswa, DJ Lag, Karen Nyame KG and Scratchclart talk about the impact of the pandemic on amapiano and gqom, what it was like getting back to the clubs when things opened up again, and the global rise in popularity of these genres. Busiswa is a singer and poet from South Africa. Her music career began when she featured on Sir Bubzin’s track Syaphambana in 2011, and she’s since gone on to feature on DJ Zinhle’s global hit My Name Is, as well as Beyonce’s My Power as part of The Lion King: The...

Nitin Sawhney, Tim Burgess, Nainita Desai and Ayanna Witter-Johnson discuss how their family and cultural history impacts their creativity, being conscious of who they’re representing when creating, and how their output is a reflection of their changing identities. Producer, composer, and DJ Nitin Sawhney grew up studying the piano, guitar, sitar and tabla, and released his debut album Spirit Dance in 1993. Since then he has scored music for theatre, dance, video games and cinema, including...

Sampa the Great, Thandiswa Mazwai, Emmanuel Jagari Chanda and Mag44 discuss music standing the test of time, African music, and the new generation of musicians. Sampa the Great was born in Ndola in Zambia and became interested in music from a young age, writing poems and singing from the age of 9, spending time in both Zambia and Botswana. She released her first mixtape in 2015 whilst at university in Australia, and created a sound influenced by everything from classic hip-hop to Zamrock....

Indonesian musicians Rara Sekar, Sandrayati, Ugoran Prasad and Rully Shabara discuss music and social change, trying to thrive as musicians in the age of social media, and whether or not all musicians have an equal opportunity to succeed. Rara Sekar's career in music began as the vocalist for folk group Banda Neira, as well as a member of Daramuda. In 2020 she began her solo project hara, in which she creates a musical fusion inspired by folk, ambient and post-rock music. She is also an...

Gina Birch, Kathleen Hanna, Mark Moore, and Stephen McRobbie how their teenage years influenced their path into music, how it felt to be doing something creative and combative for a living, and being at peace with themselves later in life. Gina Birch was inspired to form post punk band the Raincoats after seeing the Slits in 1977. They recorded their self-titled debut album that same year, and went on to record three further albums, the last of which was released in 1996. She is also a...

Perera Elsewhere, Fever Ray, Paula Temple and Maral discuss how the space you’re in affects the music you write, the importance of mistakes or ‘curating errors’, and the significance of technology, particularly when music production software reaches new countries. Producer, songwriter, and DJ Perera Elsewhere was born in London and is now based in Berlin. She’s played shows at iconic venues including Berghain, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Hamburg Philharmonic. She performs in extraordinary...

José González, Vashti Bunyan and Erlend Øye discuss what draws them to create quiet music, how they approach playing it live, and its universal and trans-genre appeal. José González was born in Gothenburg in Sweden to Argentinian parents, and grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music. In 2003 he released his debut solo album ‘Veneer’. It featured a downtempo cover of The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’ which became an international success after being featured on a TV ad campaign. He’s celebrating...

Floyd Lavine, Lakuti, Coco Em and Desiree discuss where their inspiration comes from, the challenges of being an African artist trying to tour, and the Afro boom. Floyd Lavine's sound takes in influences from his childhood listening to Kwaito, soul, jazz and South African house, alongside the house and techno club sounds of London, and his adopted home town of Berlin. He runs his own label Afrikan Tales, and produces for international labels like Innervisions and Ninja Tune. Lakuti is a DJ...

Melike Şahin, Kutiman, Dijf Sanders and Ah! Kosmos discuss combining lyrics with music, working with others over long distances, and their favourite parts of the collaboration process. Melike Şahin was born in Istanbul, and developed a great interest in music as a child. After university she worked with Turkish psychedelic group Baba Zula, before beginning her solo career in 2017. Her sound navigates across Middle Eastern and Anatolian pop, and she collaborates with musicians from all over...

Ffour artists who are playing Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre in London - Sheila Maurice-Grey from Kokoroko Anja Plaschg (AKA Soap&Skin), Django Django’s Vinny Neff and Let's Eat Grandma’s Jenny Hollingworth - where to find inspiration outside of music, how to overcome creative blocks, and what they might be doing in a parallel universe. Sheila Maurice-Grey is a London-based trumpeter, vocalist and visual artist who leads eight-piece afrobeat, soul,...

Cello players Peter Gregson, Dobrawa Czocher, Dom La Nena and Sebastian Plano discuss working with new collaborators, overcoming creative blocks, and how to define success. Peter Gregson took up cello at age four after seeing James Bond sled down a mountainside on a cello case in The Living Daylights. You may have heard his cello solos in the soundtrack to the BBC's Sherlock series, or on the album ÷ (Divide) by Ed Sheeran. He released his latest solo album, Patina, in 2021. Dobrawa Czocher...

John Grant celebrates Music Life’s 200th episode with highlights from the shows to date. Nearly 800 singers, producers, DJs, visual artists, and performers have come to have a chat on the show so far, sharing their experiences and unique perspectives on their lives as musicians. To celebrate this milestone, this week we’re looking back at some of the best conversations from the series, featuring the likes of alt-pop artist Santigold, soul singer Gregory Porter, rock singer Skin from Skunk...

Deena Abdelwahed, 3Phaz, Aïsha Devi and débruit discuss the effect of using computers when writing music, dealing with the press and their labelling, and converting studio music into a live set. Deena Abdelwahed is a producer and DJ from Tunisia. She arrived in France at the age of 26 after earning her stripes in the Tunis scene as part of the Arabstazy collective. She has played for Boiler Room, and at iconic Berlin club Berghain. 3Phaz is a Cairo-based DJ obsessed with bass, distortion,...

Phil Selway, Hannah Peel, Valentina Magaletti, and Errollyn Wallen discuss how to progress from a blank page to a room full of musicians, navigating barriers to development, and balancing the various demands of being a musician. Phil Selway grew up in Oxfordshire and met his Radiohead bandmates at school. They formed the band in 1985 and released their debut album Pablo Honey in 1993. They’ve released nine studio albums to date. Phil’s debut solo album, Familial, came out in 2010, and he...

Sam Ryder, Mr. Lordi, Teya and Poli Genova discuss writing for Eurovision, how it impacts their creative process, and how they handle nerves on stage. Sam Ryder was inspired to get into music after seeing Sum 41 in concert when he was 11. He took up the guitar after seeing Lordi win Eurovision in 2006, and was also influenced by David Bowie and Queen. He co-founded a band called The Morning After, and during the first Covid lockdown he started posting cover songs on TikTok, which caught the...

Soweto Kinch, Eska, Esperanza Spalding and Tumi Mogorosi discuss responding artistically to lockdown, changing the ways they create and release music, and the latest idea they got excited about. Soweto Kinch was born in London to a Bajan father and British-Jamaican mother, and began learning saxophone at the age of nine. He discovered jazz in his teenage years and subsequently fell in love with it, with early influences including Wynton Marsalis and Frank Holder. He established the Soweto...