Drowned in Sound

What If You Could Taste Music? kwes. on his "dreamy" new LP on Warp

What happens when a producer and musician working with Solange, Rosie Lowe, Loyle Carner, and Kelela burns out, and a spilled glass of water shows him the way back?
Kwes. (Kwesi Sey) has spent fifteen years at the centre of London's most boundary-pushing music, from working with Bobby Womack to the Rye Lane soundtrack. But after years of studio sessions and collaborations, he needed a reset. The catalyst came from his daughter: she knocked over a drink mid-drawing, shrugged it off, and carried on. That moment became the blueprint for his new album Kinds, made in six months of late-night flow states, half-asleep at the keyboard.
The result is a 29-minute meditation on colour, memory, and sound. Every track is named after the hues kwes. experiences through synesthesia / chromesthesia (hearing colours).
We talk about making music without overthinking, why ambient records aren't minimal, the discipline of producing for other artists versus creating your own work, and what Beach Boys albums taste like.
Sean and kwes. also discuss burnout and creative recovery, the London scene that connects Damon Albarn to Tirzah to Speech Debelle, and why London needs creative spaces with affordable accommodation. kwes. reflects on the Barbican and Tate Modern premieres for Kinds, working with visual artist Ryan Vautier, and his hope that one day we'll be able to smell sound.
If there's a thread running through it all, it's this: rest is political. And sometimes the most radical thing you can do is stop overthinking and just make.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Edited by: tell.studio (Phil, Louisa, Owen, Matt)
 
Continue the Conversation: Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe: Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
kwes.:
Official website: https://kwes.info
Bandcamp: https://kwesmusic.bandcamp.com
Warp Records: https://warp.net/artists/kwes/
Films & Soundtracks:
Rye Lane (dir. Raine Allen-Miller): https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001k3tb/rye-lane
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story: https://www.londonsff.com/black-is-beautiful
Some of the artists mentioned:
Coby Sey (kwes.'s brother): https://cobysey.bandcamp.com
Elan Tamara (kwes.'s wife): https://elantamara.bandcamp.com
Loyle Carner: https://loylecarner.com
Kelela: https://www.kelela.com
Tirzah: https://tirzah.co.uk
Recorded at The Shure Experience Centre in LondonChapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction03:00:00 - What is minimalism?06:15:00 - Working with Solange and Kelela10:45:00 - The spilled drink catalyst14:30:00 - Making the record after burnout19:00:00 - Flow state and late-night writing22:25:00 - Newsletter ad break25:00:00 - Barbican and Tate Modern premieres28:30:00 - Synesthesia and colour-coded tracks32:00:00 - Qobuz ad break35:00:00 - Brian Eno and ambient music40:00:00 - Inspirations: Beach Boys, Pat Metheny47:00:00 - What does music taste like?50:30:00 - Creative spaces and accommodation54:00:00 - Hope for music in 2050

The Grassroots Pledge: Wrestling Instagram, Spotify, and the Arts Council with promoter David Littlefair

What does it actually mean to be a grassroots music promoter in 2026?David Littlefair joins the Drowned in Sound Podcast to discuss the grassroots pledge he's made with Marrapalooza, the DIY festival in Newcastle's Ouseburn Valley - redirecting ad spend away from Meta, refusing to book artists based on follower counts, and putting money back into the local scene instead of offshore platforms.
We also get into the bigger picture: why 85% of Arts Council music funding goes to opera and classical music while brass bands and folk get 0.6% each, how Spotify has spent fifteen years extracting hundreds of millions from British artists, and why the grassroots levy risks being offshored by Instagram ads.
David speaks from twenty years of promoting in the North East - from £1-on-the-door pub nights in Sunderland to putting on Sam Fender's second ever gig, to building a festival with a clear political philosophy. He talks about "algorithm begging," the case for community-owned venues modelled on working men's clubs, nd what he'd do with Daniel Ek's £500 million.
The Drowned in Sound Podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz - the ethical music streaming platform for music enthusiasts. Start your free trial at drownedinsound.org/playlists. This week's playlist (Jan/Feb 2026 favourites) + Qobuz free trial https://www.drownedinsound.org/playlists + Subscribe to the DiS Newsletter https://www.drownedinsound.org/newsletter
Links:
🎪 Marrapalooza 4: Wild and Fierce and Not Bothered — June 5–7 2026, Newcastle https://marrapalooza.co.uk 📄 Youth Music — "Just The Way It Is?" report https://www.youthmusic.org.uk 📄 IPPR — State of the North (arts and culture spending) https://www.ippr.org 📗 Liz Pelly — Mood Machine (Spotify book) https://lizpelly.info 🎵 Portions For Foxes (David's promoting name) — named after the Rilo Kiley song
Credits: Hosted, engineered, edited, researched, and produced by Sean Adams. Edited and mixed by Tell Studio. Recorded at The Shure Experience Centre, London. Guest: David Littlefair (Marrapalooza / Portions For Foxes).
For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power.
Mentioned in this episode: Marrapalooza · Portions For Foxes · Los Campesinos! · Soak · Milkweed · Lande Hekt · Jim Ghedi · Gwennifer Raymond · The Chisel · Militarie Gun · Mandrake Handshake · Sam Fender · Field Music · The Futureheads · Rilo Kiley · Caribou · Hundred Reasons · Kelly Lee Owens · PVA · Ella Harris · Gruff Rhys · Benefits · Ex Vöid · Justin Hawkins / The Darkness · Liz Pelly · Music Venue Trust · Arts Council England · PRS for Music · Help Musicians · Featured Artists Coalition · Democratic Business Alliance · Brass Band England · Qobuz · Spotify / Daniel Ek · Youth Music · Music Declares Emergency

When Boycotts Work: Arms, Hope and Soundtracking Brexit with Gazelle Twin

This is a conversation about what happens when artists discover their collective power.
In May 2025, electronic artist Gazelle Twin withdrew from her Kings Place residency over the venue's decision to host an arms industry conference sponsored by Lockheed Martin. Eleven days later, after 1,200+ artists and fans signed an open letter, Kings Place cancelled the event.
Elizabeth Bernholz (Gazelle Twin) talks about that moment and so much more. The musician meets Drowned in Sound founder to discuss creating Pastoral - the Brexit-adjacent album that Drowned in Sound gave 10/10 - moving from liberal Brighton to conservative rural England, the Fever Ray performance that changed everything, and why she performed unmasked for the first time for the album Black Dog after fourteen years...
We discuss the practical tactics of organizing boycotts, how PRS Foundation funding enabled some of her most political work, balancing motherhood with touring and activism, film scoring (Nocturne, The Power) as financial stability, and why she believes Ireland's basic income for musicians could transform the industry.
From "jaded, frustrated and largely insulted" by the music industry in 2009 to successfully being part of a boycott of the arms industry in 2025 - this is a story about resilience, solidarity, and the power of saying no.
LINKS:
Gazelle Twin: Official website: https://www.gazelletwin.com Bandcamp: https://gazelletwin.bandcamp.com Instagram: @gazelletwin
Organizations Mentioned: PRS Foundation: https://prsfoundation.com Help Musicians: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk Music Venue Trust: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com
Drowned in Sound: Newsletter signup: https://drownedinsound.org This week's playlist (featuring Gazelle Twin, Björk, David Bowie + Nine Inch Nails, Halsey): https://drownedinsound.org/playlists DiS review of Pastoral (10/10): https://drownedinsound.com/releases/20441/reviews/4152045
Try Qobuz - Free 30-day trial of high-quality, artist-friendly streaming: https://drownedinsound.org/playlists (includes Qobuz free trial link)
CREDITS:
Host: Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound founder) Guest: Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz) Recorded at: The Shure Experience Centre, London Mixed & Edited by: TELL Studios Presented in partnership with: Qobuz - the ethical music streaming platform
For 25 years, Drowned in Sound has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Newsletter signup: https://drownedinsound.org Instagram: @drownedinsound Playlist: https://drownedinsound.org/playlists
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction: Do Boycotts Actually Work? 03:48 - Pastoral and Excavating English Identity After Brexit 07:27 - Soundtracking National Horror 11:15 - The Fever Ray Epiphany: Costume as Liberation 14:30 - PRS Foundation Funding and DIY Sustainability 19:00 - Kings Place Boycott: How It Worked 23:45 - Advice for Artists Taking Stands 27:30 - Somerset House Residency and Continuing the Work 32:15 - [QOBUZ AD] 35:20 - Black Dog: Performing Unmasked for the First Time 38:45 - Film Scoring as Financial Stability 42:00 - Music as Therapy and Processing 44:30 - Motherhood, Touring, and Sustainability 47:15 - Ireland's Basic Income for Musicians 49:40 - £500 Million Question: Fixing the Music Industry 53:00 - Outro: The Power of Collective Action
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz), Fever Ray, MF DOOM, Nigel Farage, Daniel Ek, Scott Walker, Björk, Halsey, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, PRS Foundation, Kings Place, Lockheed Martin, Somerset House, Drowned in Sound, The Quietus, Ireland, Brighton, East Midlands. Film Scores: Nocturne (2020) The Power (2021, with Max de Wardener)

GIRLI on Fighting Back: Activism, Safeguarding & Turning Rage Into a Rallying Cry

GIRLI joins the Drowned in Sound Podcast to discuss her powerful new single 'Slap on the Wrist, which is a collaboration with recent podcast guest Eliza Hatch of Cheer Up Luv, built on real anonymous survivor testimonies filmed in real locations.
We also discuss the new Youth Music report "Just The Way It Is?" exposing the scale of unsafe conditions, unfair pay, and discrimination facing young people in the music industry. The stats are stark: 72% of young music industry workers have felt unsafe. 90% have been paid unfairly. 75% have considered giving up entirely.
GIRLI speaks with total honesty about being signed to a major label as a teenager, being sent to LA alone at 18 with no safeguarding, and being dropped by phone call at 21 with zero support. She talks about why the music industry still hasn't had its Me Too moment and what she'd do with £500 million to fix it, as well as why the silence of the biggest artists is the loudest statement of all.
⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussion of sexual harassment, assault, and industry exploitation. 
Links:
🎵 GIRLI — "Slap on the Wrist" https://girli.bfan.link/sotw
📄 Youth Music — "Just the Way It Is?" report https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/community/resource-hub/just-way-it-report
📄 Youth Music — Resources to promote safety and rights in music https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/resources/community/resource-hub/resources-promote-safety-and-rights-music-industries
📞 Rape Crisis England & Wales — 24/7 Support Line: 0808 500 2222 https://rapecrisis.org.uk
📞 WeAreMusic have compiled various campaigns and resources to help if you're dealing with harassment or abuse https://wearemusic.info/ 
💛 Cheer Up Luv https://www.cheerupluv.com
✊ Right to Be (GIRLI donated pre-save proceeds) https://righttobe.org
📰 DiS — "Why We Need to Talk About Speaking Out" (Nina Creswell feature) https://www.drownedinsound.org/why-we-need-to-talk-about-speaking-out/
🎧 DiS Podcast — Eliza Hatch / Cheer Up Luv episode https://www.drownedinsound.org/misogyny-in-music-the-numbers/ 
🏛️ CIISA — Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority https://ciisa.org.uk
🎤 Musicians' Union https://themu.org
🎤 Featured Artists Coalition https://www.featuredartistscoalition.com
💚 Help Musicians / Music Minds Matter https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk
🎵 "Believe Women" companion playlist + Qobuz free trial https://www.drownedinsound.org/playlists
📰 Subscribe to the DiS Newsletter https://www.drownedinsound.org/newsletter
Credits:
Hosted, engineered, edited, researched, and produced by Sean Adams Recorded at The Shure Experience Centre, LondonGuest: GIRLI (Milly Toomey) accompanied by Heather Swaine (Youth Music)
The Drowned in Sound Podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz — the ethical music streaming platform for music enthusiasts. Start your free trial at drownedinsound.org/playlists
For 25 years our publication and podcast has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power.
Mentioned in this episode:
Cheer Up Luv / Eliza Hatch · Youth Music · Musicians' Union · Music Guardians · Rape Crisis England & Wales · CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority) · Featured Artists Coalition · Help Musicians / Music Minds Matter · Kate Nash · Gazelle Twin · Sinéad O'Connor · MIA · Amy Winehouse · Lily Allen · Laura Mary Carter (Blood Red Shoes) · The Anchoress / 2% in Rising · Nina Creswell / Good Law Project · Patsy Stevenson · Raye · Right to Be

Why Hope Over Fear Trumps No Music On A Dead Planet: DiS meets PVA’s Ella Harris

"My brothers are 20 and they're always like 'we are so cooked.' And I'm just like no we're not. There's hope but you just gotta believe, you gotta believe in something."
That quote accidentally captures Music Declares Emergency's strategic shift from awareness to action. After five years of "No Music On A Dead Planet" the Hope Over Fear campaign is building action hubs in grassroots venues - real physical spaces where fans, artists, and local communities organize around the climate crisis.
In this episode, PVA front-person and MDE Campaigns Manager Ella Harris explains how the campaign works, why music fandom is inherently empathetic practice that translates to organizing power, and how she balances making escapist art (PVA's intimate new album No More Like This) with building climate infrastructure.
The conversation tackles touring economics (trains cost £150, flights are just £30), why even festival headliners need day jobs, artists' fear of speaking out, and what £500 million in carbon offset funds could actually fix if redirected toward infrastructure.
This is about hope over fear. Real-life organizing over digital despair. Infrastructure over individual guilt.
This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Qobuz, the ethical music streaming platform. Visit drownedinsound.org/playlists to discover new music in Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial at qobuz.com/dis. 
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction: No music on a dead planet
02:10 – Wearing multiple hats: PVA and Music Declares Emergency
05:00 – Music fandom as an empathetic practice
07:30 – From merch to movement
10:45 – Action hubs and the future of grassroots venues
15:30 – Touring economics, energy costs, and structural limits
19:00 – Artists, activism, and the fear of speaking out
24:30 – Nature, creativity, and why hope needs infrastructure
31:00 – What £500 million could fix in the music ecosystem
35:00 – AI, empathy, and what human music still does best
38:30 – Outro: Depth, not breadth
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Music Declares Emergency - Learn more about the No Music On A Dead Planet movement, the Hope Over Fear campaign, and how artists, industry, and fans can get involved.
Music Venue Trust - Support and protect the UK’s grassroots venues
The Green Rider - Ideas for ‘green’ clauses for inclusion as part of your tech or hospitality riders.
Hope Over Fear Campaign - The campaign funding real-world action hubs in grassroots venues, focused on collective climate action and community organising.
No Music On A Dead Planet - The global artist-led movement connecting music, fandom, and climate justice.
About the host:
Sean Adams is the founder of Drowned in Sound, an independent music publication championing underground and independent artists since 2000. DiS explores how music fans discover their collective power through journalism, podcasts, and community organizing.
Related episodes:
- Tori Tsui: "How Music Fans Became Climate Activists" (Brian Eno, Billie Eilish, Fossil Fuel Treaty)
- Giles Bidder: "Why Festival Headliners Still Need Part-Time Jobs" (101 Part Time Jobs, touring economics)
- EarthSonic Live: Music, ecology, and collective action from Manchester Museum
About Ella Harris:
Ella Harris is the front-person and vocalist of London post-punk/electronic trio PVA, whose second album 'No More Like This' (produced by Kwake Bass) explores desire, devotion, and emotional indentation through trip-hop-influenced soundscapes. 
As Campaigns Manager for Music Declares Emergency, she leads the Hope Over Fear campaign, establishing action hubs in grassroots venues across the UK and Ireland. Previously, she founded Group Therapy Collective during lockdown, releasing two compilations featuring Yard Act, Mandy Indiana, and others to raise funds for Help Musicians, Black Minds Matter, and Music Venue Trust.
Guest links:
- PVA on Bandcamp: https://pvaareok.bandcamp.com
- PVA on Instagram: @pva_are_ok
- Ella Harris on Instagram: @lime.zoda

Over A Million Free Tickets: Discover The Ticket Bank's Mission

Many who otherwise couldn't afford a £40 show, let alone a £300 festival ticket, have accessed gigs because of a new initiative called The Ticket Bank.
In this episode, DiS founder Sean Adams meets Jack from Tickets for Good and The Ticket Bank to understand how they're redistributing access to live music. From seeing empty seats at the O2 to a partnership with Barnardo's, followed by offering tickets to NHS workers, teachers, and carers, Jack explains how the infrastructure works, who it serves, and why more artists and venues need to get involved.
The conversation covers touring economics, dynamic pricing myths, and the uncomfortable reality that an industry generating billions still prices out the people who need culture most. If you're singing about inequality, why would you only perform for those who can afford it?
It’s an inspiring chat about who builds community, how change happens, and who the next generation of artists might not be without projects like this.
This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Qobuz, the ethical music streaming platform. Visit drownedinsound.org/playlists to discover new music in Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial at qobuz.com/dis. 
This week's companion playlist features calm, ambient music from the community's picks of the best post-classical, drone, and ambient records. Two hours of peaceful listening to help you through the fog. 
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Get Involved
For artists, promoters, managers, venues: Contact Jack directly to discuss partnerships Email: jack@theticketbank.org 
For eligible audiences: Register via Tickets for Good or the Ticket Bank. New events added daily around 9am.
Tickets for Good: https://ticketsforgood.co.uk
Ticket Bank: https://theticketbank.org
For everyone else:
Share this episode with musicians, venues, and local promoters
Tag artists in the comments and ask if they've heard of the Ticket Bank
Send to your MP or local council about arts access
If you know someone who might qualify, subtly share the links
Continue the Conversation
Join the Drowned in Sound community to discuss this episode http://community.drownedinsound.com 
Subscribe to the Drowned in Sound newsletter for weekly essays, interviews, and insights exploring music, culture, and collective power. http://drownedinsound.org 
Links & Resources
Tickets for Good: https://ticketsforgood.co.uk 
Ticket Bank: https://theticketbank.org 
Music Venue Trust: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: Why access to live music matters
01:20 - Empty seats at the O2: The origins of Tickets for Good
05:10 - Cost-of-living tickets and breaking industry stigma
07:00 - From Tickets for Good to the Ticket Bank
12:00 - How eligibility and verification work
16:00 - Touring economics and the dynamic pricing myth
18:15 - How artists, promoters, and managers can help
22:15 - Mental health, social prescribing, and cultural value
24:45 - What £500 million could fix
27:15 - Grassroots venues and inspiring the next generation
31:00 - How to register, donate tickets, or get involved
33:30 - Outro: Your mission

From 500 Podcasts to Radio 1: DiS meets 101 Part Time Jobs (Part 2)

Picking up where Part 1 left off, DiS returns to its conversation with Giles Bidder. Not to talk about how musicians survive, but about how stories travel, how listeners connect and what it really takes to build a music podcast in 2026.
In this second instalment, Sean Adams turns the lens on the medium itself (yes, we’ve gone meta). Drawing on nearly 600 episodes of 101 Part Time Jobs, Giles reflects on the craft of interviewing, the ethics of editing, and why the best conversations often need space to breathe. This is less about hustle and more about care: how to hold people well, how to listen properly, and how to build trust over time.
The conversation ranges from standout episodes and “slow-burn” storytelling to what it feels like to make work that actually helps people navigate their lives. Giles speaks openly about bad bosses, fear-based workplaces, and the quiet anger that fuels his show (as well as the small, human moments that make it worthwhile).
A love for radio runs through this episode: Giles describes producing Shaun Keaveny’s Community Garden Radio as a lesson in warmth, humour, and emotional intelligence on air. From there, the pair broaden out into why podcasts have become such a powerful space for connection, especially for people stuck in boring jobs, long commutes, or lonely routines.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Chapters
00:00 - Intro01:30 - Standout episodes and “slow-burn” editing03:20 - When to cut vs when to let a story breathe05:10 - What makes a “good” episode in hindsight07:00 - Work gaffs, embarrassment, and shared vulnerability12:00 - Bad bosses, anger, and fear-based workplaces14:00 - Why people are quietly quitting18:00 - Why podcasts work on boring journeys21:00 - Community Garden Radio and the art of warmth22:30 - What great broadcasting feels like24:00 - Power, responsibility, and attention25:30 - Why trust matters more than reach27:00 - Outro
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
From scout-hut gigs to the economics of touring, DiS sits down with Giles Bidder - host of 101 Part Time Jobs for an unsentimental look at how creative lives are actually sustained today.
In this first instalment, Sean Adams talks to one of the UK’s most quietly compelling broadcasters about the hidden labour behind music culture. Over nearly 600 episodes, Bidder has built one of the most humane music podcasts around, asking artists, writers, and comedians not about their success but about the jobs they’ve done to survive.
Giles explains how 101 Part Time Jobs emerged as both portfolio and refuge: a way to make sense of a patchwork career, rediscover belonging, and document how people navigate a system that rarely works in their favour. Along the way, the conversation takes in touring economics, merch, sync, class, and why even bands who play the Roundhouse still need “normal jobs.
What emerges is a stark but generous thesis: music is socially priceless and economically precarious. Until that gap closes, culture will continue to run on grit, goodwill, and vast amounts of invisible labour.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 - Intro 
01:26 - Sitting in the “other chair”: Giles as guest, not host
04:05 - Ska/punk origins, micro-prejudices, and how scenes teach you
07:45 - Why 101 Part Time Jobs began: Universal Credit, lockdown, stability
08:55 - Human curation and introducing unknown artists
11:25 - The myth of “making it”: Roundhouse bands with day jobs
13:55 - Why meaningful art can still leave artists broke
16:10 - Music is priceless but paid in grains of pennies
18:20 - Gilla Band, Lambrini Girls, and invisible cultural impact
19:25 - Class, rent, and the radical idea of simply covering your life
20:15 - Why customer-facing jobs matter (merch, coffee shops, respect)
23:55 - Hard work, timing, and opportunity
25:20 - Standout episodes and the “slow-burn” edit
29:10 - Bad bosses, anger, and fear-based workplaces
31:55 - Power, responsibility, and attention in podcasting
44:07 - The importance of having your own project and taking the time
46:55 - Outro
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
101 Part Time Jobs (Giles Bidder) 
Community Garden Radio (Shaun Keaveny) 
Music Venue Trust - protecting grassroots venues 
Gilla Band 
Lambrini Girls 
Soho Radio
Reading Festival
 

Why Some Festival Headliners Still Need Part-Time Jobs (Part 1)

From scout-hut gigs to the economics of touring, DiS sits down with Giles Bidder - host of 101 Part Time Jobs for an unsentimental look at how creative lives are actually sustained today.
In this first instalment, Sean Adams talks to one of the UK’s most quietly compelling broadcasters about the hidden labour behind music culture. Over nearly 600 episodes, Bidder has built one of the most humane music podcasts around, asking artists, writers, and comedians not about their success but about the jobs they’ve done to survive.
Giles explains how 101 Part Time Jobs emerged as both portfolio and refuge: a way to make sense of a patchwork career, rediscover belonging, and document how people navigate a system that rarely works in their favour. Along the way, the conversation takes in touring economics, merch, sync, class, and why even bands who play the Roundhouse still need “normal jobs.”
What emerges is a stark but generous thesis: music is socially priceless and economically precarious. Until that gap closes, culture will continue to run on grit, goodwill, and vast amounts of invisible labour.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Chapters
00:00 - Intro 
01:26 - Sitting in the “other chair”: Giles as guest, not host
04:05 - Ska/punk origins, micro-prejudices, and how scenes teach you
07:45 - Why 101 Part Time Jobs began: Universal Credit, lockdown, stability
08:55 - Human curation and introducing unknown artists
11:25 - The myth of “making it”: Roundhouse bands with day jobs
13:55 - Why meaningful art can still leave artists broke
16:10 - Music is priceless but paid in grains of pennies
18:20 - Gilla Band, Lambrini Girls, and invisible cultural impact
19:25 - Class, rent, and the radical idea of simply covering your life
20:15 - Why customer-facing jobs matter (merch, coffee shops, respect)
23:55 - Hard work, timing, and opportunity
25:20 - Standout episodes and the “slow-burn” edit
29:10 - Bad bosses, anger, and fear-based workplaces
31:55 - Power, responsibility, and attention in podcasting
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources
101 Part Time Jobs (Giles Bidder) 
Community Garden Radio (Shaun Keaveny) 
Music Venue Trust - protecting grassroots venues 
Gilla Band 
Lambrini Girls 
Soho Radio
Reading Festival

Kelly Lee Owens: Record Shops, Raves, and Rebuilding Music From the Ground Up

Fresh from touring stadiums with Depeche Mode, DiS meets electronic music pioneer to discuss her past, the present, and the future of music.
This is part of Drowned in Sound’s 25th anniversary series in which Sean Adams continues the anniversary series by sits down with some of our favourite acts of the past quarter century. Kelly Lee Owens is very much one of those artists, who has featured in DiS year end lists and awards and playlists since releasing her debut EP.
The episode starts on the education that comes from working in record shops and becomes a wide-ranging conversation about how music communities form, fracture, and sometimes regenerate. Moving across North Wales to London basements, from pressing white labels by hand to playing for 75,000 people with Depeche Mode, Kelly Lee Owens traces a path through all corners of music: the shops, venues, teachers, collectives, community centres, and accidental mentors that shaped her, her music, and her career.
Sean and Kelly chat about their working class roots, the discipline of DJing as storytelling, and the economics of grassroots music. Kelly Lee Owens reflects on why she now deliberately plays shows in places artists rarely go, why she sees music as a form of healing as much as entertainment and why community matters more than scale.
If there’s a thread running through it all…it’s this: music isn’t a product or a pipeline. It’s a relationship. And like any relationship, it needs time, space, and care to survive.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Record shops as education and community
05:05 - Obsession, discovery, and how taste is formed
10:00 - The early 2010s shift: risk, hedonism, and electronic culture
13:05 - DIY culture, SoundCloud, and pressing your own records
15:00 - Human curation vs automation and playlists
22:10 - Playing huge rooms: Depeche Mode, confidence, and scale
26:05 - Returning to small places: community shows and access
29:00 - Grassroots collapse, class, and structural inequality
32:10 - What £500 million could fix in music culture
42:05 - Music as healing, frequency, and emotional space
48:25 - The future: rebuilding value, community, and care
50:15 - Outro
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Music Venue Trust — protecting grassroots venueshttps://www.musicvenuetrust.com
David Byrne — How Music Workshttps://davidbyrne.com/books/how-music-works
Fabric London — venue history and cultural importancehttps://www.fabriclondon.com
Piccadilly Records (Manchester)https://www.piccadillyrecords.com
Pure Groove Records (London)https://puregroove.co.uk
Kelly Lee Owenshttps://kellyleeowens.com
Stop Making Sense — Talking Headshttps://www.talkingheadsofficial.com
Cocteau Twinshttps://cocteautwins.com
The Knife — Silent Shouthttps://theknife.net
Warehouse Project (Manchester)https://www.thewarehouseproject.com
Neuadd Ogwen / Bethesda community venuehttps://neuaddogwen.com

Our 2026 predictions: New Acts, Big comebacks, Gig ticket laws, and more

So what will 2026 sound like?
In this episode, Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams and journalist Emma Wilkes look into their crystal balls (and the release schedules). 
Tips on which artists should break through and the corporate barriers they’ll need to navigate.
Beyond tipping season, we explore the strange absence of shared musical moments, the growing anxiety around AI-generated music, the slow unravelling of trust in big tech platforms, and whether changes to ticketing, touring, and grassroots funding might start to rebalance power (and money) back towards scenes.
There are also predictions - some cautious, some hopeful, some deliberately ridiculous. This episode tries to map the forces underneath the surface…the things that will shape what we hear, how we find it, and what it means to care about music in the first place.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Edited by: 
Josh Craggs at Dubble Audio
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: What will music be like in 2026?02:30 - New bands, tipping season, and who breaks through next06:50 - Scenes, genres, and the collapse of old categories12:00 - Cities as culture: Leeds, Liverpool, Brighton, Beirut16:40 - Resilience, mental health, and sustaining music ecosystems20:40 - Grassroots levies, touring economics, and venue survival26:00 - Ticketing, regulation, and the slow response to abuse28:20 - AI, platforms, and the erosion of trust30:30 - Predictions: returns, collaborations, and surprise records35:20 - Tech futures, headphones, and augmented concerts38:50 - Hope, uncertainty, and what comes next
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
FanFair Alliance - ticketing transparency and anti-touting campaigning
Music Venue Trust - grassroots venue support and levy campaigning
UK Government - ticket resale reform & consultation
Action Fraud -  advice on ticket scams and resale fraud 
Subvert - artist / label-owned music platform
Bandcamp - direct-to-fan model and editorial writing
The Jump - Shirley Manson's podcast
Vespertine - Björk's podcast