FEATURE:
With Your Beauty's Potency
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the EMI Records office, London in March 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Jill Furmanovsky
Kate Bush’s Influence on Modern Songwriters
___________
I have covered this topic before…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush performing live on stage at the Hammersmith Odeon on the penultimate date of her European tour on 12th May, 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Still/Redferns
in other features through the years. You sometimes get talk that someone is ‘the new Kate Bush’ or that there is someone just like her. Whether directly or not, there are so many upcoming songwriters that have an element of Bush about them. Her albums are so broad and different, it is inevitable that artists from across various genres have been inspired by her talent. I think that there is a general warmth and power that emanates from all of Kate Bush’s music that has drawn so much out of the new generation of songwriters. I think Bush’s natural warmth and kindness has influenced more than musicians. I read an article, where Pete Bennett asked Kate Bush (via a letter) to give his girlfriend, Nikki Grahame, a pep talk. Grahame sadly died recently (she died after a lifelong battle with anorexia). As he and Grahame were fans of her work, Bennett thought of Bush when it came to finding someone who might be able to offer solace and encouragement to Grahame. I think that, whether through her music or interviews, that is this natural grace and beauty from Bush that people gravitate towards. She is held in such high affection by people from all walks of life. For artists, her music offers so much guidance and so many possibilities. Every year, a whole crop of promising singer-songwriters are linked to Kate Bush. In some cases, this can be easy and lazy labelling. Any artist – of all genders – who possesses a similar vocal style or aesthetic likeliness gets compared with Bush. I guess it is flattering but, in a lot of cases, it is either off the mark or a little kind to an artist that is not that strong.
That said, I think that anyone who takes Bush’s music to heart and counts her as an influence should be highlighted. I am always interested to hear those who look up to Bush or have been influenced by her in some way. Alicia Blue is an artist that I have been aware of for a while. As this article from American Songwriter outlines, Blue talked about Bush as she has covered Hounds of Love’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God):
“The lyric always leads, and the music always follows, but when the words belong to someone else, emotion leads the way. Initially uninterested in the lyrics to the Hounds of Love track, Blue instead tapped into what she was feeling inside—and something in the chords, in the melody and how both united. Then, Blue became “intimate” with the words—a song Bush wrote exploring the misunderstandings between a man and a woman, and what would happen if they swapped roles for awhile, through a deal with God—and the song became person for her.
“There was still a ton of mystery there,” reveals Blue. “I couldn’t make much of her lyrics in a literal way, but everything felt undeniably true… It felt universal and completely singular all at once. That’s how I knew this would be something I could sing for a long time, even if I didn’t write it.
She adds, “‘Running Up That Hill’ feels like a conversation that is ever-evolving. It’s a big song, because you can hear your own life echoed inside of it. It’s collective, and in a world where you can’t be everything to everyone, it’s everything. That’s the hit I get from it”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Georgia/PHOTO CREDIT: Gem Harris for Loud and Quiet
All around the world, artists are either tackling Bush’s songs or one can detect essence of Bush in original recordings. Quite a lot of young artists are providing their own takes on brilliant Bush tracks. I think that Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is especially revered. Last year, our very own Georgia put her spin on it. One young artist, Christine Bratherton has definite hints of Bush in her own sound:
“Christie Bratherton, from Wincham, wrote her first song when she was only 13.
With tenderness and emotion, she captures her feelings in thoughtful lyrics.
The 26-year-old has won much acclaim from all over the world for her first EP, Fish Out Of Water, released a month ago.
"I had over 1,000 streams on Spotify," said Christie, who used to live in Winsford. "Music has always played a big part in my life. I used to come home from school and play my guitar for five hours until I fell asleep.
Her emotive voice has been compared by music critics to Kate Bush, Liz Fraser, Lucy Rose and Julianne Regan”.
There are a lot of fascinating and eclectic artists who one can trace back to Kate Bush. SPELLING’s new track, Little Deer draws comparisons to Bush. I think that, the more her music is played on radio and the more books/magazines dedicated to her get to people, the more artists we will see who, in their own way, keep Bush’s flame alive.
Of course, Kate Bush has not retired or signalled any intent to quit music. As a pioneer and an artist with so many facets and unique edges, I am interested to see how her legacy transforms and touches music in the years to come. It is not only a new breed of artists who consciously or not remind one of Kate Bush. As this 2020 article from COMPLEX states, Bush has impacted and inspired some major artists:
“If you haven’t been as lucky to come across Kate Bush’s music in a film or through the recommendation of a friend, there's a chance you’ve unknowingly grown accustomed to the sounds she pioneered. From FKA Twigs’ Magdalene to Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Bush’s influence—whether direct or not—exists in so many modern pop projects today. Hints of her dramatic vocals carry on through Florence Welch’s delivery and her experimental, futuristic production provided a blueprint for artists like Charli XCX to push pop forward. Her mime-like dance moves coupled with intimate orchestration is echoed in Lorde’s performances. Sinead O’ Connor’s penetrating lyrics in “Troy” and Sia’s roaring vocals in “Chandelier” both conjure the spirit of Kate Bush. Her heirs include other greats like Tori Amos, Björk and Enya. Even electronic artists like Grimes and rock artists like Stevie Nicks have been compared to the UK artist.
IN THIS PHOTO: Grimes
She is highly praised by her peers, too. Big-time artists like St. Vincent and Adele have publicly expressed how Bush’s music influenced their own work. Prince noted her as his favorite lady. Even Tupac was a Kate Bush fan. Big Boi, a longtime stan of “Running up That Hill,” shared that he would listen to the song everyday on his bike ride to and from school. During a phone call earlier this month he told us, “I fell in love with her songwriting and how her songs would tell stories. It was deep. From there she became one of my two favorite artists." The connection he formed to Bush's music grew so deep that he spent a week in England trying to pin her down while he was in town for press meetings”.
Even though I don’t think we will ever see anyone quite like Kate Bush in the future, it is always encouraging and heartening to see how her music has made such a different to so many songwriters. I have mooted in the past how there should be a Bush covers album or artists coming together to do a project around Bush’s music. I am writing some anniversary features around Director’s Cut and the fact that it turns ten next month. Even though 2011 was the year we saw the most-recent Bush album (50 Words for Snow) her influence is everywhere. The importance of what she does and how she has affected and driven legions of artists is evident and remarkable. In Kate Bush, here is a genius, amazingly original songwriter and voice…
SO many of us follow and worship.