FEATURE: I Give Them What They Want to Hear: The Varied and High-Profile Love for Kate Bush in 2024

FEATURE:

 

 

I Give Them What They Want to Hear

PHOTO CREDIT: Assai Records (Glasgow) 

 

The Varied and High-Profile Love for Kate Bush in 2024

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THERE have been a few releases and occasions recently…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix/Getty Images

that shows there is this varied and huge love out there for Kate Bush. That her appreciate spans far and wide. It may seem obvious but, in 2024, it seems to be at this new peak. Probably broader and more ecstatic than at any other time. Perhaps not at the same extent as a major modern icon like Taylor Swift, it is still amazing to think that an artist like Kate Bush – who has been recording music for fifty years – is still being discussed so much. I shall come to a new edition of a Kate Bush biography that is coming out in July. Yesterday (20th April), Record Store Day happened in the U.K. One of the special releases was a 10” edition of the Kate Bush single, Eat the Music. Looking beautiful and snapped up around the U.K., it was great seeing all the smiling faces of people who got their copy! Queuing up at independent stores, so many Kate Bush fans claimed their copy. Also out at the moment, a new edition of MOJO magazine finds Kate Bush adorning the cover. Inside, writer and author Tom Doyle discusses Kate Bush’s early years. That transition from this teenage songwriter who signed a deal with EMI and soon was thrust into the limelight. It is a wonderful feature from Doyle. He wrote the biography, Running Up That Hill: 50 Visions of Kate Bush. Later in the year, Baby Bushka are heading to the U.K. A tribute to Kate Bush, they will be performing a selection of Kate Bush material and the Folk songs that inspired her. We also have amazing tribute artists like An Evening Without Kate Bush (Sarah Louise Young), and a recent tribute by Sooz Kempner.

There has been this new swirl of Kate Bush affection and representation. I think that we will see more of that as the year progresses. Look on social media and every day you will see so many people discussing Kate Bush and her music. As I have said before, you can see how Kate Bush’s music has influenced modern artists. New acts like The Last Dinner Party and established artists like Dua Lipa clearly have been affected and inspired by Kate Bush. There is this mix of high-profile acknowledgment from artists and the passion that fans show. From grabbing Eat the Music at independent record shops recently to the daily discussion about Kate Bush, her fandom is rising and expanding. Leah Kardos has written a book about Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love for the 33 1/3 series. It is out in November. As we are still in April, we are going to see a lot more Kate Bush activity in terms of magazine articles and books. Who knows what will come. It is always wonderful seeing Kate Bush’s music and brilliance spread far and wide (though radio stations still stick to the hits/Hounds of Love). From long-time fans who were out there for Record Store Day alongside new fans through to authors and journalists who are ensuring that Bush’s legacy and career is highlighted and dissected, there is this ocean of love and respect out there. One of the greatest Kate Bush authorities – perhaps the best -, Kate Bush News, have their wonderful podcast. Between Kate Bush News reporting all the latest and exciting happenings (including Bush donating and two amazing, signed Boxes of Lost at Sea artworks to the Cabaret vs Cancer charity), and the podcast bringing in guests who have worked with Kate Bush, we are getting all this exposure and revelation. The artist herself engaging with fans.

It is a really amazing time for Kate Bush fandom. So many interesting things happening. One of the big occurrences later this year is when Graeme Thomson’s Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush is reissued. Expanded and updated, this is a book everyone needs to pre-order. Not only is there a foreword from the brilliant authour and journalist Sinéad Gleeson (who edited the must-read This Woman’s Work with Kim Gordon), but there are going to be contributions and quotes from some big-name Kate Bush fans. The fact that we now have Gleeson, a wonderful author and writer, adding to this new edition is exciting enough. The revision of the book shows that a lot has happened in Kate Bush’s career over the past few years to justify it. Also, inside the book, there will be contributions from Kate Bush fans such as Paddy McAloon (Prefab Sprout). That is quite a big coup. I knew he was a fan of hers, though I listen to Prefab Sprout and can see a line between the two. Some definite crossover. Also contributing is journalist Jude Rogers and musician Jim Kerr. Maybe it is not a surprise that there is this embrace and variegated curiosity for Kate Bush. There are artists who have not released albums in a long time/retired who get books and articles written about them. Once more, it makes me feel how we definitely need a new and comprehensive Kate Bush documentary. I am shocked that there is nothing announced already.

Who are still being discussed in the media and are relevant. I remember reading articles written about Kate Bush prior to the pandemic that asked whether she is still relevant. That she has faded from view. Now, there is this sense of revival and explosion. The truth is that Kate Bush has never gone away. It is true that she has gained a lot of momentum and fresh fans since, say, 2019. There are reasons for this. I suppose the fact Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was featured In Stranger Things started this chain and snowball (her song featured in an episode that broadcast in 2022). Kate Bush reissued her lyrics book, How to Be Invisible, last year. The original came out in 2018. She has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently. Bush also has been quite active in terms of reissuing her studio albums. Released through her label, Fish People, it gives new fans a chance to pick up these amazing albums. Some felt that the reissues were a cash-grab, though I think it is her making sure that people appreciate and discover her albums on vinyl. Also, they were exclusively released through independent record stores. Bush realising how important these are to the fabric of the high street. With everything she does, there is this passion for physical music. I would like to think she’d be open to expanded anniversary reissues of her albums. Hounds of Love turns forty next year. A perfect excuse to open this album up. Some might say, as it has been reissued recently and in a special presentation, that it may be overkill putting it out again. I do feel that the inclusion of the B-side, Under the Ivy, plus any unreleased treasures from the archive would warrant a fortieth anniversary release.

All of this has combined to ensure that Kate Bush is very much being talked about! It is amazing to see. I do feel that this year will be another busy one in terms of representation and growth. Every time a book is released or we see magazine coverage or there are updates from Kate Bush, this reaches new corners of the globe. The humble and honest Kate Bush superfans alongside respected journalists and famous artists who are showing their love for an icon. All of this makes my mind and imagination race. Possibilities and potential. Not least a new album and whether that will come. Anything planned for The Sensual World’s thirty-fifth anniversary in the autumn. Maybe a new documentary or project that recognises the way Kate Bush has inspired a new generation. More podcasts and books. I think that it is unlikely we will hear any announcement from Kate Bush regarding a new album or anything we have not heard. I feel she is going to provide updates to her website and donate more items to charity. A signed goodie that is going into a prize draw to raise money for War Child is another example of Kate Bush engaging with charity. It also brings fresh love her way. People curious to know more about her and check out her music. Kate Bush proving she is a very special artist and human! Knowing Kate Bush is out there in the world and is at least aware that there is this acknowledgement of her music and importance must be very humbling.

It is a very busy and fascinating time to be a Kate Bush fans. I feel there has been more activity and attention paid to her music than at any time of her career. So many people recognising her impact and originality. Every new magazine feature or book not only is a revelation from someone who adores what Kate Bush does. For people like me, who writes a lot about Kate Bush, there is always something new to discover. I think 1974 is the year when she signed to EMI - I know she signed a contract in 1976, though I think there was some motion and agreement in 1974 -, so it is fifty years after this important moment for a then-teenager. I love how Bush herself is at the stage in her career where she is happy to acknowledge and reissue her older work. Not always the case, I hope that we get a Director’s Cut/50 Words for Snow situation: Bush tackling and addressing previous work to clear the way for new. Yesterday’s Record Store Day created a lot of joy. Music fans attending record stores and finding some rarities and special releases. Among the most awesome images was Kate Bush fans proudly showing off their copies of the 10” of Eat the Music (where I think Lily and Big Stripey Lie is also included). It got me thinking about how it is part of this year where there are Kate Bush projects and salutes through media and print. Through music and social media. Fans well-known and street-level showing Kate Bush…

PHOTO CREDIT: The state51 Conspiracy

ALL the love.

Sam Liddicott