Emma Anderson - Further Listening Playlist
To coincide with the release of her solo debut album, Pearlies, Lush co-founder Emma Anderson has made us this Further Listening playlist.
One of the most underrated British songwriters to emerge from the era that encompassed shoegaze and Britpop, she has teamed up with producer James Chapman (aka Maps) for this collection that combines effervescent electronic pop with psych and folk textures with lyrics covering themes such as confronting your fears, embracing independence and moving on in life.
BUY: Pearlies
I Break Horses – I’ll Be The Death Of You
I was listening to Warnings a lot around the time I was working on Pearlies. It’s a great album. This is one of my favourite tracks on it.
Ladytron – Ace of Hz
I used to work for Ladytron’s management company and became good friends with them. Danny co-produced Lush’s Blind Spot EP back in 2016.
Goldfrapp – Stranger
The same company also used to manage Goldfrapp, who I love. I think Tales of Us is actually my favourite album of theirs. I really like its cinematic quality and the songwriting and production are incredible.
The Human League – WXJL tonight
This was always my favourite track of their earlier years when Martin Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were in the band. I love the odd rhythm of it.
Concretism – Of Frisbees and Pylons [VIDEO]
The title refers to that infamous Public Information clip from the ’70s that mentally scarred a generation of British children! James (Chapman, aka Maps, who produced Pearlies) was very grateful when I alerted him to this.
Mark Pritchard – Sad Alron
Another artist James and I spoke about. I don’t know who Alron is or why he or she is sad, but the track is haunting and moving and has a filmic quality.
Chris Harwood – When I Come Home [VIDEO]
Andy Votel’s Finders Keepers record label reissued this. There is an instrumental section in it where the chords rise and rise and it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Wonderful and worth seeking out.
Jessica Pratt – Poly Blue
She is sometimes described as folk, and some of her songs are definitely in that vein, but there is definitely a jazz influence going on too. She’s one of a kind.
Warpaint – Stevie
This track is superb – it’s got a slight groove, a brilliant melody to it but is understated and it’s also got an almost MOR/’70s feel.
Siouxsie And The Banshees – Spellbound
On my song ‘The Presence’ I said to James can you add some drums a bit like in Spellbound and it took him about 20 seconds to do exactly that.
Serge Gainsbourg – Cargo culte
L’Histoire de Melody Nelson is one of my favourite albums of all time. The choral arrangement on this has an almost religious quality; you can imagine hearing those voices in a cathedral. I asked Richard Oakes to contribute Some Serge-type guitar on ‘Bend the Round’ and he did. Very successfully, I think.
BUY: Pearlies