On the eve of their UK tour, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of the seminal Eighties pop rockers sit down for an emotional conversation about grief, primal therapy and finding catharsis on stage. (The Independent) Continue reading
Filed under The Independent …
National Wake: the multiracial South African punk band that rebelled against apartheid
New documentary ‘This is National Wake’ tells the story of an outlaw group whose very existence was an act of defiance. Guitarists Ivan Kadey and Steve Moni, along with director Mirissa Neff, talk to me about banned tours, police harassment and saying ‘f*** you to the system’. (The Independent) Continue reading
Nova Twins: ‘You have to make room for new bands, otherwise rock will die’
As their electrifying second album ‘Supernova’ is released, the game-changing British alt-rock duo talk to me about representation, redefining rock stardom and why the Grammys need to get with the times. (The Independent) Continue reading
John Waters: ‘I’m tired of being respectably gay’
As the legendary director’s exercise in poor taste ‘Pink Flamingos’ turns 50, the Pope of Trash talks to me about his preferred royal pronouns, groundbreaking ‘Simpsons’ appearance and why his films still have the power to shock. (The Independent) Continue reading
Inside 1970s Hollywood cult The Source Family: ‘We were daring. We were beautiful. We were the darlings of LA’
Led by the charismatic Father Yod, The Source Family grew to fame in the Seventies with their radical commune, psychedelic music and star-studded health food restaurant. Family member Isis Aquarian and director Jodi Wille tell me about plans to publish the group’s fascinating archives. (The Independent) Continue reading
Norm Macdonald’s Nothing Special is quite the opposite
The late stand-up’s new work is the first Netflix comedy special to come from beyond the grave. This poignant and hilarious goodbye from the master of the shaggy dog story is a must-watch. (The Independent) Continue reading
George RR Martin: ‘I don’t understand how people can come to hate so much something that they once loved’
The ‘Game of Thrones’ creator sits down with me at the Santa Fe Literary Festival to discuss toxic fans, the enduring influence of Marvel’s Stan Lee, and the new HBO series ‘House of the Dragon’. (The Independent) Continue reading
Valeria Luiselli: ‘Borders are testing grounds for brutality’
The Mexican-born, New York-based author talks to me at the Santa Fe Literary Festival about finding herself as a writer, her work with unaccompanied children seeking asylum and her ongoing project to capture the borderlands in a sonic essay. (The Independent)
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Don Winslow: ‘We’re fighting Trump and the Trumpists, and the imitators’
At the Santa Fe Literary Festival the bestselling crime writer tells me about what mobsters have in common with classical mythology, social media skirmishes and why the left needs to reclaim patriotism. (The Independent) Continue reading
‘He was making fun of these motherfuckers’: Why George Carlin’s radical underdog comedy is still so relevant
Fourteen years after his death, the iconoclastic comedian’s material regularly goes viral on social media. I talk to Carlin’s daughter Kelly, his manager Jerry Hamza and director Judd Apatow about new documentary ‘George Carlin’s American Dream’ and why the taboo-busting stand-up is still having the last laugh. (The Independent) Continue reading
Joy Oladokun: ‘You might want me to sing pretty love songs, but as an artist there are things I need to talk about’
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter speaks to me about writing protest music for modern times, dreamy new single ‘Purple Haze’ and becoming the ‘black Bruce Springsteen’. (The Independent) Continue reading
‘American Casablanca’: How Miami Vice reinvented noir for the MTV generation
As the Michael Mann-directed ‘Tokyo Vice’ arrives in the UK, I look back at the ground-breaking Eighties series which inspired it, from its super-chic aesthetic and unprecedented budget to its rock’n’roll guest stars. (The Independent) Continue reading
Paul McCartney proves he was the coolest Beatle all along
At LA’s SoFi Stadium, the 79-year-old breathes fresh life into the classic tunes that established him as the planet’s greatest living songwriter. (The Independent) Continue reading
John Grisham: ‘Non-lawyers who write legal thrillers often get things so wrong’
Ahead of his appearance at the Santa Fe Literary Festival, the bestselling author talks to me about the real-life moment that inspired ‘A Time to Kill’, why innocent people are still being locked up, and what aspiring thriller writers need to get right in chapter one. (The Independent) Continue reading
Graham Nash: ‘I don’t think anybody can tell the real story of what happened with CSNY, not even us’
On a new live album, the 80-year-old living legend and former Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young troubadour revisits his Seventies solo records. He talks to me about being dumped by Joni Mitchell, pulling his music from Spotify, and military madness in 2022. (The Independent) Continue reading
Herb Alpert: ‘I was rich, I was famous and I was miserable’
The iconic Sixties trumpeter talks to me about his hit-filled career with the Tijuana Brass, writing ‘Wonderful World’ for Sam Cooke, signing the Carpenters to his record label and releasing a new album with his wife of 49 years, Lani Hall. (The Independent) Continue reading
Coachella 2022: Måneskin: ‘We wanted to raise our voice for something meaningful’
Backstage at Coachella, the Italian band tell me about their first impressions of the festival, their urgent new protest song for Ukraine, and what it means to be a rock star in 2022. (The Independent) Continue reading
Coachella 2022: Youngest ever headliner Billie Eilish triumphs with Gorillaz in her midst
The 20-year-old pop sensation showed composure beyond her years at the California festival, delivering a performance of power and verve that made smart use of cameos from artists including Blur’s Damon Albarn and R&B star Khalid. (The Independent) Continue reading
Coachella 2022: Danny Elfman’s ‘strange little show’ among festival’s most memorable
Danny Elfman’s booking was undoubtedly a gamble, but it’s one that pays off many times over as the ‘Simpsons’ composer delivered a multi-faceted, unusual Coachella debut. (The Independent) Continue reading
Coachella 2022: Arcade Fire deliver catharsis and anthems at intimate show
After headlining the festival in 2014, Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire returned to Coachella this year for a surprise performance, which delivered both profound joy and healing. (The Independent) Continue reading
‘The reality of screaming girls is kind of terrifying’: An oral history of Hanson’s ‘MMMBop’
Twenty-five years ago this week, a band of blond brothers from Oklahoma released a single that took the planet by storm. They tell me about scary fans, collaborating with punk rockers, and how the iconic ‘MMMBop’ is actually a ‘really depressing’ song. (The Independent) Continue reading
Drugs, Dolls and Johnny Depp: The Viper Room’s demolition is the end of a Hollywood era
As bulldozers move in on the infamous Sunset Strip venue, I look back at the eventful history of Johnny Depp’s former club, where Tom Petty played, the Pussycat Dolls were born, River Phoenix died and Jason Donovan almost did the same. (The Independent) Continue reading
Father John Misty: How the most online man in folk rock disappeared
As Josh Tillman prepares to release his fifth Father John Misty album, he’s declining interviews and keeping a low profile online. I explore why the former internet prankster turned off and dropped out. (The Independent) Continue reading
Fred Armisen: ‘England is endlessly beautiful. I still haven’t gotten over it’
The former ‘Saturday Night Live’ star talks to me about growing up obsessed with British punk, plans to reunite with ‘Portlandia’ collaborator Carrie Brownstein and filming Judd Apatow’s pandemic comedy ‘The Bubble’ in Berkshire. (The Independent) Continue reading
There’ll never be another action hero like Bruce Willis
As Willis hangs up his blood-stained vest for good, I pay tribute to a star who could always be counted on to save the world with a wisecrack. (The Independent) Continue reading
Everywhere Man: At 93, James Hong just gave the definitive performance of his career
Having appeared in everything from ‘Chinatown’ to ‘Friends’, Hong is one of Hollywood’s most prolific and recognisable character actors. He brings all that experience to bear in the mind-bending new film ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’. (The Independent) Continue reading
Bill Murray: ‘We are afraid to die and afraid to kill’
The comedy great sits down with classical cellist Jan Vogler and talks to me about the pandemic being this generation’s ‘most challenging time’, his cure for depression and shooting a majestic concert movie at the Acropolis of Athens. (The Independent) Continue reading
WeCrashed: Why the real villain of the WeWork drama is venture capitalism
As Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway bring their portrayal of WeWork founder Adam Neumann and wife Rebekah Paltrow to the screen, I talk to screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello about the scandalous rise and fall of the $47bn tech start-up. (The Independent) Continue reading
John Lurie: ‘If I could teach people anything, it would be about living in the moment’
As the musician and artist’s cult TV series ‘Painting With John’ returns, he tells me about going viral in Russia, New York in the Eighties and how he hopes to inspire his viewers with his unorthodox art show. (The Independent) Continue reading
Jack Kerouac at 100: How a heady cocktail of trauma, faith and rotgut wine made a literary legend
A century after the ‘On The Road’ author’s birth, Kerouac’s close friend and collaborator David Amram talks to me about their ‘stoned-out’ parties, his misunderstood Catholic faith and his work’s enduring relevance. (The Independent) Continue reading
Cypress Hill: ‘The next album will be our last’
After 30 years as the ‘Cheech and Chong of hip-hop’, rappers B-Real and Sen Dog talk to me about calling time on traditional record releases, how modern rap has lost its edge and, of course, weed. (The Independent) Continue reading
Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones: ‘We were playing to 90,000 people thinking: What are they all here for?’
As his band release twelfth album ‘Oochya!’, frontman Jones talks to me about their controversial pandemic show in Cardiff, touring with Bowie and the Stones and the small town negativity that left him questioning their success. (The Independent) Continue reading
Lavender Country: ‘If I could do a show with Lil Nas X, I would gleefully die and go to Hell’
Patrick Haggerty became the first out gay artist to release a country album in 1973. He talks to me about putting out a follow-up almost half a century on, his rural childhood and inspiring a new generation of queer musicians. (The Independent) Continue reading
For a billion dollar show, why does the new Lord of the Rings trailer look so cheap?
Early footage from Amazon’s wildly expensive new fantasy series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ suggests CGI demons have already stolen its soul. (The Independent) Continue reading
Schwing! How Wayne’s World went from an SNL skit to a cultural phenomenon
Three decades after the Sultans of Schwing first partied on to the big screen, director Penelope Spheeris talks to me about on-set rivalries, Rob Lowe’s controversial casting and why she wasn’t invited back for the sequel. (The Independent) Continue reading
Black Panthers, overflowing notebooks and Scrabble: Inside LA’s new Tupac museum
‘Tupac Shakur: Wake Me When I’m Free’ is a new touring exhibit dedicated to the rapper’s life, and a reminder of his activist mother’s extraordinary legacy. (The Independent) Continue reading
Kiefer Sutherland: ‘When the FBI comes running through your house with guns drawn, you’re gonna remember it’
After a career spent playing vampires, cowboys and Jack Bauer, the hell-raising actor has established himself as a real-life country singer. He talks to me about his activist mother, his time behind bars and why ‘24’ is unfairly maligned. (The Independent) Continue reading
Can Jed Mercurio teach me to write the next ‘Line of Duty’?
As the ‘Bodyguard’ showrunner reveals the tricks of his trade in a new online course, I learn why Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein are his unlikely storytelling gurus. (The Independent) Continue reading
Ronnie Spector: Farewell to the voice of all voices
The Ronettes singer, who recorded the immortal ‘Be My Baby’ and survived an abusive marriage to producer Phil Spector, has died at 78. Her voice will live forever. (The Independent) Continue reading
Children of Men at 15: ‘London in winter is a good place to imagine the end of the world’
Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian masterpiece, with its themes of anti-immigrant paranoia, humanity in crisis and a planet on the verge of collapse, has never felt more timely. Screenwriter Timothy J Sexton tells me why it’s more hopeful than you remember. (The Independent) Continue reading
Joan Didion: Let me tell you, she was gold
After the death of the author and journalist at 87, I pay tribute to a singular writer blessed with staggering powers of perception. (The Independent) Continue reading
BTS: They came, they sang, they conquered
Over two and a half hours in Los Angeles, the K-pop superstars demonstrate how and why they’ve become the world’s biggest band. (The Independent) Continue reading
James Patterson: ‘The Hollywood adaptations of my books suck’
The bestselling author talks to me about teaming up with Dolly Parton, what really happened to Jeffrey Epstein, and how close Idris Elba came to playing his hero Alex Cross. (The Independent) Continue reading
Whitesnake’s David Coverdale: ‘I wrote ‘Here I Go Again’ rat-arsed on white port and 7 Up’
As he prepares for his band’s farewell tour, the flamboyant frontman talks to me about the Scout photo that got him the job of vocalist for Deep Purple, the misery behind his biggest hit, and the tragic recent death of ex-wife and music video star Tawny Kitaen. (The Independent) Continue reading
Jon Hopkins: ‘I would have a ketamine session and return with notes’
The Grammy-nominated artist created his new album to complement psychedelic therapy. He tells me about making music in a remote Ecuadorian cave and listening to what plants have to tell us. (The Independent) Continue reading
50 Years of Fear and Loathing: Was Hunter S Thompson a ‘Bad Art Friend’?
Half a century after ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ was first published, I investigate what the gonzo journalist’s masterpiece owes to his collaborator, Oscar Zeta Acosta. (The Independent) Continue reading
‘I’ve experienced states of consciousness beyond this life’: The people turning to psychedelics on their deathbeds
Research from Johns Hopkins and NYU suggests that psychedelic drugs can significantly reduce pain and distress for those with terminal illnesses. As the British government faces calls to reschedule these substances, I talk to some of those who’ve already chosen to take the trip. (The Independent) Continue reading
Nick Kroll: ‘So much of Big Mouth is ripped off from Mel Brooks’
As his hit animated coming-of-age series returns, the comedian talks to me about going from adolescent growing pains to working with his idol Mel Brooks. (The Independent) Continue reading