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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

The man who brought Jamaican dancehall to the world has spent lockdown working on a star-studded new album. He tells me about following up mega-hit ‘Cheap Thrills’ with Sia, the time his father crashed a ganja plane in the Everglades, and weeping over the death of Toots Hibbert. (The Independent) Continue reading →

As his Grammy-winning band prepare to release new album ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, Adam Granduciel tells me how the record was shaped by fatherhood, fame and memories of Bob Dylan. (The Independent) Continue reading →

A new documentary, ‘Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free’, delves into a record the late artist considered his finest work. I talk to The Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench and Steve Ferrone, as well as director Mary Wharton, about the making of a masterpiece. (The Independent) Continue reading →

A full six decades after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first laid eyes on each other, their partnership remains in rude health. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The ‘New Girl’ star talks to me about the benefits of hypnotherapy, hanging with Prince and recruiting Susan Sarandon for his heartfelt indie comedy ‘Ride the Eagle’. (The Independent) Continue reading →

As their glammed-up docuseries ‘We’re Here’ returns, Shangela, Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka O’Hara talk to me about queer visibility and whether road-tripping around the States has filled them with hope or fear for their country’s future. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is finally set to open this week, after almost a century in the works. I head inside to see what its vast collection of stories and artefacts say about the history of film. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The raucous romp about a pair of mismatched couples has won over so many viewers that a sequel is already in the works. First-time director Clay Tarver tells me about striking comic gold. (The Independent) Continue reading →

It’s been half a century since beloved TV mystery series ‘Columbo’ premiered with an episode directed by a young Steven Spielberg. I talk to David Koenig, author of a new book on the show, about the rumpled sleuth’s continuing appeal. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The comedian, who has died aged 61, railed against the phrase “battling cancer”. I pay tribute to a man brave enough to be frank and funny even when facing the end. (The Independent) Continue reading →

After a four-decade career making his name as crooks and cops in films from ‘The Goonies’ to ‘Bad Boys’, the beloved Italian-American actor is heading back to his roots for lighthearted drama ‘From the Vine’. He tells me about why people still get ‘The Sopranos’ wrong, and the moment the Wachowskis realised he hadn’t actually read the script for ‘The Matrix’. (The Independent) Continue reading →

At 72, the Kiss bassist is unveiling his debut art collection. He tells me about calling time on touring with his famous glam-rockers, what he learnt watching Andy Warhol at work and why he’ll always be a mummy’s boy. (The Independent) Continue reading →

At 80, the folk-rock icon has just released his eighth solo record. He talks to me about the US exit from Afghanistan, corporate greed, the song his son wrote that made him cry and why he still won’t cut his hair. (The Independent) Continue reading →

After four decades of globe-hopping DJ sets, the three-deck wizard is publishing his memoir ‘Oh Yes, Oh Yes!’. He tells me about his journey from illegal raves to playing the Houses of Parliament, losing himself in the dust at Burning Man and witnessing murders on the dance floor in Venezuela. (The Independent) Continue reading →

As the second season of the show about a teen pop star’s less successful older siblings arrives on HBO Max, I talk to creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider about putting family at the heart of their razor-sharp satire of the pop culture machine. (The Independent) Continue reading →

A new documentary, ‘Under the Volcano’, tells the story of Beatles producer George Martin’s fabled recording studio on the island of Montserrat. I talk to Jimmy Buffett, one of the first artists to record there, about the trials and tribulations of making music in paradise. (The Independent) Continue reading →

Originally recorded in 2010, Prince’s latest posthumous album is the first full-length record to be released from the late musician’s legendary vault. I talk to those who worked on the record about why its time has finally come and the new light it sheds on its infamous maker. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The food writer has become a psychedelic convert in his mid-sixties. He tells me how caffeine fuelled modern civilisation, why the war on drugs has failed, and the benefits of ‘ego death’. (The Independent) Continue reading →

Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground are only part of the story of this multifaceted German artist. I talk to biographer Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, whose new book lifts the veil on a life shrouded in myth and mystery. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The drive-by murders of rappers Biggie and Tupac have gone unsolved for over 20 years, but a new documentary uncovers further evidence. I talk to filmmakers Nick Broomfield and Pam Brooks about their incendiary film, Last Man Standing. (The Independent) Continue reading →

As the fan-led #JusticeForHan campaign succeeds in resurrecting the beloved ‘Fast & Furious’ character, I talk to director Justin Lin, star Sung Kang and fellow cast members about how Han provides the soulful heart of the wildly popular franchise. (The Independent) Continue reading →

How the Hacks and Mare of Easttown actor became the hottest star on television. (The Independent) Continue reading →

As she prepares for a live-stream concert from her home in Nashville, the singer-songwriter tells me about her difficult memories of touring with Michael Jackson, sexism in the studio, and why she almost didn’t release ‘All I Wanna Do’. (The Independent) Continue reading →

A look back at how football’s tough-tackling hard man refashioned himself as a Hollywood heavy. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The freewheeling hippies of 1967 and the British ravers who embraced acid house and ecstasy in 1988 define moments in time when youthful utopian hedonism burst free. I track down an original Merry Prankster and a Haçienda DJ to find out if the ingredients are there for a Third Summer of Love. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The Chinese art provocateur has been beaten, locked up, and put under house arrest – which is where he got the idea to work with a quite unexpected artform. Then again, he’s always been one to keep us guessing. He talks to me about battling state oppression, writing a memoir for his son, and why there’s no hope for social media. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The multitalented producer tells me about writing for Netflix show ‘Yasuke’, what the story of a black samurai means for representation and how the project has changed his process. (The Independent) Continue reading →

Prince Harry’s in-person appearance scored the biggest spontaneous standing ovation of an event that marked a return to some familiarity. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The celebrity chef died in 2018, with his planned book on world travel unwritten, leaving his co-author Laurie Woolever to pull it together. (The Independent) Continue reading →

A documentary and memoir chart the unlikely story of how a former ice cream shop in Kingston came to define Jamaican music. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The bestselling Floridian crime writer talks to me about returning to writing after his brother’s death in a mass shooting, his visit to the president’s Palm Beach mansion, his election fears, and his gripping new novel ‘Squeeze Me’. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The Maytals singer who gave reggae its name tells me about the wrongful arrest that led to a hit song, his friend Bob Marley, cannabis tea, and his first album in a decade. (The Independent) Continue reading →

What’s in store for Westworld’s androids now they’re out in the real world? I hear how showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have got it all planned out. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The singer-songwriter tells me about his benefit album for Haiti, the calamitous state of the planet, Donald Trump’s ‘wild lies’, the continued relevancy of Warren Zevon, and getting old. (The Independent) Continue reading →

The star of ‘Rushmore’ and ‘Bored to Death’ on Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese’s controversial comments about superhero movies, his new animated Christmas film ‘Klaus’, and why he’s definitely never felt like a privileged coaster. (The Independent) Continue reading →

Greg Gonzalez on the band’s new album Cry, their X-rated lyrics and why they’ve never made a music video. (The i) Continue reading →

The band behind the mega-hit ‘Ho Hey’ explain how their latest, concept album was influenced by the death of their drummer’s brother. (The i) Continue reading →