National Album Day 2019: The Whole Story by Kate Bush

I’ve chosen The Whole Story by Kate Bush – I know that makes me a horrible philistine to choose a greatest hits but I don’t care!

One of my dearest and oldest friends Lucy gave this to me on CD for my 15th birthday and I was like ‘What? the Wuthering Heights woman?… Not sure about this’ and I put in on a shelf for about 8 months (sorry Lucy!!!!). All I can say is that when I finally openeFaultressd up the case and sat down to listen I was obsessed. Obsessed by the haunting, muted sonics of Running up that Hill, obsessed with the backing vocals in Army Dreamers, obsessed with the driving drums and power of Experimental IV… Obsessed with her perfect storytelling, each song a chapter that takes you off on a new adventure in a giant epic poem.

Her melody writing is unparalleled in beauty and intrigue. If I ever manage to express an OUNCE of her creativity, ingenuity, feminine power and liberation I’ll be a happy woman.

She once said… ‘all art’s about a sense of moving away from boundaries that you can’t in real life. Like a dancer is always trying to fly, really – to do something that’s just not possible. But you try to do as much as you can within those physical boundaries.’

Goddess.

The Whole Story by Kate Bush chosen by musician Faultress

Faultress is an extinct word for a female criminal, and this musical project is about wearing your unpolished faults and imperfections on your very female sleeve. As an artist, Faultress embodies the challenge to heterodoxy implied in her name, which she wields as a firebrand to write incisive and psychological songs that offer us a look into the complex fragmentation of feminine power, desire and mental health in a rapidly changing musical and cultural world. Faultress’s prime influence is Kate Bush, a soul she shares a love of theatricality with – Faultress has a playwriting MA from RADA – alongside a diverse set of influences that includes the likes of James Blake, Aldous Harding, FKA Twigs and Joni Mitchell.

Her full banshee show is a six-part girl choir replete with synths and drums. In her solo shows Faultress plays piano and loop stations. With the release of her 5 Myths EP, she reveals herself something of a polymath: lyricist, musician, singer and storyteller employing the full spectrum of her skillset to make unforgettably charged music.

Her new EP 5 Myths is released now and contains this brilliant song Marylin you can view it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3YoXM2BFOs&feature=youtu.be

“I read that Marilyn Monroe could ‘turn off’ her persona to such a degree that she could walk through LA with noone recognising her. After coming out of a gaslighting and controlling relationship, I similarly felt that I was done putting on an act just to feel an approximation of love. Beating Heart is an ode to oxytocin – it started as a bit of a joke with a friend about wanting to be able to fuck someone without emotions getting in the way.”

You can see Faultress live

26th October – Union Chapel supporting Eska and London Contemporary Voices

8th November – Headline show at The Laylow, Ladbroke Grove

&U&I @ Muthers Studio (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

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