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Bobby Gillespie and the Thursday Theme

Jo chats to Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie about his new album with Jehnny Beth, Utopian Ashes. Plus the Thursday Theme - metallic songs.

Jo chats to Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie about his new album with Jehnny Beth, Utopian Ashes, which is out on July 2nd.

Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, alongside solo artist and Savages vocalist Jehnny Beth, present a debut solo project collection exploring loss, miscommunication and emotional inarticulacy that a married couple experience as they realise that their relationship is breaking down.

鈥楿topian Ashes鈥 draws on the tradition of country soul classics, such as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris鈥檚 鈥楪rievous Angel鈥 and George Jones and Tammy Wynette鈥檚 鈥榃e Go Together鈥, to deal with the heavy realities of love turning sour.

It鈥檚 an album for people who have dealt with the inevitable sadness that comes with age and acknowledged the realities of life. There is no sweetening of the pill, but it does achieve what should be the goal of all good art: to make us feel less alone.

While it鈥檚 not autobiographical, it channels heartfelt truth from the songwriters鈥 own experiences. In addition to Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth, the album features Johnny Hostile (bass) alongside Primal Scream trio Andrew Innes (guitar), Martin Duffy (piano) and Darrin Mooney (drums).
鈥淚n the same way you create characters for a novel, we鈥檝e created characters here,鈥 says Jehnny Beth. 鈥淏ut you put yourself in it, because you鈥檙e trying to understand the human situation. The singing has to be authentic. That鈥檚 all that matters.鈥

鈥淲hen you write a song you marry the personal with the fictional and make art,鈥 adds Gillespie. 鈥淚 was thinking about two people living alone, together but apart, existing and suffering in a psychic malaise, who plough on because of responsibilities and commitments. It鈥檚 about the impermanence of everything 鈥 an existential fact that everyone has to face at some point in their lives.鈥

Plus this week鈥檚 Thursday Theme is metallic songs, to mark the 40th anniversary of heavy metal magazine Kerrang! Magazine. Send all your metal-related song suggestions to jo.whiley@bbc.co.uk

1 hour, 30 minutes

Last on

Thu 3 Jun 2021 19:30

Music Played

  • Self Esteem

    I Do This All The Time

    • I Do This All The Time.
    • Virgin.
  • Stevie Wonder

    He's Misstra Know-It-All

  • Jade Bird

    Different Kinds Of Light

    • Different Kinds Of Light.
    • Glassnote.
    • 1.
  • Yola

    Stand For Myself

  • James Vincent McMorrow

    Paradise

  • Nirvana

    All Apologies

    • MTV Unplugged in New York.
    • DGC.
    • 13.
  • Kacey Musgraves

    Family is Family

    • Pageant Material.
    • Mercury Nashville.
    • 10.
  • Primal Scream

    Loaded

    • Live Forever (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • George Clinton

    Atomic Dog

    • Music Club.
  • Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth

    Chase It Down

    • Utopian Ashes.
  • The Barry Gray Orchestra

    Captain Scarlet Theme

    • TOP SIXTIES TV THEMES.
    • SEQUEL RECORDS.
  • Primal Scream

    Higher Than The Sun

  • T. Rex

    Metal Guru

    • Can The Glam! (Various Artists).
    • Cherry Red Records.
  • David Guetta

    Titanium (feat. Sia)

    • (CD Single).
    • Positiva.
  • The Stone Roses

    Fools Gold

    • Precious - Various Artists.
    • Dino.
  • Elbow

    Golden Slumbers

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
  • David Soul

    Silver Lady

    • The Best Of.
    • Music Club.
    • 3.
  • Sam Sparro

    Black & Gold

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
    • 10.
  • Shirley Bassey

    Goldfinger

    • Heartbeat - The 60's Gold Collection.
    • Global Television.
  • Doves

    Kingdom of Rust

    • (CD Single).
    • Heavenly.
    • 1.
  • Metallica

    Enter Sandman

    • Vertigo.

Broadcast

  • Thu 3 Jun 2021 19:30