John Robb

Obsessions | Heather Leigh & Gardening

“The kind of focus and the sort of mindlessness that I have to have in the garden… I really feel that transfers into my work. The type of music that I’m doing… some of it’s improvisation based, but when I’m working, particularly on my solo work, my song work, I really… I can’t let myself be distracted and I can’t let myself think too much… and I think that practice of being in the garden… it’s a kind of mind-training for me in a way.”

The daughter of a coal miner, weaving a trail from West Virginia to Texas to Scotland where she’s lived for over a decade, Heather Leigh furthers the vast unexplored reaches of pedal steel guitar. Her playing is as physical as it is phantom, combining spontaneous compositions with psychedelic folk and industrial-strength progressive rock.

With a rare combination of sensitivity and strength, Leigh’s steel mainlines sanctified slide guitar and deforms it using hypnotic tone-implosions, juggling walls of bleeding amp tone with choral vocal constructs and wrenching single note ascensions. 2015’s critically acclaimed I Abused Animal (Ideologic Organ) was a turning point, a breakthrough album that marked her first venture into professional studio recording. Throne (Editions Mego 2018) is an album of punch-drunk desire clouded by peripheral danger. After the rawness of its precursor, Throne is a record of late night Americana and heavy femininity; a suite of alluring heartbleed ballads cauterised with burning riffs, its melodies and hooks set alight with the fiery core of her unique and distinctive pedal steel.

Her newest album Glory Days (Boomkat Editions) was recorded at home with the window open during lockdown in Glasgow, April 2020.

Leigh’s work explores themes of glamour, abuse, sexual instinct, desire, romance, vulnerability, memory, shadow, fantasy, jealousy, cruelty, delusion, deception and projection.

In addition to her work as a solo artist, Heather Leigh has worked extensively with a long list of unique collaborators, most recently with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. The duo have released five highly idiosyncratic albums: Ears Are Filled With Wonder, Sex Tape, Crowmoon, Sparrow Nights and South Moon Under.

Text taken from https://wishimage.com

For further information on Heather - Twitter @wishimage

For further information on John - Twitter @johnrobb77

Obsessions is a Paine & Porter production.

Andrew Paine (@ItPainesMe) and Sophie Porter (@OtherHalfUK)

“Amateur astronomy is just looking at groovy things and there are a lot of groovy things up there to look at…. I mean Saturn… you could spend ages just looking at it… thinking… that thing exists and its just so beautiful and unlikely… it just looks so artistically good.”

Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and actor. He was a member of Dr Feelgood in the 1970s and is often cited as one of the founding influences of the British punk movement.

His most recent album, ‘Blow Your Mind’, the first to feature new material for over 30 years was released in 2018 on Chess / Universal.

For more information on Wilko Johnson go to http://wilkojohnson.com

Further information on John Robb follow him on Instagram @johnrobb77 or Twitter @johnrobb77

Obsessions is a Paine & Porter Production.

Andrew Paine Twitter @ItPainesMe

Sophie Porter Instagram @soapyporter

Jennifer Lucy Allan is a writer with a specialism in esoteric sound & experimental music, with a PhD in the sound of the foghorn.

She presents for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction and has worked as a music journalist for over a decade, working as an online editor for The Wire and writing freelance for various publications including The Guardian, The Quietus, Caught By The River and others.

Jennifer runs the archival record label, Arc Light Editions and regularly teaches workshops and classes in music writing.

Her first book ‘The Foghorn’s Lament: The Disappearing Music Of The Coast’ is published on 13th May by White Rabbit books.

For more information on Jennifer follow her on Instagram @jenniferlucyallan or Twitter @JenniferLAllan

For further information on John Robb follow him on Instagram @johnrobb77 or Twitter @johnrobb77

Obsessions is a Paine & Porter Production.

Andrew Paine Twitter @ItPainesMe

Sophie Porter Instagram @soapyporter

Lindy Fay Hella, Norwegian singer / musician and co-founder of Wardruna, speaks to John Robb about her interest in the power of scent and her passion for perfume making.

More on Wardruna...

“Wardruna is a Norwegian music constellation dedicated to creating musical renditions of ancient Norse and Nordic traditions. We use a broad selection of both traditional and historical Nordic instruments. Non-traditional instruments and other sources of sound such as trees, stones, bones, water and fire are used to enhance the nature of the theme being ‘portrayed’ in each case. Thorough research and serious study form an important foundation for our music, but the ultimate intention is not to copy or recreate music from any specific time period. We take thoughts, tools and methods from the past and use them to create new music which builds on the contemporary as well as the ancient.” (Taken from the Wardruna website)

The band released their fifth studio album, Kvitravn, which means White Raven, in January 2021.

Lindy-Fay Hella released her debut solo album “Seafarer” in 2019.

For further information on Wardruna visit wardruna.com

For further information on Lindy Fay Hella visit Instagram @lindyfayhella & Twitter @fayhella

For further information on John Robb visit Twitter @johnrobb77, Instagram @johnrobb77 or Youtube JOHN ROBB

Obsessions is a  Paine & Porter Production (PPP). They can be contacted at: Instagram @sonicoyster, Twitter @ItPainesMe & Instagram @soapyporter

"I definitely believe that places can store a feeling... or buildings can... I've had it numerous times... I've walked into somewhere... mostly London, funnily enough... underground stations where I've felt a wall of atmosphere change, like walking through a curtain of atmosphere change and just feeling ultimate dread... just that 'oh fuck, what is that feeling?'...  a real panic... and thinking 'what is going on?' I've had it in a few music venues as well. There's a sense somewhere... or a radar... that picks up on these things."

Elizabeth Bernholz aka Gazelle Twin, is an electronic composer, producer and musician.

In this interview, she talks to John about her 

Gazelle Twin & Max de Wardener’s score for The Power is out 8th April on Invada

Recordshttps://invada.bandcamp.com/album/the-well-single

Gazelle Twin & NYX’s Deep England is out now on NYX Collective

For further information on Gazelle Twin

Website: www.gazelletwin.com

Twitter: @gazelletwin

For further information on John Robb

Twitter: @johnrobb77

Instagram: johnrobb77

Obsessions is produced and edited by Sophie Porter & Andrew Paine

“I think that the main intention that I have through all of this for myself ... is to remember who I am beyond my conditioning because we take on so many layers of a lot of bs conditioning from the word go with how our society is set up, and so I think a big part of it is peeling back all of that to come to remember that I’m something different, and we are all some different, and more powerful and beautiful than what we’ve been perhaps told we were”.

https://www.joherring.com/about

Obsessions is hosted by John Robb and produced by Andrew Paine and Sophie Porter. 

“There’s a feeling of elation you get from Cider which I don’t think you get from any other drink. It’s partly because when you drink beer, the hops are soporific and you get that tiredness… and wine can be quite a depressive kind of drink... if you over do it on red wine… but Cider is unique in its effect, there is a lot of natural sugar... so the feeling you get is uplift and elation.”

Harry Sword is a Cambridge based writer. He is a contributor to The Quietus, Vice, Record Collector, Munchies and the Guardian. In February 2021 White Rabbit Books published his first book, Monolithic Undertow, a colossal history of ‘the drone’ as it manifests itself in music, ritual and the universe.

“Monolithic Undertow alights a crooked path across musical, religious and subcultural frontiers. It traces the line from ancient traditions to the modern underground, navigating archaeoacoustics, ringing feedback, chest plate sub-bass, avant-garde eccentricity, sound weaponry and fervent spiritualism. From Neolithic beginnings to bawdy medieval troubadours, Sufi mystics to Indian raga masters, cone shattering dubwise bass, Hawkwind’s Ladbroke Grove to the outer reaches of Faust and Ash Ra Temple; the hash-fueled fug of The Theatre of Eternal Music to the cough syrup reverse hardcore of Melvins, seedy VHS hinterland of Electric Wizard, ritual amp worship of Earth and Sunn O))) and the many touch points in between, Monolithic Undertow explores the power of the drone – an audio carrier vessel capable of evoking womb like warmth or cavernous dread alike.”

Obsessions is hosted by John Robb and produced by Sophie Porter and Andrew Paine.

Harry Sword on Twitter @HarrySword

John Robb on Twitter @johnrobb77

Andrew Paine @ItPainesMe

Sophie Porter @OtherHalfUK

"We’re in the midst of all kinds of crises ... and I think one way through these great challenges is to encourage a greater degree of kinship between species, between ourselves and the more than human world. I look at species like the Wrens finding a way despite their isolationous tendencies at non-cold periods of the year, that they are finding ways to work together to avert a potential killing crisis which is the cold. In that I see an extraordinary metaphor for what we’re currently facing when it comes to the great environmental crises of the planet - that we tend to live individualistic lives within a capitalist, economic system that encourages individual behaviour and thinking, and yet we really need to find ways of locating the collective and communal admits that if we’re to challenge many of these issues".

Obsessions is presented by John Robb and produced by Andrew Paine and Sophie Porter.

"There's a certain kind of thrill that you get from the Horror genre, that you don't get from every film... I guess I'm always looking for that film... that scares me, which is kind of a strange passion."

James Chapman a.k.a. Maps is a recording artist and producer signed to Mute Records.

His unique brand of multi-layered electronica emerged from years locked away in his bedroom.

He then moved on to build a whole studio in his home in Northamptonshire, affectionately referred to as Maps HQ. His self-taught and exploratory approach to music and composition has been key in creating his own sound.

He is also a keen remixer, and has produced official remixes for such artists as M83, The Killers, Depeche Mode, Moby, Bombay Bicycle Club and Susanne Sundfor.

James has released four studio albums, the most recent being “Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss”.

2020 saw the release of a series of remix EPs. The project, titled ‘Colours. Remixed. Time. Loss.’ unfolded throughout the summer of that year. Each track from the album ‘Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss’ was remixed, and the collection was eventually released as a cassette album on Mute. 

Jez Kerr is the bassist & vocalist from A CERTAIN RATIO.

"(I’m) basically on a mission to try and find my painting... I think everyone has got a certain style, you know? And I’m sort of trying to find, you know, the painting that’s… when you look at it you’ll go… oh.. that’s a Jez Kerr. " 

A Certain Ratio are hailed universally as pioneers of what became known as “punk funk” - the band introduced the avant-garde elements of funk, jazz, electronics, tape loops and technology to the pop song, wrapping it in a post punk aesthetic, adding great clothes and the coolest haircuts.

The band's latest album - ACR Loco - was released on Mute in 2020.

Follow Jez on Twitter @jez_kerr to see some of his beautiful paintings.

Follow ACR at www.acrmcr.com

The unedited 'Obsessions' interview with Jez is available on John Robb's You Tube page.

Obsessions is produced by Andrew Paine & Sophie Porter