John Freeman Archives | The Quietus

John Freeman

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Bonxies, Cattie-Faces & Moosiehaaks: An Interview With Erland Cooper

Erland Cooper talks to John Freeman about how his gorgeous debut album Solan Goose helped ease the intensity of city living by summoning the magical spirit of Orkney's bird life
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Ire And Fury: An Interview With Field Music

David Brewis talks to John Freeman about Field Music’s sixth album – the brilliant Open Here - and how a post-Brexit, post-Trump world fueled some of the Brewis brother’s angriest songs to date
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After The Flood: An Interview With Hookworms

John Freeman chats to Leeds-based Hookworms about how their astounding new album Microshift, informed by a love of techno, helped them survive as a band in the aftermath of Storm Eva’s destructive floods
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Discomfort Zone: An Interview With Mary Epworth

Mary Epworth tells John Freeman why the sonic reboot of second album, Elytral, was inspired by a desire to be “out of her depth” and resulted in a musical epiphany and an unique new sound
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Immigrant Is Not A Dirty Word: An Interview With Nadine Shah

Nadine Shah explains to John Freeman why her career-high third album, Holiday Destination, was inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis and why we should all be proud about being immigrants
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A New Suburban Utopia: An Interview With EMA

Erika M. Anderson talks to John Freeman about the why her extraordinary new album Exile In The Outer Ring may have provided with her with a sliver of hope amongst the ruin of the 2017 version of America
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Chilled Out: An Interview With Alt-J

John Freeman meets the band tQ once described as “laughably vanilla” to discuss their excellent third album Relaxer, find out why they turned down a chance to work with Gary Lineker and to reveal the mysterious condition of 'tour toes'
Baker's Dozen

An Expanse Of Sound: Jane Weaver’s Favourite Albums

With the release of her stunning new album, Modern Kosmology, Jane Weaver talks to John Freeman about the 13 records that shaped her musical universe. Portrait by Rebecca Lupton.

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Back On Track: An Interview With Dutch Uncles

John Freeman goes karting with Dutch Uncles to find out why their fifth album, the career-high Big Balloon, was inspired by Ukrainian techno, Gentle Giant and a desire to get back to what they do best
Baker's Dozen

Northern Uproar: Tanya Tagaq’s Favourite Albums

With the release of her phenomenal new album, Retribution, the Inuit throat singer talks to John Freeman about the albums that make her laugh and cry. And laugh some more.

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Passion Fruit: An Interview With Pumarosa

Ahead of their UK tour, the London five-piece's singer Isabel Munoz-Newsome talks to John Freeman about why they're inspired by Chilean folk singing, the science of desire and the window to the spirit world

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Grey Matters: An Interview With Hannah Peel

John Freeman meets up with Hannah Peel to find out why the five years it took to make her extraordinary new album, Awake But Always Dreaming, became a “life-changing experience” inspired by a desire to understand her grandmother’s dementia
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Angry Fun: An Interview With Tacocat

Following Lost Time's release earlier this year, John Freeman catches up with the Seattle band's singer Emily Nokes to find out why their sparkling third album is driven by a desire for satire and rooted in deep-down rage

Strange World Of...

The Strange World Of… Prince’s Minneapolis

Lifelong fan John Freeman travels to Minneapolis to visit the places that made Prince the city’s most iconic artist. All photographs by the author/ Captain Randy

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Virtually Reality: An Interview With Odonis Odonis

John Freeman catches up with the Canadian trio to find out why their brutal third album, Post Plague, which you can stream in full below, was inspired by the technology-enhanced relationships of the very near future

Baker's Dozen

Bear Necessities: Gold Panda’s Favourite Albums

Following the release of his third album, Good Luck And Do Your Best, Derwin talks to John Freeman about the 13 albums, from Michael Jackson to the Akira soundtrack, that helped shape his Gold Panda project

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In The Moment: An Interview With Weaves

John Freeman meets Weaves in their hometown of Toronto to find out why their brand of "freak-ass" pop was inspired by a desire to be the band that provides parental irritation while simultaneously celebrating the present
Baker's Dozen

Escape To The Country: Willy Vlautin Of Richmond Fontaine’s Favourite LPs

Following the release of Richmond Fontaine's tenth and final album, You Can't Go Back If There Is Nothing To Go Back To, the singer and author talks to John Freeman about his favourite albums of storytelling escapism
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True Faith: An Interview With Susanna

The Norwegian vocalist and composer tells John Freeman why her captivating eleventh album, the 22-track opus Triangle, was recorded out of a desire to discover where "common sense ends and belief starts"
Baker's Dozen

How Was It For You? Tim Booth Of James’ Favourite Albums

After the release of James' Girl At The End Of The World, lead singer Tim Booth tells John Freeman about clandestine childhood listening and the redemptive powers of Iggy Pop in choosing the LPs that "saved his life"
Anniversary

A Question Of Lust: Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration Revisited

John Freeman looks back at the album which saw Martin Gore find his voice against a backdrop of inter-band tension.
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Children Of Skem: An Interview With The Magnetic North

John Freeman travels to Skelmersdale with The Magnetic North and a small dog, to find out why the new town - and UK centre of the Transcendental Meditation movement - inspired their beautiful new album, Prospect Of Skelmersdale
Anniversary

It’s Tricky: Run-DMC’s Raising Hell Revisited

Thirty years after its release, John Freeman looks back at the genre-bending crossover album that was so much more than an over-played Aerosmith cover version.

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Uninhibited Limitation: An Interview With Public Memory

Robert Toher, the Brooklyn-based musician and former Apse and ERAAS man, tells John Freeman why the stripped-down sound of his debut album was driven by a desire to stop "throwing the kitchen sink" into his music
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Straight Talking: An Interview With LIINES

The Mancunian trio meet up with John Freeman to find out how their ferocious post-punk was inspired, in part, by time spent on Alien Sex Fiend's tour bus and a collective desire to "stop screaming in the dark"
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Father Figures: An Interview With Field Music

John Freeman heads up to Sunderland to eat falafel and meet with the Brewis brothers to find out why the sinewy pop of Field Music’s new album Commontime was inspired by fatherhood, Hall & Oates and hatred for a certain brand of 4x4 car
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Belfast Eurovision: An Interview With Girls Names

Ahead of their tour, John Freeman catches up with Belfast's Girls Names to find out how their recent career-high album, Arms Around A Vision, was honed in Northern Ireland and inspired by the romance of European cities
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Songs Of Disruption: An Interview With MONEY

John Freeman sits in a van on an industrial estate with Manchester’s MONEY and finds out how their magical second album, Suicide Songs, was created from the ashes of a destructive alcohol addiction
Baker's Dozen

Monumental Simplicity: Anna Von Hausswolff’s Favourite Albums

The Swedish musician talks to John Freeman about the 13 records that "opened doors" and helped create the blueprint for the mighty organ drone of her new album, The Miraculous, before she plays two UK shows
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A Mad Love: An Interview With Lush

Seminal shoegazers Lush are back and armed with an EP of new material and a UK tour in 2016. John Freeman speaks to Miki Berenyi, Emma Anderson and Phil King about why the timing was finally right for a reunion
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State Of Mind: An Interview With Protomartyr

John Freeman talks to Protomartyr's singer and lyricist Joe Casey about how the Detroit post-punk quartet's excellent third album, The Agent Intellect, was inspired by both Aristotle and Alzheimer's disease

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Organ Heritage: Anna Von Hausswolff Interviewed

Anna von Hausswolff tells John freeman how her extraordinary third album, The Miraculous, was inspired by a mystical family retreat and created on the mighty Acusticum Pipe Organ of Piteå
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