From revolutions in Iran to the pleasures of Lana Del Rey journalist Emma Garland has written for Vice, Huck, The Quietus, The Face, Crack, Dazed, Sunday Times, Rolling Stone and many more great publications.
Emma's interviewed everyone from Emily Ratajkowski to Lingua Ignota, capturing their essence in a style of writing inspired by the journalists from a more literary tradition like Joan Didion and Hunter S Thompson, so who better to talk to about music writing that's intersectional, encompassing far more of life and what it means to be human than 50 word reviews of the latest major label debut.
The conversation begins about the differences between journalism, culture writing and music criticism, before spiralling in a range of directions from psychoanalysing the cast of Love Island to the way the culture war means interviewees are now a lot more guarded because they're speaking far beyond the readers and their fans.
Emma Garland shares insights into her creative process, using humour to tackle weighty topics and how she spotlights underrated artists and big ideas, often at the same time.
We discuss concerns over limited career pathways for emerging writers and calls for more sustainable funding models for music publications (if there are any rich benefactors out there, please get in touch).
Additional topics include:
Guest Bio: Emma Garland is a writer, editor, and journalist with a knack for capturing the zeitgeist of contemporary music and culture. With a career spanning over a decade, Emma has become a voice for countercultural narratives and a champion for the kind of editorial that combines fun with serious critique. Her upcoming book, "Tell All Your Friends," promises to be a seminal work in understanding the cultural history of mainstream emo from 2000-2013 (more info).
Read Emma Garland's article on women's role in music's political revolution, here.
Read the Vice and Gal-Dem MeToo coverage, here.
For a monthly dose of cultural insights, subscribe to Emma Garland's newsletter, here.
Visit: Emma Garland's Website
About The Host:
This podcast was produced, lightly edited, researched and hosted by Sean Adams (@seaninsound) who founded the Drowned in Sound website.
Want to keep up to date? Sign up for DiS' Substack here.
A Few Publications Mentioned in This Episode:
Shoutouts in this episode include investigative journalist Sirin Kale, Craig Jenkins (writer at Vulture), and Zing Tsjeng (editor in chief at Vice).
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/drownedinsound/messageWhat is the function of record reviews in 2024?
The joys of magazine-making with PROG Editor Jerry Ewing
What's it like to broadcast from a war zone?
Should music critics 'pivot to video'?
Why Music Journalism Matters
Is 'Traditional Media' Still Relevant for New Artists?
If $600 billion a year is being spent, why are so many publications closing?
Has music become a sub-genre of internet culture?
Lessons from two decades of crafting DIY Magazine
Why music needs to talk about the climate crisis
How will the music coverage of the future be funded?
Is music journalism's future in campaigning?
Introduction to S2: The Editor's Letter / Voice Note
DiS008: Live Music And Mental Health
DiS007: AI, AI, AI! UK Government's War on Copyrighted Music?! Beatles AI song! - Dr Hayleigh Bosher explains it all
DiS006: Women's Equality in Music & Glastonbury's pipeline with Vick Bain from The F List / ISM
DiS005: How music can embrace the power of AI with ChatGPT expert David Boyle
DiS004: Tune in, AI Out - the co-founders of Endel on music's potential futures
DiS003: TikTok, "Authenticity" and Music with Eleanor from Crystal Fighters
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