How’s everyone doing? Staying creative? It’s gotten to the point where finding escape in The Simpsons is a high priority to be honest. Now April has arrived, I guess we can take a little something from it probably not being that nice outside while we’re stuck in – does that help? You tell me.
Once again, hope you are all safe and well. After a day out, we’re glad to bring you today’s Isolation Selection from our friends over at Love Letters.
Love Letters strive and succeed in illuminating the work of women and non-binary people in music – dedicating their printed publication thus with vital discussion on representation and diversity with some of our favourite artists, including Nilüfer Yanya and Sinead O’Brien.
Having had to delay the release of their next issue in May and returning to their respective family homes – Pam and Lola today present us with their Isolation Selection – a perfect tonic, it embodies the broad ethos of Love Letters as a whole – welcoming and engaging.
These really are unprecedented times, how are you, how are you both feeling in all this?
Pam Boland: I think equal measures disheartened and proud? Maybe not equal.
Disheartened by the lack of speed with which it’s taken the government in the UK and Australia (where I’ve had to return home to) to appropriately react to this pandemic, and take the advice of the health care professionals on the front line re: social distancing and to not panic buy. Especially when we’ve known about the virus for some time, yet measures were not put in place to avoid what is happening now.
But I am proud of the health care professionals, and everyone on the front line working extremely hard at this time. I’m also proud of the music and arts community for everyone’s speedy adaption to these tough times, and the open armed support for everyone effected by loss of work.
Can you quite comprehend the impact this is having on the music industry?
Lola Stephen: I don’t think any of us can really comprehend the impact it’s having, especially as things change so drastically day by day. We have no way of predicting what’s going to happen, which is scary in an industry that is already so unpredictable. But there is the positive of knowing that we’re all together in this so hopefully there is large scale support from everyone when things return to some kind of normal.
I know at this stage it’s perhaps not the most important of things to consider, but do you think when all this is said and done, the foundations and the nature in which the industry runs will change??
L: Hopefully most industries and the way we live change after this. The way we live right now is so incredibly fast paced, expecting output all of the time.
I hope that we all learn to slow down after this, while also be given the space and time to do so. I hope this goes for the music industry too, which heavily relies on the output of an artist in order to make money. It’s all incredibly quick, always waiting for the next track, album, or show. It’d be nice if we could all slow down and appreciate what is for longer.
How has it affected your own work personally? You’ve sadly had to delay the release of the next issue of the magazine obviously, what impact has that had?
P: I had to go back to Australia and Lola back to Scotland as we both lost our jobs due to the crisis. I was heading back for a bit later in the year but it sped up that process a little which changed all our plans for the original May release.
As it stands the issue is half complete and while we’re lucky that out contributors can still submit their work from the safety of their homes, it is a shame because everything was so meticulously planned to this timeline, that we’re afraid some of the completed interviews will have lost their timings when we eventually are able to release. We’ve also had to put all of our shoots on hold, which are a huge part of the zine.
L: Yeah with Pam now being back in Australia for the rest of the year, I now have to complete and launch by myself – which is of course a lot of work, but also extremely weird to do without her here. It’s gonna be weird territory to navigate but we really don’t want to lose this issue that we and our contributors have worked hard on, so hoping to use this much time to finish as much as possible and then fill in the blanks when we can.
Also we’re gonna throw a massive party when we can finally launch, so please join us @ everyone reading this!
Talk us through your playlist, what does it represent for you?
It’s a little slice of calm when everything feels a bit mad.
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