In order to help 2019 improve its service, we asked these artists for their feedback on 2018

Hello Richard (Dawson)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

I don’t think I’ll forget the excitement and emotional thrill of playing the masterpiece Red Dead Redemption 2 – an absolute milestone in gaming.

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

I don’t get whisked away by football much these days, it’s more like a weekly green balm. Only Newcastle, very occasionally, have the power to whisk me. Regarding those last England games, my plane was delayed by four hours so instead of watching the quarter final in a bar in Helsinki as planned, I was in the air for precisely the duration of the match. The pilot told us the result as we landed, which makes him a real bastard.

What did you do on your birthday this year?

Not very much at all.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

I re-watched Sopranos with my partner, who hadn’t seen it. I think it’s ‘one of the great works of art’.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

Someone told me Chris Tarrant came to see us play, does that count?

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

I have enjoyed the new Sophie record, lots of P.C. music – Hannah Diamond is a big favourite in our house. Always more Sun Ra, Eliane Radigue, Circle. Snail Mail made a great record. Cath and Phil Tyler’s last one. Mainly just Hannah Diamond, though.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

I take a sauna, and concentrate on my work.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?  

I don’t care about ‘best’! I’m well rested and now just want to be productive, next year and beyond. Got a lot to do.

Thank you, Richard.

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Hello Elizabeth (Bernholz, Gazelle Twin)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

Finally finishing and releasing my new album and getting back on the road to tour it.

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

Truthfully, I barely noticed.

What did you do on your birthday this year?

I filmed a music video in a forest whilst getting bitten all over my body by fleas living in a Jester costume.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

Not really a ‘box set’ but I did enjoy Maniac on Netflix. 

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

They’re always a bit weird, but that’s usually because of me.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

Mostly soundtracks that are child friendly, although they’re not new discoveries – My Neighbour Totoro by Joe Hishashi is the current household favourite.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

My focus has been on making an album to make sense of it all. That really helped me to contextualise a lot of the said shit, and focus my anger and confusion, but it certainly doesn’t lessen the worry about what the future holds. I genuinely fear for what the next couple of years will bring. I have a feeling the worst is to come but that hopefully it will force people to put severe pressure on the government and bring about social change.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?

I’m not hot on NY resolution pressure. I plan to keep going with the touring and making new work as best I can, and hope that it all goes to plan. Ho hum.

Thank you, Elizabeth.

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Hello Chris (Carter)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

The long hot summer, I loved it… It reminded me of 1976, when I’d first met Cosey and we were falling in love.

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

I have zero interest in football, I just don’t get it, I really don’t. I’ve never understood what people find so enthralling about a bunch of grown-ups running around a field after a ball. 

What did you do on your birthday this year?

Well, I’m not big on birthdays… not my own anyway. I was probably working in the studio on something or other.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

After all the hype over The Bodyguard I thought it was overrated but I really enjoyed The Deuce, Snowfall, Sharp Objects, Trust, Better Call Saul and Killing Eve. Controversially I think Better Call Saul is better than Breaking Bad… there I’ve said it!

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

There was a show I did at Seachange festival in Totnes on the top floor of this big old rickety listed building. Also there was this weird drunk guy in the front row shouting ‘entertain me’. He got thrown out.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

John Grant sent me his new album months before it was released and I literally could not stop playing it. It became the sound of the summer for me.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

You can’t let the bastards drag you down but yes it is difficult to remain positive. Sometimes I think it can’t get any worse… then you turn on the news and I’m like “what the hell, for fucks sake!” But I am buoyed up by recent mass demonstrations, there have been far too few this last couple of decades – people got complacent, stopped voting, then it was too late. That’s partly why we are in the state we are in now. Not just here but all over the planet. I think generally we were more politically motivated in the 1970s and ’80s but I don’t have any solutions – other than get off your arses and vote the fuckers out. 

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?  

I usually have a handful of resolutions and tick them off as the year goes on, not always successfully though – Do more exercise, loose some weight, work less/sleep more, read more/watch less, do more drawing.

Thank you, Chris.

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Hello Meg (Remy, US Girls)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

Traveling the world with a band the size of a large family.

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

Huh?

What did you do on your birthday this year?

I had a dance party with Geordie Gordon at Glad Day in Toronto. Also enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by my man, Maximilian.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

Box sets of donuts and pizza mostly.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

Just the usual misogyny.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

The song ‘Whole Pot of Jelly’ by Pete Wingfield.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

Read books.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?

Read books.

Thank you, Meg.

—

Hello Lottie (Goat Girl)

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

Not very. I liked that it brought friends out together in the heat of the sun but I didn’t exactly get behind the whole rowdy lad culture that unfortunately comes with football.

What did you do on your birthday this year?

I had a party that had some great features – a tattoo parlour, a gig room, the cave we won’t go into… I think there was some music making thing happening somewhere. Also our house is pretty small, so it was real cosy.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

We’re avid watchers of Spaced in our house.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

At a show in Cambridge pretty much everything went wrong. I stepped on stage and introduced the band while readjusting the mic and it instantly smashed into my mouth. Then a string snapped, after which Rosy’s cymbal exploded into bits of springs and metal. Felt like Charlie Chaplin would have approved.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

Yves Tumor! I knew of him already but his new album is out of this woooooorld!

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

Screaming into a pillow whilst kicking my legs like I’m swimming every morning tends to help.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?

Just do you, don’t feel the guilt 🙂 

Thank you, Lottie.

—

Hello Jason (Williamson, Sleaford Mods)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

Laying a beach at night looking at the moon over palm trees with my wife. Sorry, I know it’s not very edgy. 

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

I turned the TV down on the programme I was watching to hear out for the neighbours screams to fathom what kind of a game we were having. 

What did you do on your birthday this year?

Went to a mate’s house and ate good food (a surprise from my wife), then talked about swingers clubs in between slagging other mates off and watching the kids get absolutely bollocks’d on sugar.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

I don’t have any.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

The crowds got bigger.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

Drill. Loski. RV. Headie One. 67. I explored Trap and its history a little. 

The soundtrack to the horror film Mandy is wicked too. 

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

Buy things.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?

I haven’t got one really. Never do. I try to make sure I have shit in place so nothing’s shit. 

Thank you, Jason.

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Hello Evangeline (Ling, audiobooks)

For better or worse, what will be your lasting memory of 2018?

The Pink Panther Show I curated with Dateagleart was stressful enough and then the day after the opening I had to play my first audiobooks gig in Hebden Bridge. That was intense. 

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

I hoped that England would have gotten to the final because I was in France when I watched the final. 

What did you do on your birthday this year?

Went to the Weatherspoon’s in Peckham.

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

Haven’t got any to destroy.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

It was strange playing at Port Eliot cause the entire front row were under 5 years old, and they were really enjoying it.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?

David made a heavy metal playlist for us to listen to on the train, now I can’t stop listening to ‘Leviathan’ by Mastodon.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive? 

Creativity thrives in adversity, that’s positive, isn’t it?

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?

Go to the dentist.

Thank you, Evangeline.

—

Hello Geoff (Barrow, Beak>)

Better >> Touring with Beak and writing film scores. Worse >> Feeling really tired, old and unhealthy.

How carried away did you get with England’s performance in the World Cup?

I really enjoyed it. Didn’t get carried away though. I love how young and diverse the players’ backgrounds are – the opposite of Tommy Robinson’s England.

What did you do on your birthday this year?

It’s Dec 9th so nothing yet. (Hopefully bowling.)

What box sets did you destroy this year? 

Mumford and Sons’ box set, I shat in it.

Did anything weird happen at any of your shows?

People turned up.

Did 2018 provide you with any new music discoveries?
Yes. Colin Stetson’s album, Low’s new album. Oh Sees was the best but 

I’m constantly disappointed in how little new good music I can find.

Socially and politically it’s been a bit of shit-fest, hasn’t it. What have you done to remain positive?

I’ve found time to enjoy tiny things that I’ve always taken for granted. And playing live music to nice people. Oh, and punching Nazis… especially really old ones.

What’s your New Year’s resolution to make 2019 your best year yet?  

It probably won’t be so I won’t bother.

Thank you, Geoff.

Photos by: Gabriel Green, Tim Cochrane, Phil Sharp, Colin Medley, Gaelle Beri