Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley [pictured with Will Champion] has championed live music throughout her career, especially on her Live Lounge slot.
People have tuned in to hear artists' cover versions of contemporary hits such as Jamie Cullum's much-discussed rendition of Pharrell's Frontin' and Arctic Monkeys doing Girls Aloud's Love Machine.
You can catch the mother-ofthree's new show, In Live Music We Trust (Wednesdays 9pm-10pm), or her weekday show (Monday-Fridays 10am-1pm). Her new album, Live Lounge, has just been released. Shereen Low met up with her.
What's been your favourite moment?
"It's really hard to choose one favourite performer, but I have special spine-tingly moments. The Arctic Monkeys doing a cover of Girls Aloud's Love Machine is one of my favourites. It was a bit rough around the edges but they had fun. The White Stripes did something for us and that was cool. Also, I'm really fond of the first time Coldplay came on the Live Lounge. We had Keane doing U2's With Or Without You - that was really beautiful."
It must be great for the bands to receive such amazing feedback. "It is. People often have immediate reaction when they hear the bands, with goosebumps or hairs on the back of your neck rising. We always tell the bands too, so they know what's going on."
Have there been any cringey moments?
"It does happen. Sometimes the artists forget their words -Jack Johnson did but made something up on the spot. When Lemar did The Darkness' I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and The Automatic did Kanye West's Goldigger, I thought, 'Oh my god'.
"This gives the artists the chance to surprise people and show fans what they're made of. Will Young did a cover of OutKast's Hey Ya, which was absolutely phenomenal and still gets requested to this day. Same with Jamie Cullum's cover of Frontin'."
Who would you like to see on the Live Lounge?
"I would very much like Justin Timberlake to come in and do covers of U2 or Foo Fighters, or even Britney Spears. We're also trying to get the Killers on."
Do the bands know what's involved?
"It's very much understood that if they come onto the Live Lounge, they will perform some of their singles but also a cover. I ask them to do a contemporary hit, rather than doing a Nirvana or Beatles track. It's more interesting then."
Who do you think is going to be big?
"I'm getting excited about The Hours, Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz has a new band called The Good, The Bad and The Queen, featuring Paul Simonon of The Clash, and that might take off in a Gorillaz kind of way. Damien Rice has a new record out, which is fantastic, Scott Matthews - he has an amazing voice like Jeff Buckley, and Mika -although he's quite flamboyant."
Source: Various IC Network [London]
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.