Digging with Flo

If anyone can make weeding (a mundane but necessary part of allotment life) exciting, it’s Detroit party starters, HiTech. HiTech are a Detroit-based trio redefining the sound and spirit of the city. King Milo, Milf Melly, and 47Chops fuse ghettotech, footwork, techno, and hip-hop into a high-octane, genre-blurring style that’s both futuristic and deeply rooted in Detroit’s musical DNA. Their live sets, where they turn dancefloors into full-blown parties, have given them a cult following.They join Flo on the plot today to prepare the ground for future planting, whilst they talk about their origin story, the Beach Boys, why Milo will never do stand up comedy and their dream collaborators. This episode of Digging is sponsored by Niwaki: the go to destination for functional, durable Japanese gardening gear. For 10% off your Niwaki purchase, head to Niwaki.com and enter the code DIGGINGWITHFLO at the checkout. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Connor Gani, Editing - Omar Serge, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie Ellison, Exec Producer - Lizzy KingA video version of this episode is also available on YouTube.Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

We’re back on the plot for another bumper crop of Digging interviews. Today Flo is joined on the allotment by Laraaji: meaning "beautiful divine sun being," Laraaji is a fitting guest for this episode, which is infused with both the warmth of London sunshine and Laraaji’s divine positivity.Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia in 1943, Laraaji is a pioneering American musician, composer, and mystic, widely recognized for his contributions to ambient and new age music.In this episode, Laraaji reflects on his early years spent growing vegetables with his sharecropper grandparents in Southern Virginia, shares memories of his brief stint as a stand-up comedian in 1970s New York City and the spiritual journey that led him to become one of the most enduring pioneers of new age music. He also discusses his role as a laughter therapy practitioner. This episode of Digging is sponsored by Niwaki: the go to destination for functional, durable Japanese gardening gear. For 10% off your Niwaki purchase, head to Niwaki.com and enter the code DIGGINGWITHFLO at the checkout. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Omar Serge, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

This is the last episode of Digging for a while, and we’re celebrating with the queen of vegetables… potatoes! Flo is joined by CMAT for her favourite job on the allotment. CMAT is a fast rising singer songwriter from Ireland who has been tirelessly touring Europe and North America with her incredible live show for years now. She’s just been nominated for the Mercury Prize, adding that to her list along with Ivor Novello and Brit nominations. The irony of having the only Irish guest of the season harvest potatoes is not lost on CMAT, who considered her superior harvest some form of reparation. In this episode she and Flo talk about pretty much everything, but highlights include CMAT’s refreshing love of fame, growing beans in Red Stripe tins and the art of songwriting - all whilst they dig up those unfortunate potatoes. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Chantal Adams, Sound Recording & Mix Mastering - Sophie EllisonMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

Flo’s joined today by the godfather of Memphis rap, DJ Spanish Fly. Fly is celebrated for his influential role in the early sound of Southern hip-hop, and known for his lo fi, distortion heavy musical style. In this conversation with Flo he recalls his childhood in the church, his arrival in Memphis as a country boy from rural Illinois and his role in the development of bucking, a dance style which emerged from his DJ sets at Club No Name in the late 80s and 90s. It was at these daily DJ sets at Club no Name that DJ Spanish Fly pioneered the Memphis sound, which is, in Flo’s words, spooky. The pair discuss the surprising merits of this spooky sound as they plant out cucumbers on the allotment.  Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Omar Serge, Sound Recording - Connor Gani, Sound Design and Mix Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

Off the allotment and into a city garden today with musician and composer Rufus Wainwright. Rufus joined Flo fresh from a run of shows and special events, including the performance of his Dream Requiem in Paris, performed by Anna Prohaska, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France, and narrated by Meryl Streep.  In this episode of Digging, Flo and Rufus - with the assistance of Siegfried the dog - plant out tomatoes. Whilst they set about the task they discuss Rufus’ discovery of opera as a young gay teenager during the peak of the AIDS crisis, his musical lineage, the bruising experience of launching a cutting edge musical on the West End and his new found love of Britney Spears. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

Back on the allotment today with Lias Saoudi, best known as the frontman of the heavily mythologised South London band Fat White Family. For the uninitiated, FWF are a controversial band born out of a Peckham squat in 2011: they became known initially for their riotous, electric live shows, as well as their unapologetic attitudes - depending on who you talk to, FWF are post punk heroes or “horrible little scrotes”. Now in 2024, the band sit at an interesting juncture, with a new album out but with certain members absent, decades of excessive drug use having taken their toll. During today’s episode Lias talks about his experience of growing up in Cookstown Northern Ireland and troubling family ties, as well as new found health and semi-sobriety. Flo and Lias’s mutual disdain for musician-turned-cheese magnate, Alex James also comes up, as they successfully plant out butternut squash, which it turns out is Lias’ least favourite vegetable. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

Off the plot today and into the Suffolk garden of writer, critic and lifelong gardener Olivia Laing. Laing's diverse career began with their involvement in road protests in the 1980s & 1990s where they lived completely off grid: this led to training as a herbalist, before moving into the literary world. As the deputy books editor of The Observer they wrote extensively on arts and culture, before authoring award winning auto-fiction novel Crudo, and several celebrated works of non-fiction - the most recent of which, The Garden Against Time, uses today’s Suffolk garden setting as a lens through which to explore the concept of paradise and the varied, surprising stories of gardens. Whilst Flo and Olivia pot up geraniums they discuss the concept of the gardens as a queer haven for artists like Derek Jarman, Cedric Morris, Vita Sackville-West and the ladies of Llangollen. Flo has her first go at worm harvesting and Flo and Olivia reflect on the growing urgency for public gardens that provide a refuge from urban stressors as well as the climate crisis. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording & Mastering - Sophie EllisonMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

Today on the plot Flo’s joined by multidisciplinary artist and musician Duval Timothy. Duval’s work blends his musical and cultural influences with the piano at the centre of his practice. His work spans food, painting, sculpture, textiles and more. Recent collaborators include fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner and rapper Kendrick Lamar.Flo and Duval talk about fatherhood, Lewisham’s Mr Pink, Duval’s commitment to the colour blue, his early experiences of making art, and some of his more recent music. Duval proves himself to be a fantastic digger and planter of courgettes, which was today’s task.  Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.

This week Flo is joined by artist, activist and founder of Sports Banger, Jonny Banger. Jonny has taken the art of the bootleg and used it to deliver searing take downs of the status quo: his work is subversive and accessible, and encompasses themes of pop culture, politics and fashion, all undercut by a spirit of rave. In this episode Flo and Jonny talk about Jonny's long standing connection to pigeons, the KLF and the buzz he gets when he receives a cease and desist letter: all whilst planting out climbing beans. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording & Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTube.Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.