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NTS Don't Assume with Zakia
Don’t Assume is a long-form interview series from NTS, presented by Zakia Sewell.
Latest episode
4. Vashti Bunyan
30:47||Season 2, Ep. 4In the 1960s Vashti Bunyan burned all her possessions, saddled up a horse and cart and set off for Donovan’s Scottish island with her boyfriend. So far, so pastoral. But Vashti’s story is not a counter cultural fantasy, and Vashti is not the folksy heroine people assume she is.Vashti was born in 1945 in Newcastle, named after a rebel queen from Persia and she lives up to her namesake’s reputation. The singer-songwriter started out with ambitions to be a popstar, but was quickly disillusioned by the music industry. After releasing a few singles which fell on deaf ears, she set out on her now infamous horse-drawn journey to Donovan’s commune on the Hebrides. Along the way she wrote her debut album, Just Another Diamond Day. It was largely ignored on release but when it was re-issued in 2000 it gained a cult following and is now considered a psych-folk classic, lauded for its delicate beauty, even though folk was never a genre Vashti related to. In this real meeting of minds, Vashti and Zakia talk about Vashti’s punk approach to quiet music, her experience of being rejected from a class on music technology for being ‘too old’ and the importance of dreaming for a better future. It’s fair to say that Vashti continues to do things her own way and her own, softly-spoken version of a rebel queen. Discover Vashti Bunyan on NTSPresenter - Zakia Sewell Producer - Alannah Chance Music composition - Jennifer WaltonMix-Mastering - Sol King Exec Producer - Lizzy King for NTS
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3. Yaeji
29:42||Season 2, Ep. 3Bedroom producer turned global club-pop icon Kathy Yaeji Lee, better known as Yaeji, is our guest this week. Yaeji self-identifies as an “introspective loner” and was raised between New York and Seoul. In this interview she reflects on how her upbringing has influenced the music she makes today: whether that’s listening to her dad’s mixtapes of Korean indie ballads, finding community in internet forums or getting into the brostep scene for her radio show in Pittsburgh. She started out DJing and later became a producer, known for her introspective yet danceable beats, and vocals which swing between Korean and English. Where some of our Don’t Assume guests struggle to think of any surprising hobbies outside of music, Yaeji was spoiled for choice. She’s a prolific journaler, with multiple journals on the go at any one time. She’s also into fibre art, where she collects fibres from across the world and weaves them into yarn to knit or crochet into fabric. Whilst this sounds like a departure from the songs featured on albums like With A Hammer, it all feels like a continuum of Yaeji’s lifelong process of observing, gathering and reassembling the multiple facets of her identity to create something new. Discover Yaeji on NTS Presenter - Zakia Sewell Producer - Alannah Chance Music composition - Jennifer WaltonMix-Mastering - Sol King Exec Producer - Lizzy King for NTS
2. Thundercat
26:51||Season 2, Ep. 2Thundercat doesn’t follow the rules. From his tattoo of the word NO, to his genre-bending playing and extensive collection of cat hair, he's an artist who keeps us guessing and is the perfect guest for Don’t Assume. The bassist, singer, and producer has become a key figure in the West Coast jazz, funk, and R&B scene alongside the likes of Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus. Known for his virtuoso playing and falsetto voice, Thundercat actually cut his teeth playing bass in the thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies. He traces a line from there to the psychedelic, jazz-infused R&B that he’s loved for today, as he and Zakia discuss being the weird kids in school, how all musicians want to be comedians and his quest for extra pickles. Thundercat has benefited from some incredible collaborators along the way including Kamasi Washington, Mac Miller, Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus and Kenrick Lamar, here he reflects on the impact they’ve had on his career. He’s a mercurial talent, and over the course of the interview he dances between references, funny asides and reflections on grief, all grounded in what is clearly a sincere love and respect for music. Discover Thundercat on NTSPresenter - Zakia SewellProducer - Alannah ChanceRecording - Sophie EllisonMusic composition - Jennifer WaltonMix-Mastering - Sol KingExec Producer - Lizzy King for NTS
1. Diamanda Galás
35:18||Season 2, Ep. 1Diamanda Galás is one of a kind. The Greek-American artist is known for her uncompromising approach and singular, multi-octave voice. Her work often channels the pain of the dispossessed, giving emotionally charged performances that explore subjects like the AIDS crisis, the Greek-Armenian genocides and experiences of grief. But she is equally at home singing jazz standards and blues songs. We couldn’t think of a better artist to launch this series of Don’t Assume, a podcast which reveals the sorts of things you’d never expect from our favourite artists.In this lively conversation, Zakia and Diamanda travel across the expanse of Diamanda’s wide ranging career, discussing everything from her collaboration with John Paul Jones, the influence of her strict father, her mistrust of the term “avant-garde” and her love of forensic TV shows. Diamanda is equal parts deeply serious and acerbically funny, swinging between reflecting on her regrets to lacerating the ‘bubble gum crap’ of the Beatles. This interview feels like a true meeting of minds, and a chance to see both sides of this formidable artist, truly someone who embodies the spirit of this new series of ‘Don’t Assume’. Discover Diamanda Galás on NTSPresenter - Zakia Sewell Producer - Alannah Chance Music composition - Jennifer WaltonMix-Mastering - Sol King Exec Producer - Lizzy King for NTS
Don't Assume - Season 2
01:15||Season 2, Ep. 0Zakia Sewell is back with another season of Don't Assume, brought to you by NTS. This is an interview podcast where avant-garde composer, vocalist, and performance artist Diamanda Galás shared the same feed as Korean-American electronic music producer, DJ, and singer Yaeji alongside Thundercat, Vashti Bunyan and many more...
6. Lisa Maffia (So Solid Crew)
41:09||Ep. 6Lisa Maffia came to prominence in the early 2000s as the only woman in So Solid Crew, the platinum selling UK Garage act from South London that took over the UK mainstream. Lisa joins Zakia in the NTS studio in London to reflect on Lisa’s younger years and the early days of So Solid Crew, through to Lisa’s solo career. Lisa and Zakia discuss the highs and lows of So Solid’s journey, which took them from DIY pirate radio to the Brit Awards and countless other accolades. Along the way they drew criticism from the British press, and they fell victim to the Metropolitan Police’s punitive 696 form, which all but shut down their scene. In this Don’t Assume interview, Zakia and Lisa celebrate the lasting legacy of UK Garage and its celebration of Black Britishness. Presenter - Zakia Sewell, Producer - Lizzy King, Sound Recording - Fabrice Robinson, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Composer - Jennifer Walton, Talent & Outreach - Samuel Strang. This is an NTS Podcast, discover more at www.nts.live.
5. Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo)
32:57||Ep. 5Mark Mothersbaugh is the co-founder and lead singer of iconic American new-wave band, Devo. As the band embark on a global tour, Mark and Zakia reflect on the first 50 years of Devo and they speculate on what the next 50 years of the band will look like. Mark recalls some of his successful moments of subversion; placing subliminal messages into soda commercials and his other film and TV commissions. This Don’t Assume conversation serves as a rallying call to mutate, not stagnate. Presenter - Zakia Sewell, Producer - Lizzy King, Sound Recording - Jennifer Walton, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Composer - Jennifer Walton, Talent & Outreach - Samuel Strang. This is an NTS Podcast, discover more at www.nts.live.