PJ Harvey’s new song ‘A Child’s Question, August’ is out this Wednesday April 26th. Pre-save here https://t.co/Tx8mfeO3nT

Here’s a clip from the accompanying music video directed by #SteveGullick. pic.twitter.com/zym1cZgDuH

— PJ Harvey (@PJHarveyUK) April 24, 2023

Yesterday, Polly Jean Harvey shared the title and release date of the single online. Fans’ speculations over the possibility of new imminent PJ music were confirmed when the singer shared clips on the 19^th April of herself and longtime collaborators John Parish and Flood in the studio.

A new playlist is now available on Spotify, featuring tracks co-produced alongside @JohnParish50 and Flood: https://t.co/TUAnzOjwWk

New studio clip filmed, directed and edited by #SteveGullick. pic.twitter.com/EWIHnTpzfA

— PJ Harvey (@PJHarveyUK) April 19, 2023

In celebration of the new material, the artist has also shared that she has made a new playlist available on Spotify featuring tracks from her back catalog produced by Parish and Flood. Listen below:

Prolific English photographer Steve Gullick (who has photographed Harvey as well as Elliott Smith, Kurt Cobain, Mark E Smith, Björk, Nick Cave, and Lou Reed, to name a handful of musical icons) directed the music video for “A Child’s Question, August”, which will accompany the single.

A year ago, PJ let slip to the Observer in her first interview in ten years that her 10^th studio solo album was indeed on its way. “I’m really pleased with it,” she said, “and I’m my own harshest critic”. She also confirmed in her Rolling Stone interview last year we could expect it this summer. Now it seems that the wait for the LP is nearly over.

Harvey’s been busy since her last studio album, 2016’s The Hope Six Demolition Project, was released seven years ago.  Her first full-length narrative poem, Orlam, which took six years to write, was published last year. A coming-of-age story written in the Dorset dialect, it was applauded for its blending of light and dark and visceral nature imagery. She’s also worked on two soundtracks: one instrumental for the 2019 stage adaptation of All About Eve featuring Gillian Anderson and Lily James and another for the 2022 Irish TV series Bad Sisters alongside Tim Phillips.

Over the last three years, the artist has also shared previously unheard demos for all her studio albums. Talking to Rolling Stone about her decision to release the demos she said, “I think because a lot of time had passed since making those demos and now, it felt like a nice thing to do. To let people in, to see a little more of the process, how the songs first start”.

The video shows the extensive process that the trio and their team go through when setting up sound and video recording equipment as well as all of their instruments and tools required for a standard live performance. Clean Bandit can be seen performing from behind a plethora of camera equipment and the montage is set to a soundtrack of their summer hit featuring 24kGoldn ‘Tick Tock.’ The video shines a light on the amount of people involved in creating something as simple as a live streamed performance from a big name act, from make up artists to camera operators and sound engineers, the amount of people involved in making the music industry happen is a lot larger than the illusion of a polished video.

Clean Bandit are a hit making trio who blend orchestral instrumentation with mainstream pop sensibilities and have worked with some of the biggest pop vocalists of this decade to achieve four UK number one singles to date. Artists who have featured on a Clean Bandit track include Jess Glynn who scored a number one with the trio in 2014 with ‘Rather Be,’ Zara Larsson who provided vocals for 2017’s number one hit ‘Symphony,’ and many more.

The child friendly lyrics and simple melodies have made Clean Bandit ideal for chart success, with their songs not requiring any censorship to receive radio airplay. Despite this the pandemic has, of course, affected the trio as it has all other musicians in the UK and across the world with gigs and tours being cancelled and life becoming very different for everyone. Fortunately Clean Bandit have done well in reaching out to their fans using online platforms and delivering live streams throughout the pandemic which, though no substitute for the real thing, can at least bring some joy to their millions of fans across the country and the world.

The video of ‘Tick Tock’ which was released in August follows the song’s theme of obsession and also plays on its name by including a dance routine for the popular new social media platform TikTok, clearly making an effort to appeal to the most recent generation of teenagers and young adults who have most taken to the platform. While the trio have not currently announced any touring plans for 2021, fans will likely be keeping a close eye on their social media for any clues of plans to take part in the return to live music when it is finally allowed to happen.

The video includes footage from behind the decks at some the the DJ’s biggest shows around the world and gives a unique perspective which one does not usually consider from the audience. It is possible to feel some of the true gravity of performing to sold out crowds at some of the world’s biggest venues and the excitement that Sigala must feel when delivering his songs to his fans.

Sigala has worked with some of the biggest names in pop with James Arthur, Becky Hill, Ella Henderson all featuring on tracks recently, not to mention Paloma Faith and The Vamps. It is likely due to this ability to collaborate with absolutely every big name in pop music today that has driven his success as a DJ, leading to the point where he has been able to embark upon world tours and achieved such widespread appreciation.

Sigla’s most recent output, called ‘Lasting Lover,’ saw him get together with singer-songwriter James Arthur to produce a track which has now received over 8 million views on Youtube and reached number 10 on the UK singles charts when it was released in September this year. While this year has likely been as difficult for Sigla as for many other artists in the industry with touring out of the question throughout 2020, it is good to see that he has managed to remain productive and continue releasing music which has been received well by the public.

Fans will likely be enjoying the James Arthur track despite the ongoing restrictions across the country and desperately hoping for a follow up to the Smoke and Mirrors tour to come in 2021 which will give them the change to experience the new track and many more live with todays behind the scenes footage both reminding loyal fans of the good times they’ve had and exciting new fans with what they have in store when live music is finally allowed to return in the UK.

Fans of Sigala will have been pleased to find their favourite DJ remaining active and keeping them entertained with regular content being uploaded to his social including a TikTok fan compilation video for ‘Lasting Lover,’ which made use of the new platforms popularity amongst young people and its especially strong connection with music with songs playing a very strong role in its format and many musicians releasing their own content on there. TikTok has even seen its own stars being made with artists like Doja Cat rising to fame largely due to the popularity of her songs amongst its users.