It’s probably fair to say that Green Man Festival founder Jo Bartlett has a unique determination that has seen her creations come to fruition against all odds and that she’s not afraid to pursue her dreams. There is plenty of evidence of this strewn across the years that she and Danny Hagan ran the Green Man Festival, which she has written about in her very readable blog Indie Through the Looking Glass; she also recently unearthed an incredible 2005 film of the festival which will leave you appreciating how magical and vital this festival was to the underground music scene of that time…there was nothing else like it.
Jo and Danny also had their own musical outlet – ‘It’s Jo and Danny’. Their 2000 debut album, Lank Haired Girl to Bearded Boy, was a reference to Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan documentary Don’t Look Back – “So the bearded boys…and the lank-haired girls…all eye shadow and undertaker makeup…applaud the songs and miss, perhaps, the sermons. They are there.” While the colourful psychedelic past influenced their sun-splashed debut, also noted for its folk influences, this was offset against some gorgeously quirky ‘found sounds’ and electronica, the latter forming more of a bedrock on her recent single ‘Drawing A Line’, the video for which you can watch below.
Writing about what was clearly an incredible period for both Jo and Danny, she wrote this, which really brings home what they achieved:
We had no label, Danny was now a student teacher, earning his PGCE, we also had two very small children. Over nine years we grew the Green Man from 350 people for one day to 15,000 for 4 days and nights. Booking Robert Plant, The Flaming Lips, Bon Iver, Four Tet and many, many others along the way.
We moved on after the 2011 festival. (A small sentence which could cover a book.)
We adapted to life without Green Man. I went into the studio and released a solo, acoustic album, ‘Upheaval’. Recorded in an afternoon, it got 4 stars in ‘Mojo’.
I started to learn Logic, recording, experimenting and generally having fun.
So, the great news is that she is to release her new album ‘Ghost Tapes 1 to 9’ on 26 April 2024 on her own Indie Through The Looking Glass. It does sound like it’s been quite an amazing DIY journey driven by the encouragement of others; she plays all the instruments, writes all the words, tells all the stories, and records everything on her laptop at home.
Like her earlier music, the cultural past seems to shape her sound, something she visually indulges in on her new music video for ‘Drawing A Line (ghost tape no. 2)’. It’s a Kodachrome dream of analogue moments – something I’m drawn to like a magnet – bright and bold colours, typewriters, skateboards, vintage smiles and not a mobile phone in sight…what’s not to love? Opening to a downtempo synth groove, she declares: “I’ve drawn a line behind me, and I’ve tried to walk away”. Her lyrics are naked and honest, granting the listener an insight into moments of doubt and positivity.
The song is musically journey-like, and from the two-minute mark, we are greeted with a great synth moment, after which things begin to glow in positivity as she sings, “And it’s OK”; it’s definitely more than OK.
“‘Ghost Tapes 1 to 9’ is a very personal album.” says Jo, “The lyrics and themes all relate to either stories from my past or right up to my current day. ‘Drawing A Line’ is about that awful feeling which can wake me, blushing at an email I sent and regret or social media post I made and can’t wait to delete! When I finish recording new music, I always feel the need to share it with someone. Sometimes it makes me embarrassed as I feel like I’m forcing people to listen. It is an isolated process, particularly with this new solo material, and to have a friend listen (and hopefully love it!) can be very therapeutic – or very embarrassing – especially if they don’t reply.”
More here: https://linktr.ee/jobartlett