MusicKate Bush’s surprising opinion on punk rockWhile several artists from other segments rejected the style in the 1970s, the British singer reserved praise today at 08:00

Punk developed in the 1970s as a response to the excesses of other styles of rock and the way the “establishment order” operated in the music industry as a whole. As a result, several artists from different segments criticized the subgenre in question. It was not the case that kate bush.

The British singer emerged in 1978, a period when punk was also on the rise. Her debut single, “Wuthering Heights”showed right away that its sound was very different from what was made, for example, by Sex Pistols.

Even so, she expressed admiration for the punk band in an interview with Melody Maker (via Louder). The artist said:

I admire these bands a lot and I admired the Sex Pistols tremendously. I admired them both for their originality and their courage. They are reaching people who need encouragement. They are reaching tired, bored people who want to pull out their hair and paint their faces green. They’re giving people the incentive to do whatever they want, and I think I’m making people think about doing something like that, if that.”

A similar argument was used when Bush expressed admiration for punk as a whole. In a 1978 interview with the American magazine Trouser Press (via Louder), the artist reflected on the impact of the movement in the United Kingdom:

Punk did a lot for me in England. People were waiting for something new to come out; something with emotion. If you have something to say to people, you just spill it.”

Kate Bush explains differences in approach

In the interview with Melody Makerhowever, Kate Bush explored the differences in approach. When the journalist asked her what the difference was between the proposal of her music compared to punk, Kate Bush replied:

I probably work more on the emotional aspect, the intellect. They stimulate something more visceral, in the body. They make the body jump. This is a much more direct way of reaching people. A punch is more effective than a look.”

Reciprocal feeling

Kate Bush’s admiration for punk was reciprocal. John Lydonlead singer of the Sex Pistols and later Public Image Ltdwas a big fan of the singer’s work. It got to the point where he once even composed a song for her, “Bird in Hand”which was never recorded.

The story was told by Lydon in a 2007 interview with Uncut (via Louder). He said the collaboration never got off the ground because of a possible misunderstanding:

Years ago, I sent her a song I had written. I don’t think she understood. It was called ‘Bird in Hand’. It was about the illegal export of parrots from South America. No, don’t laugh! It’s a serious matter. It’s cruel. But she may have thought it was a reference to her, which it wasn’t at all! But she is a wonderful woman, super innovative and creative. One of our best.”

It is unlikely that anything will change even with the explanation of the eternal Johnny Rotten. Now 66 years old, Kate Bush has not released new material since 50 Words for Snowmade available in 2011. Her most recent shows took place in 2014 — the artist performed very few live performances throughout her career.

Collaborated: Pedro Hollanda.