Thea Gilmore is on the cusp of something big; but then she has been for eight years now. Gilmore famously lists Bruce Springsteen amongst her fans, but her prolific career, resulting in eight albums to date, seems to repeatedly fall under the radar of the mainstream music press. This situation, however, appears finally about to change, following rave reviews in the national papers, flagrantly querying 鈥渨hy haven鈥檛 more people heard of Thea Gilmore?鈥
Liejacker, Gilmore鈥檚 latest release, is both the product of a significant period of depression, a critique of the music industry, 鈥渢hat last bastion of misogyny鈥, and its various corruptions. Achieving a record deal at the tender age of 19 enabled Gilmore鈥檚 hubris to nurture her artistic credibility from the offset, 鈥渨hen someone said something that I didn鈥檛 agree with, I was arrogant enough to say well no, that鈥檚 rubbish鈥 that鈥檚 not how I want to look or sound or behave.鈥 At a time when huge commercial and critical success for Britain鈥檚 young singer-songwriters is tainted by an all-access attitude to artists鈥 personal lives, Gilmore is refreshingly under-the-radar and shows no inclination towards tabloid sensationalism. 鈥淲ith some other artists, I always get a bit sad鈥 there鈥檙e a lot of people running their hands through their music, and so a lot of people do have the truth squashed out of them these days because it鈥檚 not saleable.鈥
The sheltered nature of Gilmore鈥檚 career does not mean however that Liejacker is devoid of emotion or angst, it鈥檚 just that Liejacker avoids the rock, roll and rehab clich茅s to produce a raw insight into the terrifying realities and struggles of depression. As the product of a most testing period, Liejacker lurches from the pithiness of Black Letter, to the redemption of Breathe via Gilmore鈥檚 kitchen cupboards and improvised home studio, with the surprising addition of a drastically re-worked cover of the Dead or Alive smash, You Spin Me Right Round.
Liejacker has inadvertently become Gilmore鈥檚 most honest and intimate collection to date as she readily admits that the end product was never intended for release; subsequently, the usual barriers of public appearance, whereby 鈥測ou become a little bit less honest,鈥 completely dissolved for Gilmore. 鈥淭he album wasn鈥檛 really intended to be an album at the time, and that made the writing more free and personal.鈥
The esteem with which Gilmore is held by her music industry peers is reinforced by a plethora of high profile collaborations, including Old Soul, featuring the Zutons鈥 Dave McCabe, and The Lower Road, with Joan Baez. Gilmore felt that Old Soul 鈥渃ould鈥檝e been in danger of disappearing into clich茅,鈥 as a solo effort, while 鈥渂ringing someone else in means that your attention is kept rather than just assuming you know how it鈥檚 going to pan out.鈥濃俆he album鈥檚 writing remains however, a solitary task. Songwriting was always a natural progression for the young, poetic Gilmore who 鈥渞eally didn鈥檛 look back from my first song onwards.鈥
Gilmore鈥檚 refusal to pander to the preferences of the music industry, with the production of songs as a personal outlet, has paradoxically proved to be her niche judging by the rapturous reception of Liejacker in the national press. Following a national tour, her profile continues to grow, but far from basking in the glory of her latest reviews for Gilmore 鈥渋t鈥檚 always eyes down to the next record. It鈥檚 sort of a little bit like a merry-go-round and I love it.鈥
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Pauline Bache
