In Conversation With #209 - Bessie Turner
Suffolk songwriter Bessie Turner has just released her new mixtape ‘Arrabiatta’ via her own label Good Shout Records.
Falling in line with artists like Phoebe Green and She Drew The Gun (or further afield Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail and Stella Donnelly) in her introspective and engaging indie-rock, the mixtape showcases Bessie’s expert approach towards marrying gritty and dreamy sounds, and tackling Big Themes with a mixture of emotional precision and playful levity.
She took a moment to talk to us about how the release came together.
Hey there Bessie - how are you? So your mixtape is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
I'm very well thank you! It feels really, really good to have the mixtape out. I feel much lighter! I really wanted to get this out so my brain and body feels free to move onto the next thing. I'm managing myself, I've acted as my own label and I've made all the decisions on this one which felt very overwhelming at points but feels good now.
It is called ‘arrabbiata’ - what is the meaning behind that?
arrabbiata is a spicy tomato pasta sauce... I use the word in the lyrics to Ciao Bella and I think it's just bloody lovely to say, falls off the tongue a treat. It's also spicy, fiery and a bold deep red... As the person that created the record I'd describe the whole mixtape as pretty spicy in some of its themes and subject matters so it felt pretty fitting. It was also a 10/10 last minute decision as I hadn't considered what the mixtape would be called but the last minute decisions are the best sometimes I think.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
The record was made with my friend Joe aka COURAGE. It was mostly recorded at his studio in Hackney but we also recorded some live instrumentation at a beautiful studio in Greenwich with our friend David Dyson on drums. BTS stories.... let me think.... I wrote 80% of Ciao Bella in the shower before going to Ciao Bella for dinner pretty much all in one go which was the biggest mind fuck ever.... I don't know how my brain came up with that melody but trying to keep up with it was like doing the most difficult sudoku ever... I had to keep going and breathing until I nailed it. Some of my most precious memories this year were in Joe's studio working this mixtape and future songs out - he's such a one of a kind special person and the best listener and advice giver ever. We'd just sit on his floor eating meal deals and salads having really deep and meaningfuls and then breaking it up with YouTube videos.
What are the key themes and influences on the mixtape?
It's quite an observational record when I think about it. I think it's a lot about acceptance too. As the person writing it I suppose what I needed to get out for me personally were themes around social anxiety, letting go, accepting that hurt people hurt people... BUT IT ENDS ON A HIGH. Ta-Rah is a warped snippet of a future song that is soooo feel good and happy and lovey.
If the mixtape could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Hmm... TOUGH.... Girl Interrupted pops into my head first (lol)..... I think it could add quite an interesting angle to Snatch or Lock stock too!
Do you have a favourite lyric on the mixtape - if so, which one and why?
I have a little word with myself in JUJU which I quite like... "you know what they say you gotta give it right back, build on the pain and learn from what they lack" and I really like the sassy "uh-oh uh-oh" bits.... I imagined I'd have a cool music video with a dance routine for that bit however... I've been bit busy and didn't organise that happening...
Now the mixtape is out there - what next?
I'm going to take a very short break and think about my future a bit. Get my sticks in order and get together all the resources so I can make my debut album release next year the absolute best it can be. I want to feel mad ecstasy joyous pride within the music industry again and it's totally achievable so I just need to get bloody going!
