Show Notes
Flo is in the polytunnel today with venerated British musician, producer and composer Dev Hynes. Previously part of dance punk outfit Test Icicles, he ventured into solo music as Lightspeed Champion before evolving into Blood Orange, which he releases music under today.
As Flo and Dev plant out spring bulbs, they discuss the British county of Essex and its complicated reputation, as well as how his early life on the edge of London and the recent death of Dev’s mother fed into the creation of his most recent celebrated studio album, Essex Honey.
Musical and football icons including Philip Glass and Paul Ince form part of this ranging conversation as Flo & Dev dwell on grief and the cycle of life, along with the impact that teenage music and memories have in processing these powerful feelings.
This episode of Digging is sponsored by Niwaki: the go to destination for functional, durable Japanese gardening gear. For 10% off your Niwaki purchase, head to Niwaki.com and enter the code DIGGINGWITHFLO at the checkout.
Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Chantal Adams, Sound Recording - Connor Gani, Mastering - Sophie Ellison
A video version of this episode is also available on YouTube.
Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks.
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More from Digging with Flo
This week Flo is in the picturesque town of Wivenhoe, Essex for a slightly different take on Digging. She’s meeting one of the UK’s most quietly remarkable musical figures: Martin Newell. Singer-songwriter, poet, columnist and author - as well as the man behind cult guitar pop outfit Cleaners from Venus (whose song The Artichoke That Loved Me has heralded the start of this podcast since launch back in 2023) - Martin is a hero of the DIY music scene.
Flo is in the greenhouse today with avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker Laurie Anderson. Laurie is an enduring creative force who has been at the forefront of innovations in music and technology since the 1970s, including her creation of the Talking Stick and voice filters. As the pair plant out crocus sativa bulbs they compare strange counting habits, their very different takes on AI, and Laurie’s time hanging out with Andy Kaufman.
It’s officially autumn on the allotment, and Flo is joined by beloved contemporary art critics The White Pube, aka Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle De La Puente. Raised on Tumblr and MySpace, the duo met at art school, and began publishing reviews, criticism and essays on their website under their collective name The White Pube. Over the last 10 years they have become a vital voice in the contemporary art world, and their project has evolved to include reviews of video games, a podcast, a discord community, and most recently a book: Poor Artists.
Flo is back on the allotment today with a packed-out interview featuring a beguilingly down-to-earth star.
Flo is off the plot today and in the garden of British cultural icon, Bez. Bez found fame as the exuberant dancer/maraca player for the legendary Madchester band Happy Mondays. Since his days at the centre of the Hacienda club scene, he’s become something of a national treasure - going on to win Celebrity Big Brother and is now a regular on Celebrity Googlebox.