Get to know Atwood Magazine‘s writers in our special column where they become the interviewees, sharing their personal playlists and talking about their experiences covering music!
Writing is a beautiful way to try and articulate that indefinable feeling listening to music can give you. Liv Goodbody is a great admirer of music and its ability to transform ordinary feelings into great ones. From employing her elbows at crowded gigs, to listening to soul as she drives along the Jurassic coast, life just wouldn’t be the same without music.
Stream: Atwood Writer’s Playlist: Liv Goodbody
Meet Our Writers: Liv Goodbody!
Where are you from and where are you based?
Liv Goodbody: Hey, I’m Liv and I was born and raised on the south coast of England, in Brighton. I currently work in London, and commute every week to spend time in the city. It wasn’t until I started living here for half my week that I realised how exciting London really is; with its big, beautiful parks, and live music, and sprawling pubs on every corner. Some day I’d like to move somewhere else, but for now it seems like everyone and everything is in London!
How did you get into music writing?
Liv Goodbody: It’s been fairly recent to be honest. I’ve always loved writing, whether it was for my degree, or just journal entries at different points in my life, but I have always been in love with music. It seems arrogant to say – I’m sure so many people would claim the same – but I suppose music has been an extremely important thing in my life; to talk about, to listen to, to discover – it becomes the soundtrack to our lives. After I graduated, I travelled for a few months on my own, and after I came back home, I realised there was nothing really stopping me from articulating this passion for music. So, I started my music blog, I applied to write for different magazines, and I was very lucky to stumble upon Atwood, and be given a chance.
Who was your very first concert, and who have you seen most recently?
Liv Goodbody: My first concert was The Vaccines when I was 16. I remember the night fondly. I rushed home from college, put on some astonishingly awful leopard-print flares, met my friend, and smoked a joint in the park outside the venue. When we got in, we couldn’t believe our luck that they didn’t ID at the bar, so, with our singular, proud pint in a plastic cup, we waded through to the front. I had a great time at this show; The Vaccines are a class act and know how to perform. Also, their music was being blasted everywhere around Brighton at that time because of their new album, so seeing them live felt pretty sweet.
Most recently, I saw RAT BOY at The Lower Third in London. Again, an absolutely class night. My boyfriend and I had a few pints before the show at a classically ‘ye-old’ pub around the corner, swearing to each other we wouldn’t do what we always do – which is be late – and of course, three pints in and halfway through a game of cards we checked the time, and RAT BOY had been on stage for half an hour. We dashed in, and had a really good night. The venue is pretty small and dark – perfect for RAT BOY’s rowdy sound – and overall the energy in that place was insane.
Who are two or three of your favorite up-and-coming artists right now?
Liv Goodbody: This is always such a hard question, because I’m aways cautious as to what actually constitutes ‘up-and-coming’. I’ve been really enjoying the band Spiritual Cramp, their sound borrows from working class rock and punk, and their music is just rowdy and unserious, they’re really worth checking out. Mikey Mike is also another great artist, his song ‘Trouble’ I’d particularly recommend – he’s got this unusual, self-deprecating, rhythmic humour that really works for him. KNEECAP are a very cool group from West Belfast – their sound is Irish punk-rap, and if you like their sound, there’s a pretty gritty film out in cinemas about them too.
What’s something you’ve learned from working as a music journalist?
Liv Goodbody: As of more recently, I’ve learnt to write what I really feel. Not echo what other people think, or try and play devils advocate. I’ve found a lot of joy in writing pieces that I really feel, that I’m proud of, not just because I’ve tried to make them witty, or playful, but because I’m writing an opinion I stand behind, and feeling passionate about what I’ve produced is incredibly rewarding. If I’m being honest, I look back at some of my earlier pieces and cringe a little, it’s not bad writing, it’s just not me. I now know how I want to feel at the end of writing a piece, and if I strive for that, a good article will follow.
What’re your favorite moments covering music? Can be from interviews, reviews, in-person events/shows, anything.
Liv Goodbody: Some of my favourite moments covering music for Atwood has been those pure moments of imposter-syndrome, when I’m given pre-release access to an album, or I’m interviewing a band, and I just can’t believe I get to do this. In particular, Nick Cave is an artist I deeply admire and love, and getting to hear his new album before it’s been released, and write a review on it, well, it just made me outrageously happy. I never thought I’d get to do anything even closely related to an artist as big as Nick Cave, so even the small privilege of hearing Wild God early meant a lot to me.
If you could ask one question to any artist or band, who would it be and what would you ask?
Liv Goodbody: I’m reading ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith at the moment, and I think it would be pretty amazing to speak with Patti about anything and everything. She seems like a very cool person with a very unusual life.
What are you most looking forward to this year, music-wise?
Liv Goodbody: Well, aside from all the new releases that each year delivers, and the joy of discovering new music, I’m really looking forward to seeing Nia Archives at the O2 Academy Brixton in November. I wrote a piece on Nia earlier this year, so I feel invested in her as an artist, and also her live gigs have a reputation for being incredible and raucous, so I am very excited!
Can you please explain why you chose the top 5 songs on your playlist?
Liv Goodbody: I’m going to be that infuriating person right now, but I simply don’t have a top five songs in the playlist. My tastes are always changing, so I thought I’d choose songs that move me. I don’t necessarily mean emotionally, although that does certainly happen, I mean more that I think a good song inspires you to feel something, whether that’s euphoria, rumination, joy, raucousness. I love ‘Forget It’ by Rodriguez because it is charming, and sad, and accepting. ‘Bucket Shop’ by The Libertines makes me extremely happy, especially the electric guitar solo halfway through, and it makes me want to roll down the windows of my car and sing obnoxiously. Nina Simone’s ‘Backlash Blues’ is critical, and defiant, but also hopeful and upbeat. I simply adore the trumpet in Radio Head’s ‘Life In A Glasshouse’. And of course, Nick Cave’s ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ is a masterpiece, I know every word.
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