Culture That Made Me: Cork-born singer Biig Piig selects her touchstones
Leonard Cohen
Growing up, my dad was always playing a Leonard Cohen CD, Songs from a Room. I love his songwriting. It's gorgeous. Obviously, some of it's very dark, but it's so beautiful. He's so romantic. The baritone in his voice is amazing. It's like you've bumped into an old head at the back of the bar and he's telling you his life story in a very poetic, smoky way.
Gabrielle
My mom couldn't stand Leonard Cohen! She loved more upbeat music like Gabrielle. There were quite dramatic ends of the spectrum going on in our house. There were no in-betweens. Gabrielle's Sunshine was our song. Driving to school, she would play that song and it would bring her so much joy. It's a beautiful thing to watch when you can see a song bring someone into such a joyful place. Leonard Cohen was a companion to my dad, and Gabrielle felt like a companion to my mom.
Ben Harper
I discovered Ben Harper when I came to London. I loved his lyricism and his guitar-playing. Also, I was feeling quite an angsty teenager and lonely. Songs like Another Lonely Day and Diamonds on the Inside are bangers. Obviously, we were living in such different realities. I was a 14-year-old girl living in London. He was in America somewhere and he'd had a whole life, but weirdly, even with that, I found my companion in him, listening to his lyrics. I felt like he was talking about my life. He was my first love when it came to an artist.
Bowling for Soup
I love a bit of punk pop. Going to see Bowling for Soup was my first big gig. There was a big mosh pit. It was the best thing ever, being in there, so much fun. I remember there was a big, bald guy in his 40s running and bouncing around. I love when music connects like that to so many different people and you're all throwing yourself into it. Obviously, sometimes in a mosh pit it's a bit oh-God, but for the most part it feels exciting there's no barrier between everyone, which is great.
Erykah Badu
I was late to the party with Erykah Badu, but once I found her – at about 16 – I listened to her on repeat. I remember I was at a jam my friend was having. It was my first introduction to freestyles and beats. I fell in love with ciphering and some of the beats they were playing, including Erykah Badu instrumentals.
A lot of it is piano-based or light instrumentation, but it has such a swing to it. There's so much space in it you could float around in. I fell in love with her voice, explaining her perspective on her world. It's so conversational, and at the same time, so beautifully put and it sounds effortless. I love her music and her melodies.
Salimata
Salimata is an incredible New York rapper. I've been coming back to her a lot. She's great because of her selection of samples and beats. She's got a style of rap I love, and that New York thing I love. It's effortless.
Lexa Gates
Lexa Gates is very good at telling stories in a way that rolls off the tongue. There's a 'steez', a style to it. Obviously, New York is known as a concrete jungle. It's mad. Every corner has a story. Whenever I go there, there's so many characters. A lot of those rappers, like Lexa Gates, you can hear it in their voice. There's so much going on. I love the opening lines to her song, Lately, Nothing. It's like she's chilling in a room with a friend. It's very casual: 'I might just smoke this shit to make my man mad/Need that love, I had a bad dad/Finally got some bread and my own pad/But I don't even got no one to bring back.'
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
My dad brought me to see Van Morrison at a place down in West Kensington called Nell's Jazz and Blues Bar. It's an intimate venue. I was maybe 16-17 years' old. He's obviously a very serious character. He gets up and he commands the stage. Every musician on stage with him, you know they're gonna be the best of the best. The way he can nod and change things in a second if he wants to. He's got such great control, yet it feels like anything could happen, which is cool. The songs are so beautiful. When he starts singing, it hits you somewhere different. It was a special gig.
Just Kids
I love autobiographies. I loved Patti Smith's Just Kids. It's about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer, and being an artist in the late '60s, her life story and their love story. It's about how much you sacrifice for art and for love. It's a powerful story, and it's such a big story about friendship – how much they put on the line for each other and how much they were there for each other, even after all the pain. It's such a gorgeous story, and there are so many amazing characters that come into it, other artists, the Chelsea Hotel, and life in New York at the time. It's an amazing book.
Open Water
I loved Caleb Azumah Nelson's Open Water. It's a beautiful read. He's an author from London. The book is a love story based in London, but it's also about the black experience and about growing up in London. It's based in modern times. I love the music references in it. His language is so poetic. He has a great way of painting with his words. I love that book.
Gaspar Noé
A scene from Love, by Gaspar Noé.
I love the movie Love by Gaspar Noé. It's quite intense. It opens on an intense scene. It's a very French noir film. It's about this guy who's retracing his steps. He's dealing with addiction, and he has done so for a very long time. There is a love story, too. It shows how he ended up where he was. It's a very passionate movie. It's great.
Searching for Sugar Man
Searching for Sugar Man, about Sixto Rodriguez, is an excellent documentary. It's a good representation of how the industry has left so many artists behind and fucked them over. He spends a lot of his life working as a carpenter. He has no idea that he's changing a lot of lives with his music. I went to see him live before he passed. It was in London at The Royal Albert Hall. His two daughters walked him out. It was hard-hitting, one of the most incredible shows I was ever at.
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Culture That Made Me: Cork-born singer Biig Piig selects her touchstones
Jessica Smyth, known by her stage name Biig Piig, was born in Cork in 1998. From the age of four, she grew up in Marbella, Spain, later moving to London. While still a teenager, she began releasing singles and quickly gathered acclaim as an impressive new trip-hop voice. She released her debut album, entitled 11:11, earlier this year. She will perform at Cork's Cyprus Avenue on Thursday, July 17. See: Leonard Cohen Growing up, my dad was always playing a Leonard Cohen CD, Songs from a Room. I love his songwriting. It's gorgeous. Obviously, some of it's very dark, but it's so beautiful. He's so romantic. The baritone in his voice is amazing. It's like you've bumped into an old head at the back of the bar and he's telling you his life story in a very poetic, smoky way. Gabrielle My mom couldn't stand Leonard Cohen! She loved more upbeat music like Gabrielle. There were quite dramatic ends of the spectrum going on in our house. There were no in-betweens. Gabrielle's Sunshine was our song. Driving to school, she would play that song and it would bring her so much joy. It's a beautiful thing to watch when you can see a song bring someone into such a joyful place. Leonard Cohen was a companion to my dad, and Gabrielle felt like a companion to my mom. Ben Harper I discovered Ben Harper when I came to London. I loved his lyricism and his guitar-playing. Also, I was feeling quite an angsty teenager and lonely. Songs like Another Lonely Day and Diamonds on the Inside are bangers. Obviously, we were living in such different realities. I was a 14-year-old girl living in London. He was in America somewhere and he'd had a whole life, but weirdly, even with that, I found my companion in him, listening to his lyrics. I felt like he was talking about my life. He was my first love when it came to an artist. Bowling for Soup I love a bit of punk pop. Going to see Bowling for Soup was my first big gig. There was a big mosh pit. It was the best thing ever, being in there, so much fun. I remember there was a big, bald guy in his 40s running and bouncing around. I love when music connects like that to so many different people and you're all throwing yourself into it. Obviously, sometimes in a mosh pit it's a bit oh-God, but for the most part it feels exciting there's no barrier between everyone, which is great. Erykah Badu I was late to the party with Erykah Badu, but once I found her – at about 16 – I listened to her on repeat. I remember I was at a jam my friend was having. It was my first introduction to freestyles and beats. I fell in love with ciphering and some of the beats they were playing, including Erykah Badu instrumentals. A lot of it is piano-based or light instrumentation, but it has such a swing to it. There's so much space in it you could float around in. I fell in love with her voice, explaining her perspective on her world. It's so conversational, and at the same time, so beautifully put and it sounds effortless. I love her music and her melodies. Salimata Salimata is an incredible New York rapper. I've been coming back to her a lot. She's great because of her selection of samples and beats. She's got a style of rap I love, and that New York thing I love. It's effortless. Lexa Gates Lexa Gates is very good at telling stories in a way that rolls off the tongue. There's a 'steez', a style to it. Obviously, New York is known as a concrete jungle. It's mad. Every corner has a story. Whenever I go there, there's so many characters. A lot of those rappers, like Lexa Gates, you can hear it in their voice. There's so much going on. I love the opening lines to her song, Lately, Nothing. It's like she's chilling in a room with a friend. It's very casual: 'I might just smoke this shit to make my man mad/Need that love, I had a bad dad/Finally got some bread and my own pad/But I don't even got no one to bring back.' Van Morrison Van Morrison My dad brought me to see Van Morrison at a place down in West Kensington called Nell's Jazz and Blues Bar. It's an intimate venue. I was maybe 16-17 years' old. He's obviously a very serious character. He gets up and he commands the stage. Every musician on stage with him, you know they're gonna be the best of the best. The way he can nod and change things in a second if he wants to. He's got such great control, yet it feels like anything could happen, which is cool. The songs are so beautiful. When he starts singing, it hits you somewhere different. It was a special gig. Just Kids I love autobiographies. I loved Patti Smith's Just Kids. It's about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer, and being an artist in the late '60s, her life story and their love story. It's about how much you sacrifice for art and for love. It's a powerful story, and it's such a big story about friendship – how much they put on the line for each other and how much they were there for each other, even after all the pain. It's such a gorgeous story, and there are so many amazing characters that come into it, other artists, the Chelsea Hotel, and life in New York at the time. It's an amazing book. Open Water I loved Caleb Azumah Nelson's Open Water. It's a beautiful read. He's an author from London. The book is a love story based in London, but it's also about the black experience and about growing up in London. It's based in modern times. I love the music references in it. His language is so poetic. He has a great way of painting with his words. I love that book. Gaspar Noé A scene from Love, by Gaspar Noé. I love the movie Love by Gaspar Noé. It's quite intense. It opens on an intense scene. It's a very French noir film. It's about this guy who's retracing his steps. He's dealing with addiction, and he has done so for a very long time. There is a love story, too. It shows how he ended up where he was. It's a very passionate movie. It's great. Searching for Sugar Man Searching for Sugar Man, about Sixto Rodriguez, is an excellent documentary. It's a good representation of how the industry has left so many artists behind and fucked them over. He spends a lot of his life working as a carpenter. He has no idea that he's changing a lot of lives with his music. I went to see him live before he passed. It was in London at The Royal Albert Hall. His two daughters walked him out. It was hard-hitting, one of the most incredible shows I was ever at.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Any Other Business: Hoedown with Sunshine is music to Irish artists' ears
Today at 00:30 If listeners to the Dublin radio station Sunshine 106.8 have been hearing a lot more Daniel O'Donnell and Nathan Carter of late, it's because a request has come in from the regulator. Radio stations make measurable promises in their Programme Policy Statements when they get a licence, and Coimisiún na Meán occasionally checks to make sure they are being kept. Sunshine's remit is to pump out Country Crossover and Soul, but 20pc of its music should also be Irish. When the regulator tuned in one day, however, the proportion stood at 16pc. The station was 'asked to provide assurances' that this would be fixed, and 'there would be no repeat of this shortfall in the future'.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Emotional Peter Andre reveals strict rule for Princess and Junior saying they ‘kicked off for two days' about it
PETER Andre has revealed a strict house rule for his children Princess and Junior - saying they "kicked off for two days" about it. The singer-songwriter, 52, spoke exclusively to The Sun at the Parliamentary screening of 11 Peter Andre has revealed a strict house rule for his eldest children Princess and Junior Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 He stars in Fabio D'Andrea's short film to raise awareness of the dangers of teenage smartphone use Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Peter has banned his kids from using their mobile phones at the dinner table Credit: Getty During the Wednesday interview, he opened up about how he keeps his kids safe on social media in an age where views and likes are at the forefront. The TV personality, who's dad to He admitted this proved challenging, especially with Junior and Princess boasting a combined 1.3million Instagram followers. He told us: "It's really interesting about my oldest two having been quite popular on social media. And I remember that when social media first started, we had no clue. READ MORE ON PETER ANDRE "It just looked like a bit of fun. It was again, that kind of, that nice little imagery of this really fun thing, being on your phone and you could play games and you could do all this "And it lures you in. And now, you know, both my kids' jobs , it's about your interactions. It's about your followers. It's about brands." Peter explained that he's implemented certain boundaries in his home to ensure his children can enjoy family time screen-free. "They want to talk to you about seeing how much interaction you have. So we're in this real pickle now. And of course we didn't know that at the time," the singer continued. Most read in Celebrity "And I say to my daughter, we have a rule at home anyway, "When we sit at the table for dinner, there's no phones, there's no TVs. Peter Andre opens up on bullying and racism he's suffered after being forced to delete his 'racist' Jamaican gangster movie trailer "At first they rolled their eyes, they kicked off. That lasted all of two days. They never said anything since. "So I think there are things we can do, even little things. that'll just, once you put it in place, they'll follow it. You know, you put a speed limit, everyone kicks off about it, but eventually they do it." Lord John Nash and Joe Powell MP hosted the screening of award-winning composer, pianist and director Fabio's musical masterpiece, which stars Peter. The event aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of teenage smartphone use, by illustrating the devastating impact of bullying and youth suicide. In the film , Peter portrays Jack, the devastated father of a teenage boy, Josh, who takes his own life after being bullied at school. The harrowing opening scenes see his son in the family bathroom, with blood covering his face and body. Peter arrives home and is immediately called upstairs where he sees the heartbreaking incident unfold, with his wife Tash cuddling their son in her arms. He grabs hold of his child and starts sobbing before being seen in another room with tears in his eyes. Later scenes indicate Josh passed away. Following the presentation, which also saw actress Sophie Winkleman and Reform UK Deputy Leader, Richard Tice, in attendance, Peter discussed how he struggles to keep up with the changing world of social media. He said: "I do feel very out of depth on how to protect these kids from their phones because I know how trapped I am in the usage of phones and how I always used to use the example, you can't sit there having a cigarette telling your kid never to smoke. And I remember one of my friends used to say, 'Dad said if he ever catches me with a cigarette, he'll kill me.' And his dad was a chain smoker! And I thought, 'But how can you not?'" The pop star admitted change comes from individuals making a collective decision and a conscious effort to reduce the use of social media. But he insisted bigger change must come in Parliament. 11 Peter said he feels out of depth when it comes to the changing world of social media Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Fabio and Peter are hopeful that an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be made, banning social media before the age of 16 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 MP Joe Powell presided over the meeting Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Actress Sophie Winkleman was also in attendance Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 As was Reform UK Deputy Leader, Richard Tice Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Peter continued: "You're seeing it. And then I find myself in that situation. I'm expecting my kids to be off social media and to be, and I'm doing it. So I'm now trying to make a conscious effort. "And I think that it's about this balance. It's really difficult as a parent to do it. And I think you can't do it on your own. We need the help." The actor, who is married to GP "You can't have a phone or just tell your kids, it's not that easy. We need backup. We need the government help. We need the schools ' help. "We need everybody's help collectively so that the kids go, well, this must be bad because no one's letting us use it. Do you know what I mean?" Fabio is now hopeful that an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be made, banning social media before the age of 16. He said: "I'm really confident we're gonna see change. It's amazing to have the MP Joe Powell here from Labour and Lord Nash from the Conservatives. It's all sides coming together. "So there's something happening and there's a movement bubbling in this country . People wanna see change." Fabio added: "As a composer in the 21st century, I think it's really important to address social issues in my work, because that's what composers in the past used to do. Keeping kids safe online Charities including the NSPCC have provided guidance about online child safety. Their website explains: "Talking regularly with your child can help keep them safe online. "Making it part of daily conversation, like you would about their day at school, will help your child feel relaxed." You can find more advice from the NSPCC on their The NSPCC recommends that children should have multiple people they can confide in, for example: An adult family member A teacher Calling Childline on 0800 1111 "So I really wanted to tackle the issue of smartphones and how it affects the younger generation, because I think we're dealing with a first generation who's grown up having to navigate how they use social media, how they use their smartphones. "And we don't really know the full effects of what's happening right now on the younger generation. So I thought it was really important to address this in the film." Fabio has released a series of short films highlighting key social issues. He's collaborated with a number of famous faces, with Actor Russell Tovey also stars in Something Left to Love, which raises awareness of mental health . Watch Fabio D'Andrea's Another Way 11 In the film, Peter portrays Jack, the devastated father of a teenage boy, Josh, who takes his own life after being bullied at school Credit: Fabio D'Andrea 11 The harrowing opening scenes see his son having attempted to take his own life Credit: Fabio D'Andrea 11 Fabio has released a series of short films highlighting key social issues Credit: Fabio D'Andrea
