{"id":31369,"date":"2025-11-17T13:47:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T13:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/?p=31369"},"modified":"2025-12-04T11:14:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T11:14:21","slug":"ep-review-court-jester-im-my-favourite-clown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/ep-review-court-jester-im-my-favourite-clown\/","title":{"rendered":"EP review – Court Jester, ‘I’m My Favourite Clown’"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Written by Thomas Needham<\/b><\/p>\n

Photography by Robin Hardman<\/b><\/p>\n

You can find our interview with Courtney Askey (aka. Court Jester) here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hello. No, I\u2019m not terrible with deadlines. I am making a principled stand against the algorithm.<\/p>\n

We have perfected soul out of music. From the endless recording to the intricate mixing, to the fundamentals of songwriting itself. If music is math, so too can it become formula; reduced and refined.<\/p>\n

Before it was even a twinkle in the taint of perhaps the most openly evil people in history designed to hook in the craniums of the most boring people in history, generative AI follows as the next logical step in the rationalisation of popular music. Taste profiles, \u2018playlist-ification\u2019, the corporate-driven dominance of veterans over new artists – all vibes over substance.<\/p>\n

Those spending their time listening to fictitious, AI-generated \u2018JUICE WRLD\u2019 albums were never in it for the music, let alone local music communities. Even as the fad that was The Velvet Sundown passes, there isn\u2019t much to be optimistic about when BBC Introducing is giving space for AI-artist \u2018Papi Lamour\u2019 which makes me very happy that I have not and will never pay the license fee. Up yours computer science moralists, we\u2019ll see who replaces who.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The best thing to do is to insulate local music from this kind of prat-ery (especially when that AI-bubble bursts), to serve as a bulwark and a safe-haven for artists<\/i>, however futile and costly it sometimes seems. I know I\u2019ve taken a particular shine to local music in the face of this anarchic-techno hellscape.<\/p>\n

Yes sometimes the music is just plain not good but at the very least it\u2019s real, tangible and something that can be engaged with. It\u2019s the limitations, imperfections and compromises that keep me coming back, that chance to see artists grow and experiment, insulated from the pressures of complete corporate control.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where we come to Courtney Askey\u2019s new musical project, \u2018Court Jester\u2019. Her debut EP \u2018I\u2019m My Favourite Clown\u2019 was released on the 23rd of October and it’s the perfect occasion to talk about the beating heart of local, self-produced artistry.<\/p>\n

With the marking of her new moniker comes a new sound, side-stepping her previous releases with a sound dominated by a new Mediaeval synth. The EP is as intimate and subdued as it is fleeting. Clocking in at a brisk 19-minutes, it’s like a little musical hug; an acknowledgement that times are tough but you aren\u2019t alone. Regardless, life moves just as fast.<\/p>\n

However intentional, I shall avoid the pretensions of explaining the colour theory behind the cover because\u2026 it\u2019s colour theory- white and black, dark and light, etc etc. and to prevent the possibility of Kevin throttling me for writing too much (as per usual, I\u2019m already pushing it)<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Opening track \u2018Thursday in the Panopticon\u2019<\/i> begins with the distant ding-a-ling of church bells with the warble of an electric organ and accordion slowly building in the background. There\u2019s something about that simple, ever-building ambience that\u2019s as overwhelming as it is calming. Building towards a cathartic release that never comes. Just the whirling of a click track and then nothing. Welcome to the Panopticon. What is this panopticon? Use your imagination. Perhaps it\u2019s the screen in your hand, perhaps it\u2019s losing someone close to you, perhaps it\u2019s your dastardly parents who won\u2019t let you vape underage. All your struggles are so valid.<\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t much I can say about the song itself, in case you haven\u2019t noticed. I go back and forth as to whether it was a necessary inclusion, not because the song\u2019s bad or inherently easy to cast aside (it\u2019s a very good mood-setter for one), I just think starting your debut EP with the lyric: \u2018There’s a squirrel dying on my drive\u2019<\/i> would have been metal as f**k.<\/p>\n

So begins \u2018TATT\u2019<\/i>; its fixations of death and decay are grotesquely mundane, from a squirrel decaying to blossoms rotting in a gutter, they\u2019re hardly uncommon sights, yet it\u2019s this simple matter of existence that the narrator fixates on; projecting this banal reality onto their own lived experience, presumably their grief over losing someone.<\/p>\n

The narrator\u2019s condition only worsens, from neurotically ruminating on the dying squirrel, \u2018I went out and checked it twice\u2019,<\/i> they grow to fear confronting what it represents. Simply refusing to take part in the world around them completely; \u2018I can’t get outside\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lyrics are not poems nor are they prose, nor are they limmericks, to discuss them alone is reductionist when the music itself is what should reveal their true meaning. They exist because <\/i>of the music and are often only supplemental to the energy a song provides. Good lyrics serve to heighten the material presented and this EP does exactly that. There is a well-considered emotional arc being presented here that\u2019d be a disservice not to explore.<\/p>\n

In \u2018TATT\u2019 <\/i>the song is divided between two parts. The first a deceivingly simple rhythmic thumping that not only disorientates, in-line with the running idea of disassociation but is confident enough to let you bask in the bare-bones instrumental for extended periods. That beautiful musical tension builds as the only semblance of melody trickles in the form of a guitar (provided by Rory Booth of Dusker) preluding the second part; revelation<\/i>.<\/p>\n

With a gentle, conciliatory tone, an internal-voice interjects with its mantra-like repetition of renewal \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018There is another way\u2026 another door\u2026 another world\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018You’ll get to where you want\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018Looking right in front of you\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2026 encouraging the narrator that although life is full of hardship and pain, while one has life there is hope. Blossoms regrow, life goes on and I\u2019m sure that squirrel will be just peachy- don\u2019t think about it. The hard part is that that shift can only come from within. The rest of the tracklist (bar one) is spent justifying why that shift is so painful to the narrator.<\/p>\n

My only issue with the track is I don\u2019t think it builds the tension enough before soaring into the second part of the song. Whether that be by momentarily cutting the sound completely, or pushing the instruments to their limit (or both, I\u2019m not picky), I just can\u2019t shake the feeling there\u2019s a less clunky way of combining the two.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Like a metal spoon I am bending the algorithm using my mind to give me nothing but funny animal videos. So it\u2019s my lucky day that a chorus of cats (shout out to Nola, Lady, Toby and Sonar) serve as the extended introduction to the next track. I love stuff like this, is it a gimmick? Yes. Does it serve the song? Nope. Do I care? Also no! More cats please, thank you.<\/p>\n

The narrator of the next track \u2018Icarus\u2019<\/i> has formed their identity around appeasing others,<\/p>\n

\u2018I’m the follow through guy\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018I’m a stand up guy\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018I’m true blue, baby\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018True blue\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

This evocation of personal loyalty and stability and self-sacrifice is the narrator insisting their worth is derived from their self-immolating devotion to others.<\/p>\n

\u2018I’ll Icarus myself\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018I’ll Icarus my way to the sun\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018Just to feel its warm embrace\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Traditionally, Icarus is a myth of hubris- in this context it represents how chasing love, approval and validation from others will only serve to hurt the narrator. To be a \u2018good sport\u2019 <\/i>who simply goes with what is asked of them and a \u2018good wife\u2019<\/i>, an emotional caretaker- a crutch even, rather than a romantic figure is neither fulfilling nor healthy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018I can close my eyes only after you go\u2019<\/i>, conveys that despite being so attentive to the needs of others, the narrator carries their own grief alone. The narrator solely exists in the presence of their partner, closing one’s eyes acts as a metaphor for truly trusting someone, living under the constant threat of judgement and people-pleasing, they cannot <\/i>be vulnerable. A martyr of their own making.<\/p>\n

The cello provided by Nellie Cames is as beautiful as it is lamentful, it\u2019s a very painful experience to make into music, informing the lyrics is a single, soft, dinky electric guitar. You feel as though you\u2019re intruding in on a uniquely personal moment, a single figure playing guitar, alone.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in two-minds over the vocals provided by Ray Parkes. I like to think it\u2019s the subject of the narrator\u2019s torment, that they\u2019re imagining finally empathising with their situation. Or maybe I\u2019m just bending over backwards to justify a decision that might well have been made as \u2018yeah that sounds class, let\u2019s throw that in\u2019 and believe me it does sound class.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018I Hate The Big Light\u2019 <\/i>is the second and final instrumental track of the EP and is easily the most unique <\/i>sonically.<\/p>\n

Aside from a sample that is totally indiscernible to my ears, I only really have my personal interpretation of the song to go off of. EP reviews are always the hardest for me, written in complete isolation, it\u2019s a thoroughly personal kind of experience where I have no tales of knobs wearing The Fall t-shirts to fall back on. I actually have to engage with the art I\u2019m consuming. Damn.<\/p>\n

And what \u2018I Hate The Big Light\u2019 <\/i>represents to me is the boots getting a-top of you. While writing this review I had what some would call a \u2018crisis of confidence\u2019, below are some of the notes from my original draft for your amusement:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy prose doesn’t pop enough, nor are my thoughts original enough, nor do my attempts at levity land remotely as intended. I am beholden to the cascading drivel of nonsense and slop. Better yet, I am contributing to the cascading drivel of nonsense and slop. I am the top proprietor of nonsense and slop- the salesmen of the day according to the chief operational director of nonsense and slop limited™ who himself is beholden to the nonsense and slop flavour of the day generated by the nonsense and slop machine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRead all about it, read all about it: local music reviewer suffers nervous breakdown over song that sounds like a cross between \u2018Plok!\u2019 and that Sonic.exe creepypasta.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe this is what the kids these days refer to as \u2018deeping it\u2019 and I have come to the sudden conclusion that this is not conducive to one\u2019s wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mold in my room is telling me to do something drastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s kind of what this song feels like, a very frantic, electro-driven mad-dash that I don\u2019t like re-listening to because it reminds me that every new thing I do is more time spent staring at a screen, every \u2018break\u2019 is more time spent staring at a screen and I\u2019m paying 9 grand a year to stare at a screen.<\/p>\n

The release of this review is indicative of the fact that I am now of sound mind and can functionally participate in society.<\/p>\n

The \u2018big light\u2019, (something, something panopticon imagery) isn\u2019t \u2018the screens\u2019 as I originally interpreted it as, rather it refers to acknowledging one’s own personal shortcomings and confronting them, especially considering the story this EP tells. So, in a roundabout way I still win. Again, don\u2019t think about it too much.<\/p>\n

Now we come to the title track, which is easily the most open and accessible of the entire project, even if I struggled to appreciate it at first immediately following \u2018Big Light\u2019<\/i>. \u2018Hair Shirt\u2019<\/i> struck me with one thought when it released as Courtney\u2019s sophomore single: \u2018ah Micachu and The Shapes, my beloved\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite being spoken of as her first crack at a pop track, I think this does undue slander to \u2018Anna Bundance\u2019<\/i> released back in 2016 (yes, I have a compulsive habit of scrawling through entire discographies for my reviews) and having listened to all of Courtney\u2019s past work (available on Bandcamp for those interested<\/a>, I particularly recommend \u2018Gambler or the Thief\u2019<\/i>), I get the impression this new pseudonym has allowed her to be far more playful with music as a medium; not quite an abandonment of what came before, but certainly an evolution.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0As the most pop-centric and perhaps \u2018safe\u2019 song of this project, there\u2019s obviously an aversion to the kind of tension found in previous tracks like \u2018TATT\u2019 <\/i>which inherently makes for a less dynamic listen with a bassline (provided by Lewis Bates of The People Assembly and Dusker)\u00a0 that preludes the pitch of vocals. The principle of \u2018don\u2019t bore us, get to the chorus\u2019 is in full swing (and it works, it\u2019s a catchy number) but if the song doesn\u2019t grab you from the get-go, it won\u2019t do anything surprising to re-entice you. I\u2019m just glad there wasn\u2019t a key-change. You can have your fun but don\u2019t take the pi*s!<\/p>\n

One thing I do love, however, is the production. It\u2019s so dinky, ramshackle and intimate in the best way. Weird little guys making music in their bedrooms is the way forward. More people should produce in GarageBand and more than that actually release their work. Especially when they have harmonies like this, on this EP they\u2019re dialled up to eleven. I may have misheard the lyric \u2018tangled up in some tourists\u2019 as \u2018tangled up in some toilets\u2019 but that\u2019s the only time I really struggled to discern what the lyrics were.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve gotta get funny again\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018I need to see my friends\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018Don\u2019t know what day it is\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018No clue about any of this s**t\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

It isn’t a desire for happiness but functionality, painfully aware that they\u2019ve fallen out of their place as \u2018the clown\u2019; the narrator uses comedy as a form of self-defence while their life and time itself has stopped making sense. They\u2019ve stopped seeking genuine closure, rationalising their pain to plod on but they know better than anyone the effort is half-hearted; a plaster over a bleeding wound.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Throughout the EP, each track actively confronts a side of the narrator that they know is self-destructive but can\u2019t confront. \u2018Hair Shirt\u2019<\/i> contains the most bitter and poignant examples of this. The repeating ideas of \u2018clowns\u2019 and \u2018shows\u2019 and \u2018games\u2019 implies a persona that\u2019s bitingly self-depricating but also defensive; to sabotage themselves more than others will, afterall \u2018I\u2019m my favourite clown\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The emotional underpinning of the song \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018Maybe in my head I just created an image of myself\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018In relation to yourself\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018And maybe it wasn’t real\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018But I really, really feel like it was\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2026 is an earnest, painful expression, coping with loss, without whom the narrator lacks definition, akin to their grief, the narrator themselves feel as though they don\u2019t belong anywhere anymore. The chorus is the culmination of this depersonalisation. The feeling (or lack thereof) has become an ambience of life, diffused into a numbness that\u2019s just as hollow and performative as the \u2018fun\u2019 the narrator\u2019s now having at \u2018this party\u2019. So innate is the narrator\u2019s inability to deal with their pain, that they genuinely don\u2019t know how to anymore.<\/p>\n

The song pitters out with the narrator trumpeting the same horn, \u2018I\u2019m having fun at this party\u2019<\/i>, maybe if they say it enough, the illusion will become true. Surrounded by tourists (people who come and go) it\u2019s a forced, perhaps ironic, attempt at closure that will never truly resolve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Speaking of resolution, the final track of the EP, \u2018Holdem\u2019,<\/i> is by far the stand-out. Serving as the culmination of everything the narrator\u2019s story has led up to, however I don\u2019t know if I\u2019d call it a resolution.<\/p>\n

\u2018Everybody knows\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018You want to leave\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018It’s what you think you need\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

Despite the narrator\u2019s scepticism, the song starts as a gentle acknowledgement of who they\u2019re addressing. There\u2019s a layer of emotional maturity, or perhaps that numbness, that leads to a confrontation that lacks accusation or dramatics.<\/p>\n

The second verse \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018That’s just how time goes\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018It walks right over you\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018You can never get it back\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018So get back on your path\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2026 is a level-headed assertion that while time is a brutal force on you, the choice as to whether it grinds you down is ultimately yours to make. Going on is the only direction forward, despite how healing feels so foreign to the narrator, so much so that even \u2018now it\u2019s light out\u2026 [they] kind of miss the night\u2019<\/i>. The narrator has stopped running from the \u2018big light\u2019, that sense of clarity and perspective that pulls them out of what is familiar and what was once ordinary; their own suffering.<\/p>\n

Like \u2018Icarus\u2019<\/i> before it, the track starts with a simple guitar lick before slowly filling out the sound with a rich bass (also provided by Lewis Bates) and even more compelling harmonies. Leaving the bass for the main refrain accentuates a sense of foreboding that gets completely thrown asunder by the avant-drone of the synth. Repeatedly rising in pitch with a little trill, as if stuck in a perpetual loop, the music itself is trying to compensate for the narrator\u2019s lack of assurance. This is good, this was necessary but at what cost?<\/p>\n

\u2018Will you still like me now I’m here\u2019\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018I’m so much better now\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

The track is perhaps the most vulnerable and human of the entire EP; the performance has stopped. Despite this new-found clarity, the narrator continues to doubt their place, it\u2019s a deep-seated fear that authenticity simply isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018I just wanted you to like what you hear from me\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2018You hear from me (hold me now)\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n

The repeated echo is not only a plea to be heard but to acknowledge the narrator is now themselves; to \u2018hear from me<\/i>\u2019, rather than a carefully curated character. It\u2019s a confession, \u2018I curated myself for you, please accept me.\u2019<\/p>\n

And so the EP ends with no answer, just a long fade into oblivion. Perhaps this open-ending is meant to be left up to your own interpretation- or maybe that lack of resolution is closure in and of itself.<\/p>\n

What watching Neon Genesis Evangelion does to a mf frfr.<\/p>\n

As brisk and fleeting as it may be, \u2018I\u2019m My Favourite Clown\u2019 is special. Not through escaping one\u2019s problems but in affirming one\u2019s existence, that you aren\u2019t alone in your fears and anxieties. As long as you exist, at least things can <\/i>get better. It\u2019s an exceedingly personal record. The line for who this was made for is blurred in a way that really benefits the work.<\/p>\n

In a world of wanna-be-rockstars, Courtney has unveiled the soul of local music. This EP spoke to me in a way few bits of art do.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a solace in here that I can\u2019t quite put my finger on but still I keep coming back to try and uncover it. \u2018I\u2019m My Favourite Clown\u2019 is not perfect or revelatory but neither is life. In fact, I\u2019d argue its imperfections act to benefit the final product. It might not change your life (that\u2019s your job afterall) but it gives you a sense of perspective to chew on, as all good art does.<\/p>\n

Court Jester is an artist you should listen to. Or else.<\/p>\n

You can find our interview with Courtney here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Thomas Needham Photography by Robin Hardman You can find our interview with Courtney Askey (aka. Court Jester) here. Hello. No, I\u2019m not terrible […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":31371,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[346],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-346"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/CJ4.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p73uhX-89X","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31351,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/interview-court-jester\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":0},"title":"Interview – Court Jester","author":"Thomas Needham","date":"17\/11\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Thomas Needham interviews Courtney Askey about her latest musical project, 'Court Jester', and her newly released EP 'I'm My Favourite Clown', read our review here. Photography by Robin Hardman Why did you make the decision to debut under the new moniker \u2018Court Jester\u2019? Was this due to a stylistic change,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2025"","block_context":{"text":"2025","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newcjfeature.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newcjfeature.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newcjfeature.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/newcjfeature.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31323,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/noroctober2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":1},"title":"Radioshow – No One Receiving – October 2025","author":"Thomas Needham","date":"03\/11\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"NO ONE RECEIVING - OCTOBER 2025 SESSION - OUT NOW! The pilot episode of my new radio show, 'No One Receiving', aired on Halloween night. At the end of every month, a new session will be uploaded to my YouTube channel showcasing the latest and greatest to come out of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2025"","block_context":{"text":"2025","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NOR1-scaled.png?fit=1200%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NOR1-scaled.png?fit=1200%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NOR1-scaled.png?fit=1200%2C563&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NOR1-scaled.png?fit=1200%2C563&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NOR1-scaled.png?fit=1200%2C563&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31672,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/interview-heather-mcdowall\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":2},"title":"Interview – Heather McDowall","author":"Thomas Needham","date":"17\/04\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Thomas Needham interviews acoustic, folk-pop artist, Heather McDowall ahead of the release of her new album \u2018The Closing Hours\u2019 this Friday (17\/04\/26) Featuring photography by Tyler Bartlam and Daniel Woods \u2013 'Heather McDowall a folk indie pop singer songwriter, with a sprinkle of whimsy. I bare honesty, humor and light\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2026"","block_context":{"text":"2026","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/2026\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/C2359CB4-4577-48DC-81D8-84868816EF86-scaled-e1776439150796.png?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/C2359CB4-4577-48DC-81D8-84868816EF86-scaled-e1776439150796.png?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/C2359CB4-4577-48DC-81D8-84868816EF86-scaled-e1776439150796.png?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/C2359CB4-4577-48DC-81D8-84868816EF86-scaled-e1776439150796.png?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/C2359CB4-4577-48DC-81D8-84868816EF86-scaled-e1776439150796.png?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9637,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/music-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":3},"title":"History","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"19\/05\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Series on the history of music in Leicester","rel":"","context":"In "2015"","block_context":{"text":"2015","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/history-of-leicester-music\/the-year-2015\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"preacher and the bear band","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/preacherandthebear.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/preacherandthebear.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/preacherandthebear.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/preacherandthebear.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11018,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/music-history-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":4},"title":"History of Music home page","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"16\/10\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The home page for our series of articles on the History of Music in Leicester.","rel":"","context":"In "Bands History"","block_context":{"text":"Bands History","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/bands-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"OPM at the sound house","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/soundhouse_venue.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/soundhouse_venue.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/soundhouse_venue.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12682,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/goingtogigs\/","url_meta":{"origin":31369,"position":5},"title":"Going to gigs","author":"Trevor Locke","date":"28\/06\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction to the series Going to gigs","rel":"","context":"In "Guide to live music"","block_context":{"text":"Guide to live music","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/music-home-page\/gigs-music-home-page\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Trevor-writing.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Trevor-writing.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Trevor-writing.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31381,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31369\/revisions\/31381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}