Kate Bush teases new music: ‘I’m very keen to start working on a new album’
"Particularly [in] the last year, I’ve felt really ready to start doing something new," the artist said in a rare interview
By Dale Fox
Legendary British singer Kate Bush has teased new music, saying in an interview that she is “very keen to start working on a new album.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today podcast today (25 October), the ‘Wuthering Heights’ artist added: “I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space. It’s been a long time.”
Bush’s last studio album, 50 Words for Snow (2011), was her most recent major release, followed by 2016’s Before the Dawn, her celebrated 2014 live residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo – only her second series of live shows in her career.
Reflecting on this hiatus, Bush admitted, “I’ve been caught up doing a lot of archive work over the last few years, redesigning our website, putting a lyric book together.” However, the 66-year-old star is ready to start something fresh. “I’ve got lots of ideas,” she added, hinting that the creative urge has been brewing for some time. “Particularly [in] the last year, I’ve felt really ready to start doing something new.”
Little Shrew short film released
The singer, who famously maintains a private life away from the spotlight, spoke about Little Shrew, a newly released short film she wrote and directed. The four-minute animation, set to her song ‘Snowflake’, seeks to raise awareness for War Child, a charity supporting children impacted by war. Inspired by the Ukraine crisis, the animation is available to view for free and encourages viewers to donate to the cause.
“I started working on it a couple of years ago, not long after the Ukrainian war broke out, and I think it was such a shock for all of us,” she explained. “I just felt I wanted to make a little animation … to draw attention to how horrific it is for children.”
Bush described the journey of creating Little Shrew as a deeply emotional process. “I thought people might be more empathetic towards a creature rather than a human, so I came up with the idea of a little shrew,” she shared. The film follows the animal through a desolate cityscape, meant to represent war-torn areas affecting children worldwide. “For a child, it’s unimaginable how frightening it must be for them,” Bush said.
Bush’s musical influence surged anew in 2022, thanks to Netflix’s Stranger Things, where her 1985 classic ‘Running Up That Hill’ became a global hit with a new generation of fans. When asked about Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour urging her to perform live again, she said, “I’m not there yet,” hinting that, for now, her focus lies in the studio rather than the stage.
Check out Kate Bush’s 6 best B-sides, album tracks and deep cuts as ranked by Attitude.