Edith Bowman has said she wanted to work on her latest podcast venture because it felt like it had “real substance and a real truth behind it”.
She is hosting Play Next, a podcast which talks to pioneers in music about issues facing the industry, such as the future of festivals, women in music and music tech.
Her first guest is DJ Gilles Peterson with other names like renowned composer Hans Zimmer also lined up.
Bowman said: “I’ve worked in radio for so many years and when I first started there was an incredible freedom in terms of you weren’t just hired as a voice, you were hired because you had an opinion on music and you had, you were kind of trusted, I guess in a way.
“And so, there are instances where that has been the case and then instances where it’s not been the case, you play this, you play that, sort of thing and that can be quite soul destroying.
“So for me this just felt like a wonderful opportunity for me to really dive into new stuff and listen to loads of new music and have my say on it really…”.
TV presenter and radio broadcaster Bowman said she hoped the podcast would be a “really nice companion for people who are interested in where we are with things at the minute, both in terms of ‘Oh well what music can I listen to, what’s the future of this, what are we doing with that’, but also reminding you of things”.
She added: “Because I think that one of the things that this has done to me, this whole situation, the fact that we have no festivals to go to, is be more appreciative of things.
“Because I think that we tend to, we’re always so driven by what’s the next thing I can do, what’s the next thing I can watch or listen to and so I think it’s almost taking a bit of stock and being reminded not to take things for granted….”
In the first episode, Peterson said he hopes government support for the arts is not all diverted to traditional institutions and theatre, warning “sometimes the fringe gets lost and forgotten about”.
Play Next, in association with BMW, is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Google Play Music and Apple Music from August 12.