01Profile
A Harley Cassidy Photo
Harley Cassidy
Writer/DJ — Birmingham
03Interview
Name
Harley Cassidy
Where are you from?
Birmingham
What do you do?
I am an A&R scout at Columbia Records. I also run events under the moniker, ‘Never Heard of Ya.’
Describe your style in three words?
Gin and tee.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
That’s incredibly difficult to answer as 70% of my time is spent watching live music. For the sake of answering this question, I’ll go with Radiohead because they completely flipped my perception of them as a band on its head. I possess an incredibly short attention span yet three hours in Thom Yorke’s company felt like no time at all.
If you could put any three bands in history on a lineup?
Joni Mitchell for tranquillity. Joy Division for intensity. Frank Zappa for fun.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Robert Johnson because I can’t think of anyone else who truly holds that kind of mythical status in music. I’d also like to be greedy and split my time between him and Nina Simone. I’ve been feeling kind of pathetic recently and I reckon she’d snap me back in to shape.
Where is your favourite independent venue?
The Windmill in Brixton. It’s a place of raw, unfettered talent. You can walk in and be greeted by at least one familiar, friendly face and at least one exciting new band. It’s the kind of hub that doesn’t exist all too much anymore. It must be protected at all costs.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
My mum always tells me that I used to be obsessed with Shanks & Bigfoot’s ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’, so I’m guessing that.
One record you would keep forever?
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground. Even now, I find new things in that album that I hadn’t discovered before. I truly believe nothing else sounds like it.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Dancing in the disco, bumper to bumper,
Wait a minute:
"Where's me jumper?”
Sultans Of Ping, Where’s Me Jumper
A song you wished you had written?
John Cage - 4’33”, cause that’s all I am capable of.
Best song to turn up loud?
Bjork - 'Big Time Sensuality'.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
I don’t think I surprise anyone anymore but I do really, really love '90s techno. I went through a phase of watching Human Traffic before I went on any night out and got really in to the Belgian DJ, C.J Bolland.
A song to get you straight on the dance floor?
Funkadelic - 'One Nation Under A Groove'.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
Pastor T.L Barrett - 'Like A Ship (Without A Sail)'.
For serotonin purposes.
Any new bands you’re into at the moment?
Far too many for my own good. Off the top of my head: PVA, Working Men’s Club, Powerplant, Lazarus Kane, Shygirl, The Goa Express, Great Dad, Do Nothing, Steam Down, Scalping, Lunch Money Life, The Wants.
03Interview
Name
Harley Cassidy
Where are you from?
Birmingham
What do you do?
I am an A&R scout at Columbia Records. I also run events under the moniker, ‘Never Heard of Ya.’
Describe your style in three words?
Gin and tee.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
That’s incredibly difficult to answer as 70% of my time is spent watching live music. For the sake of answering this question, I’ll go with Radiohead because they completely flipped my perception of them as a band on its head. I possess an incredibly short attention span yet three hours in Thom Yorke’s company felt like no time at all.
If you could put any three bands in history on a lineup?
Joni Mitchell for tranquillity. Joy Division for intensity. Frank Zappa for fun.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Robert Johnson because I can’t think of anyone else who truly holds that kind of mythical status in music. I’d also like to be greedy and split my time between him and Nina Simone. I’ve been feeling kind of pathetic recently and I reckon she’d snap me back in to shape.
Where is your favourite independent venue?
The Windmill in Brixton. It’s a place of raw, unfettered talent. You can walk in and be greeted by at least one familiar, friendly face and at least one exciting new band. It’s the kind of hub that doesn’t exist all too much anymore. It must be protected at all costs.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
My mum always tells me that I used to be obsessed with Shanks & Bigfoot’s ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’, so I’m guessing that.
One record you would keep forever?
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground. Even now, I find new things in that album that I hadn’t discovered before. I truly believe nothing else sounds like it.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Dancing in the disco, bumper to bumper,
Wait a minute:
"Where's me jumper?”
Sultans Of Ping, Where’s Me Jumper
A song you wished you had written?
John Cage - 4’33”, cause that’s all I am capable of.
Best song to turn up loud?
Bjork - 'Big Time Sensuality'.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
I don’t think I surprise anyone anymore but I do really, really love '90s techno. I went through a phase of watching Human Traffic before I went on any night out and got really in to the Belgian DJ, C.J Bolland.
A song to get you straight on the dance floor?
Funkadelic - 'One Nation Under A Groove'.
Best song to end an all-nighter?
Pastor T.L Barrett - 'Like A Ship (Without A Sail)'.
For serotonin purposes.
Any new bands you’re into at the moment?
Far too many for my own good. Off the top of my head: PVA, Working Men’s Club, Powerplant, Lazarus Kane, Shygirl, The Goa Express, Great Dad, Do Nothing, Steam Down, Scalping, Lunch Money Life, The Wants.