Lukid

Behind the irresistible rise of his elegant folk-pop-soul lie identity crises and recurrent rejections. A new album reveals a bolder, “bolshier” artist, but still with much to prove. “I have to keep polishing my knives,” says Michael Kiwanuka.

OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, ELLE HAS CELEBRATED CREATIVITY OF ALL KINDS. HERE, A RANGE OF TODAY’S LEADING ARTISTS, WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND DIRECTORS SHARE THE RITUALS, ROUTINES AND REALITIES BEHIND THEIR GREATEST WORKS, FROM MIND-BLOWING EXCEL SHEETS TO THE MAGIC OF THE DARK ROOM

The newly reconfigured band throw open the doors on an expansive sixth album. By Victoria Segal. Illustration by Quinton Winter.

Whipping boys of the UK music press in the 90s, Bush know what an uphill battle feels like. Today they’re still fighting, but instead of battling the detractors, they’re prioritising improvement.

Rather gear collection of punky outsider artists’ BBC work recorded between 1978 and 1980.

In 1974, Mike Oldfield defied the critics and hit the top of the UK charts with Hergest Ridge, the ambitious follow-up to his unexpectedly successful debut Tubular Bells . To coincide with the release of the 50th-anniversary edition, the musician, his siblings and collaborators recount the story of an album created by an overwhelmed 21-year-old taking refuge near the Welsh borders.