PJ Harvey
Can our childhood influence the type of adult that we become? According to Polly Jane Harvey (PJ), the way in which we grew up has more to do with who we are as adults than one may think. PJ grew up on a sheep farm smack in the middle of the English countryside, but she made her career within the fast pace of the city playing rock and roll music on her guitar. So, how does a small town country girl end up exposing her breasts for all the world to see on the cover of a British magazine? Well, it all begins with the girl’s parents, of course.
As a child, Harvey “was brought up listening to John Lee Hooker, to Howlin’ Wolf, to Robert Johnson, and a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart.” Well, if you can picture a small Harvey blasting the guitar chords of Jimi Hendrix amidst a small, sunny, farm full of curious sheep, you can imagine what it must have been like to grow up amidst Harvey’s childhood. Of course, as Harvey grew and her musical taste evolved, she swapped Beefheart for U2, The Police, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet. As her teenage years began to pass by, Harvey found herself smack in the middle of a record label contract, a small fan base, and feelings of conflicted feminine anguish.
There is this ridiculous stereotype within the world that goes something like this: if you happen to be a successful female rock and roll star, you are automatically a feminist. This ignorant assumption angers most women, and it definitely struck a chord with Harvey when she was accused of being part of the “riot grrrl” movement. When one journalist penned a story to the effect that Harvey was just another feminist, she responded by stating, “I think I’d find it quite patronising to be called a Riot Grrrl if I was one of them, but they obviously don’t think so. I don’t ever think about (feminism). I mean, it doesn’t cross my mind.” Today, this non-feminist, non-conforming rocker has turned to the piano as a means of inspiration, and her latest album “White Chalk” is almost entirely composed of piano ballads. From sheep farm to rocker to pianist, PJ Harvey is, if nothing else, one woman who consistently challenges herself – and isn’t that what great music is really made of?
As a child, Harvey “was brought up listening to John Lee Hooker, to Howlin’ Wolf, to Robert Johnson, and a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart.” Well, if you can picture a small Harvey blasting the guitar chords of Jimi Hendrix amidst a small, sunny, farm full of curious sheep, you can imagine what it must have been like to grow up amidst Harvey’s childhood. Of course, as Harvey grew and her musical taste evolved, she swapped Beefheart for U2, The Police, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet. As her teenage years began to pass by, Harvey found herself smack in the middle of a record label contract, a small fan base, and feelings of conflicted feminine anguish.
There is this ridiculous stereotype within the world that goes something like this: if you happen to be a successful female rock and roll star, you are automatically a feminist. This ignorant assumption angers most women, and it definitely struck a chord with Harvey when she was accused of being part of the “riot grrrl” movement. When one journalist penned a story to the effect that Harvey was just another feminist, she responded by stating, “I think I’d find it quite patronising to be called a Riot Grrrl if I was one of them, but they obviously don’t think so. I don’t ever think about (feminism). I mean, it doesn’t cross my mind.” Today, this non-feminist, non-conforming rocker has turned to the piano as a means of inspiration, and her latest album “White Chalk” is almost entirely composed of piano ballads. From sheep farm to rocker to pianist, PJ Harvey is, if nothing else, one woman who consistently challenges herself – and isn’t that what great music is really made of?
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