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Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Andy Bell Discusses ‘Ten Crowns' Album Tracks, Touring And Surviving
Andy Bell is on top form with 'Ten Crowns.' Sean Black Andy Bell, perhaps best known as one half of Erasure, is back with a new solo album, Ten Crowns. It's his first since Non-Stop in 2010 and has been 12 years in the making. "Dave Audé, the producer, and I had been working on songs together over the past 12 years, so we had a collection. The first one we did was Don't Cha Know, and that was written on mic," Bell recalls as we chat on Zoom as he relaxes at his London home. "I sang the song through twice with the lyrics on a piece of paper, and that was it. Dave cut from the two different vocal takes for that song, and we carried on from there." "It was an organic process. It happens often with an Erasure album, too, how the last track that you write together, Interstellar for Ten Crowns, becomes the first track on the album. It's strange because it's almost like you're working in reverse. Don't Cha Know was released as the first single, and it was the oldest song. We didn't really have a concept for the album, though." Response to the first few singles from Ten Crowns, which lands on Friday, May 2, 2025, has been favorable even though the singer-songwriter admits it's harder to promote projects these days. "We're living in different times, and marketing happens in a whole different way, and there aren't the pop programs on TV anymore, but it's really nice just to get that feedback," he muses as he heads out on tour. "It's my passion. I love doing it, and we had so much fun recording it. I don't look at comments very much, but when I'm looking on YouTube, they always mention the 80s, and I just thought, 'What is it about that sound that people always think that's who we are?' I suppose people like to pigeonhole things, don't they? They like to compartmentalize things, you know."' Inspired by the Ten of Coins tarot card, Ten Crowns is among Bell's most personal work. It covers everything from his childhood and family to his time in Nashville, where Audé now lives. "You feel that energy in Nashville because there's a church on every corner," the Love To Hate You singer enthuses. "When I was there for this, the whole thing going on with the drag queen ban was just beginning, and that made me angry, and it still does, so it came into some of the work." Bell and his producer also drew inspiration from Erasure's third album, which gave audiences such iconic hits as A Little Respect, Ship of Fools, and Chains of Love. "Dave's a real fan of The Innocents," Bell explains. "I wouldn't say this is The Innocents 2, but he loves that gospel-inspired twinge that we have. When you have something to say, you don't have to say it right out. I'm not a great orator, so I'll put it into the music. I'll put it into how I'm feeling; hopefully, people will feel that. I've always loved my voice because it is neither masculine nor feminine, neither black nor white, so I like that ambiguity." Bell and the other half of Erasure, Vince Clark, continue to collaborate. Ten Crowns is a consistent album, but there are jewels in the crown that deserve highlighting, and each of them has a story behind it. The first is Heart's A Liar, the second single to be released, which features a much-heralded collaboration with Blondie's Debbie Harry. "I'm a huge fan of hers, and in 1990, Erasure recorded Too Darn Hot by Cole Porter for the Red, Hot, and Blue project, and we were making the video directed by Adelle Lutz, the wife of David Byrne from Talking Heads," Bell recalls. "We were in New York, and she said, 'Oh, somebody's come to see you on the set.' I looked around, and it was Debbie Harry. I could not believe my greatest hero had walked into the room. We went out and had drinks, then we ended up touring together with Cyndi Lauper, and she's come to our shows a few times in New York. She has always been really kind." "Luciana Caporaso and her husband originally wrote Hearts A Liar. It was a great song, but their version was up-tempo, so I thought, 'Well, I'll do a rewrite of the verses and the bridge and do it as a duet that would suit Miss Harry.' I sent her manager a couple of songs she might like, hoping she'd pick Hearts A Liar, and she picked it. We were waiting for the vocals to come back, and when they did, it happened to be on Gay Pride in New York. It was perfect." Dance For Mercy is one of the tracks on Ten Crowns that was inspired by Bell's childhood in Peterborough, England, and his relationship with his grandmother. "The lyrics go, 'I went to heaven for the second time, and my feet didn't touch the ground,' and that came out of phrases that my Nan used to say to me," he explains. "She'd playfully say that I was too wicked for this world and other things like, 'Oh, don't do that. You'll get me shot.' As a child, I was thinking like somebody was really going to take her out in the back garden and shoot her." "It also got me thinking about the chances I've had already, firstly, with being HIV+ and having had double pneumonia, and then secondly with having three stents after a heart attack, and I was thinking, 'My goodness, how many lives have I had already on this planet?' When I was in the hospital, I never saw any of these things that you're supposed to see, like tunnels or angels or whatever, so I wanted to write this song about going to Heaven's gates, and they're just telling you, 'No, you can't come in because you're not ready yet. You've got more things to do.'" The seventh track on Ten Crowns, Dawn Of Heavens Gate, is particularly notable for a brief nod to Dame Shirley Bassey's iconic Bond theme, Diamonds Are Forever. "Honestly, it wasn't put in on purpose; it just came up in the process," Bell explains. "I envisioned this virtual reality, AI world, and this version of Heaven, or this place where we can all go to, like a transference in your mind. I was inspired by going to The Shard in London and this vision of crystals, which I really love. I collect gemstones and thought, 'If you can have quartz inside a watch, why can't you have a piece inside your heart?' We already have fake hearts that would make you live longer or forever. Hopefully it'll be okay because me singing Diamonds Are Forever, or actually 'If diamonds were forever,' only uses six of the notes, and you're allowed eight for free." Have Bell or Erasure ever been approached for consideration for writing a Bond movie theme? "No, but that is one of my dreams," he laments. "I would love to sing one of those songs. It's whether they would have the courage." Bell and Audé keep it topical with a track called Empathy On Ice. The track originally came from Sisely Treasure of Shiny Toy Guns, a Los Angeles band that also happens to be Bell's husband's favorite band. "Dave played it to me, and that was the most Erasure-sounding song on the album," the singer enthuses. "I listened to it and thought, 'Wow, yes, that's amazing, but the chorus that she had was about not stepping on a grave or something, and that reminded me of the movie I Spit on Your Grave, which I thought felt a bit too gruesome. I wanted to get that feeling over in a way that was more poetic. To be honest, I'm not sure what the song's about, but I think it's just about how we have to take these chances. We're so lucky to have them. With everything going on in the world, we have no choice but to put our empathy on ice because we would all go insane. A lot of us are sort of living on the edge." Ten Crowns rounds out with Thank You, a track Bell and his band have been playing in recent live shows and has been getting a great response. Thank You is a tribute to Bell's mother in particular. "She was a punk, and she and my Dad were childhood sweethearts," he reveals. "They met on the bus in Peterborough. She thought he was weird, but they married, and I was the first baby. I was the oldest grandchild on my father's side, and my Nan spoiled me, but my Mum treated every child the same." "I have five brothers and sisters. We were all brought up on a council estate and had the most wonderful life. I don't know how she got the clothes for us or our dinner. We all took turns having a big Christmas present each year, so I have the utmost respect for her; that is a heartfelt song to all my friends and family, too. I feel like if I go tomorrow, they can listen to that song if they want to." Andy Bell returns with 'Ten Crowns.' Sean Black Ten Crowns lands as Bell heads out on the road in his native UK for a series of shows before heading to the US later in the year. The singer-songwriter says audiences can expect a healthy blend of new material mixed in with a selection of hits fans already know and love and love played by a live band. "I'm really looking forward to it," Andy Bell concludes. "It's not going to be all fireworks and all guns blazing, but we have a band. We've got Dave; we have Hailey Steele and Jerry Fuentes from Steele Fountain from Nashville doing backing vocals, and a drummer, Sarah, so they're all really accomplished musicians. Also, Dave has reprogrammed Vince's stuff, which Vince kindly sent to him for the Erasure material, so it's going to sound spectacular. As far as Vince and Erasure go, we're writing and looking forward to our 40th anniversary next year, but in the meantime, I've got this little project going on, and I really love it."
CBC
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
5 Canadian emerging writers named 2025 Writers' Trust rising stars
Social Sharing Allison Graves, Zilla Jones, Dilan Qadir, Liz Stewart and Isabella Wang have been named the 2025 Writers' Trust of Canada's Rising Stars. Launched in 2019, the Writers' Trust Rising Stars program is an initiative supporting Canadian writers early in their careers. Each year, five talented emerging writers are chosen and mentored by prominent Canadian authors. The recipients also receive $5,000 and attend a two-week self-directed writing residency at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts on the Toronto Islands. Graves is a Newfoundland-based writer and musician. Soft Serve, her debut fiction collection, was shortlisted for an Atlantic Book Award. Her work has appeared in The Antigonish Review, Riddle Fence Magazine and Room Magazine. Her fiction has been longlisted for prizes in Prism, The Fiddlehead and The Newfoundland Quarterly. She is completing her PhD in Irish Literature and teaches at Memorial University. Graves will be mentored by Michael Crummey. Crummey is the Newfoundland-based author of The Adversary, which is nominated for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award, The Innocents, Sweetland, Galore and Arguments with Gravity and Passengers. Three of Crummey's novels have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction — Sweetland, Galore and The Innocents. "Allison Graves' writing is generous even when it bites, and it's hilarious as often as it is sobering, which makes her a joy to read," said Crummey in a press statement. Jones is an author based in Winnipeg. She's won many literary awards including the Journey Prize, the Malahat Review Open Season Award, the Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction and the FreeFall short fiction award. Her debut novel, The World So Wide, was released in March 2025. Jones made the 2020 CBC Short Story Prize long list for Our Father and has longlisted twice for her story How to Make a Friend, in 2022 and 2023; in 2024, Jones was included on the CBC Short Story Prize shortlist. The same year, Jones made the long list for the CBC Nonfiction Prize. She was also named a writer to watch by CBC Books in 2024. Zilla Jones' debut novel explores a mixed-race woman's search for identity and belonging The CBC Poetry Prize is open now until June 1. The winner receives $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and their work will be published on CBC Books. You can learn more here. Jones will be mentored by Charlotte Gill, a B.C.-based writer of Indian and English descent. She is the author of memoirs Almost Brown and Eating Dirt, which won the B.C. National Award for Canadian Nonfiction. Her short story collection, Ladykiller, was nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award. She currently teaches writing at the University of King's College. She lives in British Columbia. "Zilla Jones' scenes are ingeniously imagined and beautifully written with rewards that endure long after the last page has turned," said Gill a press statement. Qadir is a Kurdish-Canadian writer based in Vancouver. His work, which spans poetry, fiction and nonfiction, has been published in Wax Poetry and Art, Quae Nocent Docent Anthology and The Fiddlehead. He was longlisted for the Vera Manuel Award for Poetry and received the PEN Canada-Humber College Writers-in-Exile Scholarship. Quadir will be mentored by Rabindranath Mahara, the author of several novels and short story collections. His latest is the short story collection A Quiet Disappearance. His novel The Amazing Absorbing Boy won both the Toronto Book Award and the Trillium Book Award. He has previously been nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, The Chapters First Novel Award and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. In January 2013, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. His work has also appeared in The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star. "Dilan Qadir's keen observational eye, his ability to blend humour and trauma, his understanding of the historical forces that shape our world, and the authenticity of his writing all evoke admiration," said Qadir in a press statement. Stewart is a writer from Manitoba who currently lives in B.C. She won the This Side of West 2021 Prose and Poetry Contest and has been published in Best Canadian Stories 2025, Plenitude Magazine, carte blanche and Camas Magazine. Stewart will be mentored by Casey Plett, the author of A Dream of a Woman, Little Fish, A Safe Girl to Love. She is a winner of the Amazon First Novel Award, the Firecracker Award for Fiction and a two-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award. Her work has also been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Plett splits her time between New York City and Windsor, Ont. "Liz Stewart's work is honest and beautiful — real, singular, and urgent," said Plett in a press statement. "Stewart is making something intimate that anyone can believe and see." Wang is the writer of chapbook On Forgetting a Language and Pebble Swing, which was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. She was shortlisted for Arc's Poem of the year Content, The Malahat Review's Far Horizons Awards for Poetry and Long Poem Contest, Minola Review's Inaugural Poetry Contest and twice for the New Quarterly's Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest. She lives in B.C. and directs Revise-Revision Street, a nonprofit editing and mentorship program. Wang will be mentored by Joseph Dandurand, a poet from the Kwantlen First Nation. His collections include The East Side of It All, which was a finalist for the Griffin Poetry Prize, The Rumour, SH:LAM (The Doctor) and I Will Be Corrupted. He is the director of the Kwantlen Cultural Centre and the artistic director of the Vancouver Poetry House. In 2019, he won the Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize. "Isabella Wang demonstrates immense promise as she constructs more of herself," said Dandurand in a press statement. "There will be great poetry created by such creativity and resourcefulness." The Writers' Trust of Canada is an organization that supports Canadian writers through literary awards, fellowships, financial grants, mentorships and more. It gives out 11 prizes in recognition of the year's best in fiction, nonfiction and short story, as well as mid-career and lifetime achievement awards. The Writers' Trust Rising Stars program is supported by presenting sponsor BMO Financial Group, Clair Duff in memory of Catherine Shepard, Deb MacLeod and Ward Sellers, as well as John Terry and Lisa Rochon and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
Broadcast Pro
06-03-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
SPI International launches DIZI Romania feed
SPI International has announced a new partnership with Thematic Channels, a TV sales house in Romania. Following the launch of the dedicated DIZI Romania feed in February 2025, Thematic Channels has been appointed as the exclusive representative for the channel's advertising sales, with the agreement taking effect on March 1. DIZI, a flagship brand of SPI International, is the company's only TV channel dedicated to Turkish series. Showcasing some of Turkey's renowned stars and stories of love, betrayal and family drama, DIZI has captivated Romanian audiences since its initial launch in 2019. This new partnership marks a significant step in strengthening the channel's presence in the Romanian market. As part of its ongoing commitment to providing exceptional entertainment, SPI International launched a localized version of DIZI in February, featuring an enriched content selection tailored to Romanian viewers. To support this development, SPI has joined forces with Thematic Channels, which has been managing DIZI's advertising sales in Romania since March 1. Erwan Luherne, Managing Director at SPI International, said: 'We have made a strategic move by entering Romania as a new market with DIZI advertising sales. Not only we are launching advertising on this channel for the first time, but we are also adding Romania as another market after Poland, Czechia and Hungary in the CEE region, where we are present with TV advertising sales. After enhancing DIZI's value proposition in Romania by introducing individual feed featuring dedicated content selections, we feel delighted to announce the partnership with Thematic Channels as the next step. Launching ad sales on DIZI with such a recognized partner is a promise of great collaboration.' Thematic Channels is now responsible for selling DIZI's advertising spots and sponsorships in Romania. The channel is available via three major local operators: Focus Sat, Vodafone and Orange. Radu Budes, Managing Partner at Thematic Channels, commented: 'We are thrilled to open the advertising sales for SPI International, a CANAL+ company, on the Romanian market and welcome DIZI to our portfolio. SPI International is a media powerhouse brand that Romanian viewers have known for years, and it stands to benefit from the local openness and interest to thematic stations. DIZI joins the second most important segment of the television market – the movie & series stations – which has posted a 28% year-on-year audience increase, the second growth rate within all TV clusters in 2024. We are launching our strategic partnership on a TV market that has grown in both consolidated audience and advertising revenue.' March's programming highlights include historical drama Mehmed , the emotionally charged A Part of Me , and the compelling series The Innocents . Earlier this year, the channel also premiered Hold My Hand and My Champion , adding to its diverse lineup of captivating content.
