John Cale, who turned 84 on March 9, continues to look to the future and sees Charli XCX as one of the most inspiring artists to collaborate with. After participating in the song “House”, included in the soundtrack of the film “Wuthering Heights” by Emerald Fennell, the Welsh musician praised the British singer in a new interview with Rolling Stone, telling how much the shared experience has broadened his creative perspectives.
According to Cale, working with Charli XCX taught him that “there are no limits to what I can expect from her.” The ex-Velvet Underground added that he intends to go even further: “I'm determined to find the next level with her, maybe an operatic stream of consciousness vocal.”
The partnership between the two has strengthened in recent months. In fact, Cale also appears on the cover of Charli XCX's new editorial project, “Music, Fashion, Film”, together with Martin Scorsese and Marc Jacobs. The singer, for her part, has never hidden her admiration for Cale and the Velvet Underground, going so far as to declare in the past: “I feel truly honored to know him”.
Thinking back to their first meeting, Cale remembers being struck by the personality of the English artist: “She is brilliant and has built a sort of fortress around herself, surrounding herself with creatives who share her vision and offer her the support necessary to express herself at her best twenty-four hours a day. And she does it without fear.” When asked what distinguishes Charli The Welsh musician called Charli XCX “smart, funny, a little whirlwind always moving and constantly curious,” adding that her desire to explore new ideas “knows no boundaries.” He also confessed: “The generosity he shows towards my history and my current work even makes me blush.”
As often happens with the British singer, the photo shoot for the cover of the new project was born completely spontaneously. “He told me he had an idea to propose to me. It was about a video, a tribute to a place and a moment in time. A moment later I was already on a plane. In the end we found ourselves in an ordinary kitchen.”
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
