Post-Punk Interview Manifesto
Theory to introduce my dissertation first and interview focus areas at the bottom.
Mark Fisher in his 2022 book ‘Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures ‘outlines a cultural condition in which the future is vanishing. Through this we are continually confronted with the culture of the past.
This manifests in music, film, and literature that evoke a spectral presence of past cultural forms—things that feel outdated but persist, creating a ghostly atmosphere of nostalgia and mourning for an era when we believed in progress and radical change.
Fisher’s hauntology aligns with a focus on post-punk’s evolution and cultural repetition. The original post-punk movement of the late 1970s was deeply engaged with political and feminist themes (e.g., The Slits, The Raincoats, Rock Against Racism. However, much of contemporary post-punk revivalism, rather than pushing forward, often recycles the aesthetics of the past without the same radical urgency. Fisher might argue that this is an example of how culture has become haunted by its own past, unable to generate something truly new.
This ‘haunting’ leads to “Stereotypes, of protest music having typically standardized structures—for example, sounding agitational and mobilizational, conveying political messages stridently, through lyrics, tunes, and tempo, mostly sung by a collective, and for this reason not being good enough music “on its own terms.”
“This stereotype has often resulted in, on the one hand, activist musicians, as well as political formations not considering songs as protest songs unless they conformed to the standardized stereotype with respect to form, and content and non-activist musicians, on the other hand, who dismissed protest music as “mere sloganeering.”
“Post-punk has frankly reached peak saturation. It has said what it wants to say, and its sound is becoming tiresome.”
A stereotyping and narrowing on the form of ‘protest music’ seen in the 21st century through activism focused bands like ‘Idles’ and ‘Sleaford Mods’ has seen them written off as one trick ponies
I think there are elements of continuity and in turn disconnect between what post punk bands (protest music) were describing in the 1970’s as they are now in the 2020’s. And this is down to an accelerating negativity of global affairs.
Now… That is quite a lot of cultural theory to process. In (hopefully) more simple terms what I am aiming to investigate by interviewing bands and musicians playing under a post punk banner is below.
Not every section will appeal to the type of music you produce or the interest you have in the genre but if there is one in particular you feel you could discuss that would be fantastic.
have a read of this article too as it directly links to my investigation..
Creative Freedom and the Philosophy of Post-Punk
Many original post-punk bands were known for their experimentalism and refusal to conform to genre boundaries. Do you see your music as embodying that same spirit of total creative freedom, or do you feel constrained by the expectations of the post-punk label?
Some critics argue that contemporary post-punk is more about reviving the aesthetics of the past than pushing the genre forward. How do you balance paying homage to the genre’s roots while also innovating and creating something new?
Based on the article above, why do you think the genre is being widely described by journalists as repetitive, saturated and overdone?
How would you define the philosophy of post-punk in 2024? Is it still a genre rooted in rebellion and experimentation, or has it become something else entirely?
The ‘political’ nature of Post Punk
How much do the political themes and rhetoric of 1970s and 1980s post-punk bands influence your music? ( Think Wire, Gang of Four, The Slits,) Do you see your work as continuing their legacy, or are you trying to break away from it?
With the accelerating negativity of global affairs (e.g., climate crisis, political extremism, economic inequality), do you feel that post-punk is still an effective medium for addressing these issues? Or has the genre lost its ability to inspire radical change? (Think music by Idles or Sleaford Mods)
Gender Imbalance in modern Post-Punk
post-punk in the 1970s and 1980s had a strong presence of women and feminist themes (e.g., The Slits, The Raincoats). Why do you think there’s a gender imbalance in modern post-punk bands, and what can be done to address it? (again consider the linked article above)
Do you see your music as carrying on the feminist legacy of early post-punk bands? If so, how does that manifest in your lyrics, themes, or approach to music?
Do you think there are specific barriers that make it harder for women or non-binary artists to break into the post-punk scene? How can the genre become more inclusive?
Are there any women or non-binary artists in post-punk (past or present) who have inspired your work? How do you see their influence shaping the genre today?