Drowned in Sound When Boycotts Work: Arms, Hope and Soundtracking Brexit with Gazelle Twin
This is a conversation about what happens when artists discover their collective power.
In May 2025, electronic artist Gazelle Twin withdrew from her Kings Place residency over the venue's decision to host an arms industry conference sponsored by Lockheed Martin. Eleven days later, after 1,200+ artists and fans signed an open letter, Kings Place cancelled the event.
Elizabeth Bernholz (Gazelle Twin) talks about that moment and so much more. The musician meets Drowned in Sound founder to discuss creating Pastoral - the Brexit-adjacent album that Drowned in Sound gave 10/10 - moving from liberal Brighton to conservative rural England, the Fever Ray performance that changed everything, and why she performed unmasked for the first time for the album Black Dog after fourteen years...
We discuss the practical tactics of organizing boycotts, how PRS Foundation funding enabled some of her most political work, balancing motherhood with touring and activism, film scoring (Nocturne, The Power) as financial stability, and why she believes Ireland's basic income for musicians could transform the industry.
From "jaded, frustrated and largely insulted" by the music industry in 2009 to successfully being part of a boycott of the arms industry in 2025 - this is a story about resilience, solidarity, and the power of saying no.
LINKS:
Gazelle Twin: Official website: https://www.gazelletwin.com
Bandcamp: https://gazelletwin.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @gazelletwin
Organizations Mentioned:
PRS Foundation: https://prsfoundation.com
Help Musicians: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk
Music Venue Trust: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com
Drowned in Sound: Newsletter signup: https://drownedinsound.org
This week's playlist (featuring Gazelle Twin, Björk, David Bowie + Nine Inch Nails, Halsey): https://drownedinsound.org/playlists
DiS review of Pastoral (10/10): https://drownedinsound.com/releases/20441/reviews/4152045
Try Qobuz - Free 30-day trial of high-quality, artist-friendly streaming: https://drownedinsound.org/playlists (includes Qobuz free trial link)
CREDITS:
Host: Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound founder)
Guest: Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz)
Recorded at: The Shure Experience Centre, London
Mixed & Edited by: TELL Studios
Presented in partnership with: Qobuz - the ethical music streaming platform
For 25 years, Drowned in Sound has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction: Do Boycotts Actually Work?
03:48 - Pastoral and Excavating English Identity After Brexit
07:27 - Soundtracking National Horror
11:15 - The Fever Ray Epiphany: Costume as Liberation
14:30 - PRS Foundation Funding and DIY Sustainability
19:00 - Kings Place Boycott: How It Worked
23:45 - Advice for Artists Taking Stands
27:30 - Somerset House Residency and Continuing the Work
32:15 - [QOBUZ AD]
35:20 - Black Dog: Performing Unmasked for the First Time
38:45 - Film Scoring as Financial Stability
42:00 - Music as Therapy and Processing
44:30 - Motherhood, Touring, and Sustainability
47:15 - Ireland's Basic Income for Musicians
49:40 - £500 Million Question: Fixing the Music Industry
53:00 - Outro: The Power of Collective Action
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz), Fever Ray, MF DOOM, Nigel Farage, Daniel Ek, Scott Walker, Björk, Halsey, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, PRS Foundation, Kings Place, Lockheed Martin, Somerset House, Drowned in Sound, The Quietus, Ireland, Brighton, East Midlands. Film Scores: Nocturne (2020) The Power (2021, with Max de Wardener)