Savages’ Jehnny Beth on Mercury Prize: ‘Being nominated or not doesn’t make you a better band’

The group will compete against David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys and Jake Bugg at the London ceremony on October 30

Savages frontwoman Jehnny Beth has taken to her blog to air her views on her band’s recent nomination for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

Writing on her Tumblr page, the singer has said that though she is “happy and flattered that people think this album is deserving of more attention”, the nomination “doesn’t change anything”.

She writes: “…if there is a lesson I am taking from this, and maybe you will care for it too, it is this one: whatever happens, do whatever the fuck you want. Being nominated or not doesn’t make you a better band, it doesn’t change anything, musicians of our generation don’t earn millions the way they used to in the past, we simply don’t have anything to loose [sic].”

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In her post, Jehnny Beth spoke about the statement published by Godspeed You! Black Emperor following their recent Polaris Prize win, the Canadian equivalent of the Mercury. The band critiqued the award, saying: “Organizing a gala just so musicians can compete against each other for a novelty-sized cheque doesn’t serve the cause of righteous music at all. Asking the Toyota motor company to help cover the tab for that gala, during a summer where the melting northern ice caps are live-streaming on the internet, is fucking insane, and comes across as tone-deaf to the current horrifying malaise.”

As a response to this, Jehnny Beth wrote: “The letter published by Godspeed You! Black Emperor following their Polaris music Award is setting an inspirational example for the young generation that we are. It is possible for artists to develop themselves the way they feel it should be done, without being afraid, and without compromising what they truly are.”

The band’s nominated album ‘Silence Yourself’ came out in May of this year and will compete against albums by David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys, Jake Bugg and Disclosure, among others, for this year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize. The winner will announced in a ceremony in central London on October 30.

Savages are set to embark on a UK headline tour this November. The post-punk outfit will play six shows on the tour, starting at Brighton Concorde on November 5 and taking in gigs in London, Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow before finishing the run at Leeds Vox on November 11. Support for all the dates will come from Australian band A Dead Forest Index.

Savages will play:

Brighton Concorde 2 (November 5)
London Forum (6)
Bristol Trinity (7)
Manchester Ritz (9)
Glasgow Classic Grand (10)
Leeds Vox (11)

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To check the availability of Savages tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0844 858 6765.

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