Cov musician tells of her joy after being asked to play at Glastonbury
A MUSICIAN born and raised in Coventry has been announced to play Glastonbury Festival next month.
YNES will take her pop-punk/ noughties Britpop sound to the Left Field area at the huge Somerset event at the end of June.
The sprawling music festival is best known for hosting the world’s biggest music acts on its iconic Pyramid Stage, but anyone who has ever been knows there is much more to it than what is shown on the official BBC coverage.
The size of a small town, the festival has hundreds of stages and areas of differing size hosting an eclectic mix of performers.
One of the lesser known stages, curated by protest singer Billy Bragg, is the Left Field stage which hosts a mixture of music, poetry and politics. It was announced this week YNES will be playing there after being personally asked by Bragg himself.
Explaining how it came about, the singer and guitarist said: “So, about a month ago, my manager texted me saying ‘Is this a wind up?.’ Attached was a screenshot of an email from Billy Bragg - asking if I ever played solo because if so, he might have a gig for me.
“We both thought it was 100 per cent a scammer. I kind of thought ‘Well, what’s the worst that could come from replying?’ Then I got the text saying ‘Erm...so the gig is Glastonbury.’
“I burst into happy tears immediately, it feels absolutely wild. It’s definitely one of those bucket list ‘I can actually tell people I’m a musician now’ moments.”
Asked if there are any more festivals lined up this summer, a tightlipped YNES proclaimed: “I could not possibly say yet!”
So where did it all start for YNES and how has she reached this point in her career? She explained: “I was born and raised in Coventry. I’ve been writing music since I first listened to Taylor Swift in 2007 and now I’m here. This achievement is years’ worth of investment.”
But YNES, a working class kid from Cov, admits it isn’t always easy making your way through an industry which has become something of a playground for the upper and middle classes in recent years. Due to its often unlucrative dividends, musicians not from a privileged background are less able to pursue it as a career or a way to make a living.
This is something YNES touches on in her music, namely the track Better Job, which sees her lament: “We’ve all got other jobs, we can’t live on this dying industry and none of us can afford to be the new Rolling
Stones or Bowie.” Addressing her roots, she went on: “Big props to working class, independent musicians. On that note, big props to my dad for finding the money for my guitar lessons aged 11.”
There is a modern kitchen-sink relatability to the songs, which are delivered with a Cov twang. Addressing this, YNES explained: “I’m influenced by a lot of mid 2000’s British pop, like Kate Nash, Arctic Monkeys and Jamie T.
“I can appreciate what that era did in terms of bringing the English accent back to indie music. I also have no shame in loving pop punk as a genre so that definitely shines through when I’m recording.”
Though Glastonbury is best is known for its huge headliners and varied performers, the state of the weather often ends up being a topic of huge discussion, but YNES has a plan which she hopes means she can leave the wellies at home:
“Now I’m manifesting no rain for Glastonbury,” she laughed.
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