Hitting the right chord

ONE phone call from a fellow Apple Music host inspired Zane Lowe to keep his shows going through global isolation. It was Elton John.

“Elton calls to check up on you, he’s just that kind of person, an incredibly kind human being,” Lowe says from lockdown in LA.

“This was in the first few days (of isolation) and I said ‘I think I’m going back to work on Monday’ and he went ‘OK, I’ll do Rocket Hour let’s go’.

“But I wanted to create shows that reflected the tone of what we were going through rather than act like it was business as usual.” Since then Lowe has created fascinating programs, with deep conversations about music in general rather than plugging a new record, regular group chats on Facetime (including one with Dua Lipa, J-Lo and Charli XCX) and interviews with everyone from Keith Urban to Lady Gaga.

“A lot of artists have been uncomfortable about self promotion or talking about themselves right now,” Lowe says.

“I asked Elton to come on my show, to pick some records, we’d do a mutual playlist and chat about music.

“There is a sense of openness and a willingness to connect within the artistic