Bryan Ferry and Amelia Barratt: A New Creative Horizon
Spring light streams through the windows of his London studio as Bryan Ferry thoughtfully discusses new horizons. After a career spanning more than five decades, the 79-year-old musician stands at an interesting crossroads. Not resting on his well-deserved laurels, but taking an unexpected detour that has led him to a fascinating collaboration with performance artist and poet Amelia Barratt.
In two separate video call conversations, they discuss their upcoming album, “Loose Talk,” which will be released on March 28. Their stories complement each other like puzzle pieces in a musical road trip, forming the complete picture of a special collaboration.
The Tireless Artist
‘No, absolutely not,’ Ferry responds firmly when asked if he considers himself retired. ‘I work every day. I love being in the studio. This is the studio here,’ he gestures to his surroundings. ‘Downstairs is the recording section. I was still working this morning.’
It’s a rare glimpse into the intimacy of Ferry’s creative process. The man who was once the face of the glamorous art-rock group Roxy Music, and whose solo career has established him as one of the most refined voices in popular music, speaks with the enthusiasm of someone who is still curious about where music will take him.
‘It feels like a fresh turn for me, a new beginning,’ Ferry says about “Loose Talk.” ‘It’s been very enjoyable. I’ve been working with Amelia, the writer, for a couple of years now, and it’s given me a lot of freedom to create music that I find beautiful, with these wonderful lyrics. I hope people will appreciate it. We’ll see.’
‘”It feels like a fresh turn for me, a new beginning. I’ve been working with Amelia for a couple of years now, and it’s given me a lot of freedom to create music that I find beautiful, with these wonderful lyrics.” – Bryan Ferry’
How It Began
As with many creative partnerships, this collaboration also began as an experiment. Barratt, from her home in Glasgow, explains how the project gradually took shape: ‘In the beginning, it went slowly, because we were trying it out. I sent a few texts that I had recorded because Brian had suggested making music for them. We were seeing what would happen. And then it started to gain momentum when we realized: we have to do this.’
It turned out to be an organic process. Ferry had previously worked with Barratt on the audiobook version of her project “Real Life,” a collection of her work that came out a few years ago. And she wrote the lyrics for “Star,” a song that appeared on Ferry’s retrospective box set. But “Loose Talk” represents a deeper dive into their joint creative possibilities.
What stands out in their descriptions of the working process is how unstructured or predetermined it was. There was no conceptual framework surrounding the texts, Barratt explains: ‘I don’t think about concepts when I start writing. I collect observations and sentences and things from the world around me that might then spark my imagination to start a story.’
The Emotional Layer
Listening to “Loose Talk,” the atmosphere of melancholy that hangs like a veil over the music is noticeable. It’s a quality that has always appealed to Ferry. ‘There is a sense of melancholy, I think,’ he confirms. ‘I generally find that beautiful in music. Most music that touches me is in that vein. I suppose when I was about ten and listening to blues records… I don’t know, I was captivated by that.’
He remembers the music that shaped him: ‘I listened to Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy. There was that “Trad Boom” and skiffle groups from the world of traditional jazz, the New Orleans players. They did a kind of American blues songs, which introduced people to the original artists in America like Leadbelly. He was a big name. I thought he had a beautiful voice full of feeling and longing. I love sad songs, so this music might have a touch of that.’
For Barratt, the atmosphere of her texts is a natural consequence of her writing process: ‘I try to create something that has a fairly intense atmosphere. That’s just how I write. I try to make something very refined and precise. And I knew that mood might be taken somewhere else, or perhaps intensified, by the music.’
‘”I try to make something very refined and precise. I knew that mood might be taken somewhere else, or perhaps intensified by the music.” – Amelia Barratt’
The French Connection
An unexpected comparison with the French slam scene brings a surprising turn to the conversation. Ferry shows genuine curiosity when asked if he is familiar with slam music from France. ‘No, what is that?’ he asks, leaning closer to the camera. This moment of cultural exchange sheds a fascinating light on how even a musical world traveller like Ferry can still discover new territories. When it’s explained to him that slam, originating from the world of poetry slams, has developed in France into a full-fledged musical genre where spoken word and electronic music come together, Ferry responds with interest. ‘Very interesting,’ he replies, ‘because I’ve never heard of the word or heard the music, but in France we’re already getting a very good, strong response (to the album, ed.). They seem to appreciate this record.’
The unexpected link with French music culture opens a new dimension in the conversation, with Ferry reflecting on the rich tradition of French chanson. ‘Interesting. They’re sort of brought up on it,’ he notes. ‘But of course, they have the tradition of the French chanson, you know, and people like Jacques Brel. It’s very word-rich.’ When jokingly reminded that Brel was actually from Belgium, Ferry laughs: ‘I know he’s from Belgium, but he was very popular in France. It’s a kind of, you know, it’s a very French thing, this word-rich music.’ This revealing moment emphasizes the multicultural essence of music – how different traditions can unconsciously resonate with each other across borders.
Separate But Connected
What’s fascinating about their working relationship is its separate but complementary nature. Contrary to the romantic notion of artists exchanging ideas together in a room, this duo works primarily from a distance and individually.
‘Individually, that’s how I like to work,’ confirms Ferry. A working method he has embraced before: ‘It’s been that way for me for quite a while. I think it started around the time of “Boys and Girls,” early ’80s.’ He describes his process: ‘Usually the musical part originates with me at the piano. Usually at home, just trying things out. Then I take it to the studio. Some pieces are from long ago, things I’ve never found a destination for. But I thought, there’s something in this piece. I bring them to the studio, then I do more keyboards and things, and we make the album with different musicians.’
Barratt’s contribution begins with her texts, which she records at home in Glasgow. ‘I write the lyrics so they’re complete. Then I record my voice in Glasgow. What I do is I might send Brian and James (the producer, ed.) four takes. I can do 15, but I send them the versions that I think are really how it should be. Then it’s up to them.’
This distant way of working could create a cool, detached sound, but Ferry emphasizes that the basic feeling is the most important element in music. ‘You must have that basic feeling, that’s the most important aspect of music. It must have some kind of energy source, some kind of soulful quality. Otherwise, it’s usually not worth much.’
Fiction with a Core of Truth
Even though Barratt’s texts are fiction, they have an observational quality that sometimes gives the feeling of real-life experiences. ‘It’s not really from real life, you know,’ Barratt corrects when asked about “The Florist,” a track that is so visually detailed that you can almost see the writer standing watching the subject. ‘The things described in the story didn’t happen. It’s fiction, of course, but the way I write certainly collects bits from how we all live.’
About her writing process, she says: ‘It’s not that things are ever just taken, but it’s like a collage. I write a lot of notes, and then I make my sentences and edit things. I always know when I have the first line of something because it’s something that, you know, maybe sounds quite ordinary, but somehow it’s a hook for it.’
‘”It’s like a collage. I write a lot of notes, and then I make my sentences and edit things. I always know when I have the first line of something.” – Amelia Barratt’
Two Voices, One Story
What distinguishes “Loose Talk” from Ferry’s earlier work is not just the source of the lyrics, but also the way they are presented. Barratt’s voice, cool and restrained, creates a fascinating juxtaposition with Ferry’s musical landscapes.
‘Her way of speaking is very cool and controlled,’ notes Ferry. ‘And sometimes it works wonderfully with the words. Almost like a…’ ‘…audiobook,’ ‘Almost, yes,’ he confirms. Barratt’s voice acts as an anchor in these songs, a constant amid the often ethereal and atmospheric musical arrangements. It’s as if you could listen to a story without music, but the music adds extra layers to it. ‘That’s right,’ Ferry responds to this observation. ‘And hopefully, it enhances the text and reinforces some moods, and sometimes it goes against it in an abrasive way, which can also be good.’
Innovation and Audience
Given Ferry’s impressive catalogue and loyal fanbase, the question arises of how this new, more experimental work will land with his traditional audience. ‘Of course, there will be people who aren’t interested in this,’ Barratt acknowledges realistically, ‘but I hope there will be people who see something in it for themselves. You know, it’s not the same. It’s different.’
Different it certainly is, but still recognizable as a Bryan Ferry production. His distinctive musical signature is present, even in this new context. And there’s more to come – both artists confirm that they are already working on a second album, likely to be released in early 2026. ‘We have momentum and many things in store,’ Barratt shares. ‘So yes, why not continue? It also gives us the chance to maybe release the song “Star” as part of that record.’
A New Live Experience?
When asked if this intimate, text-focused music will ever be performed live, Ferry is cautious but open: ‘We’ll see how it goes. At the moment I am, as I said, working on the second album. We’ve done this. We’ve made a mix of this album, “Loose Talk,” with Bob Clearmount in Adobe Atmos surround. On the release day, I think it’s the end of next week, they’re doing a kind of playback of it. In the dark, at the ICA, the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. So that would be good to see how people react to it.’
There’s speculation about how this could evolve into a unique live experience: a tour in the dark, without a light show, with just a large black curtain. ‘A black curtain,’ Ferry adds laughingly when this is suggested. ‘Yes, take out the lights,’ he laughs at the image of people lying back in comfortable chairs with eye masks on. Barratt confirms that this is a frequently asked question: ‘That’s the question everyone asks. I think we’ll wait and see. I think this could be a really good live show. But at the moment, yes, we’re just focused on album two and writing and seeing what happens with this record.’
New Paths, New Horizons
The genuine passion that both artists still have for the creative process is striking. Ferry, almost 80, still speaks with the eagerness of a young musician about new musical horizons. Barratt brings fresh energy and a new perspective to a collaboration that seems to enrich both parties.
When Barratt is told how surprisingly good the album is, and that there was initial scepticism (‘I thought, oh, they’re trying to jump on the slam train’), she responds understandingly: ‘Okay. But then you heard it and… how nice that you appreciate how my voice sits in it and how it resonates with the music. It’s almost as if you can’t stop listening.’ A compliment makes her smile, ‘Thank you.’
In a time when many artists of Ferry’s generation fall back on proven formulas or simply rest on their laurels, it’s refreshing to see such an established musician take a new path. “Loose Talk” represents not only a new direction for Ferry but perhaps also a new chapter in spoken word music – one in which the literary quality of the words and the richness of the musical arrangements perfectly complement each other.
As the spring light falls through the window of his studio, Bryan Ferry seems to be looking not at the past, but forward, to new creative horizons that still wait to be explored. Somewhere along that unknown road lies a bridge between his musical legacy and a new generation of listeners, and it seems that he, together with Amelia Barratt, has found exactly the right travelling companion to make that journey.
