The New Cue #415 September 18: A Life in Music with Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Bella Union and much more...+ competition!

"Being kidnapped in Mexico City was my harshest lesson..."

Good Morning,

We’ve had to create an extra subscribers-only edition on Wednesdays, mainly to accommodate the huge waves of content that we’ve triggered with our overwhelming love of music journalism - we just can’t get enough of it. Hopefully our subs new and old appreciate this additional midweek missive.

I’m particularly happy about today’s edition because it’s meant I’ve spent a chunk of time recently listening to Cocteau Twins again, as our guest is Simon Raymonde. Simon was one third of that most original and influential of Britain’s post-post-punk groups, playing bass with Cocteau Twins between 1983 and their split in ‘97. I was an obsessed Cocteau Twins teenager. Then, in the rave(ish) era, I had a 45-minute mix tape I’d made specifically for playing in company when returning home out of our minds and particularly emotionally wrung out in the wee hours. I’ve recreated it here from memory if you want to listen while you read.

Since the Cocteau Twins split, Simon has kept himself busy by running one the most successful UK independent labels, Bella Union, home to Beach House, Fleet Foxes, John Grant, Father John Misty and many others. He also produces and mixes records, DJs and is now a memoirist, too, having published his gripping autobiography In One Ear last week.

We have a competition to win an incredible sealed hardback edition of In One Ear, worth £50, signed by Simon and designed by Chris Biggs of 4AD, courtesy of his generous publisher Nine Eight. It’s beautiful, and the property of whoever correctly answers the question set at the foot of today’s edition.

See you on Friday,

Ted and Niall

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Lost In Music: Simon Raymonde

My first job in music

Beggars Banquet record shop in South Kensington from 1980 till it shut in 1982. I was 18, and at the time it was my "dream job" in my favourite shop that I would hang out in all day anyway. The manager said I knew as much as he did about the new bands and releases, and if I was coming in every day, I may as well help him out and get paid for it too.