The four artists who inspired Kate Bush when crafting her debut album
Unlike many other esteemed musicians, Kate Bush started strong. When her debut album, The Kick Inside, arrived in February 1978, Bush appeared smooth and unrestrained, two qualities that would later be considered her main appeal. Many of the album’s singles, including ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Them Heavy People’, and ‘The Man with the Child in his Eyes’, would go on to be strongly associated with Bush for many years to come.
Intriguingly, Bush wasn’t even 20 years old when The Kick Inside came out. However, while we regard her as one of the ultimate musical connoisseurs now, her artistic prowess wasn’t as readily recognised at the time. Now widely considered an icon, her reviews at the time were scathing, with many national press outlets unfairly labelling her as “odd” or “middlebrow soft”.
Thankfully, public perception eventually changed, and The Kick Inside is now considered one of the best contributions to experimental pop music. The premise of her movement was that music could be anything you wanted it to be — it could exist to defy convention in many ways, whether enriched in real-world darkness or enlightened by ideas of viscera.
As Bush discussed in the notes and interview that came with The Kick Inside in 1978, her music became an exploration of her many influences. “I think I was very lucky ’cause when I was a small child, my brothers were extremely musical,” she explained. “They were into traditional music: English and Irish folk. They were always playing stuff on the record players and had their own bands and go around the clubs. I got quite involved with it.”
She continued: “I would sing along with them and sing harmonies. I think it was important ’cause when you are very young, your mind is so open for new stimulus and direction. I think it was given to me then, so I didn’t really have to spend maybe ten years finding out what I was here for. I think that’s been an important part of my life.”
When crafting The Kick Inside, therefore, Bush drew inspiration from many things, from cinematic masterpieces and musical icons to literary maestros. Of course, ‘Wuthering Heights’ was a product of Bush’s fixation with the Emily Brontë television adaptation, while ‘Them Heavy People’ makes a reference to philosopher and composer Gurdjieff. The titular track is also inspired by the ballad of Lizie Wan.
However, there were also several musicians who both subtly and directly inspired Bush’s debut work. Although she listened to the radio a lot when growing up, along with whatever it was that her brothers would play, she later discovered works by other luminaries, like Billie Holiday. “She was a really important thing to happen to me,” Bush said. “Her voice just really did things to me. so emotional and so tearing. I still can’t get over how incredible her voice was and her presence.”
It’s no secret that Bush is also a huge fan of David Bowie, someone she considered wildly unique yet extremely talented all the same. “I’m into more progressive people, like David Bowie and Roxy Music and Steely Dan,” she said. “I think they are a very underestimated group, especially in England. They really are an important musical influence. And nearly anything really. I love so much music. I think that’s the amazing thing about it: music can go into every corner of every room. there’s so many different styles of music. everyone is great in their own right – it’s just a matter of personal taste, really.”
