The Nick Cave song Cate Blanchett couldn’t live without: “He’s so alive to moments of beauty”
Cate Blanchett is one of the most accomplished actors of her time. Since making her feature film debut in 1997, the Aussie actor has starred in one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time, countless critically acclaimed dramas, and even secured a faceless cameo in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy. Blanchett has well and truly mastered her craft, picking up two Oscar wins and fans worldwide along the way.
While Blanchett sits amongst Australia’s most celebrated actors, Nick Cave ranks similarly in the world of music. Over the course of half a century, the Victoria-born artist has dipped in and out of genres and projects with ease, bringing his unique songwriting power to each of them in turn. The dark-haired sonic emoter is not only one of Australia’s most recognisable musicians but one of the most influential of all time, even inspiring Blanchett’s own work.
The actor once appeared on BBC’s Desert Island Discs to pick out the records she couldn’t live without, and one of Cave’s tracks from his time with Grinderman made the list. Preempting her choice with her enthusiasm for Cave’s artistry, Blanchett acknowledged how she grew up around Cave’s music, taking trips to venues in St Kilda to see him play.
Blanchett went on to praise Cave’s bravery in his artistry, stating: “We finally ended up in the same seaside town, here, that’s where we met,” she explained, “He’s been important to my understanding of what’s possible because he’s constantly evolving. He’s not frightened of being in the eye of the storm. He’s not frightened of the brutality of being alive, but he’s also so alive to moments of beauty.”
It’s a gorgeous description, but one that Cave is more than deserving of. Throughout his lengthy career, he’s evolved through genres such as gothic rock and post-punk and through projects from The Birthday Party to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. But, perhaps unexpectedly, it’s a Grinderman song that Blanchett decides she couldn’t survive without.
Her choice comes from Grinderman’s self-titled 2007 record in ‘Go Tell the Women’. Effortlessly cool in a way only Cave can achieve, the track is driven by his distinctive vocals, which deliver simplistic lyrics with unrelenting intent. The guitars surrounding him are just as considered and captivating, cutting out only for Cave to declare, “Go tell the women that we’re leaving.”
Alongside Blanchett’s classical choices and a pick from Nick Drake’s mother, Molly Drake, it’s a track that would make for an interesting listen on a desert island.
Listen to ‘Go Tell the Women’ by Nick Cave below.
