Claire Menzies most important musical inspirations

First published on Designerati.

We were recently asked by Designerati whether one of our team would like to share their ‘Designer Playlist’ – a 15-track Spotify list of favourite pieces of music. We knew how much our Chairwoman, Claire loves music and thought it would be a perfect fit. Below, Claire has shared three highlight songs discussed in more detail. For the full tracklist on Spotify, head over to the Designerati website.

David Bowie, Starman

This is a song I grew up with – from my pre-teens, very much under the influence of my older brother, who literally snapped a Donny Osmond record in half in order to kick-start my musical education! The song reminds me of the less cynical moon-landing era when the idea of alien life was still romantic and thrilling. I love the idea of the buzz in Ziggy Stardust’s ear as he hears a missive from another planet. I always have a feeling of optimism when I hear it and it will always speak to me of youth and hope.

Lyle Lovett, If I Had a Boat

I lived in Texas for a while, surrounded by musicians and once mortified them when Lyle Lovett called and I asked how to spell his name! My ignorance was soon remedied and I eventually met him a little further down the line. This song of his remains my favourite. It’s about the ocean, which is also my great love – I was in Texas to start with because I’d just landed there after sailing round the world with one of its denizens – but it’s also about escape and rebellion. More than anything, it represents for me the feeling of leaving things you don’t like behind and having the courage to say ‘I’m out of here and I’m going to do things differently now – my way!’

Meiko Kaji, The Flower of Carnage

This extraordinary track is from the soundtrack to Kill Bill. I have a bit of a thing for grindhouse movies and this track, whilst incredibly beautiful, is also full of provocation and attitude. When I’m in the mood, I like to think this track represents my alter ego!

For the full tracklisting on Spotify, head over to the Designerati website.

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