Edith Bowman has spent the best part of 30 years carving out a name for herself as one of the most successful broadcasters in the UK. Brought up in Fife, she started out as a newsreader on MTV and in the early 2000s moved to Radio One, before bounding from various presenting gigs to podcasts, review shows and hosting the coverage for all the top festivals, including Glastonbury, T in the Park and Reading and Leeds Festival.
In fact, not many people know the ins and outs of the music scene better than Bowman, and the immense changes it has gone through – both good and bad.
“It’s a lot easier to break through nowadays, in terms of it being easier to make and record music and get it out there,” says the 48-year-old, who lives in rural Gloucestershire with her two children and husband, Editors frontman Tom Smith.
“Artists don’t have to rely on traditional routes any more. If you think about the number of artists who have been massive on social media and then been picked up by a radio station or a record label…it’s incredible, they’re out there building their own audiences without our help. But then, on the flipside, it means the market is absolutely saturated.”
Surely, for someone who loves music, this is a good thing? “Don’t get me wrong, I love listening to new talent, but anyone and everyone can make music now,” she says. “There’s way too much out there. How do you even start trying to keep on top of it? It’s impossible.
“Something which is a real bugbear for me is that there are so many aspiring musicians and singer-songwriters who are trying to sound like other people. The number of female artists who sound like Billie Eillish… If you’re an aspiring musician, try to find your own thing. It might take a while, but it’s always interesting to see the journey artists have taken.”
Bowman does, however, have a few stand-out favourites emerging on to the scene – “I’m so excited about Brooke Combe. She’s from Scotland and sounds like Tina Turner” – which is recommendation indeed, given her early backing of Amy Winehouse and her three-Grammy award-winning hit “Rehab”.
“There have been a few times along the way when I’ve heard something in someone,” admits Bowman. “I remember when Amy Winehouse came back with ‘Rehab’ in 2006 and I was doing afternoons at Radio One with Colin Murray; we were like, ‘We have to have this as our record of the week.’
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“We were told by the music team at the time that it was too retro and would never do anything, and we really fought for it. We got it in the end, which was fantastic. I do have my own tastes, but when you have a responsibility to showcase talent and new music, you have to try to come at things without preconceptions.”
Another love of Bowman’s is film, a passion which started as a child growing up in Anstruther when the family’s hotel was transformed into a small cinema on Saturday mornings. Forty years on and Bowman is often called upon to interview the latest cinema greats, from director Christopher Nolan to actress Saoirse Ronan, and, most recently, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi.
“Taika has this unique ability to help you find your inner child and shake off the shackles and expectations of life,” she says. “His energy is so infectious and that really comes through in his films. I think a lot of Marvel’s recent successes are down to him. [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige – who I think is a genius – let Taika make the film he wanted to make for the third Thor film, and that tone almost made the rest of the Marvel world stop and realise they were taking themselves a little too seriously.”
Meeting so many A-listers, does she ever get starstruck? “All the time!” laughs Bowman. “My nervous tic is that I basically get verbal diarrhoea, so I just talk at people. I was with my son, Rudy, at Glastonbury recently when I saw the two girls from Wet Leg backstage. I was telling them how amazing they were and they kind of looked at me as if to go, ‘Thanks, you weirdo.’
“I try to stay professional when I’m on the job, and whenever I interview big stars I approach it more as a conversation and less like an interview. I try to treat them as if they’re people, instead of being like, ‘Oh my god, it’s Robert Downey Jr.’
“At the end of the day he’s just a dude. OK, he’s a dude a lot of people know, but he’s still a person, and if a celebrity is ever being difficult or cheeky, I’ll have fun with that. Usually they’ve been doing junkets for 25 hours on the trot and it’s probably their least favourite part of the job, but hey, you’re earning the big bucks for it, so crack on.”
A self-confessed workaholic, Bowman took a step away from the London scene during lockdown after relocating to Gloucestershire with her family. It is a move that has brought her a lot of peace.
“It’s been lovely, especially in summer when we have so many wild swimming spots right on our doorstep,” she says. “I love cooking, too, and recently I’ve been bouncing around the kitchen with the kids helping out, and the dog waiting for me to drop something. It’s been amazing to have that time to hang out together.
“Although, even out of London, I am still mega-busy. I went to my kids’ end-of-term concert at Gloucester Cathedral the other day and my mum came with me. We were there for about an hour and Mum said, ‘This must be the longest you’ve sat still in a while,’ and she was totally right – although I did manage to send a few emails before it started.”
Given her jam-packed agenda, what’s next? “Lots, as usual,” she laughs. “I love my work because I’m a fan. I’m not a journalist or a critic, so I come at everything from a fan’s point of view. I’m still working on my podcasting, and we have The Crown: The Official Podcast coming soon – the next series is going to be so good, it’ll blow people’s minds.
“Plus I’m at All Points East festival next month. I’m always doing something, but I love it. Music and film are worlds that I never tire of, and even though I’ve been doing festivals for a lifetime, I still get giddy like a child when I hear the sound of the generator and the smell of the food stalls and the bands warming up. They’re like a comfort blanket to me.
“If I had one wish for my career,” she adds, “it would be to get my own chat show. That’s my dream scenario. I’m not sure how I can make it happen, but I will try my damnedest.”
Edith Bowman hosts music discovery podcast BMW Play Next, showcasing music from the next generation of artists alongside headline acts. For the latest episode see: podfollow.com/play-nex