NEWS
As the U.S. wars over a woman’s right to choose this week, Kim Gordon is out with her first new music since 2019’s No Home Record: “Grass Jeans,” a track whose December sales will be donated to Fund Texas Choice, which provides women in that state with travel to abortion clinics.
The deliciously fuzzy song sees Gordon singing in her distinctive yelp: “Take me downtown/take me downtown/uptown/Take me downtown where they go.” She then continues to intone about the darkness downtown over swirling guitars, as well as a mysterious figure called the shadow.
“I often get asked, ‘Can music change things for people in a political landscape?'” Gordon said in a statement. “Hell yes it can . . . but it takes a listener, an audience to make it anything. So please join me in helping to protect and keep accessible a woman’s right to choose her fate by purchasing this song and supporting Fund Texas Choice and their collective efforts to secure abortion access for all. Thank you. It means so much.”
The former Sonic Youth member dropped her first solo album, No Home Record, in 2019, while also throwing an art exhibit in protest of then-President Donald Trump. “It was inspired by Trump getting elected,” she told Rolling Stone. “It was also inspired by protests, and that things never go away. Here we are dealing with abortion again, and women having control of their own bodies. It’s kind of crazy.”
Three years later, and the song remains the same.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
