When Boycotts Work: Arms, Hope and Soundtracking Brexit with Gazelle Twin

This is a conversation about what happens when artists discover their collective power.

In May 2025, electronic artist Gazelle Twin withdrew from her Kings Place residency over the venue's decision to host an arms industry conference sponsored by Lockheed Martin. Eleven days later, after 1,200+ artists and fans signed an open letter, Kings Place cancelled the event.

Elizabeth Bernholz (Gazelle Twin) talks about that moment and so much more. The musician meets Drowned in Sound founder to discuss creating Pastoral - the Brexit-adjacent album that Drowned in Sound gave 10/10 - moving from liberal Brighton to conservative rural England, the Fever Ray performance that changed everything, and why she performed unmasked for the first time for the album Black Dog after fourteen years...

We discuss the practical tactics of organizing boycotts, how PRS Foundation funding enabled some of her most political work, balancing motherhood with touring and activism, film scoring (Nocturne, The Power) as financial stability, and why she believes Ireland's basic income for musicians could transform the industry.

From "jaded, frustrated and largely insulted" by the music industry in 2009 to successfully being part of a boycott of the arms industry in 2025 - this is a story about resilience, solidarity, and the power of saying no.

LINKS:

Gazelle Twin: Official website: gazelletwin.com

Bandcamp: gazelletwin.bandcamp.com

Instagram: @gazelletwin

Organizations Mentioned:

PRS Foundation: prsfoundation.com

Help Musicians: helpmusicians.org.uk

Music Venue Trust: musicvenuetrust.com

Drowned in Sound: Newsletter signup: drownedinsound.org

This week's playlist (featuring Gazelle Twin, Björk, David Bowie + Nine Inch Nails, Halsey): drownedinsound.org/playlists

DiS review of Pastoral (10/10): drownedinsound.com/releases/20441/reviews/4152…

Try Qobuz - Free 30-day trial of high-quality, artist-friendly streaming: drownedinsound.org/playlists (includes Qobuz free trial link)

CREDITS:

Host: Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound founder)

Guest: Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz)

Recorded at: The Shure Experience Centre, London

Mixed & Edited by: TELL Studios

Presented in partnership with: Qobuz - the ethical music streaming platform

For 25 years, Drowned in Sound has recommended music. We now also spark conversations and create resources to help music fans discover their collective power.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Newsletter signup: drownedinsound.org Instagram: @drownedinsound Playlist: drownedinsound.org/playlists

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introduction: Do Boycotts Actually Work?

03:48 - Pastoral and Excavating English Identity After Brexit

07:27 - Soundtracking National Horror

11:15 - The Fever Ray Epiphany: Costume as Liberation

14:30 - PRS Foundation Funding and DIY Sustainability

19:00 - Kings Place Boycott: How It Worked

23:45 - Advice for Artists Taking Stands

27:30 - Somerset House Residency and Continuing the Work

32:15 - [QOBUZ AD]

35:20 - Black Dog: Performing Unmasked for the First Time

38:45 - Film Scoring as Financial Stability

42:00 - Music as Therapy and Processing

44:30 - Motherhood, Touring, and Sustainability

47:15 - Ireland's Basic Income for Musicians

49:40 - £500 Million Question: Fixing the Music Industry

53:00 - Outro: The Power of Collective Action

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Bernholz), Fever Ray, MF DOOM, Nigel Farage, Daniel Ek, Scott Walker, Björk, Halsey, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, PRS Foundation, Kings Place, Lockheed Martin, Somerset House, Drowned in Sound, The Quietus, Ireland, Brighton, East Midlands. Film Scores: Nocturne (2020) The Power (2021, with Max de Wardener)