Description:
In Dayglo, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer Zoë Howe.
"A true artist and a genuine one-off, and Dayglo is the celebration she deserves" CLASSIC ROCK
POLY STYRENE was a singer-songwriter, an artist, a free-thinker, a style pioneer and a life-long spiritual seeker: a true punk icon. This rebel queen was also a wickedly perceptive pop artist with a gift for satirising the world around her - utilising brightly coloured, playful aesthetics to be in contrast with the monochrome style and nihilism of punk.
In Dayglo, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer Zoë Howe.
Based on interviews with those who knew and loved Poly both personally and professionally, this book is enriched with testimonies from Vivienne Westwood, Don Letts, Neneh Cherry, Tessa Pollitt and Thurston Moore. It recounts her experiences growing up mixed-race in Brixton in the 1960s and how she came to be at the forefront of the punk scene with X-Ray Spex in the 1970s. Balancing being a single mother with a solo music career and often debilitating mental health issues, Dayglo is a moving exploration of Poly's exceptional life, up until her untimely passing in 2011.
Heavily illustrated throughout, Dayglo features personal photographs, hand-drawn artwork, lyrics, X-Ray Spex ephemera and more. The book beautifully captures Poly Styrene's legacy, standing as a poignant tribute to a woman who truly turned the world dayglo.
Brief description: Zoë Howe is an author, broadcaster and artist whose writing spans the worlds of music, culture and folklore. Her music books have covered artists including The Slits, Stevie Nicks, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Poly Styrene, The Jam and Dr Feelgood, and she was part of the team behind the award-winning documentary Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche. Zoe is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow, and her popular radio show 'Rock 'n' Roll Witch', which brings together her two great loves of music and magic, airs monthly on Soho Radio.
Review Quotes:
"Vivid testimony, it ensures she's still seen and heard"--Q
"Lovingly compiled"--NME
"A true artist and a genuine one-off, and Dayglo is the celebration she deserves"--CLASSIC ROCK
"A richly illustrated oral history of the woman and her singular work. A complex, inspirational and moving story"--MOJO
"All-round punk icon gets the book she deserves"--BIG ISSUE
"A new perspective, a look behind the scenes"--TRACEY THORN, EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL
"One of my favourite music books"--LAUREN LAVERNE, BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC
"[A] visual oral history ... anyone hungry for further reading is well served by Dayglo"--GUARDIAN