Ever wonder what it’s like to write books about rock legends without actually smashing guitars or trashing hotel rooms yourself? Meet Zoe Howe, an all round rock biographer, radio host, musician, and yes, a bit of a badass.
In this latest episode of Misadventures in Music, she joins Ian Prowse and Mick Ord for a chat that’s as cheeky as it is charming, and spoiler: it’s got more good stories than Keith Richards’ autobiography (and probably fewer legal disclaimers).
Who Is Zoe Howe?
Zoe’s written books on everyone from The Slits to Lee Brilleaux, Poly Styrene to Stevie Nicks. So yeah, she’s basically rock’n’roll’s unofficial historian with eyeliner and a sharper pen. She talks about how she sort of fell sideways into music writing, like the cool kid at a gig who ends up backstage because they “accidentally” walked through the right door.
But make no mistake, she’s earned her spot. Zoe’s got the receipts… and by receipts, I mean meticulously researched books filled with grit, glamour, and the occasional spiritual sidebar. (Yes, there’s talk of tarot, and no, it’s not as woo-woo as it sounds. Or maybe it is. But that’s what makes it fun.)
“I didn’t want to just write facts. I wanted the feeling.”
Zoe’s storytelling isn’t your typical “here’s-what-happened-in-1978-and-who-was-there” sort of affair. She’s all about vibe. Atmosphere. The stuff that made you fall in love with music in the first place. If you ever tried to explain to your nan why Patti Smith’s voice makes you want to punch the sky, Zoe gets it.
And trust me, she drops gems all over this episode. Whether it’s tales of writing about punk icons, getting the cold shoulder from music snobs, or how she lovingly reconstructs her subjects’ lives without turning them into museum exhibits, Zoe balances reverence with rebellion in the best possible way.
