Daphne Guinness today releases new single ‘Hip Neck Spine’ via the independent label Agent Anonyme Recordings. Her first new music in three years, ‘Hip Neck Spine’ is lifted from Daphne’s forthcoming new album ‘Sleep’, due for release late 2023. It’s accompanied by an official video directed by the visionary photographer and director Nick Knight of SHOWStudio. The new single follows Daphne’s 2022 appearances as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and at London’s V&A Museum for their ‘In Conversation’ series.
Layering an art-pop edge to her melding of ‘80s electronica reference points, ‘Hip Neck Spine’ finds Daphne Guinness embracing a new-found immediacy. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the track’s strings scored by all-time great Tony Visconti (who also produced her previous three albums) the title and part of its initial production comes from the construction of samples made by the sound of Guinness’ own hip, neck and spine recorded impromptu during a chiropody session.
Says Daphne; “I always put my whole being into everything I do, but in this case I needed to use my body as well as my voice! ‘Hip Neck Spine’ emerged in two takes – it’s a call to have a good time, engaging the body and the beat.”
‘Hip Neck Spine’ arrives today via a video directed by Guinness’ long-time collaborator, Nick Knight.
Speaking about the video, Nick Knight says; “When I first heard ‘Hip Neck Spine’ I felt it was a very modern vision but based in futuristic visions from the past. I looked at classic futuristic references such as Metropolis, Man Ray and Grace Jones. We worked with Daphne’s unique and incredible fashion collection to film over 25 iconic looks from great designers such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel and Azzedine Alaïa, all transformative looks creating Daphne a different character for each section of the song.”
Daphne adds: “As far as I know this video has the most costume changes of any pop promo ever made! I had to change every 2 – 4 bars throughout the song. It was an exercise in visiting some of my previous incarnations and to work with Alex Fury who bravely ventured into the depths of my archive. Watching it back is great fun – We really cover a lot of ground! It’s an epoch shifting extravaganza in costume – from Metropolis to Marchesa Casati to beyond Blade Runner. There is so much detail you can watch it again and again and still see new things.”
Though you’ve probably heard the name before, Guinness somehow resists definition. There’s the close friendships with Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, the various collaborations with artists & designers, alongside well-respected ventures in the world of film, with Guinness’ name appearing on the back of the Oscar-nominated Cashback, which she co-produced, alongside a role in art film The Murder of Jean Seberg. If you’re wondering at this stage what her reason for making albums might be, a better question to ask is why she waited so long. A young Daphne trained professionally as a Lieder singer, gaining a place to study at the Guildhall School of music before life took her elsewhere. “I began in music”, she reveals, “and now I’ve ended up there.”
‘Hip Neck Spine’ continues Daphne’s adventures across music, which reached a new peak with her 2020 album ‘Revelations’ – a sonic tapestry of disco, high drama French chanson and lush orchestration. Between ‘Revelations’ and her previous albums, reflecting upon the nature of loss with ‘Optimist In Black’ (2016) before exploring grander sonics with ‘Daphne & The Golden Chord’ (2018).
