The world of rock is constantly evolving, but sometimes the most powerful anthems are born from deeply personal awakenings and literary echoes. For Catherine Anne Davies, this intersection of poetry, queer history, and stadium rock found its voice in her latest single, ‘Throw Over Your Man’, a track that celebrates the dizzying euphoria of falling in love.
This new release marks an exciting reunion, seeing Davies rejoin forces with the legendary Manic Street Preachers and James Dean Bradfield. The collaboration is steeped in intellectual history, drawing inspiration from the profound correspondence between literary giants Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West. The resulting track is more than just a song; it’s a queer rock anthem capturing that intoxicating feeling of being utterly drawn into someone’s orbit for the very first time.
Davies herself credits this work with providing a profound awakening during her adolescence, a period when she was figuring out her place in the world as a queer teenager. Reading the letters between Woolf and West offered her a thread of kinship across the centuries, serving as signposts from the past for an imagined future.
“These letters were signposts from the past for an imagined future for myself,” Davies shared, reflecting on how this literary inspiration shaped her songwriting process. She noted that when working with source material, the emotional core demands a different approach than simply pouring out feelings onto the page.
Her journey into rock and literature was already deeply intertwined. The Manic Street Preachers, she explained, were instrumental in teaching her how to incorporate the literary world into rock n roll, giving her a template for songwriting that felt instinctive when working alongside Bradfield.
The magic of the collaboration was truly serendipitous. When Davies asked James if he might add some guitar to the track, the outcome was an accidental duet. The band graciously provided access to their studio, and Bradfield added a surprise vocal performance on the chorus, injecting the necessary grit and edge alongside the female energy.
The music video for the single itself also involved an unexpected dramatic pause. During filming, Davies suffered a serious accident, breaking her arm and requiring surgery and a metal plate insertion into her wrist. Production was halted for a month while she recovered, showcasing the real-life challenges inherent in artistic creation.
Despite the physical setback, the vision persisted. The team managed to complete the video with creative ingenuity, resulting in a final piece that balances high energy with layered emotional depth. The track itself culminates in an orgiastic call and response between the literary figures who inspired it, bouncing dynamically to the song’s climax.
As Davies continues her exploration of this rich history, she is preparing to release her forthcoming album, ‘As We Once Were’, on August 7. This new body of work promises to delve even deeper into the themes that define self-discovery and shared experience, further cementing her place as a voice for queer stories in music.
Credit: NME
