For her forthcoming album Here Lies Human, due for release on 12th February 2027, Roxanne de Bastion turns her gaze towards the contradictions that define modern life. At once ambitious, thought-provoking and deeply human, the record wrestles with technology, political division, environmental uncertainty and the enduring power of creativity. Yet rather than offering a bleak prophecy, de Bastion channels these themes into songs that balance sharp observation with wit, hope and defiance. In our conversation, she discusses the origins of the album's striking title, collaborating with legendary producer Tony Visconti, recording in the same studio that hosted David Bowie's Blackstar, and why humanity's greatest strength may be its refusal to give up when the odds seem insurmountable.

Here Lies Human is a striking title that feels both like a eulogy and a warning. At what point did that phrase become the guiding concept for the album, and what does it ultimately say about humanity from your perspective?

Thank you! That phrase actually was the starting point - I wanted to write a song that functioned as an imagined epitaph to this iteration of human: how would we be remembered and viewed in retrospect? I even took myself on a little solo field trip to the natural history museum to get inspired by those who came before. I wanted to see what the museum plaques said about our long-gone ancestors and then started thinking about what ours would say. As for what that is, I guess you’ll have to wait a little longer to hear that song! I knew right away once I wrote the song that it would be the direction and title track for this album.

Throughout the press material, there's a tension between admiration for human creativity and concern about our self-destructive tendencies. Were there particular events, experiences or observations that pushed you towards exploring those themes in your songwriting?

Yes, I mean ultimately, it’s just me, like everyone else, observing and trying to navigate this world in which we are increasingly separate from one another. I’m certainly not anti-technology, but I am vehemently against anti-human policies and we’re seeing a lot of those. It pains me how little we’re joining the dots between tech autocracy, environmental crises and the rise of fascism.

It does feel a very ‘Brave New World’ kind of dystopia where we’re all far too busy being distracted by the new shiny thing and the upgrade to notice the direction of travel and the logical end conclusion.

I am so aware of the irony, but I genuinely think that scrolling through my TikTok feed proved a really good source of inspiration for these songs…

Apocalypse Queen is described as a song about embracing strength and unleashing potential, even in the face of the end of days. Do you see the track as a message of hope in dark times, or more of a rallying cry against resignation?

I think those two things go hand in hand… there’s always hope. There has to be. Trying, even when the odds are firmly stacked against us, is probably the most human thing and is the stuff of all great stories. But honestly, for me this song is also a tongue in cheek “build it and they will come” kind of thing. It’s a literal musing on the irony of finding success just as the world crumbles.

Tony Visconti's name carries enormous weight because of his work with artists like Bowie and T. Rex. Before stepping into the studio together, what were your expectations, and what surprised you most about the way he approaches music and production?

I had very few expectations to be honest, other than to have a really good time making music together and to be happy with the outcome! I also hoped or expected to hear a bunch of fantastic stories and that expectation was well and truly met, even exceeded. We actually spent quite a bit of time just chatting and sharing music and tales about Berlin, The Beatles, music in general, family…it was really special.

It was a really lovely surprise to arrive at Human Studios ahead of working together to see he’d hand-written scores for my songs. That was just so cool to see, particularly as someone who doesn’t read sheet music, and I was touched at how much he’d prepared for the sessions. For someone of his stature, not that I expected any less, I was also pleasantly surprised at just how supportive and collegiate he was. He took my ideas and wishes very seriously and just kind of worked with me as an equal.

Recording at Human Studios, where Bowie created Blackstar, must have carried a certain emotional significance. Did being in those spaces influence your mindset or creativity during the sessions?

Absolutely. And it did feel very meant to be. I genuinely feel I gave my best ever studio vocal performance in that room and I think the presence of the Bowie/Visconti magic might well have had something to do with that. There’s a little photo of Bowie on the vocal booth door, funnily enough the same one my mum has on her bedroom door, and I just walked in thinking: “You’re here. You’ve made it happen. Now all you have to do is go for it and take this opportunity.” And I did and I’m proud of that.

The album brings together an impressive cast of musicians, including Donny McCaslin, Gerry Leonard and Kevin Killen. As a songwriter, how do you balance preserving your own artistic voice while allowing collaborators of that calibre to leave their mark on the music?

That’s a really good question, it’s always a balance! I had a really strong vision for this album and my pre-production days with producer Steph Marziano I think also really helped nail how we were going to translate that musically. While my demos were quite sparse, leaving lots of space for ideas and contributions, the concept and direction were really clear from the start.

I know what it’s like to go into the studio and not really know what I want the end result to be, and that kind of exploratory approach has merit, but for this album I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve, which made the whole process much easier. Musicians as experienced as the ones I got to work together with on this album know that it’s all about serving the song, enhancing it with their talent and sensibilities rather than dominating.

I feel incredibly lucky to have such incredible performances on this record. I am so in love with Donny McCaslin’s saxophone part in particular… I cannot believe we got to work with him! I feel like I’ve won the musician lottery getting to work together with all of these incredible artists.

You have spoken about wanting this record to capture the energy and scale of your live performances. Was there a moment during the making of Here Lies Human when you realised you had finally captured that ambition on record?

You know I think it actually might be ‘Apocalypse Queen’. It was Tony, in our very first coffee meeting, who said that he’d like me to be freer in my vocal delivery in the studio, which was something I wanted too. In preparation for the sessions, I played around with my demos and decided to move ‘Apocalypse Queen’ up a whole key and just go for it. I think it was that, allowing myself to be loud, that unlocked something. A friend of mine, who’s a brilliant artist himself, called E.W Harris, came along to my gig a couple years ago and had such a great way of putting it, he said: “Roxanne, you’ve removed the decibel limiter in your voice!” and I loved that.

The album touches on technology, political division and environmental concerns, while you've also become an advocate for artists' rights in the age of AI. How has the rapid pace of technological change influenced both your songwriting and your view of the music industry?

Uff, what a big question! I’ve always advocated for artists’ rights and have been involved in building artist communities such as the Featured Artists Coalition for years. Navigating the music industry is really hard, so the more artists support one another the better. If anything, the rise of generative AI has reinforced my belief that traditional music industry is an impossibly passive and slow-moving beast that largely benefits the few and will not take care of their own.

Luckily, it’s a very different story on an individual and grass roots level with lots of people doing very interesting, innovative and hard work advocating and fighting for a fairer way of doing things.

Since releasing You & Me, We Are The Same, you've published The Piano Player of Budapest and explored your family's remarkable history. Has becoming an author changed the way you approach storytelling in your songs?

You know I think it has! I loved writing this book. It wasn’t always easy due to the subject matter, but it was such a gift in so many ways. A beautiful side effect was that my songwriting process changed quite dramatically. For most of these songs I wrote the lyrics first and then went about setting them to music which is not how I’ve previously done things. I also took much more of a research approach here and actually interviewed experts in the field of AI, tech autocracy, digital rights and more besides. It was really inspiring having interdisciplinary conversations and making music inspired by those chats, as well as reading books, articles …and scrolling on TikTok.

Also, my last album was all about processing grief and the book deals with heavy personal subject matter too…it was just time for me to have fun and make music that we can dance to and have a good time with, even if there’s always a little lyrical trojan horse!

If listeners take one idea, feeling or question away from Here Lies Human after hearing it from start to finish, what would you hope stays with them long after the final track, Becoming, has faded out?

I’d like them to chant: “All Hail Apocalypse Queen” and hit the replay button.

Across Here Lies Human, Roxanne de Bastion asks difficult questions about where society is heading, but never loses sight of the qualities that make us worth celebrating in the first place. Whether reflecting on technological change, artistic collaboration or the importance of human connection, her answers reveal an artist driven as much by curiosity as conviction. If the album serves as an imagined epitaph for our era, it is one written with equal parts caution and affection. And, as de Bastion jokes in closing, perhaps the perfect takeaway is simply to "All Hail Apocalypse Queen" before immediately hitting replay.

‘Here Lies Human’ Tracklist - Pre-order HERE

1) Here Lies Human
2) Simple Pleasures
3) Apocalypse Queen
4) This Is How The World Ends
5) Biometrics
6) So Long Forever
7) Vitamin Happy
8) New Town
9) Miracle
10) Becoming

Catch Roxanne de Bastion on her UK tour at the following dates;

Mon 15 March 2027 - Brighton, Folklore
Wed 17 March 2027 - Bristol, Exchange
Thu 18 March 2027 – Manchester, Yes Basement
Fri 19 March 2027 – Liverpool, Kazimier Stockroom
Tue 23 March 2027 – Glasgow, Hug & Pint
Wed 24 March 2027 – Newcastle, The Cumberland
Wed 21 April 2027 – London, Lower Third
Thu 22 April 2027 - Cambridge, Portland Arms

Tickets available NOW from www.roxannedebastion.com