Kelly Lee Owens on the state of electronic music: “Without small venues, you wouldn’t have Depeche Mode – which is a world like not really worth living in!”

nme.com:

Kelly Lee Owens has shared her thoughts on the current state of electronic music in the UK in a new podcast interview.In the latest episode of BBC Sounds show Sidetracked with Annie and Nick, issued today (February 20), Owens joined as guest and co-host to discuss with Nick Grimshaw a recent report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) that charts a new growth of interest in the UK electronic music scene.“What’s worrying is that you’re getting these great stats that [the industry is] growing… but then you’re also hearing of clubs closing,” Grimshaw remarked. “So, it’s interesting that it is growing, but then the venues aren’t there or the smaller venues aren’t there.”Owens agreed – she added that, while established venues like Fabric “being threatened” was “a wake-up call”, it’s the “smaller places” that “people don’t kick up a fuss” about when they disappear.“I always think of Depeche Mode, they were on the tube with their synths coming to these small venues,” she said.