Planningtorock

About this event

Planningtorock – aka Jam Rostron – is a Bolton-born Tallinn-based singersongwriter, composer, producer, DJ and director with four critically acclaimed studio albums of superb queer dance to their name. A self-taught, trans non-binary, working-class musician, they've spent over a decade queering sound and sharing visions as Planningtorock. They present a special, one-off, headline show at the ICA this December which will be filmed as part of a documentary about Planningtorock directed by Vic Lentaigne and Posy Dixon and produced by LUCA and Grey Moth. They also announce their new single 'Told Me Mum I’m Trans' via Human Level. 'Told Me Mum I’m Trans' is the first new solo release from Planningtorock in over two years and this new single is a defiant, beautiful and deeply personal return from the legendary artist. Planningtorock opens this powerful new release with spoken word that details their coming out journey which sets the scene perfectly before the euphoric song opens up with cascading synths and gentle drum loops as they repeat the mantra “Be kind. Be gentle”. Speaking about the new single Jam explains “Back in the 90s, Janet (me mum) and Beulah (me sister) drove to London for Pride to join the march – when my friends were rejected by their parents for coming out as gay, me mum was there for them too. In 2023, when I was 51 and Janet was 80, I told her I was trans. Her response was so beautiful, so on point, that I wanted to preserve it, so I recorded it into a song. She never once made it about her – she was just happy to see me happy. It's important to talk about the parents who do support trans kids, to show that they exist and I hope that in sharing this story in some small way it can help other parents learn how to love their trans kids too.”