Ariane Sherine is an author, journalist, writer, editor, singer-songwriter, musician, photographer, broadcaster, comedian and public speaker.
She occasionally sleeps, too.
Ariane’s debut solo pop album Better received its first review in a UK national magazine, published in the September/October 2024 issue of Classic Pop. The album was awarded 3.5/5 stars by Emma Walsh, the same rating as albums by Brett Anderson and Paul Weller in the same issue. ‘The hope-filled Kaleidoscope and uplifting Miracle are among the album’s many highlights,’ the review concludes.
Written, performed and produced by Ariane Sherine under the artist name Ariane X, the album’s sound was influenced by Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Saint Etienne, Dubstar, Pet Shop Boys, Garbage, Tricky, Massive Attack, Suede and many more 1980s and 1990s artists.
Ariane X’s electropop songs are often compared to the 1990s bands Saint Etienne and Dubstar, though they also feature Indian sounds such as sitar and tabla.
Ariane writes, produces and performs all the songs herself in her home studio near Green Street, East London - the most ethnically diverse area of the UK, where only 14% of the population are white British, 42.5% are Asian and 69% in total are people of colour.
The area inspired songs such as ‘Secret Asian’, the album’s opening track, about how Ariane’s daughter is white-passing and won’t experience the racism Ariane herself has faced.
All Ariane X’s songs are deeply personal: ‘Kaleidoscope’ is about the nervous breakdown Ariane suffered before and throughout her pregnancy; ‘Miracle’ is about how, as an atheist, Ariane has no one to thank for her daughter’s existence; ‘Demons’ is about Ariane’s efforts to hide her anxiety and depression while parenting; ‘Not Normal’ is about the violence Ariane experienced as a child and young adult; and ‘Well, Baby’ is about her wonderful daughter giving her a reason to live.
Ariane’s debut celebrity biography The Real Sinéad O’Connor (published by White Owl Books) was reviewed by Emma Johnston in the September/October issue of the national UK music magazine Classic Rock and awarded a rating of 7/10.
‘It’s doubtful that even those close to her truly understood the inner workings of her brilliant, troubled mind,’ Johnston writes. ‘But here Ariane Sherine makes a valiant attempt to get under the skin of this unique individual'.’
Ariane’s debut solo pop album Better was released under her artist name Ariane X on record label Banoffeesound on Friday 8th March 2024. You can buy the album on Bandcamp or listen to the album on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all major music streaming services.
Better is a record full of maternal love songs inspired by Ariane’s daughter, Lily. It features heartfelt lyrics, beautiful melodies and Indian-influenced grooves. Ariane has performed, written and produced all the tracks herself, singing, rapping, programming and playing keys.
Despite the album being about a mother’s love for her daughter, the lyrics are often hard-hitting and cover such themes as unconditional love, motherhood, parental separation, violence, depression, anxiety, mental illness, suicidal ideation, abortion and domestic violence.
Ariane’s debut celebrity biography The Real Sinéad O’Connor (published by White Owl Books) is now available to buy in hardback from Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles and all major UK bookshops.
An in-depth 224-page exploration of the iconic singer-songwriter’s eventful life, it features interviews with six of Sinéad’s friends and peers. These include Japan guitarist Robert Dean, Guardian pop writer Caroline Sullivan, Telegraph chief rock critic Neil McCormick, Guardian celebrity interviewer Simon Hattenstone, and Irish music journalists Stuart Bailie and Neil Perry.
The book takes the reader on a journey from O’Connor’s birth in 1966 in Dublin, through her abusive childhood at the hands of her mother, to the latter’s subsequent death in a car crash. It covers events from O’Connor signing a record deal at 18 and giving birth to her first child at 20, before releasing her first album; then becoming a major global pop sensation with ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ and causing mayhem by ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul II on live TV. It features 32 full colour photos of O’Connor throughout her life.
Ariane’s debut novel Shitcom is now available from all Amazon sites worldwide as a paperback, hardcover and Kindle edition. Ariane wrote the novel in 2004, basing it on her experiences as a television comedy writer for the BBC and Channel 4, writing for sitcoms such as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and My Family.
A body swap comedy about two sitcom writers and their adventures, it follows the exploits of kindly loser Neil Diggle and vile superstar Andrew Jackson.
Shitcom is hilariously funny, eye-openingly outrageous and utterly entertaining. It’s available for £1.99 on Kindle, £6.99 in paperback and £11.99 in hardcover.
Ariane’s last full-time role was editor of These Three Rooms, the unique sister interior design website to the bestselling magazine Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms. Her role included dreaming up feature ideas, researching interiors trends, commissioning and managing a team of writers, sourcing imagery, and editing, writing and uploading both long and short-form features.
Before this role, Ariane worked as the Global Content Editor for VEON, writing news and entertainment stories.
And there’s more
For more information on Ariane’s creative projects, click on the page tabs at the top of this site. Then support her on Patreon or Substack so she can create more fun, exciting, original projects.
