About this episode

Natasha Khan and David Kosten discuss the making of Bat for Lashes' debut album, Fur and Gold, and their creative collaboration.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the debut Bat for Lashes album, Fur and Gold, we take a detailed look at how it was made. Natasha Khan had grown up in Hertfordshire, England and studied art at the University of Brighton. After graduating, she taught as a schoolteacher while writing songs and performing as Bat for Lashes. Her manager, Dick O’Dell, got her a publishing deal and connected her with producer David Kosten to work on some demos. The first Bat for Lashes single, “The Wizard” was released on her own label in early 2006. After signing with Echo, Natasha and David began working on a full-length album together at Jacobs studio in the Surrey countryside. They brought in other musicians, including Abi Fry and Caroline Weeks, who had been playing as a group with Natasha at this time. Fur and Gold was eventually released in 2006. In this episode, Natasha Khan and David Kosten have an in-depth conversation where they revisit their initial collaboration that continued long after this record. David shares how he was first asked to co-write with Natasha until he realized she had no interest in co-writing and already had a fully formed vision for this album. Natasha…

People in this episode

Guests: Natasha Khan, David Kosten

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bat for Lashes, Echo, Jacobs studio

Books & works: Fur and Gold, The Wizard

Places: Hertfordshire, Surrey

More episodes of Life of the Record

• The Making of UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT by The Soft Boys - featuring Robyn Hitchcock · March 18, 2026 · 1h 21m
• The Making of Z by My Morning Jacket - featuring Jim James · January 22, 2026 · 1h 38m
• The Making of "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues - featuring Steve Lillywhite, Jem Finer and James Fearnley · December 15, 2025 · 1h 13m
• The Making of 4 by Foreigner - featuring Lou Gramm · December 2, 2025 · 1h 11m
• The Making of PSYCHOCANDY by The Jesus and Mary Chain - featuring Jim Reid and William Reid · November 14, 2025 · 1h 45m
• The Making of TRAMP by Sharon Van Etten - featuring Sharon Van Etten and Aaron Dessner · October 21, 2025 · 1h 37m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Life of the Record podcast page.