The versatile artist offers a liberating album created from the frustrations and demands of everyday life.
We met a friendly man on a rainy afternoon in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. graph squirrel He carefully considers each answer he gives us. The calmness you feel is probably due in part to being in a very familiar environment: the child’s room.
sadness sets me freeis the title of their latest album, released on January 26th, and it combines lyrics of frustration and sadness with happy sounds, giving consistency to the album’s concept. The project took a total of two years from the writing stage to the recording stage. The artist emphasizes that preparation is the most important part, allowing him to define every detail of the song.
We went on tour just playing it for the recording. The actual recording didn’t take that long, but the preparation took more time. So we rehearsed the song, played it live, and tweaked it quite a bit along the way, even in rehearsal. So once we got to the studio, we started working right away. We then added a string quartet in Cardiff, took everything back to France, recorded most of it there, and mixed it in Marseille (France). We left about six months between recording and mixing so we could make some changes. I was able to see if I still liked the song and if I wanted to change or at least modify the lyrics. Every week or so I checked to make sure the sound was still good and felt free to make changes if it wasn’t. ”
The composer is not tied to a particular style, and his approach is not limited to a single genre, but embraces a fusion of sounds that inspire him, including acoustic instruments, French pop, and country. I will tell you.
More or less about two years before the recording, I was invited to play in a concert by a Tuareg band. Imaruhan. I went to the south of Algeria and recorded with them using acoustic instruments and playing live at a very low volume.And the engineer was great, his name was Maxine KosinetsHe lives in Paris, but I knew he was going to tour France, so I contacted him to see if he would be available and if he had time to record. did.I think he wanted to imitate that. Imaruhan He did it, even though it was a completely different style than mine.
The other thing is that I was interested in that kind of French pop, where the lyrics are whispered yet powerful. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the recording in Paris, but the engineer was able to notice it.
When I was writing the album, I was also listening to a lot of country music. Other than the title song, I don’t think it’s very country music-like, but I love how they sing happy country songs, even if they are sad.
So this is an acoustic French country western pop album. ”
The director’s participation was added to the combination of piano, drums, and string quartet sounds. mark jamesHe was responsible for devising the album’s audiovisual concept and directing the videos for the first three singles. “Bad friend”, “Candy Floss in the Sky” and “Silver Lining”.
I’ve worked with Mark James for 25 years and we always enjoy discussing what the album is about and how we want to present it visually. We both have completely different ideas. But I also wanted to express the acoustic nature of the album, using all wooden instruments. So eventually I came up with the idea of being half-lost in space and isolated in a shipping container. But inside it is lined with wooden panels representing the sonic qualities of music, and I find myself marveling at the vastness of space and thinking about how big my problems could be. “
And in this album, squirrel It reflects universal issues that everyone can relate to. In such a case, “Bad friend”There he depicts social expectations for friendship.
Sometimes you just want to be with your friends and give them more time. It’s a kaleidoscope of how much is expected of us in our daily lives. And it’s partly an apology and also a sound of comfort, because we have to make time for everyone. I think about my friends and I know they are thinking about me even if we don’t have time together. Everyone has a lot going on to cope with daily life. So it’s a conditional friendship. ”
He is also the vocalist of a famous alternative group super furry animals, points out that despite the fact that his native language is Welsh, he has always remained true to the song’s origins. In the past he has tried to translate songs from Welsh to English and vice versa, but they just didn’t sound right. But he is always inspired by the Welsh language and gives us recommendations for immersing ourselves in the language.
one of my favorite bands is Pis Merin, a very young band from the Welsh countryside, sort of psych-rock.And perhaps I would recommend a wonderful artist named Celis Hafana. She plays harmonica and guitar. And she makes very soft and beautiful music. ”
The producer is widely known as a British opinion leader thanks to his songs inspired by the country’s current political climate, but he has also expressed concern about global warming. This concern will be reflected in the band’s upcoming tour, which kicks off on January 29 and hits cities in the UK, Europe and the US.
Imagine I’m a musician. My footprint is quite low compared to the large scale industrial production we are used to. But I think overall we were looking for a different way to tour. And I’ve been doing research, not just for this project, but for future projects on how to develop shows that have a much lower environmental footprint and require very little to carry between performances. Therefore, there is no need to transport equipment.
I worked on a project where sound systems were installed in different countries, and the work was moved to the event venue. There is also a surround sound system called “Soundscape”. Music can travel with video and create immersive worlds, right? Artists can somehow tour without leaving their homes.
I had a chance to tour with This Is the Kit in North America last year and it was amazing how many little things they do every day without buying disposable coffee cups or anything. I watched it for a long time. About that. style. It may be a small thing, but they continued to practice every day during the tour. That was a great learning experience for me. I think it was very stimulating. So I guess I’m still alive and trying to figure it out and touring often by train and doing acoustics using public transportation. This tour will be accompanied by a band, but I think it will still be a small group. ”
sadness sets me free It consists of 10 tracks and is currently available on all digital platforms below. Rough Trade Recordings.