Here is a hypothetical mixtape of influences and inspirations for my new mini album Growing Towards The Light…
Adrian Borland – Walking In The Opposite Direction
Adrian Borland was one of the very best to ever do it and I identify completely with the ideas and themes behind this beautiful song. Sad, but roaringly defiant.
Broadcast – Puzzle
The release of the final Broadcast demos had a profound effect on me. These recordings, stripped to their very essence, convey an almost overwhelming weight and emotional pull. Magic is real but real ones are rare.
April Magazine – Jungle City Beat
Key players in the San Francisco lofi fog pop movement, April Magazine’s fragile but all-consuming recordings fill my heart and never fail to lift me from whatever reality I might be facing.
Carla dal Forno – I Go Back
The directness and purity of spirit within Carla dal Forno’s most recent recordings are both refreshing and inspirational. Music to break tired patterns and help chart a new course.
Paul McCartney – Waterfalls
My first exposure to DIY pop, I picked up McCartney II as a teenager with my Dad at a record stall in Canterbury, England. Whilst it took me a beat to catch on, I now consider it an absolute all timer.
Nick Drake – Road
A forever inspiration, the quiet solitude and raw power of Nick Drake’s sparse recordings are charged with an almost supernatural force. Music from another time and place to shake us from the here and now.
Arthur Russell – Fuzzbuster #06
Nobody does it quite like Arthur Russell, and I struggle to find the words to convey the hold his music has over me. Arthur’s wide and varied body of work fully captures the human experience in all its tragic beauty.
Linda Smith – I So Liked Spring
Hearing Linda Smith’s home recordings for the first time was like something waking up inside of me. Songs and stories that have only strengthened with the passing of time, inspiring others like myself to sing their truth.
Eight home recorded reflections on nature, you can check out Growing Towards The Light here.
