This project is a compositional shift from the work I normally do. Normally I write short songs, written on a guitar and not planned meticulously before being recorded. For this project a carefully considered aesthetic strategy felt necessary, as although the songs I write are immediate, I felt like something grander with clearly carved out ideas would push my compositional work further, and allow me to consider larger aesthetic questions, as well as social, political, cultural and ecological ones.
The shift away from songwriting, in a more traditional sense, was difficult. The advantages of song writing are clear; quick satisfaction is available, as one can quickly compile and compose a song that sounds good in the 21st century, while remaining accessible to many. It is also far easier to record when structure is flexible, or if you are playing with other people the music is often composed collectively. Ideas are quick in the context of a pop song, but I felt like the music was not always as accountable as I wanted it to be. I wanted every note, every word, every decision, to contribute to the ideas driving the piece. This allowed me not only to feel careful when dealing with the local and the more abstract philosophical ideas, but also allowed me to take time and care in the subject matter of the piece, which will hopefully allow the audience to do the same.
Composing the North East 