MV & Lina Horner in the studio
Evolution Studio, Mon 16th Sept 2019
After 5 days of rehearsing, then recording with the core band, we have a very satisfying 15 songs to choose from.
Today is a bit special for me (not that every day of the process hasn’t been up to now). I’m excited because two very special artists are joining the process today.
Firstly; (where do you start?) the amazing flautist Marie Veronique Bourque (MV) is a Quebecois French-Canadian Mounty, living in Saskatchewan, on the edge of the Great Plains of Canada. She plays all the flutes & as I’m sure you’ll agree, when this album finally reaches the light, she can play them with a spontaneous & inventive freedom, that I know will just fly like a nightingale across the whole album. Plus, we get on like a house on fire. We met last year at the Pro7ect Song Writing Retreat & jammed late into many nights. It may seem a little extravagant to fly a flautist over from Canada in this day and age, but you will understand when you hear her play… we just clicked!
Secondly; is the brilliant, charismatic singer, Lina Horner, from Gothenburg, Sweden. Another Pro7ect collaborator, Lina sings with a group called Divers… check them out if you like your music dark epic & poetic. Lina is here because, like MV, we clicked musically. There is a timelessness about her delivery… she could be the high priestess of a cult. Lina ability to generate a sense of dread, or sound portentous, is deeply affecting, with a cool wit and intelligence. A modern European artist and teacher underneath that black leather jacket.
Update! Whoop-de-doo, what a session that was!!! Marie Veronique Bourque (ok it’s plain MV from now on) just laid down an unbelievable pass on the track Philomel. The name itself refers to the Nightingale, (or it could be a Song-thrush).
I wanted to use real birdsong which is picked up by the piccolo at the start, to create a pastoral soundscape through which the song can well up. I asked her to play along with the bird song samples. She went off on her own, with her headphones on &, I kid you not, she jammed with nightingales! Seriously!!! When she was ready, we recorded it… job done! I’m more than happy, and I reckon she’s happy too.
It was Lina’s turn on the mic next. We started by layering some backing vocals in strands on Shall We Begin& If We Turn Away. Lina’s dark euro-poppy voice is perfect for these songs. Edgy and witty. The big surprise came while we were doing Kick. It was nearly lunchtime and my Producer Lisa Fitz had to make a call... “find something to do for 15 minutes guys, I’ll be back.” We had just been laying backing on Kick & it was still all up on Nick Moorbath’s screen.
I suddenly thought, while Lina was in the house, that we should ask her to do a vocal skat across the play-out at the end. We were all in a playful mood & Lina laughingly agreed. I could see she wanted to. There were ideas going on in there, the moment I suggested it. So, Nick and I sat at the desk & Lina stepped up to the mic. Horses for courses. She did two or three passes; we could have kept any one of them. Cool as a cucumber. Chic like Chanel. Nancy Sinatra? Your fired.
In fact, if that skat doesn’t make the final cut, you can call me Nancy.