“I like the listener to create their own narratives and take what they will from what I have written… I write it purposely in a way that the listener can get their own deeper meaning from the songs and still relate” 

Shadows opens with ‘Carry You’, a hushed acoustic introduction which has a dark and shadowy southern Gothic vibe, the lyrics of heartbreak and loss seemingly straight from the pages of the best uncompromising, honest-to-goodness American literature, “I stood alone there waiting / I saw your tail lights fade / Burn out like the stars / But here I remain”. ‘Hourglass’ follows a similar pattern, something of a coming of age tale of tough living that could be taken straight from the pages of Larry Brown’s Joe or Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson (for example: “And I thought about when I was a kid / and I thought about what my father did / and what he didn’t do”). The reminiscent tone remains during ‘Your Love’, a song about the things that could have been, all nostalgic memories of childhood and lingering regret. It’s a great example of Squires’ ability to tell a story using the minimum number of words.

“Halloween when we were kids
playing in the woods, covering my lips when breath escaped your mouth
we’re strangers now and all that faded away
all that faded away”

‘Glisten’ is another sad song, this time with sorrowful piano behind the guitar. It’s the first track to feature additional vocals from Anna-Lynne Williams, aka Lotte Kestner (someone who has been really good to us at WTD). ‘Alone’ has a bit more pace and a noirish country twang, the lyrics like something from the nebulous mind of William Gay, all desperate terror and merciless Biblical hellfire. “The pearly pearly gates where there ain’t no hope for me,” Squires sings. “The Lord cast me down into the fiery lake / Through the pentecostal flames in the sky behold my name / the words written in the smoke from effigies.” The lyrics are at the forefront too on ‘Open’, a poem by Williams that Squires has set to music. The track returns to the gentle tone, the words as soft and fragile as the moth wings they reference.

“I forget there are so many ways in
to where I live
the air doesn’t seem to move
in the daytime
but like ghosts
I can trust the leaves and moths
to find all of the
shimmering portals”

Following is one of my favourites on the album, ‘After All’, a lovely song that conjures images of dusty and familiar rooms, spaces coloured special through memory or sentiment. This itself could serve to describe his songs as a whole, tales of common heartbreak and suffering made memorable, somehow more human, life exuding from every tiny detail, every poetic turn of phrase.

“There’s an old painting of Jesus
on a wall
and a tapestry that hangs by a cross
that weighs heavy on my shoulders
now and then
I get caught up with why the things we love ain’t never last”

‘Patterns’ is quiet and intimate, like a lonely porch-sat dawn, full of memories of things now gone, a mingling of past happiness and current regret. “Once you stood beneath the noisy life,” Squires sings, “and now it’s quiet and the silence gets to you sometimes / it was summer in the yard catching lightning bugs in jars / and the reflection of them in your daughters eyes.” It’s an incredibly poignant and candid song, achieving what all good music/literature can in painting a character in several deft strokes, portraying a myriad of thoughts and feelings in a manner never sickly or overwrought. The final track ‘Woven’ is a perfect ending, encapsulating everything that is great about Jeremy Squires’ writing. Here the mood is morose but not depressed, the song a long hard look into the beauty and tragedy of a life which is familiar with both.

“Fall’s burning those embers
drifting off
you ain’t but a fire on my lazy day

Through the wildwood and brambles to a city of ghosts
down where nobody lives anymore
this old house is in shambles, it’ll rattle your bones
when it won’t, it won’t matter no more”

Basically, Shadows is great. It does what the very best folk music can do, an outpouring from one human being to a multitude of others. It’s a record borne out of legitimate heartbreak, the end of a marriage and the death of a loved one, a brave and honest attempt to deal with big life-changing events. The beauty of it is that the finished work is not just healing and revelatory for the artist. It can help us too. All of us. As Squires put it in our interview, “it is the most personal record I’ve ever written. I wanted people to hear it though and I felt the listener could take something positive from all the loss or darkness that this album conveys”.

Shadows is out now on Shaker Steps Records. Get it via the Jeremy Squires Bandcamp page, as well as via iTunes or Amazon.

Album art by Barney Bodoano

The post Jeremy Squires – Shadows appeared first on Various Small Flames.

The album is out later this month, and Jeremy was kind enough to speak with us in anticipation of its release. 

1. Hi Jeremy, thanks for talking with us! How’s life in North Carolina this time of year?

Hi! Life is going pretty good right now. Where I live is pretty quiet and it’s been a little cold so I’ve had some time to reflect lately.

2. As someone from the UK, whose knowledge of certain parts of the US comes almost exclusively from music and books, the album seems evocatively American. Does the landscape and its people have a conscious impact on your writing, or is it just part of who you are and therefore shines through in your songs?

That’s a great question. Actually, I’m sure somewhere subconsciously it may… But I think it’s just a part of who I am. Where and how I write changes from time to time and I’m sure that the scenery and my experiences here have some sort of impact on my writing on a deeper level.3. The album, Shadows, is a great example of giving and withholding information to create a narrative flow. Do you work out the fully fleshed-out stories in your head? Or do you leave it up to the listener to create the narratives that exist beyond the moments captured in your lyrics?

No, I don’t ever write with a concept in mind. Sometimes it comes out (lyrically) in pieces and I have to figure out what and where certain things are coming from (like therapy) or a puzzle… I like the listener to create their own narratives and take what they will from what I have written. I use a lot metaphor in my lyrics but yet I still try to express a reality (my reality) to the listener. But I write it purposely in a way that the listener can get their own deeper meaning from the songs and still relate… If that makes sense?

4. The songs are often incredibly intimate and confessional, sharing thoughts that many people (especially men in certain communities) would usually feel they had to keep to themselves. Do you find it difficult to share these songs with other people? Do you ever consider the positive, comforting impact they could have on the listener?

With this new album Shadows. Yes and yes. It was very difficult. It is the most personal record I’ve ever written. I wanted people to hear it though and I felt the listener could take something positive from all the loss or darkness that this album conveys. Shadows was recorded over two years ago and during the process my marriage of 13 years ended, my mother passed away and I have tried to move on and all of this change and the struggles are openly shared throughout this record.

5. This is your third full-length album. How do you feel your music has evolved as you’ve gotten older? And do you think it will change drastically in the future? I mean, should we expect a Father John Misty-style reinvention?

Well, I definitely believe that all the changes and different experiences (divorce, death, birth, life in general, change, kids) that come with age have shaped my sound into what it is. I’m sure my music will change a lot more because nothing stays the same. Life and music would be quite boring if it did. I am currently finishing up with another record titled Collapse and it touches on some really personal experiences and issues as well. I don’t think I will go as drastic as “Father John Misty” but who knows?6. Anna-Lynne Williams features on several of the tracks and ‘Open’ is one of her poems that you’ve adapted into a song. How did this collaboration come about? Is she someone you’ve known a long time?

I’ve been a huge fan of hers for awhile. Since her previous band Trespassers William back in the 90s. I was fortunate enough to become friends with her a few years back and after we both contributed songs to a Damien Jurado project for the blog Slowcoustic. I reached out to her to sing on my last album When Will You Go and she loved the songs and we became mutual fans of each other’s work. So I knew I wanted her to sing on Shadows too. One day I had finished up the music for a song and I had the vocal pattern down but no lyrics yet… I just happened to see Anna-Lynne had posted a new poem titled “open” and knew instantly that those were the words I had been searching for. I love that poem and it feels personal to me and I feel that I made it my own. She is a great writer.

7. Finally, could you recommend 4/5 bands or artists you’re into at the moment? They can be brand new or long dead, smash hits or garage-recorded hidden gems.

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Because we still have a fair amount of tapes left, and obviously want to raise as much as possible for Worldreader, we have decided to run a special holiday offer. So, as suggested below in stylised sans serif, entering the code ‘HOHOHO’ at the checkout on Bandcamp will get you a handsome 40% off both digital and physical copies of the compilation. This will still cover the production cost of the cassette, but remember all profits go to charity, so every extra pound you give will be a pound well spent.To refresh your memory, here’s what you’ll be getting if you put some of your hard earned cash towards Quiet, Constant Friends:

Side A

Danielle Fricke – The Well
Lotte Kestner – Cattleya
Wes Tirey – Akhnilo Blues
Pasture Dog – Everything That Rises Must Converge
Old Earth – Pretty Steep
Salt Altars – Little Big Man
Henry Demos – Not Her
Beat Radio – Mexico City
Sondra Sun-Odeon – Hair

Side B

Nathan Amundson – Haruki Murakami
Windmill – Jim & The Rather Large Nectarine
ARMS – The Book of Love
Oh, Rose & Sawtooth – TV
Free Cake For Every Creature – Don’t Go Away (Ahumpf Acgroof)
John Ross – The Overlook Hotel
Kissing Fractures – I Drank Phosphorus With Aunt Lucy
Nice Legs – Past Lives
Ben Seretan – King of Crumbs
Trouble Books – Oak and Linden Tree Abridged
Lewtrakimou – I’m a Book on Tape
Nadia Reid – Runway

Grab a download or cassette now via our Bandcamp page, and be sure to remember to use the code ‘HOHOHO’ for your discount.

The post Quiet Constant Friends: A Christmas Sale (40% Off!) appeared first on Various Small Flames.

This drink doesn’t make me sleep
Didn’t think it would
The numbers on the clock are green
The rest of this is mud
We let off the heavy chains
But I’m not free
Til you say this life is worse without me
You must say the right thing some time.
And you know that I’ll wait up
As if though for my true love
And you know that I’ll wait up.

The artwork for this song was done by Teresa Romo from Santiago, Chile. You can follow her on Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram, and buy her lovely work on her Etsy page.

Pre-order Quiet, Constant Friends now via the Wake The Deaf Bandcamp page. Every penny goes straight to Worldreader, so spoil yourself with a clear conscience.

P.S. If you are a fan of Lotte Kestner, let me point you in the direction of a new collection of covers she released this week. Best of: Requested Cover Songs is comprised of her take on 17 songs requested by fans, including Beck, Slowdive, Radiohead and Pink Floyd.

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“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers”

So says Charles William Eliot, and I tend to agree with him. And not just because I’ve thrown my lot in with the literary world. Books are where you learn that others share your weirdest thoughts and experiences, and are able to describe them in a way that makes you want to squee with delight or tattoo the words into your skin. What’s more, they let you experience life as someone else, allowing you to get a grip on the unseen forces which batter some while you relax in ignorant shelter. I can confidently say I would be a different person had I not become acquainted with John Singer and Don Gately and Ignatius J. Reilly, with JR from New York and Ruthie from Fingerbone and Oscar Wao from the Dominican Republic, now of Paterson, New Jersey. That’s without mentioning Esther Greenwood or Hazel Motes or the Glass family, nor Mr Small or Spot the Dog or any of the menagerie of Redwall mammals, ie. any of the hundreds of fictional folk who helped build the world as I now see it.

If, then, you cannot read, you automatically miss out on an army* of literary friends to entertain you and hold your hand and generally remind you that you are not alone. You may or may not know that UNESCO estimate there are 757 million adults, including 115 million youths (15-24), who cannot read or write the simplest of sentences. They even have a cool interactive map to give you a better idea of where the problem is biggest.

Worldreader is non-profit organisation dedicated to creating a literate world through digital education. Their Worldreader Mobile app (available on even the simplest feature phones) brings digital books to families around the planet, allowing communities without access to any print books to connect to a library of over 28,500 titles in over 40 languages. And this sort of programme extends far further than helping people gain basic skills. Take the current Ebola outbreak as an example. With such a deadly disease it can be difficult to provide adequate information to those in danger, particularly when moving around increases the risk of transmission and worsens the situation. Worldreader are utilising their mobile reading app to disseminate information to help save lives, from vital health advice to inspiring stories from survivors, while minimising the need for movement on the ground, and thus transmission.

Of course, all this ignores the whole special, reading-as-a-magic-activity side of things that Charles William Eliot was getting at. Books are fun and comforting and inspiring and door-unlocking in so many ways, and I believe quite firmly that increasing the number of young people reading is one of the best ways to deal with current issues and prepare ourselves for future ones. Worldreader actively curates books by African and Indian authors, so rather than just beaming the same dusty classics all over the world, they’ve developed a library representative of the diversity of interests, tastes and subjects seen around the globe. Better still, the mobile aspect will help transform education into an unstoppable force. No longer will your gender or religion or race prevent access to education, nor any disabilities, nor your social standing. With a small amount of help from charities like Worldreader, we can overcome privilege and prejudice by placing education in the hands of the people. We can be each other’s quiet, constant friends.

It’s all pretty inspiring. So much so that I decided to try to help with my own version of community and worldwide collaboration. Quiet, Constant Friends, a compilation of literary-themed songs by some of my favourite artists, will be sold in support of Worldreader, with every penny of the profits going straight into their good work. Some of the songs were recorded especially for this release, some are from upcoming albums and others are old favourites which fit nicely with the theme. You can listen to one new track, ‘I’m a Book on Tape’ by Lewtrakimou, right now:

I’ll be unveiling more songs between now and release, so keep your eyes peeled for that, and check out the artwork and full tracklisting below:

1. The Well – Danielle Fricke
2. Cattleya – Lotte Kestner
3. Akhnilo Blues – Wes Tirey
4. Everything That Rises Must Converge – Pasture Dog
5. Pretty Steep – Old Earth
6. Little Big Man – Salt Altars
7. Not Her – Henry Demos
8. Mexico City – Beat Radio
9. Hair – Sondra Sun-Odeon
10. Haruki Murakami – Nathan Amundson (of Rivulets)
11. Jim and the Rather Large Nectarine – Windmill
12. The Book of Love – ARMS
13. TV – Oh, Rose & Sawtooth
14. Don’t Go Away Ahumpf Acgroomf – Free Cake For Every Creature
15. The Overlook Hotel – John Ross
16. I Drank Phosphorus with my Aunt Lucy – Kissing Fractures
17. Past Lives – Nice Legs
18. King of Crumbs – Ben Seretan
19. Oak and Linden Tree Abridged – Trouble Books
20. I’m a Book on Tape – Lewtrakimou
21. Runway – Nadia Reid

As if collaborating with 20-odd acts wasn’t exciting enough, we’ve also enlisted the talents of a range of artists and illustrators to design special-edition postcards for each song. Again, I’ll be unveiling these as time goes on, but check out the piece for Lewtrakimou’s song by Ji Hyun Yu below:Huge, huge, huge thanks go out to everyone involved. It has been so great to see how nice and enthusiastic people can be about a simple idea, and how it can evolve into something much better than I ever expected. I owe you all.

Quiet Constant Friends is out now. You can buy it from our Bandcamp page, including a limited edition cassette, complete with some super-limited edition art postcard prints (you can browse the complete set of artworks here).We decided against having this as a free download in an attempt to raise as much for Worldreader as we possibly can. Obviously, if you choose to pay more than the suggested amount you are donating more to Worldreader, so feel free to do that. That said, we know times are tough, so if anyone wants a download, just drop us a message/tweet/email and we’ll sort you out, no questions asked.

* I’m taking suggestions for the best collective noun for friends who only exist in books.

The post Wake The Deaf presents… Quiet, Constant Friends appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Miss last month’s edition? Listen to our January round-up.

February Mix from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post February 2014 Roundup – A Mixtape appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Williams has also released another collection on her Bandcamp page, this time a few alternative mixes of songs from her album, The Bluebird of Happiness (which you can also get from Saint Marie Records).

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The first thing to mention is that Squires is a super talented (and self taught!) musician, here playing guitar, banjo, piano and resonator guitar, as well as providing the large majority of the vocals (which are just perfect, by the way). He recorded, mixed and produced the whole thing on his own, which lends well to the personal atmosphere of the record. He also gets some help from a few friends, namely Anna-Lynne Williams (of Lotte Kestner/Trespassers William fame) and Shane Leonard of Kalispell and Field Report. All of this comes together to create an album of sparse, melancholy Americana reminiscent of artists such as J. Tillman and Richard Buckner.

The second strength of the album is the songwriting, When Will You Go… being an apt title for an album that attempts to deal with death and the fear of losing loved ones. Squires’s voice is candid and confessional, and the listener gets the sense that he is opening up to them, offering a glimpse of the demons that haunt many of us. This is a man who has battled with struggle and hardship and is now honest and open enough to channel that into something really very beautiful.

One of Jeremy Squires’s greatest skills is his ability to prevent the whole thing descending into cheerless gloom. Yes the atmosphere is sad and lonely, but the album seems to have just the opposite effect, proving oddly comforting.

Having had the album on repeat for the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that the opening lines, just eight words, somehow sum the whole thing up better than I ever could.

“I dreamt my life away
I never told” 

You can buy the album now via the Jeremy Squires Bandcamp page. I highly recommend that you do. This is one of the finest albums released this year and one worth every minute of your time and attention.

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