Forest Mourning is the project of Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska guitarist, Chris Watson, who has traded a full band approach for a more minimal, experimental affair. The new release, Death In Glendale is two tracks that take you on a journey, well more a contemplative meander, through a dark soundscape of textural drone and haunting folk-like melodies that have been created from guitar drones, a bed of subtle vocals and field recordings from a forest.
Where did the idea for Forest Mourning come from?
The name is adapted from a song title by The Myrrors called ‘Mountain Mourning’. Other than that, I was just a way to do gigs when my full band couldn’t play.
How would you describe your sound?
Explorative guitar with elements of throat-singing, field recordings and looped drones.
Tell us more about your latest release.
The latest release ‘Death In Glendale’ is a conceptual piece based on mourning for places I spent my childhood. One place being the woods I used to spend time in as a kid being pulled down.
What was the recording process like?
It was all recorded in my flat capturing from the room sound so you can here movement and such.
I used leaves, knives, screwdrivers, singing bowls and pieces of wood to play the guitar.
Are you looking forward to the show at TOPH on 31st May?
Yes.