MIXTAPE: LYR

Image by Bjorn Franklin

Words: Simon Armitage, Richard Walters & Patrick J Pearson

Collectively as LYR, Simon Armitage, Richard Walters and Patrick J Pearson have created an exceptional body of work in a brand new commission from the National Trust which celebrates the onset of Spring.

Blossomise comprises three main elements, including the publication of poet laureate Simon Armitage’s beautiful collection of 21 poems and haikus, which are accompanied by illustrations by Angela Harding; LYR’s five track EP of which the poetry is the genesis, giving lyrics and inspiration to the music creation; and performances featuring music, poetry, choirs and visuals at locations which follow the path of blossom across the UK from Plymouth (Market Hall) to Coventry (Charterhouse) and Manchester (Quarry Bank Mill) through to Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery on Sunday 28^th April.

Here, the trio talk about some of the albums and songs that influenced their work.

Simon Armitage

David Byrne – The Catherine Wheel

With projects, I always think about people like David Byrne, how he does something outside his usual channels but still manages to create art that has his stamp on it. So records like The Catherine Wheel or The Knee Plays that were designed with collaboration in mind but function in their own right. His angle to the universe – through the lyrics – is always a useful reference point, reminding me of Emily Dickinson’s line “Tell all the truth but tell it slant” – a warning against the dangers of trying to meet subject matter head on, which can lead to sentimentality and cliche, always a danger with commissioned work.

Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley

Something else to be avoided with this kind of endeavour is a kind of gatefold or symphonic over-indulgence. I like set-piece poems and I wanted the music to be written as songs and tracks, maybe like Public Service Broadcasting’s Every Valley. Lovely sense of community on that album. Or even Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, where there’s an enigmatic and not fully articulated narrative in the background. My approach to LYR is the same as my approach to poetry – no filler. I want things to sound like Greatest Hits, not Peter And The Wolf. 

Richard Walters

Björk – Unison

There’s a big choral component to the Blossomise EP, so when I was thinking about vocals and arrangements for sung parts I found myself revisiting two Björk records: Vespertine and Medúlla. The latter is all about the voice and is a real feat in musical precision and minimalism, but the choral parts on Vespertine really get me every time, especially on the track Unison; layers and layers of spine chilling euphoria! 

Acre Memos – Another Birdsong

In Spring I find myself going back to what could affectionately be called wonky folk: Palace Music, Damien Jurado, Adem, and a recent discovery has been a Texan band called Acre Memos. Something about that kind of spacious, imperfect music that just suits the daylight and my mood at this time of year.

Patrick J Pearson

Low – Hey What

I try to encourage a lot of ’see what happens’ in LYR’s process. We don’t ever seem to have a huge chunk of time together as a group, so we try to throw as many ideas into the pot as we can, and then separate the wheat from the chaff later on. I always reference Low’s later records, Hey What or Double Negative; BJ Burton’s production is genius. It seems they write a song, and then mangle it into this hybrid – the noise and the harmony is divine. 

Rozi Plain – What A Boost

I love albums with an intelligence, production that enhances work, lets it all breathe and doesn’t brand. Always on rotation are tracks like Third by Portishead, Spiral by Darkside and Rozi Plain’s What A Boost.

John Francis Flynn – Look Over The Wall, See The Sky

I’ve also been enjoying John Francis Flynn’s Look Over The Wall, See The Sky; it’s really inspiring work, and would love to see it live. 

Diiv – Brown Paper Bag

I can’t wait for Diiv’s latest record Frog In Boiling Water, the singles are on repeat; nostalgic and pragmatic, somewhere between early Cure and My Bloody Valentine.