“My life wouldn’t have been much without CDs, cassettes, and vinyl! It would have been pretty empty. I’ve sought solace and comfort in records over and over and I think there’s been music playing during most of the memorable or most powerful times of my life.”
“One of the things I love about vinyl is the visual aspect. It’s two for the price of one; a good square foot of beautiful artwork or a photograph plus the music. A friend and I discovered an LA band called Valley Queen fairly recently fronted by lead singer Natalie Carol, she just released a B side single on vinyl called “Red Light and Bad Astrology” and the vinyl artwork is very evocative of sixties and seventies psychedelic artwork. I feel they’ve created a time capsule through the vinyl with the momentum of the current time partnered with a note of psychedelic nostalgia. The fullness of the sound on vinyl compliments this record perfectly.
I remember discovering Shine Eyed Mister Zen by Kelly Jo Phelps—someone must have left his record at my house or something as I don’t remember buying it, but I was bowled over when I put it on. The album conjures up images of trees, dusty trails, wind, mountains and rain for me, and it’s one of those records that makes me itch to pick up an instrument and create upon hearing it. The record and all of Phelps work to me has a purifying effect when I listen to him. Music like Phelps feels like an old friend you trust and you can rely on to pick you up.
A friend and highly skilled guitarist I met in New Zealand got me listening to John Mayer—the Live in LA album in particular. I recognised his version of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling,” but had never delved much deeper into Mayer’s work. He’s someone so deserving of his stature in the industry. It seems just like Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, he’s worked tirelessly at his craft, and reached a genre/stratosphere of his own. I was hooked on that album and have been inspired by J.M.’s work ethic and talent ever since. The live aspect makes that record in particular—a very electrifying and exciting album to listen to, like someone at the pinnacle of their career giving a flawless performance.
I have a nostalgia for listening to Nirvana, the MTV Unplugged album. I listened to that record over and over. Nirvana’s music tends to make me feel rebellious which is a nice feeling. Three albums I remember listening to a lot growing up are Blue, Joni Mitchell, Madonna’s Ray of Light, and Nirvana, Nevermind.
One record which means a lot to me is Joni Mitchell’s For the Roses. It reminds driving round the Lake District with my dad in the rain—we always go in December so it’s usually raining. But the music fills the little car and we’re in a capsule of Mitchell’s record driving down the country lanes with the dark copper coloured mountains, the sea green fields, and skeletal trees passing us. We go back there each year and always play that record in the car. I think the Lake District is probably a good place to listen to most music though.
I’m drawn to the clarity and simplicity of the way it’s recorded. The instrumentation is quite sparse, drawing attention to the artistry of Mitchell’s lyrics—the song “Banquet” I think is a lyrical masterpiece. That’s the music I always come back to. With all the bells and whistles of electronic music and the effects used on a lot of music now (which I love and respect, don’t get me wrong), it’s nice to return to the folk tradition of a stripped back record, a songwriter and their instrument.
There are a few more of Joni’s tracks on For the Roses where she’s playing piano. I love her piano playing. It’s very unique and evocative, melancholic and triumphant at the same time. The feeling the record evokes for me is like taking a deep breath. It feels very strong and feminine. I particularly love the song “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire”—it’s like a crime novel in a song.
Without those records and the characters coming through the sound waves, I wouldn’t have had the same inspiration to create.”
—Katherine Abbott
“Lullaby for Lucas,” the new single from Katherine Abbott is in stores now.
