Well, thankfully the world didn’t end, so I can end the year on a high note. 2012 has been a very important year for me, in many, many ways. In musical terms, it has been a year of reinvention – a chance for me to start again, work out who I am and why I am doing what I’m doing. The Revolution sessions at the start of the year were a proper ‘year zero’ thing, stripping right back to me, an acoustic guitar, a cheap keyboard and a 4-track, for the most part. Since then I’ve released two records I’m very proud of – The Blackbirds’ Revenge and Photographic Reflection- which have built on the ambient acoustic sound I have found so rewarding to work with. The second half of the year I have spent recording a huge bulk of material, but thankfully have found the quality control to only select ten tracks for album number 3, East of Evening, which will be out in January. I’m expecting the tapes to arrive just after new year, and will start dubbing them then. I’ve had some really positive reviews and lots of great feedback from these new records.
I really do feel a sense of peace and ease with my music now that hasn’t been present since recording Safernoc and Canal Seven back in 2009. I have a few ideas about music going forward, and think it’ll take a lot longer with more attention to detail than the somewhat stripped-back nature of the recent releases, going to work on a big, lush sound. There’s also a very experimental record with my friend Craig, the second album as Sturmazdale, which will be appearing at some point in the coming months, and tentative work has begun on the second Curse of Kevin Carter album.
I feel like I really know who I am and what I’m doing these days, and that makes me very happy. Roll on 2013!
enofa 