Family Stereo signs to Bella Union and announces debut album, The Thread

17 hours ago 2

Watt's debut follows a string of previous single releases, with "Fault Lines" arriving as the first preview of the collection of songs. The track, inspired by a long-distance relationship, serves as the album's centre through “images of space, distance, wide open country, badlands, tunnels", as Watt explains.

Speaking about his songwriting inspiration, he continues, “I like asking questions more than answering them in lyrics. A lot of the lyric writers I like do that. They will tell a story through snapshots rather than, you know, this happened and then that happened. I don't like lyrics that are too literal because it doesn't let the mind explore what they could be inferring. I'm trying to capture a feeling, or a sense of not understanding a feeling and trying to get to grips with that feeling.”

The Thread was recorded over nine months in north London by album producer and close collaborator Sam Hodder-Williams, who also provided string arrangements and multitasked across acoustic/electric guitar, mandolin, synths and more, with additional contributions from Pendo Masote on violin, Tom Allan on banjo, Ella Bleakley on backing vocals, and George Vaux on bass.

Speaking about the process, Watt says: “Musically, I wanted to explore folk songwriting but with a kind of lush arrangement. Sam is very good at realising a sound, and he can write string arrangements, and we wanted to throw everything in the pot but keep it kind of natural. I wanted to explore the pared-back thing but then his arrangements are quite lush, and I think they complement each other quite nicely.”