2 weeks ago
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A vivid image is painted by the sparse elements that make up “Swimming In Blood”, the latest release from Scenic Route-signed artist Ivy Knight. Her upcoming debut album is due later in Spring.“I was living in the Hudson Valley while writing most of the songs on the album, including my most recent single,” Knight tells BEST FIT from across the Atlantic. “To anyone who knows that area knows it's impossible not to be completely moved and changed with the seasons and cycles.”
The sweeping landscape is an ever present backdrop to the track. A stripped back acoustic is met only by Knight’s cutting vocals, and sparse lines of melodic electric guitar are used to create a sound that becomes greater than the sum of its parts: “Space and location are everything. Whether I'm writing about what's within reach or as a means of navigating an escape. I like to hyperfocus on a detail or feeling of the landscape and then turn up the saturation.” The saturation of her environment could risk sounding clichéd, like an impersonation of great American country songwriters, but the delicacy and quality of her songwriting prevents Knight from ever falling into such a trap.
“Swimming In Blood” is a moody ballad musing on memories of her own past and times gone by. The lyrics feel like they’re often slipping away from the listener, like smoke through ones fingers, as Knight’s intent is tucked away within poetic melodies. “I turned the rock over in my hands and it looks different now” is a line that returns through the song before ushering in an electric guitar line that mirrors the vocal melody.
The influences of great American songwriters, from both the 20th and 21st centuries, are clear to hear: “Lately I've been loving Marty Robbins' Return of the Gunfighter,” says Knight. “I was listening to a lot of trail songs when writing the album. I love the straightforwardness of old country. The images are striking and maximal, which is something I try to explore into my own songwriting.”
Due to the difference in the style of their sounds, on the face of it, Ivy Knight and Deer park make an unlikely creative duo. Having also worked with fakemink, Ecco2k, and evilgiane, Deer park – real name Andy Santella – produced and engineered “Swimming In Blood” following the January track “Black Cat”. “Working with Andy has influenced my music in so many ways, many of which I'll probably never be able to truly understand,” Knight expresses. “He is one of my best friends and the reason this album was able to exist.”
English (US) · 