Laura Misch announces new album, Lithic

1 week ago 11

Lithic follows Misch's 2023 debut Sample of Sky, and is a work informed by geology and the natural elements of wind, water, and stone, with "Echoes" being the first preview of this concept.

The new song is centred on breath, explored through both saxophone and vocals, inspired by Misch's experiences of improvising in caves and quarries in Cornwall. The rhythm of "Echoes" emerged from her score for BBC Radio 4's A Lemur's Song, and the results of her research into the rhythmic calls of female lemurs.

"Scientists found patterns similar to the drumbeat of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”,” Misch explains. “I recreated the rhythm using saxophone keys as percussion before adding the goat skin drum, played by Matt Davies. I was drawn to the connections between ancestral rhythms and those shared across species.”

Speaking about the track, she continues: “'Echoes' is a song about listening through deep time. It calls back to ancient ancestors and forward to future generations, communing with both. The lyrics were inspired by looking at the oldest known female Venus figurines and feeling awe for these Palaeolithic early earth dwellers, and then watching a friend’s baby crawl on the floor - experiencing the same sense of wonder at how sensorily alive she is.”

Lithic sees Misch explore both grief and hope, with its core concept drawing on the deep listening practices and eco-acoustics referenced on "Echoes". Misch drew inspiration from artists and academics such as Barbara Hepworth, Pauline Oliveros, Annea Lockwood, eco- psychotherapist and author of Weathering, Ruth Allen, and David Haskell’s writing on the origins and evolution of sound, which she approaches as an ancient material on the upcoming record, examining the way that sounds can transform over time.