The new project from Ulrika Spacek/Mint Field’s Callum Brown – who is also part of a Hackney art space known as the Vicious Collective, ‘FYI’ – Yore’s self-titled album is out today (Friday, 4th December). It’s a proper team effort, full of fuzzy, lo-fi collabs with the likes of Mellah, Nuha Ruby Ra, Black Gold Buffalo, and Rakel Leifsdottir from Dream Wife. Give it a listen below, and find out more about it from the man himself.
Hello Callum! How’s it going? What are you up to today?
I’m pretty good thanks, I’ve been home today working on some music and drinking copious amounts of coffee!
How have you found 2020 so far? Bit much, innit.
It’s been quite a turbulent year, but I try to take life day by day and use the time for self-reflection and growth – I feel like I’m in a state of incubation; just absorbing life experience & inspiration for whatever creative venture comes next.
Had you completed your new album before all this kicked off, or were you having to work around lockdowns, social-distancing and the like?
Luckily I finished the record before lockdown but having to abide by social distancing regulations made it increasingly difficult to make music videos – and to play live of course!
It’s a really lovely record, what were you aiming for when you first embarked on the project, and to what extent were those initial ideas realised?
Well, I wanted it to sound like Yore and to have its own sonic identity – there’s a common thread or atmosphere running through the record, but I guess that’s dependent on how people interpret it!
What do you most enjoy writing songs about?
Making music is a stream of consciousness for me, channelling whatever you’re feeling at the time. I love the early stages of an idea when you feel enthused by it and also the latter stages when the final pieces of the puzzle fit into place – also when collaborating with other artists the songs can be pulled in different directions and I try to embrace that.
How did the collaborations come together? Are all the guests your mates?
It was essentially a wishlist of friends/artists that I admire and thought would work well with the music I was making.
Pandemic aside, did you come up against any other challenges while working on the album?
It’s rather time-consuming collaborating with different artists; there’s a lot of to and fro, but that process also taught me a lot and ultimately made the record what it is!
What would be the highest praise you could receive for the record, or your music in general?
I think I’d be chuffed if people just found some solace in the record with everything going in the world right now.
Do you have much in the diary for 2021 yet?
My diary is relatively open as it’s difficult to project very far into the future right now, but I have been working on some new material, and I intend to expand on the sonic palette offered up on this first record! I don’t feel any limitations working under the Yore guise, and I think that’ll be more apparent on the next release.
If you were granted three wishes for the year ahead, what would you go for?
I would use all three wishes to end the pandemic!
Yore’s self-titled debut album is out 4th December.
