Grand Pax is gearing up to release her new three-track EP, ‘PWR’. Due on 26th June via Blue Flowers and featuring her tracks ‘PWR’, ‘Blur’ and ‘One Of Us’, it’s a thoughtful collection with muses on hope and intimacy. To celebrate the imminent release, Grand Pax has put together a playlist full of nostalgic classics, perfect for reflective, hazy summer evenings, and, well, it’s a bit grey today but this afternoon would probably be fine, too.
“Do you remember where you were when you came alive, the first time, to a particular song, do you have an image there?” she asks. “I think that is nostalgia. The feeling of both missing something or remembering it. Trying to hold on to it, and letting go. Two distinct sensations, simultaneous. For me, music is inherently nostalgic, how could it not be? If it works the way its suppose to, then it’ll make you feel something. Maybe I’d say when referring to feeling ‘nostalgic’ there are levels, maybe it can’t be measured.”
Frank Ocean – Solo
I mean, someone pretty important gave me this record, and I still listen to it pretty much every day at some point. He writes how I think, thoughts coming at you, sped up, always seeing life, from all angles, and its always nostalgic, and for me its always the colour of the sky just as the sun goes down, in the summer.
It’s all prickly heat, and cool air, parliament hill. It’s multiple tracks of his voice, pitched up, or down, and organs, old sounds, new sounds, bass, beats. He catches bits of melody like smoke, pulled from the air, strung up like paper banners, each linked like hands being held, a chain of events. Its fucking magic.
Nick Mulvey – Fever to the Form
I was standing behind the bar, it was summer, and I had one of these moments that seemed to last a whole summer, and this tune was playing, maybe it triggered it. But I see myself, and I see my life then, and I feel all those troubles bubbling underneath me, and I see the faces that I clung to then, and it still gets me, man. It’s a real thing. It really gets to you when it’s real, when the truth speaks to you.
Prince – Purple Rain
This track for me never fades. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I get a warm feeling, like seeing an old friend. Think it depicts pretty adequately how it is to feel love, and let it just exist outside of yourself, outside of your control.
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Any song that takes you from here, to there is nostalgic. I used to run to this song, same route every time, same playlist. An old girlfriend introduced me to a lot of music, and this song puts me in our old dusty flat.
I like that I know where they were when they recorded this record. I watched the sound city documentary, and I feel like I can feel what she’s feeling when I hear her voice, on any record. She is raw, like the burn in your chest after a strong drink.
The Stones Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
We used to drive around in an old balanced up racer, and blast this. It made me feel, validated. being a songwriter, being on stage, it can make you, and it can humble you. It really comes down to the time and place. Maybe you have to have that appetite for attention in order to even make it that far. But you don’t get on the stage because you want to be ignored. You want to be adored. And so what.
Bob Marley – Waiting in Vain
Man, when I hear this track, I feel so young and innocent. This is how you should tell somebody you want them right, this is happy and sad, it’s warm and it’s like, it’s cool if you don’t want me, just let me know. I can’t wait around forever, but I’ll wait for a while. Hit me back.
The Supremes – Baby Love
This song always makes me smile. I like the way they all recorded in the same room at the same time. You can hear that. You can tell what era of music it is by the style of pro-action. You can’t really say that these days. Imitation is too powerful. But the sound of these records are like the way an old photo looks. You can tell if you know it, where it’s coming from.
Billie Holiday – I’ll Be Seeing You
Romance at its finest. Her voice always rung out, distressed. Her voice sounds passed down, like it had been worn before, felt pain before. Like the moon or something. Sounds as if you’ve heard it before.
Souls of Mischief – 93 ‘Til Infinity
Just like hearing voices that sound like they coming in direct from another time. I feel I’m there, an American vibe, California in the summer, back in the 90s, all high tops, blue skies, and hip hop was ripe man, all the records from that era for me hold the same sweetness, blends of beats, bass and something sweet.
Grand Pax’s EP ‘PWR’ is out 26th June.
