Adelaide singer-songwriter Jen Lush has shared another intimate single from her forthcoming album, 'Hum Of The Mettle'.
An adaptation of a poem written by Maria Zajkowski (based around losing her father to Alzheimer's), 'Icon - song 1' is a hauntingly beautiful, delicately fragile folk-noir track rich in emotive-driven yet sparsely layered instrumentation and Lush's graceful vocals that project an eerily calming quality."The poetry is an excerpt (just five stanzas) from Maria Zajkowski's most recent book 'Icon' and we were paired together as part of the Music of Poetry project commissioned by the Festival of Voice – Denmark, WA," Jen says.
"Maria is an award-winning poet, lyricist and librettist based in Melbourne and of this book she writes: 'My father, Eugienuisz Zajkowski, had a hard, miraculous and normal life. He never intended to be an icon. This collection preserves some of what I lost to his Alzheimer's. And then, what I lost when he died.'
"When I started writing this song, Maria's book was still in manuscript form, not yet published. And by the time I had finished the song, Maria had finished the book and the poetry that I had been working with had changed. "The stanzas I had used were no longer in the early form and now don't exist together in the final collection. I tried to adapt the song to fit the most current version but it wouldn't fit.
"The musical patterns only fit the earlier words. I thought I would have to throw it away and start again but Maria generously allowed me to work with this early incarnation stating that she was happy for me to go ahead with the earlier incarnation and she's pretty flexible with collaboration."
Ahead of the song's video being released tomorrow (4 July), scenestr is thrilled to premiere the 'Icon - song 1' music clip today. Enjoy.
The video features a lone figure traversing a coastal wasteland who continually moves towards the ocean's edge before finally entering the murky depths of the water.
"The video was made by Tobin Lush (my fella) who shot this footage of our eldest son Orlando, while we were staying in Sceale Bay on the Eyre Peninsula.
"We have three kids and both of the others have appeared in a my videos from previous albums so it was his turn. He was really keen – said it was FINALLY his turn. But he had serious doubts and then flatly refused when Tobin mentioned he'd need to wear his favourite suit (he was in his Bernard Black phase) and it was going to get wet in the ocean.
"I had to convince him that I would make sure it was returned to its pristine polyester op-shop glory afterwards. He finally relented and we shot the scenes. He's stoked with it now and the suit is unscathed!
"Orlando has CP – right hemiplegia cerebral palsy, from a brain injury at birth – and for me there is something quite poignant in him being present in this video. I guess the fragility of his existence in the beginning, and the tenacity paired with the vulnerability around his disability brings a kind of depth to the imagery for me."
Jen is also grateful to her band for envisaging the song's emotional qualities to create the perfect tones. "As for developing the song with the band, I send them my kitchen demo and we get together to have a jam and see what unfolds.
"This one came together fairly easily, the band by now have a kind of synergy that comes from playing and making together for a few years.
"The guys are extremely tuned into 'the vibe' of each song, committed to creating the right soundscape for each of these poem songs. They mostly play less rather than more, only doing what seems necessary, which makes them really amazing to work with; that kind of restraint is rare I think.
"It was mostly about how to sensitively create the dynamics that build to each chorus and retreat again.
"It was one of the trickier ones to mix and James (who plays electric guitars, and recorded and mixed the album) left it 'til last to approach this one. He's a magician (which makes Wizard Tone Studios a perfect home for him haha) and I think he nailed it."
