Selkie: Introducing
Introducing:Selkie
Selkie creates strange, beautiful and deeply atmospheric music built around electric guitar, ambient sound design and a voice used as both melody and texture. Her debut EP inWaves traces a slow process of rebuilding trust in voice and body, shaped through years of live experimentation, movement between continents and an instinct for leaving space around the songs. Spacious, unhurried and quietly immersive, the music sits somewhere between ambient pop, electronic folk and experimental songcraft. "The EP is about trying to stay open inside uncertainty, noticing beauty while you’re still in it, and allowing things to arrive, disappear and come back without forcing them into shape," says Selkie of the music.
Following the release of inWaves, Selkie brings the music to the stage this autumn, with UK dates beginning at Café Kino in Bristol on 29 September, followed by Brighton, London, Salford and Newcastle before returning to Glasgow for a hometown show at The Old Hairdresser’s on 20 October.
Photography Credit: Ter Nam
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time?
“Like a Saoirse Ronan movie? A little bit earthy and gritty but utterly ethereal and tuned to the moon. Soft, cosmic, shimmering, with folk roots quietly glimmering beneath the surface.”
When did this project start to feel like something substantial?
“From the moment I gave it a name.”
What usually comes first for you: lyrics, melody, rhythm, or atmosphere?
“Anything can arrive in any order at any time but can very rarely be summoned... unless under time pressure.”
Do you find themes returning in the writing process, even unintentionally?
“Lyrically - absolutely, and surprisingly unintentionally. Water runs through almost everything I write. My songs also often have a tie to light and air, sun and moon, motion and stillness.”
What role does collaboration play in your creative process?
”Generally, I write, record and produce almost all of my music completely alone, and don't ask for input until I've got something pretty much where I want it to go. Mixing and mastering is passed along to koda.sonic, who I met whilst living in Berlin. He deals with my detailed yet abstract feedback and works hard to translate it into exactly what I'm looking for.
I asked for his input on drums for two tracks on my EP, inWaves. Hourswas already layered with various beats and rhythms when I brought it to him, and he created the boxy-sounding toms that you mostly hear in the first half of the song. On Lick the Sun, we stayed up all night doing a long-distance session to get the drums right. I described and described, giving him feedback on each new edit every half hour, while he spent the night teasing out ideas for the sounds and where to place them. I absolutely love what we ended up with and how his work added to the track.”
What’s something that didn’t work early on but helped define who you are now?
”Ableton!! So many problems and false starts that seemed only to happen when I performed in front of an audience!! But now I've performed so often with it that, if there ever is a problem, I'm usually able to keep cool and sort it out without disaster.
It would be nice to play in a band, but audiences have often commented that hearing me perform my music the way I do, using only a guitar and Ableton, makes it feel interesting for them, without the risk of a live drummer smashing the delicateness of my music. I've definitely grown attached to my portable, self-sufficient one-man setup.”
What does your live show offer that listeners won’t get from the recordings?
”I often play works in progress at a live show and trial production ideas before I get a song to its final recorded stage. So I guess you get the ideas in motion.
My singing style is also different whether I'm recording or playing live. I'm usually more controlled during a recording session. In a live show I lose that control and let my voice flow with whatever feeling is in the room.”
What do you hope people take away after spending time with your music?
”Some gentle moments out of reality.”
Purchase inWaves Here:
Selkie:Live
Sep 29 • inWaves UK Tour, Cafe Kino • Bristol
Sep 30 • inWaves UK Tour, The Folklore Rooms • Brighton
Oct 01 • Lim Orion Album Launch, Strongroom • London
Oct 06 • inWaves UK Tour, The Eagle Inn • Manchester
Oct 07 • inWaves UK Tour, Little Buildings • Newcastle
Oct 20 • Wild at Heart Sessions, The Old Hairdressers • Glasgow
