Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Blair Dunlop
THE RELEASE
Blair Dunlop is the sunshine in the rain of the British Folk scene. While inspired by traditional British folk, Dunlop continuously and refreshingly puts his personal twist on the genre– especially in his newest album, "Out of the Rain.” This record was released on May 24th and produced by Jim Moray, following a five-year gap since the release of his last album. After three critically acclaimed albums, even winning the BBC Radio Two ‘Horizon Award’ in 2013, it is unsurprising that “Out of the Rain” upholds the same high musical standard as his previous works.
“Out of the Rain” is a fusion of comforting lyrics that tell stories of embracing freedom and newness, alongside a backdrop of distinctly folk and guitar-led melodies. The album’s 12 tracks holistically reflect a more positive outlook on life than Dunlop’s past releases. The album’s debut single “I Wanna be Running,” is the perfect showcase of its contents. Lyrically, Dunlop takes a conversational tone as he sings about wanting to escape and live life running freely. The song is led by a smooth guitar and a hint of a soft fiddle, that adds a classic folk touch. The album’s second major single, “Let’s Get Out of the City” sings about monotonous London life and its vices, accompanied by a more cheerful beat.
Dunlop’s “Out of the Rain” is a fresh record that compliments the demands of the recent popularity and acclaim of folk-country genres. Lyrically and musically, the record will make you want to let your hair down and go on a countryside road trip. Dunlop explains’ his journey in creating “Out of the Rain” in the following interview:
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals moulded the artist you are today?
Great question! I would say Jackson Browne, Anais Mitchell, MF DOOM and Richard Thompson. I'd say you'd probably be able to hear the influence of all if them in my music (particularly song writing) except for MF DOOM, but he represents a sort of impressionistic freedom that I find uniquely inspiring.
Throughout the production of your new album, were there specific challenges or breakthrough moments that had a profound influence on the overall direction and cohesion of the project?
Undoubtedly, there are moments where you think a track suddenly starts clicking. Sometimes it's a comment from the producer, or a take on a certain instrument that just ties it together. I think getting the vocals down was important, Jim got a great sound on my voice and it gave me a nice platform to express myself. Things started to make sense when we put them down.
Can you offer insights into the collaborative dynamics that shaped the album, shedding light on the contributions from producers, co-writers, engineers, or featured artists and how their involvement impacted the final body of work?
There are quite a few co-writes on the album, mainly with Fred Claridge who toured with me as my drummer for many years. Ironically, he's not on this album - I felt that I needed to switch things up - but I really enjoyed writing with him, particularly during the pandemic, and just after. I think we are on the same page with regards to both musicality and lyrics, so it comes very easily to us. In terms of the sonics of the album, the producer Jim Moray takes all the credit IMO. It was a real pleasure to work with him, I'd love to do it again. Not only is he a great musician himself, he is incredibly knowledgeable about the technical side of recording, and he's also good at conveying his vision.
Considering the entirety of the new record , what lasting impact or impression do you hope the collection of songs will leave on listeners, both individually and as a cohesive musical journey?
It probably sounds ridiculous, but I had a vision for it to be a driving album. I spent a lot of time driving around between lockdowns, back up home near the Peak District, and driving between Mum and Dad's houses represented freedom for me in that weird period. I love driving, and I love listening to music in the car, so a lot of the songs I wrote lent themselves to those kind of classic, West Coast, road trip stylings. We very much leant into it. It also feels like a more optimistic album, so I'm glad we toured it in late Spring and it's now out for the summer. I feel like that will suit it!
As you look forward, how does this release set the stage for your future projects, and are there any subtle hints or clues you can share about the evolving musical direction you plan to explore in the coming months?
Musically, I've definitely hit upon something that reflects me and my musicality better than ever before. Without a doubt. That's not to say I won't switch it up next time, though. Let's see what songs I write for the next album. I've already started it, and I'm also doing some co-writing for other projects so I'll just have to see what comes out of my head this summer. I think it's quite a common reaction for artists when you've been beavering away tirelessly on a new album - by the time it's out, you're sick of it and you want to get cracking on the next thing.
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