Wellington/Pōneke multi-instrumentalist Grayson Gilmour has shared his latest single and video ‘Here We Are,’ before the release of his album Holding Patterns this Friday via Flying Nun Records. The album marks Gilmour's first full-length release in over six years with an upcoming nationwide tour in December (full dates below).
‘Here We Are' mixes textured synths with lively drums and percussion by Cory Champion (Clear Path Ensemble) and Olivia Campion (Yumi Zouma), as well as bright saxophones from Eilish Wilson, and backing vocals by Holly Beals. Gilmour explains that the song reflects the early stages of parenthood and the emotional ups and downs that come with it. He shares, “This is going to sound sappy and dramatic but I really felt 'connected to humanity' in the early stages of parenthood, watching a tiny life evolve each day. But it wasn’t always a joy – the sleep deprived psychosis hit me hard and I definitely experienced bouts of depression. I wrote this song in response to these lows - the moments when you don’t know yourself - to ultimately celebrate life."
The music video, directed by Jesse Taylor Smith, takes viewers on a nostalgic journey to the days of analog technology, using video feedback to create a colorful and hypnotic visual experience (watch below).
Grayson Gilmour is a multi-talented artist, known for his songwriting, film score compositions, and performances. He has toured globally both as a solo artist and as part of the post-punk group So So Modern, with releases on various labels worldwide. Holding Patterns follows his previous albums No Constellation (2010), Infinite Life! (2014) (nominated for both NZ Music Award and the 2015 Taite Prize), and Otherness (2017). This upcoming release marks Grayson's fourth full-length album with New Zealand indie label Flying Nun Records.
Curiosity is the driving force behind Grayson’s musical journey. Having released his previous multifaceted album Otherness (complete with its 360° music videos and web sampler) to critical acclaim, he is currently lecturing at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts, between film scoring projects and live performances. In the time since the release of Otherness in 2017, Grayson has become a parent of two. A typical response to becoming a parent might be that you slow down and make gentle music – while an element of that might be true within Holding Patterns, for the most part Grayson wanted to create rhythmically driven music that would allow him to dance through all the turbulence of parenthood. “Music has always been a form of escapism for me – a remedy of sorts – it always fulfills something that my life or surroundings can’t. I guess while I was tip-toeing around a sleeping baby during the pandemic lockdowns, what I really wanted to do was be loud! Luckily, I could channel this energy into my music."
On the name of the project, Grayson says, “I was drawn to ‘Holding Patterns’ as a title for the album because it spoke to the sensation of putting my life on hold while I figured out who I was, and wanted to be, as a parent. The meaning is multifaceted – it’s inherently intimate, but it’s also bittersweet – temporary, fleeting.”
Curious to work with different instrumentation, Gilmour ensured that there is practically no guitar on Holding Patterns. Any conventional piano or key parts were eventually rearranged into winds, strings or weird synth textures. Consequently, Holding Patterns is the artist’s most collaborative album to date featuring accomplished musicians such as Cory Champion (Clear Path Ensemble) on drums, Olivia Campion (Yumi Zouma) on percussion, and Eddie Johnston (aka Lontalius) on backing vocals. Improvisation was encouraged in most of the recording sessions with collaborators – the instrumental ‘Holding Patterns’ was actually completely improvised and re-assembled in the studio.
Furthermore, the more people he invited to the album; the more enjoyable it became – which perhaps explains why there are so many contributors. Grayson came across Bryce Wymer’s art via a feature in Juxtapoz Magazine years ago and felt an immediate connection with it. He commissioned Bryce to design the Holding Patterns album artwork, and the relationship between the visual and aural have proven to be a perfect pairing.
“I guess one of the side-effects of the pandemic / working from home was that I became comfortable with contacting people out-of-the-blue. Bryce was immediately keen and we worked really well together – sharing a lot of music interests and embarrassing sympathies for cliché hardcore bands!”
Holding Patterns is out on November 3rd via Flying Nun Records and will be available digitally, and on a range of limited edition coloured vinyl; red, blue, yellow or black.
Grayson Gilmour - Holding Patterns Album Release Tour
Dec. 1st - Ōtautahi | Christchurch - Loons
Dec. 2nd - Ōtepoti | Dunedin - Dive
Dec. 8th - Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara | Wellington - Meow
Dec. 9th - Tāmaki-makau-rau | Auckland - Wine Cellar
Tickets from Undertheradar.co.nz & Moshtix.co.nz