Behind the music: 'Ignorant as Icarus'

Buckle up folks, I am excited to finally share new music with you! 'Ignorant as Icarus' was born from feelings of isolation, loneliness and uncertainty, so it seems fitting that of all the years I could have released the darn thing (it's been in my life a while), this is the one. The song came together one evening in my final year of university. I was studying Music Technology and Ancient Classics at the time (hence the Greek mythology). It's one of a few songs that came together in one sitting - music and lyrics hand in hand, like some mysterious force. In terms of the personal feelings behind it, I won't go into detail... let's just say I was feeling a bit blue! The song lived as a Myspace demo, and was a regular in my live sets for many years, but I was cautious about my approach to recording 'the real thing'. Roll on about a century and here we are...! 

Years in the making 

I always knew I wanted to record this song with live strings, something that seemed implausible way back when. A few years on, I was lucky to be introduced to ABC bassist Andy Carr, who is the most wonderful musician and human being. Through his wealth of musical connections, my dream became a reality (thanks Andy!). 

The track features Birmingham-based Enigma String Quartet and we recorded their parts in Producer Jon Cotton's studio (frequented by one of my favourite artists, Scott Matthews). We were also joined by top-notch drummer Tim Bye

When I composed this song, I was filled with anxiety and dread. Today, having come out the other side, it has taken on a more hopeful sentiment. It's a huge relief to finally release it into the wild and I'm excited to share our work. I hope it is a feast for your ears! 

Special thanks to my friend Haley McHaffie for the artwork photo, Mark Ulrik for guitar parts and to David D'Andrade for introducing his awesome musician friend (Andy) to a complete stranger (me) after a chance conversation outside a pub - if it wasn't for that, this wouldn't exist! 

Click here to listen and/or download 'Ignorant as Icarus' today! If you're a fellow creator interested in collaborating in the future, do inbox me. 

More to come... 

Rae x

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