7. Tattie ToesTurnip Famine
Nerea Bello’s voice on this is incredible. She’s from the Basque Country, and she’s got this very emotive, flamenco style. I’ve never collaborated with her though – I’ve always been really hesitant about working with other people who have a flamenco feel, because I think what makes my stuff interesting is taking this flamenco thing, and then melodically doing something very different. But I’ve worked with Rafe Fitzpatrick [Tattie Toes violinist, on ‘Half Light’ from Thirteen Lost & Found] and Shane Connolly [Tattie Toes drummer on ‘Hungarian Notation’ from the same album].
Tattie Toes was the highlight of what they’ve all done together – it’s so unusual and brilliant and strange. There’s bits of bIG fLAME and Minutemen in there, there’s bits of ancient flamenco music, there’s Japanese rhythms. And they’re gone now. This record’s all there’s going to be from them, I think.
It’s weird – it’s an album I love that I can’t listen to very often. I listen to most music in the car now, because I’m busy and because Game Of Thrones isn’t going to watch itself. But I can’t concentrate on Turnip Famine properly when I’m driving. It’d be dangerous. It needs investment and time and energy to get everything out of it.
