Fresh Meat Monday - Arran Arctic

Would you care to introduce yourself?

Monday to Friday, I'm a professional who works in order to pay the rent and buy musical equipment. In reality, I'm an artist working under the pseudonym "Arran Arctic", my make-believe choral counterpart who travels the Northern seas in search of new melodies. I often fall asleep and dream of music, waking to find the notes just out of reach. The majority of my time is spent trying to retrieve these lost songs.

How would you describe the music you make?

Honest, simple and hopefully beautiful in some way. I'm very much a musical wanderer in that I don't like to stick to any one genre or style for too long. That said, I think my personality does tend to shine through in my writing and delivery, which provides some sort of anchor for everything.

How did you start out making music?

Singing in churches (in company and alone), tinkling on the rusty household piano and playing awful, awful recorder! I think I first began to take my own music seriously when I picked up my Dad's guitar at age 14, and began to teach myself to play. I've never had any formal training, so I learn from my mistakes and simply strive to improve.

What process goes into the way you write songs?

When I write music I usually tend to sit down with an instrument and try to find the right words and sounds that fit what I'm trying to convey simultaneously. The instrument is very much the "portal" into the song. I've only produced a handful of pieces to date that have begun as lyrics and evolved into songs. I'll also spend a very short period of time creating each track, usually 30 minutes or so. I tend to go with my gut feeling when putting pen to paper, and rarely return to re-write or edit. Songwriting also seems to come in bursts. I'll go for months without writing anything, but then create three new songs in one evening! This is usually because I'm busy with other tasks, like recording or business related guff.

What are you all listening to at the moment?

I've only recently discovered Kate Bush. I can only pray that my work will one day approach the sheer amazingness that is 'Hounds Of Love'. Other than that, my iPod has mostly been blaring King Creosote's 'Flick The Vs' and the soundtrack to 'Where The Wild things Are' by Karen O and The kids.

What can we expect to see/hear from you in 2010?

I'm currently working on a new album, which will hopefully be finished early in the year. It's very different from 'The Boy In Brown', and will probably be as close to mainstream as I'll ever get! I'd really like to try and put out a few singles, with a couple of promotional videos to accompany them. Here's hoping some folks take a shine to it!

Arran Arctic plays at the Phoenix Cellar Bar, Edinburgh this coming Wednesday (3rd of Feb) as part of a series of gigs for Secret CDs. Performing tracks from his album 'The Boy In Brown'. The gig is £2 on the door, with the added bonus of anyone who comes along and signs up to / is already signed up to the Arran Arctic mailing list will get an awesome, one-of-a-kind, unique free gift. Can't say fairer than that.

Arran Arctic - Tight Lipped Lover (MP3)



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