Description
Diagrams to release new collaboration album written with 90 year old poet.Since releasing his critically acclaimed Leo Abrahams produced album lsquoChromaticsrsquo in 2015 Sam Genders Diagrams has kept himself very busy. He has travelled to Iceland to write and record an album under the name Throws with former Tunng bandmate Mike Lindsay and, along with the touring and sessions that are part and parcel of being a musician, he also set himself up in business teaching guitar to 80 children a week in Derbyshire schools. Throughout all this Sam has been chipping away at a project that he describes as ldquoone of the most inspiring musical experiences Irsquove been involved withrdquo the writing and recording of an album of songs written together with a 90 year old American poet called Dorothy Trogdon.When Genders was first given Dorothyrsquos book of poetry lsquoTall Woman Lookingrsquo by a mutual friend he was immediately taken by Dorothyrsquos way with words and imagery and the references to science, nature and the wonderful, yet often bewildering, experience of being human.These are all subjects that Genders has enjoyed playing with since his 2011 debut album lsquoBlack Lightrsquo and frequently before that during his time as cofrontman and songwriter with electro folk pioneers Tunng.Says Genders ldquoI was immediately drawn in by Dorothyrsquos words so much so that before I knew it, I had turned one of her poems into a song. This gave me the idea of contacting Dorothy to ask if she might consider helping me write some new songs and the whole project sprang from that.rdquoThe rekindling of Gendersrsquo relationship with his former colleague Mike Lindsay through working together on Throws turned out to be fortuitous when Mike became one of a string of top producers and musicians to offer to help record the lsquoDorothyrsquo album. The finished album is produced by Lindsay and Kristofer Harris Smoke Fairies, Clock Opera and features arrangements from Kelly Pratt St Vincent, David Byrne, Arcade Fire and Diagrams regulars Sam Ewens, Danyal Dhondy and Astra Forward.Likely to intrigue fans of both Gendersrsquo early Tunng work and of his later more melodic Diagrams outings the album is a rich tapestry of folk inspired melodies, subtle arrangements and thoughtful poetic lyrics that is likely to raise awareness not only of Diagrams and Genders as a songwriter but also of Dorothy Trogdon as a poet to keep a careful eye on in the future.