Druid Fluids: Then, Now, Again & Again
Druid Fluids’ debut album, Then, Now, Again & Again, is a psychedelic time capsule written over six years by multi-hyphenate frontman, Jamie Andrews. Jamie talks to The Note about individual creation, art and Druid Fluids’ Notestock performance
Image by @jjaakkeebbrroowwnn
Druid Fluids is about to release their long-awaited debut album, Then, Now, Again & Again. It was written over six years in a series of solo sessions and you describe it as a ‘psychedelic time capsule’. Tell us more...
Thematically, the record is quite diverse, drawing from external issues – the degradation of the planet, blind faith, media influence – to more personal, ruminative ideas of social disposition, monotony, and self-actualisation. Since finishing the record, it seems it’s less about the thematic contents of each song but rather the cacophony between them all. Each song serves as a time capsule, though each speaks with a different narrator. This, to me, underpins the theme of the album: that who we were, are and will be is ephemeral.
The timeline for writing this album was extensive. The inception of some of these songs came at the age of 16 or 17, but I condensed the recording aspect into about a year and a half. Some of those ideas and versions of myself I’d expressed now seem alien to me. I tried to be restrictive in the editing process to preserve the person I was when I was making it.
What was it like to use music as your medium for capturing time and place across six years?
Music has always been the most intrinsic medium of expression for me. As this album was created over quite a considerable timeline, it’s been interesting to see the development in my abilities in performing, recording and the way I was responding to the world through lyrics. Music has an incredible capacity to trigger visceral memories. It’s been cool to create these time capsules within my own work.
For most of this record, you worked solo in your home studio. How was that experience?
It was an interesting experience. This being the debut album, it was a lot of work. The pendulum between gratification and frustration seemed to swing pretty fast. I’ve always been attracted to the idea of DIY and being able to capitalise on your creative flashes, no matter the hour, especially as I am quite a nocturnal creative. Doing it mainly by myself pushed me massively as a multi- instrumentalist and a producer. John Lee of Phaedra Studios, who mixed and mastered the album, is owed a lot of credit for how this album turned out.
There are elements of doom and jazz throughout the record, yet it’s rooted in your signature psych-rock sound. Why did you decide to expand upon your influences and include them in your work?
Due to various influences from Frank Zappa to The Beach Boys, I have always been interested in surprising and sometimes jarring arrangements. I love the juxtaposition of a strange instrumental backdrop and a catchy pop vocal melody. Psychedelia [is] a bit of a blanket term for a diverse melange of sounds and influences all sitting in the same soup. The attraction lies in the freedom within that. I suppose the intention was to follow feelings rather than be restricted by genre.
You’ll be performing Then, Now, Again & Again at Notestock. How does the album translate from your solo sessions to onstage with a band?
I think it’ll translate well! I’m excited and curious to find out. My amazing bandmates are bursting at the seams with musical prowess, so I’m sure it’ll be heightened [compared] to me faffing about on my own. We add a lot of things live that won’t be on the record. I like to think of live and recorded as two separate entities to create within.
Druid Fluids’ live shows are set against incredible projections created by artist Miles Dunne. What does this medium add to the experience of your music?
Miles and I have been friends for quite a while. I always loved the visual elements that bands like Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips incorporated – it really adds a theatrical flair. So, when I saw the amazing work [Miles] had been doing, I reached out. It’s been beautiful to reconnect through our creative mediums, especially collaboratively. We spent a lot of time working on what we wanted the live set to look like visually and, being the genius he is, we had no trouble achieving it. I am no rockdoggin’ frontman either, so I’m glad his visuals can satiate the live aesthetic for the audience.
I’ve always valued the symbiosis of visual arts and music. Music carries profound ideas and, when incorporated with visual arts, it adds layers of meaning and depth. Pia Gynell-Jorgensen — who created the beautiful artwork for the record — also did a great job of enhancing the emotions the music attempts to convey. I’m glad that through this creative project we can champion other amazing artists working in different mediums.
What’s next for Druid Fluids? How do you hope to see out 2023?
Other than our upcoming national tour through November/December, we hope to see the rest of 2023 being fed grapes and getting fanned down by a giant palm leaf.
See Druid Fluids perform Then, Now, Again & Again at Notestock this November 4. Tickets on sale now.
