Belle Butler On the Making Of “Quick”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Quick?"
I wrote the song many years ago while living in a small town. It felt like an in-between phase of life for me and I struggled to give into it. The song came out of a sense of time rushing by while I was standing still. I felt stuck, but like time was changing me despite my inability to move.
I made the stop motion video years later during another transitional time of life - the year my youngest child started school. I was grieving the losses that came with this change and trying to find a new sense of self. If the song is about change and the loss, grief, resistance, and acceptance that comes with it, then the video is about the beauty in all of that.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Quick?"
I recorded “Quick” in Melbourne with a wonderful producer, Anna Laverty. It was in between Covid lockdowns, so I felt lucky to squeeze it in. I had suffered a really bad chest infection in the lead-up to recording so my singing was pretty weak. Ultimately I decided to re-record the vocals closer to home with another wonderful producer, Josh Shuberth. Well worth the extra effort.
What has been one of your favorite memories along the path to making "Quick?"
Collecting leaves to make my stop motion. I'd go on long walks and discover the most beautiful leaves of all different colours and textures. I could hear the song in my head and see how the leaves might come together and move to tell my story. It was a really pleasant part of the project.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I started playing piano when I was about 5 or 6. My mum bought the piano for herself, but it was clear that I was keen and she gifted me the lessons instead. After moving around a bit as a kid, music became my escape and my friend. I taught myself the guitar as a teenager and wrote songs as a way to deal with all those big teenage feelings. I think music is a great life-long companion.
I did some gigging in my 20s, but the demands of live performance didn't fit well with my life. So I retreated a bit and continued to just play music for myself.
Now that I'm a parent I see the value in sharing songs. So I've recorded a few and will continue to do so over the coming years.
Your lyrics often tell stories. Can you talk about your approach to storytelling through music?
More and more I believe that telling stories is the ultimate goal of my songs. I worry less about how I sound or what people might think, and I just focus on the story I'm trying to tell. I find that people relate to my music and engage with it the most when I'm deeply committed to telling the stories of the songs.
