Grey Tower Heights On the Making Of "Dolly"
How did you come up with the idea?
I think “Dolly” was born out of the conversations that we’ve had around consent since the Me Too movement. As someone who came of age in the 90’s, it’s quite confronting to look back at the culture of that time and re-evaluate certain situations and attitudes. I think we have come a long way in terms of how women are perceived, but objectification is still alive and kicking!
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in "Dolly?"
I really wanted to create a sense of discomfort from the start in this song, and the shifting time in the first section doesn’t allow the listener to settle in, which I love! The sounds I created are also designed to give a sense of unease, but the vocal layers are playful at times; these contrasts give you a sense of the different perspectives I think. It is a bit of a weird structure (I love weird!) as you have 3 musically unrelated sections, but it somehow flows together. As an artist, I focus heavily on lyrics and narrative, but there are some interesting little musical quirks in “Dolly” that I hope listeners will enjoy; I had a lot of fun with the production on this one!
Can you describe the emotions or feelings you hope this single evokes in listeners?
I really hope it raises questions for people; perhaps in reflecting on their own beliefs and behaviours, or looking at how they might have been impacted by things from the past.
What is your creative vision as an artist?
I want to produce work that helps me make sense of who I am and what my place in the world is. I’ve spent a lot of my creative life trying to make music that I think other people will like; it’s taken me far too many years to realise that that approach destroys your authenticity and does a huge disservice to your listeners. I hope that people are able to connect with my work and take something from it, but if nothing else, I hope I’m putting music into the world that challenges.
How do you approach creating something new and different?
I’m really enjoying exploring sound creation and contrasting that with more traditional elements, and I love tinkering around with song structure. Whatever I’m doing, I try to approach with curiosity and openness. I had a traditional musical training where notes on the page were the most important thing. While that background has served me well in many ways, I’ve had to learn to be playful in my approach to creation. Allowing myself to make ugly sounds has been truly liberating for me and it can lead to some unexpected places.
