Laura Misch to release new album titled Lithic

Misch’s upcoming album, Lithic, serves as a follow-up to her 2023 debut album, Sample of Sky, drawing inspiration from geology, wind, water, and stone. The first glimpse into this concept is provided by the song “Echoes,” which delves into the theme of breath through the utilization of saxophone and vocals. Misch’s creative process for “Echoes” was influenced by her time spent improvising in caves and quarries in Cornwall. The rhythm of the song was born from her work on the score for BBC Radio 4’s A Lemur’s Song and her investigation into the rhythmic patterns of female lemurs.

Discussing the origins of “Echoes,” Misch shares that she was intrigued by the discovery of patterns resembling the drumbeat of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” in the calls of female lemurs. She recreated this rhythm using saxophone keys as percussion and incorporated a goat skin drum played by Matt Davies. She was drawn to the interconnections between ancestral rhythms and those that are shared across different species.

In her description of the track, Misch expresses that “Echoes” is a reflection on the act of listening throughout history. It bridges the gap between ancient ancestors and future generations, forging a connection between them. The inspiration for the lyrics came from observing the oldest known female Venus figurines and the sheer vitality of a friend’s crawling baby. Through this experience, she felt a deep sense of awe for the early earth dwellers in the Paleolithic era and the vibrancy of the present.

Lithic delves into themes of grief and hope, with its foundation rooted in the practice of deep listening and eco-acoustics showcased in “Echoes.” Misch draws inspiration from various sources such as Barbara Hepworth, Pauline Oliveros, Annea Lockwood, Ruth Allen – an eco-psychotherapist and author of Weathering, and David Haskell’s work on the evolution of sound. She views sound as a timeless substance that can evolve over generations, exploring its transformative power on her upcoming record.

The tracklist for Lithic includes songs like “Breathing,” “Kairos,” “Siren,” “Scrolls,” “Soften,” “Circle,” “Fo(r)est,” “Jealousea,” “Mythic,” “Shell,” and “Spiral.” Each track contributes to the overall narrative of the album, weaving a tapestry of sound that explores the intersections between nature, history, and human experience.