North East outfit Amateur Ornithologist return with new album ‘The Haunted Life of Architecture’, a collage of gothic post-punk, indie folk, chamber pop and art-rock that confronts themes of memory, legacy and fear. Carl Jackson caught up with the band to discuss Roxy Music, witchy pop, and more.
‘The Haunted Life of Architecture’ is a wondrous dip into early Roxy Music meets Black Country New Road. Where did such a wondrous title come from?
I was writing the song ‘I See Faces’ and came up with the line “a shadow cast reveals a spectre,” and immediately the follow-up appeared to me like a ghost: ‘The Haunted Life of Architecture’. I knew it was the album title straight away.
You describe your music as Gothic. There seems to be a lot of witchy pop, dark folk and indie coming from the North East at the moment. What do you think is making the region pivot to this genre?
I’ve always found the darker things in life appealing. The first toy I wanted as a toddler was My Pet Monster, complete with chains and massive teeth. I think when you’re experiencing periods of instability and fear in politics and society, there’s a tendency to look for an alternative darkness – one filled with mystery and art.
The structures and orchestration are meticulously crafted. What’s the composition and arrangement process like?
I wrote the bones of the album while staying in a cottage in Wales. I’d usually have chords, melodies and structures, but some songs would have fully-realised orchestration. Chris (bass) and Dan (drums) added a lot of ideas early on and then I built more parts on top. Some songs went on long journeys. ‘Rituals’ took a long time because I’d wake up in the middle of the night with new orchestration ideas that would alter the song’s key, and then everything else would have to change as a result.
You worked with artist Michael Jeffries for the cover. How did it come about? And what was the methodology?
Mike is a great friend I connected with through a shared love of the uncanny. I sent him the album and the idea of conflict between our modern world and the history we’ve built it on. He created collages from old estate agents’ brochures, playing around with scanning and colour to evoke a classic DIY zine aesthetic. Chris gave me a book of Northumberland cup-and-ring stone carvings, and Mike scanned, cut, pasted and ripped the images. I then stitched everything together on my computer. It ended up nothing like my original intentions but perfectly suited the album.
‘Decoupage’ is my favourite. Can you give me the story behind it?
I was listening to a podcast and heard the word “decoupage,” and the idea exploded in my head. The lyrics are about my pursuit of a curated life – only doing things that make me happy and cutting out the rest. The song mirrors this in its structure: orchestral opening, pop verse, a capella section, then a big chorus. It took a long time to get right.
In homage to the song, if you had to choose one aisle in Hobbycraft that best summed up the album, what would it be and why?
Probably the clearance aisle. That’s where all these diverse elements that seem like they shouldn’t belong together sit side by side. The album brings together art rock, folk, barbershop, psychedelia…at first it might feel chaotic, but then you realise there’s a plan, and a reason they’re all in the same place – just like Hobbycraft clearance.
To launch the album, the band will head to Pop Recs, Sunderland on Saturday 16th May. Tickets, priced at £10.00 in advance, are available at amateurornithologist.sumupstore.com.
