North East singer-songwriter Cortney Dixon has just released her new EP, ‘Our Intuition’, so Lee Allcock caught up with her to speak about working with Jim Lowe, life on the North East coast and more.
Tell me a bit about your latest EP and what listeners can expect both sonically and lyrically…
Sonically, I would say the EP is eclectic in feel, tied together by the production: there are lots of guitars, big synths, upfront vocals and catchy melodies. It’s got some real vulnerable moments in songs like ‘Freddie’ and ‘Parliament of Owls’ which are quite stripped-back. Lyrically, the EP explores everything from the idea of living forever to more down to earth topics such as getting in with the wrong crowd or being stuck in a negative mindset.
What was it like working with Jim Lowe (Stereophonics, Charlatans, Beyonce)? And what helpful advice did he give you?
It was amazing and the process was really enjoyable. I think it was working with Jim that got me interested in learning more about production; he always explained what he was doing and he would sometimes A/B the outboard he was using so I could hear the difference it was making – and it really helped to improve my ear. I really learnt a lot from Jim and we still write together now. Jim was very intuitive and his main piece of advice was probably to not overthink it as long as it feels right.
How was the release affected by COVID-19 restrictions?
Luckily enough, I had already finished recording the EP before lockdown. The EP was due to come out in spring 2020 but I was hanging on in the hope that if I postponed it a few months, I might be able to gig it – then it started to become clear that wouldn’t be the case. I did, however, manage, after the first lockdown, to record and a film a live version of ‘Half My Heart’ with my band to add to the EP. It was so much fun after not being able to play together in so long.
A number of your tracks speak about your teenage years and growing up in a small seaside town in the North East. What memories stand out to you?
I’ve only just realised how lucky we were to grow up so close to the beach. My six weeks holidays from school were some of the nicest memories I have. Me and my best friend, Andrew, would be out every day on our bikes down the coast, our only worry being where we would get our dinner from – options normally being subway, chippy or picnic. It’s funny because we remember saying to each other at the time that it was the best time of our lives – and it totally was. I remember the summer’s being really hot then too.
And finally, all being well, what are your plans for 2021?
To be able to do some live gigs this year would be amazing; however, we know how unpredictable this virus is so I have no concrete plans just yet. My aim for this year is to release some songs, do lots of writing, some remote collaborations and continue to develop my recording and production skills.
You can listen to ‘Our Intuition’ now on all major online streaming platforms.
