Track by Track: Big Fox - 'See How The Light Falls'
After six years since her last album, Big Fox is back, with her latest release ‘See How the Light Falls’. She took a moment to talk us through the release - track by track.
‘The Fight’
In my original demo, the song was in double tempo, feeling more like a car chase. So we recorded it like that in the studio but afterwards we just got stuck. Nothing we added felt right. I was seriously considering skipping the song altogether, sitting with my head in my hands, when the producer Tom Malmros suddenly said," I think we have to turn this song upside down". He started running the drums through some effect that he had never tried before; just playing around with the tracks. When he finally pressed play, the drums were in half tempo, sounding like they do now. We just looked at each other. It was awesome. Now it's one of my favourite tracks on the album.
‘Beast’
I've been thinking a lot about our need for control, how we justify the use of violence to create order. And my part in that order. We're often so good at rationally explaining and justifying our actions that we end up convincing ourselves that we had no other choice. Maybe we didn't. But the heart never forgets the eyes of the one we have betrayed. The heart never forgets.
‘Sad Eyes’
Some songs almost write themselves. It happens quite rarely for me, but ‘Sad Eyes’ was that kind of song. Even though it's directed towards a “you”, a “someone”, I think it's just as much written to anyone; myself included. There's also a great remix by 1921 on this song.
‘All I'm Trying’
Some songs are hard to describe. They just move like a slow train, as if they had no intention of causing any big fuss or drama. But they are sincere and honest. Every word is carefully selected, every synthesiser questioned. And the more time you spend with them, the more you start loving them.
‘Final Call’
We tried to capture the feeling of driving through the night, under the stars. PAL (Albin Johansson) has made a great remix of this song.
‘Watching The Garden’
There can be a certain kind of, almost palpable, stillness at night. The yellow light from a lamp outside falling onto some bushes. Nothing moves. You're alone with your thoughts. Then slowly, the sky turns pink and you walk out into the early morning. That's the feeling I was after.
This song is also where the title of the album comes from, “See how the light falls". To me, it's a reminder of the magic in the small things, the extraordinary in the ordinary.
‘Rain Falls’
I had made a demo which was quite laid back and dreamy, but in the studio, we realised that the song needed a chaotic climax, so Tom Malmros asked the drummer to play the toms like Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock festival. I love that part of the song.
‘Let Love In’
When I wrote this song, I desperately longed for connection, for openness. I thought a lot about the unsaid. All the words that I constantly avoided, held back, and how they slowly created a wall between me and others. As if I was under water, looking at the sun through the surface. And I finally realised that I was the one stopping myself. So, I think subconsciously I wrote this song to push myself off that cliff.
‘Reality’
A reminder of our humanity, even in difficult times. Love will always be stronger than fear.
‘Steps’
I like that this track is so naked, compared to the rest. Just a prepared piano, vocals and cello, played by the amazing Gerda Holmquist.