Inspired #408 - Symbol Soup
Fast rising songwriter Symbol Soup has just released his latest single ‘Airglow’ via Sad Club Records.
Channelling, folk, indie and rough-hewn psychedelia, ‘Airglow’ is a sun-bleached track which brings to mind the slow rhythms of a summer afternoon, and also the uneasiness that can sometimes lie beneath one.
He took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind his music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Discovering Spencer Radcliffe probably changed my stylistic approach to song writing the most. A great balance of different genres, and of abstraction and groundedness, really melodic but also talk-singing. I think his trajectory album-to-album is a good model too - starting out entirely on his own, and over time involving more collaborators.
MJ Lenderman released my favourite album of last year, Boat Songs. That’s seeping into my writing now in a big way. I’ve developed a tick of always wanting to write about sports.
And Sparklehorse, always.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
I really like ‘Paterson’, directed by Jim Jarmusch. The events it centres around are on a really small scale, which always appeals to me. It’s also at least partly about how having an everyday creative outlet lightens your life, without it necessarily leading to anything external.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
Milton Keynes! That’s where I grew up - it’s a really new city and so a bit of a blank canvas in terms of having any associated aesthetic. But lots of it is very cinematic visually.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
I recently read ‘Convenience Store Woman’ by Sayaka Murata. I only looked into the author afterwards and realised that she herself had actually worked in a convenience store for most of her life. It’s important to remember that there’s no ‘right’ place to search for inspiration. There are all sorts of experiences that fit the cliché of being any kind of artist (definitely true within music), but it’s far more interesting to explore the parts of your life which don’t fit into that archetype.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
The bands Sadurn and Babehoven were references for the sound of Airglow. I love that blend of folk and slowcore that a handful of artists are doing at the moment.
How would you like to inspire people?
Just by continuing to enjoy the creative process myself!
