Most people know you as a member of the band Tunng, what prompted you to leave? "I loved my time in the band. I loved what we did and Mike [Lindsay] is a fantastic producer. I left for personal reasons because I wasn't feeling very happy or confident as a person, so I needed to shake myself up. I certainly wouldn't be against working together again because we all get on so well and still see each other. Right now, I'm really excited about Diagrams [his new project].
You took some time out from music to take up a very different job – how was that?
I starting working as a teaching assistant, so I helped with lessons and worked with kids who had special needs. Once I started, it turned out to be quite dramatic and really challenging. They were great to work for, and let me have all the dates off when I needed to tour with Tunng. I had been thinking about leaving the band anyway, so I took time out to concentrate on the job.
Was having a break from music a good thing?
Definitely. Initially I found that work a bit of a struggle, it was so far out of my comfort zone. Unlike music, it was a job where you can really see the effects.
Did that break help your confidence, and ultimately, your creativity?
Yes. I think I used to be the kind of person who sat back and let other people do stuff – not out of laziness, but because of a lack of confidence. In a school you can’t do that. The idea of a solo project was equally scary for me, but as I found my confidence, I actually realised that there were a lot of things I could do that I thought I couldn’t. So after finding something difficult and achieving it [the job], I figured I could apply that to a solo project and give it a crack.
Was it intentional that this new album is very different musically to Tunng?
Yes, in a sense, Mike [Lindsay] is one of my favourite producers, but I knew that if you put my voice and melodies with his production, the result would sound like Tunng. I wanted to do something else. I made three albums with Tunng that had explored certain themes and ideas so I had come to a point, where I didn’t want to repeat myself.
The album clearly deals with personal themes, were you mindful of how much you revealed, and did you self-censor in any way?
That's a really good question. In some ways I didn't. I loved the stuff I wrote for Tunng. There's a really dark thread to it, which I think reflects where I was. I don't think like that now. Actually, Antelopewas one of the first songs I wrote, and it was completely upbeat and happy and I thought "Oh, that's different – but is it really cheesy?" But I liked it, and told myself not to analyse it and just enjoy it.
Musically the album reminds me of everything from Discovery to Sufjan Stevens and Gruff Rhys – were there any particular musical influences?
I had an idea I wanted to use brass – I always wanted to do that. I’ve always liked layered vocals and mucking about with different time signatures. If you combine all that, I suppose you get a bit of a Sufjan vibe. It wasn’t intentional and – God! – I’d be wary of those comparisons because he’s a genius, and way better than me! I do try to write interesting lyrics, but I’m in no way comparing myself to him.
How did you make this record? Did you write and record yourself or work with a number of people?
It started as a solo project and while I see myself primarily as a songwriter, I wanted to find a producer to work with. I can do a lot of production myself, but I’m not very good when it comes to being technical. I was introduced to Mark Brydon and we worked together over the course of a year.
About 80 per cent of the tracks I had written already. He’s a brilliant producer with lots of ideas so the whole process was very collaborative.
Black Lightby Diagrams is released on January 13 on Full Time Hobby
