Burr Island, Tom England and Oskar Porter, have produced some of the hauntingly beautiful music of the last year. Jason speaks to the duo about the inspiration behind their harmony-laden music, working with Steve Cradock and what’s to come.
Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind ‘Nunney Town’?
Nunney Town was born during a period in lockdown when Tom would run from his hometown, Frome, to a little village a few miles south called Nunney. Over time, he witnessed the seasons change and really saw, deeply, this constant state of flux.
The lyrics of ‘Nunney Town’ touch on themes of change, beauty, and the fleeting nature of life – could you delve into the meaning?
There is something incredibly special about the fact that nothing can be properly pinned down. Our feelings, thoughts, emotions, experiences, our time on this earth, it’s all fleeting, and that makes it all the more beautiful.
You worked with Steve Cradock on this single. How did that come about, and what was it like working with him in the studio?
Funnily enough, Steve saw Oskar’s younger sister sing a decade or more ago. He then got chatting Pete, Oskar’s dad, who eventually ended up doing Steve’s plumbing. Now we’re making music with him. Funny old world! Working with Steve has been a real privilege. We honestly can’t thank him and his wife, Sal, enough. In terms of working together in the studio, it’s great to have someone as madly experienced as Steve in the room. He almost has as much passion for our music as we do which has definitely driven us on even more. I think working with Steve has helped us up our game.
Do you think the West Country plays a role in shaping your music and lyrics? How does the region’s landscape and culture influence your creative process and the themes you explore in your songs?
I think where we’re from massively informs our music. I know we both feel very lucky to have been brought up surrounded by nature and we are still inspired by it every day. I think the fact that we live in this online/ social media led world at the moment has ironically drawn the two of us even closer to the natural world. We can see how disconnected and disinterested many people are becoming. I guess we’re afraid of becoming that too. So in terms of lyrics, we always find ourselves talking about nature figuratively or literally. Our sound definitely has a woody quality to it as well, as we tend to use mostly acoustic instruments.
You also collaborated with folk musician John McCusker – how do you think his contributions enhance the overall sound of the song?
John really has added a new dimension onto the song. We can’t really remember what it sounded like before. His violin part almost feels like a third voice as it weaves effortlessly in and out.
You have been compared to Simon & Garfunkel. How do you feel about this comparison, and who are some of your other musical influences?
Obviously, Simon and Garfunkel are a big influence on us, especially Paul Simon’s work. However, we feel, with our set up of one guitar and two vocals, it is perhaps an easy comparison to make. Our inspiration draws from a wide range of artists in many genres and eras of music.
How has the journey as a duo been so far and what have been some of the highlights?
We’ve been best friends for 11 years now and the music was really born out of that friendship, so this has meant that sharing this journey together has been incredible. Our big highlights have to be supporting Steve Pilgrim and Paul Weller at the beautiful Union Chapel in London, and a UK tour with Tunde Baiyewu.
What can people expect from your upcoming tour dates?
We’ll be supporting Ocean Colour Scene in December with a full band. This is exciting because amplifying our sound in certain gigs is something we’ve been aiming towards and where better to try it out than the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Gulp.
As you continue to gain momentum, what are your goals for Burr Island? What’s next?
We see this as a life long project. We want to build a loyal fanbase who come to gigs to deeply listen to music.
