Philip Jonathan is an alt/ambient-folk artist based in Northumberland, UK. After the release of their debut single 'Seafront', Jonathan is back with their brand new single titled 'In The Garden'.
'In The Garden' is a peaceful folk-inspired track that conveys a message of love and growth. The lyrics read like a poem, "Planted deep within the depths of my uncertain soul you grew" showcasing Jonathan's talent for painting pictures through his music and songwriting. Weaved throughout the instrumentation are warm percussive tones and soft backing vocals that reinforce the message and meanings hidden within the lyrics. 'In The Garden' takes inspiration from folk artists like Ben Howard but incorporates an immersive and ambient soundscape that gently guides the listener from beginning to end. I had the pleasure of catching up with Philip Jonathan to discuss the recording process behind the track and the upcoming EP expected for release next year.
Hi Philip, how are you?
I'm doing well, thanks! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
I'm an alt-folk artist from the North East and spend a lot of my time by the coast or in the hills, which is where I find a lot of inspiration for the sound I'm trying to create. I've just moved from Berwick-upon-Tweed (about as north as it gets in England!) back to North Tyneside/Newcastle, so I've had plenty of time and space lately to get inspired by the atmospheric Northumbrian coastline.
What made you interested in pursuing music as a career? Whilst I've been writing songs and music for about 15 years now, for most of that time I only ever shared songs with a few close friends. It was years of persistent encouragement from several friends, especially my partner, Carmen, that finally convinced me to get out to my first open mic in 2019. I love the live environment, especially getting to meet new people and hearing their stories; and a few doors opened up for further live performances after that. I love the writing process, and what a song can mean to you personally; and recently seeing what it can mean to someone else when you share it.
Your music tends to explore deep introspective thoughts with ambient folk-inspired melodies, how would you personally describe your music/sound? In a nutshell, I guess you could describe my sound as Ben Howard in the front, Sigur Ros in the back! I often try and capture the wild places around Northumberland in the background 'soundscape' of a song, wrapping it around a closer, folky centre. ‘In The Garden’ is your third release, what can you tell us about the song and the inspiration behind the lyrics? I'll often sit on an idea for months before it all comes out fairly quickly as a song. Distilling a song's meaning into a couple of sentences is always a challenge for me, especially given I'm a bit of an external processor! Anyone relate?
Ultimately, the song is about learning to trust someone's love for us - especially daring to believe that we can be unconditionally accepted and known. Then, when I have that pin drop moment of seeing this love for what it is, how do I respond? Did you face any challenges recording the song during lockdown or was ‘In The Garden’ recorded prior to the pandemic? Paul (the producer I worked with) and Dez who runs Broadwater Studios were both fantastic. They were able to create a COVID-safe environment in the studio so that, with a few adaptations, work was able to continue (sometimes remotely) through most of lockdown. I highly recommend anyone in the North East to look them up if you are searching for a recording studio and producer!
Having released three singles so far, have you been surprised by the response to your music? Honestly, I really have! I'm primarily motivated by wanting to write songs that are authentic and meaningful to me, and share them so that hopefully they can be impactful for someone else out there. I thought that if 1000 people listened to one song by the end of the year I would be pleased - but this happened within 12 hours of releasing Seafront. It blew me away!
I think that far more significant for me however was all the personal stories that I've received, often from complete strangers, about what the song has meant to them. The most humbling of these was a stranger from Ireland who shared how he listened to Seafront whilst going on a walk to make peace with the passing of his Dad. Can you tell us anything about the upcoming EP? It's a 6 track EP and I'm planning to release it in early 2022. All the songs are linked by the concept of finding hope in the highest, lowest and most mundane moments of life. I've tried to make subtle references to this with the imagery of a feather in some of the music videos. In Seafront, the woman is led by a feather to the sea; in I, Hope a feather is tucked away behind the sunflower in the final scene; in In the Garden, we filmed the heart of the song surrounded by bird feeders!
As an artist, who have been your biggest influences? I was fed a diet of pure classical music growing up, so Vivaldi, Dvořák and Debussy are major influences in my 'musical foundations'! I feel I am also inspired heavily by the poetry of Roo Panes, the harmonies of The Staves and artists like Matthew and the Atlas and the Paper Kites who have been pushing the boundaries of folk in recent years. Would you say that they have directly influenced your work? I often listen to their songs or music and am taken by specific moments of musical or lyrical genius. I'll often say 'I want to make something like that!' - the challenge is not ripping them off but making it my own!
"...the song is about learning to trust someone's love for us - especially daring to believe that we can be unconditionally accepted and known."
How has the pandemic affected your creative process? As restrictions have been opening up the last month, I've been struck by how much the pandemic forced me to slow down, to take space. This phrase - 'acclimatise to stillness' has been turning in my mind the last few months. It's really tempting right now to get right back into the busyness of life. But I've been challenged lately that actually I want to keep some of that space, to learn to love silence. I've been going down to the sea every morning as a way to practice this; as well as being more careful with my calendar! What are your plans for the rest of 2021? I've got one more single planned to come out just before Christmas. It's not a Christmas song, but it is a winter song, and I hope it will bring some cozy vibes to whoever listens to it! Apart from that, its getting back out on the live circuit and playing lots of gigs. I'm looking forward to it! What is the best advice you have received?
Always carry scissors by the blade. Also, being reminded that I'm responsible for me and I can't control other people's actions or reactions. This has been really helpful in reminding me to measure success by what I can control (my effort, whether I'm happy with what I've made) rather than by the industry's standards (how many streams, how much feedback do you get etc!)
Check out Philip Jonathan's single 'In The Garden' in the link above or hear the song in full on my Spotify Reviews and Featured Artists Playlist (link in bio).
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