‘Fear Won’t Catch Me Alive’ - Astræa
Facebook suggested strikes again! I was scrolling through the dirge when the algorithm threw some birdseed my way. Astræa is the artistic name for Jennifer Keller, who, among many achievements, has produced the music for three Lloyd's Bank adverts. These include a cover of 'Mad World' by Tears For Fears under her Jennifer Ann name in 2016 and 'You're Not Alone', originally by Olive, in 2018. Now in 2020, Astræa releases her debut EP under that name, called 'Tonight I Run'.
Image Credit: Tom Leishman
But I'm jumping ahead. I already mentioned Astræa released work under her name Jennifer Ann. This includes an album entitled 'Reflections', filled with solo piano pieces composed by Jennifer, released in 2015. In 2017, Jennifer followed this up with an EP of songs closer to her current style called 'Take Me Home'. As well as four beautiful originals, Jennifer creates an arrangement of DJ Snake and Justin Bieber's 'Let Me Love You', foreshadowing her work on 'You're Not Alone'.
Astræa had announced a performance at St. James's Church in Piccadilly, London for March 2019. There was a competition to win a pair of tickets. I entered, but was unsuccessful. However, just a few days before the gig, I received a private message from Astræa herself, offering a pair of tickets, and would I go? Of course, and I'm so glad I did.
With support from Ark (now releasing music under her own name Charlotte Clark) and Fairhazel, this performance was magnificent. There was a grand piano, live strings, and a full band. Seating was unallocated, so audience members sat side-by-side in the pews.
'This is absolutely crazy, I just can't believe we're here in this amazing venue with this beautiful Fazioli grand piano and all of you, thank you so much for being here. Really, seriously means a lot.'
Through a set that consisted both of her recent works, including singles 'Anybody Out There', 'Waiting', her latest single 'Don't Let Go', and songs from her 'Take Me Home' EP, she was humble and graceful. There were also songs that are as yet unreleased, but it didn't matter that I didn't know them. The whole evening was a beautifully curated bill. Astræa on occasion even elaborated on the origin of one or two songs, including this story about 'Girl On The Train' from her Take Me Home EP.
'...this was inspired by something I experienced. I was on the Victoria line. I was on the tube one day, and across from me was this young woman and the tube was packed with people everywhere and this woman across from me was just bawling her eyes out, and yet it seemed that nobody was paying any attention. Nobody noticed, or they pretended not to notice, that just made me feel really bad because what if that happened with me in her position? How would I have felt if nobody seemed to pay any attention if I was crying or upset? So yeah this is a song about her.'
One of reasons why I love Astræa's music is the comfort I feel when I listen to it, and that's any of it. The reassurance she gives in her songs is a constant theme. There's empowerment, love, encouragement, she actually has a background in music therapy that is discussed more below. The story behind her single 'Don't Let Go' is summed up well by Astræa's introduction to it at this performance.
‘...this song was inspired by people in my life who've struggled with their mental health and although society has come a really long way to talking about mental health, and I'm really grateful - we still have a very long way to go. The more we can talk about our struggles, and the more we can do that out in the open, the less alone we can help people feel in their own struggles. So this is why it's really important to me to talk about mental health and to write about it so this is called Don't Let Go.'
‘I'd probably get in trouble if I didn't sing this next one...' Astræa said she was most thankful for this song - 'You're Not Alone'. Hearing it in a church was something of a religious experience. I can't explain the feeling of the sound washing over me. Not too loud. Too loud is bad. But just the right amount of volume to knock you back in your pew. The strings, the drums, the piano, the vocals. It all came together in just the right amount of everything.
Astræa began 2020 by producing a cover of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' for the Standard Chartered advert, celebrating ten years of sponsoring Liverpool Football Club. On instagram, she posted a video of her conducting the strings for the piece. The proceeds from the single go to the Standard Chartered charity, Futuremakers. Their cause is outlined on their website:
'Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is our global initiative to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion in our markets. We are inviting disadvantaged young people, especially girls and people with visual impairments, across our markets to take part in community programmes to learn new skills and improve their chances of getting a job or starting their own business.'
And that brings us to Astræa's new EP, the title track 'Tonight I Run' was the first to be released with a video shot entirely in lockdown, but would you know? It has projections, lighting and excellent editing. The binary code projections are my favourite across the innards of Astræa's open upright piano, and the moments she swims in galactic heaven. Vocally, this is Astræa's most powerful to date, and it makes an excellent contender for being a lead single. She released a video on her instagram and youtube detailing how the track was put together, going through the array of backing vocals, the drum samples, the plug-ins and effects used. It's a real eye-opener to the majick a great producer can bring to a song.
'Nobody Loves Me Like You' is the second release, and after months of harrowing housebound heartache, this music video is refreshing to say the least. Shot around the beaches and forest of the Suffolk Coast, the only thing tying these two videos together is the vintage filmic feel. Astræa said on instagram of this song:
'I think being in lockdown for so long and being separated from people has made us realize just how much we need each other and how much we can sometimes take loved ones for granted. I wanted to have a song that could celebrate those people that I appreciate the most.'
It's possible that Astræa has worked out a way to bring both peace and suspense into one track. The keyboards opening the track build tension, leading up to the chorus, which is ultimately sedate. Whilst adding instrumentation, the choruses continue to be peaceful. Astræa's range is less powerful and more delicate here. In a lockdown performance of the track, she strips it back to just piano and vocal, giving an idea of how it would've sounded in the writing stage.
'My Own Worst Enemy' is the most laid bare Astræa is on this EP. Largely consisting of a piano and a vocal, the heavy layering of the title track would smother this song. Instead there is what I'd refer to as 'atmosphere'. The distant sounds could be vocal parts or a pad setting on a keyboard. There are some backing vocals too, but subtle. The video of My Own Worst Enemy included here is a performance version based on the piano Astræa recorded the studio version on.
The final track on the Tonight I Run EP is called 'Carry On'. The writing is more experimental, as explained by Astræa below. The electronic backing is a break from the previous grand piano affair, but Astræa's vocal is evocative as ever. There's atmosphere like before created with Astræa's distant voice. Some of these synth sounds would translate well to a harp. A version with strings, harp and piano would be gorgeous. This EP is a superb collection of songs, not one weak link in the chain. The compositions are personal, but also universal, giving them great potential for radio airplay.
Image Credit: Tom Leishman
Astræa's career is absolutely fascinating. She's produced some of my favourite twenty-first century artists, has made moving contributions to television advertising, is thoroughly conscious of the human condition, has performed in orchestras and made excellent music of her own. To top it all off, she's also a big Pink Floyd fan. Honestly, what's not to love?
1. Your new EP is named 'Tonight I Run' after the first track, what about this title brings all these songs together under this name?
Tonight I Run is all about not letting anything hold you back, not yourself or anyone else. It’s about allowing yourself to run free and chase after what you want in life, regardless of what anyone might say or how terrified it might make you. Every day I think about how little time we have on this planet and I’m bound and determined to make the most of it as I can because I don’t want to wake up one day in 30 years time and wonder what if. These themes are present throughout the entirety of the EP. Not just in the music itself but also in the creation behind it. Every single song is written and produced by me alone. To me it was so important to have something I could call 100% my own and to show the world what I am capable of and also hopefully provide some inspiration and motivation to other people too.
2. The isolated backing vocals in the title track are a total pleasure to listen to, are you the sole vocalist in that ensemble?
Yep that’s just me! One of my favourite parts of production & arrangement are layering up backing vocals. I just love creating rich, atmospheric textures with tons of voices, it can make a track really pop and just sounds so epic!
3. I love the projections of the binary code in the 'Tonight I Run' video, where did that idea come from?
Thank you :) I spent a few days researching what imagery I’d use in the video before we started shooting. I knew I wanted projections that would look a bit abstract & unusual. I wanted either letters or numbers falling like rain on me and the piano, came across a binary code video and thought it’d look sick. It turned out even better than I thought especially in those shots where it’s raining down the keys.
4. You used a grand piano to record that part for 'My Own Worst Enemy', can you enlighten us about that side of the recording?
The grand piano I recorded My Own Worst Enemy on was an old vintage Blüthner from the early 1900s. It has such a characterful, warm sound that I knew would be perfect for this song, especially as the piano part is quite haunting and exposed. It was actually quite a search finding the right piano for this tune. Originally I’d recorded it on a beautiful Bosendorfer which was lovely but just wasn’t a unique or characterful enough sound for me. I discovered Craxton Studios through searching around - it’s not a studio that’s used all that often for studio recordings but is mainly a live performance recital room. It doesn’t have any of your usual recording equipment but luckily I’ve been investing in my own studio equipment for the last several years so brought everything I needed. My engineer and I used 3 microphone perspectives to record the piano, a matched pair of AKG C414s close (4-5 inches) to the strings, another two mics at the lid of the piano (Gemini II for the bass and Neumann TLM103 for the treble - didn’t have another matched pair yet at the time!) And another two mics set up further away from the piano to pick up some of the room ambience. Recording such an old piano does come with the risk of quite noisy mechanics and pedal noise but to me it was worth it for the unique sound of that piano.
5. 'Carry On' has a very determined lyric, where did that come from?
This one was written quite differently than how I normally write my tunes as I usually write my songs out at the piano first and with a strong idea or emotion that I want to write about. I started out producing the song before I’d written the lyrics as I’d found this cool trip hop loop that I liked and decided to add some piano & cinematic textures to it. I started improvising some melodies over the chorus and the words ‘Carry On’ just came flowing out. That ended up setting the tone for the track and just felt right. I think I wrote all the lyrics in just a few hours for this one!
Growing up, I’d always turned to music to help me get through difficult moments. I was always drawn to songs that acknowledged pain but provided inspiration & motivation to keep moving forward. Eventually we have to pick ourselves back up off the floor and move forward. In the way that music has helped me, I want this song to hold space for the broken-hearted and give them strength to keep on going.
6. Your music production videos have been a total treat, were these more a product of lockdown or would you have done them anyway?
Ah thanks! I was planning to do them anyway lockdown or no lockdown. I always find watching videos and listening to podcasts of how writers & producers create and why they create incredibly inspiring. I also think there’s simply just not enough representation on social media and YouTube of producers who are women. I mean even just a google image search of music producer, all the top results are pictures of men! I think that not seeing more women in the field can be discouraging to young girls as I think it’s really important to have role models. So these were all big reasons why I wanted to create the music production videos.
7. The use of software plug-ins and your knowledge of them are far and wide, but do you have a favourite amongst them?
This is such a hard question!! For instrument/synth plugins, the one I use the most is probably Omnisphere so that’s probably my favorite. The amount of sounds and presets it has is insane! It’d probably take weeks to get through them all. I do also love everything by Spitfire too though.
On the mixing side, I’m always constantly learning about plugins and outboard gear. I come from a more composition/songwriting producer background so the mixing and engineering side was newer to me and an area that I’m constantly learning more about. I like to be able to work with an engineer & mixer side by side though so it’s important for me to have a good understanding of what types of plugins and outboard gear I want to use. My favourite plugin when it comes to mixing has to be the Maag 4. It’s an EQ with an air band that just instantly brings everything to life. It’s amazing for vocals, strings, piano, and a great way of making something stick out in a mix.
8. Your studio productions for the 'Tonight I Run' EP are deeply layered and expansive. If there were no boundaries, how would you recreate these pieces live in an ideal environment?
Good question! Some of the production is pretty complex and very cinematic so how to translate to a live setting is something I think about a lot. My ideal situation would be to have a full symphony orchestra and choir as well as a team of people on synths (Astraea inserts a crying/laughing face here). Hopefully one day!
9. I know you're a huge Pink Floyd fan! The title track of your EP was in part inspired by their track 'Time', if you could produce an EP of Pink Floyd covers, what would you include and why?
I love Pink Floyd! I actually only started getting into their music within the last few years. Though I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock from the 60s/70s, my dad never really played Pink Floyd. I recently asked him why and he told me it was because before I was born, he’d played Dark Side of the Moon so often that my mom got sick of it and wouldn’t let him play them anymore (the same laughing/crying face as before).
If I could produce an EP of Pink Floyd covers, ‘Time' would absolutely be on there first of all. That song is always a good reminder of how short our lives are and therefore why it’s so important to seize the day now!! When I need a kick in the ass I always listen to that song. ‘Wish You Were Here’ would be on there too. It’s just a gorgeous song with a great sentiment, one that became important to me during Covid and lockdown. All my immediate family lives in the USA where I’m from and I only get to see them 1-2 times a year. Lockdown meant I had to go even longer without seeing them so that song really echoed what I was feeling. I would also have to do a cover of ‘Comfortably Numb’ but with a full orchestra of course :) I love the string arrangements in that song so much. They were done by Michael Kamen, the renowned film composer, and they are just so lush. And how David Gilmour’s voice soars through the melody of that chorus!!! Lastly I’d probably also do ‘Breathe (In the Air)’. That song makes you feel like you’re on another planet, I love it. The lyricism is also particularly gorgeous and thought provoking… “…all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be…”
10. You've previously spoken about playing in orchestras prior to moving into the pop music realm, what are your favourite memories from that time?
I come from a classically trained background, beginning with piano lessons when I was 8, and flute lessons when I was 11. My BA degree was in classical piano and voice so it’s formed a huge basis for what I create today. Some of my favourite school & university memories are playing flute in orchestras/bands and singing in choirs. Words can’t really describe how powerful it is to have a huge group of people all performing together, going through all the emotions of a piece of music with each other.
Probably my most favourite memory from this time was when I went on a European tour in Germany, Austria, & the Czech Republic with my high school band my final year. I’d spent all 4 years of high school playing with mostly the same group of people and the same band director and you really grow attached to each other when you’re coming together every day to create music. My band director was an incredibly wise and caring person as well, you could tell how important it was to him to share music with the younger generations. Our very last concert together on this tour was in a church in a small village in Germany. We were playing though all the music and came to the very last piece of the set and therefore the last piece of music we’d ever all play with each other again as we were all graduating. The piece was With Quiet Courage by Larry Daehn. It’s a very emotional and inspiring piece of music that often made the band director emotional. Everyone started bawling their eyes out while playing, and there was this elderly German woman in the front row, who didn’t speak a word of English, but could feel just how emotional this moment was for all of us and she started crying too. After the performance she came over and hugged us. I’m literally getting teary just thinking about this moment again.
11. Your background in psychology allows you to practice music therapy, would you tell us more about that side of your career?
Though music has always been the biggest love of my life, I’ve always found psychology fascinating. When I was a teenager I discovered how powerful a tool music can be for expressing myself and dealing with life’s difficult moments. I would turn to artists & songs that helped me to feel less alone in what I was going through. I also started writing and composing as a way of processing my emotions. I’ve dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember and music was always something that helped me cope. It kept me sane when life was scary.
It was all these experiences that inspired me to study music therapy so that I could help other people through music in the way that music has helped me. Initially I’d completed my BA in both music and psychology in Minnesota, USA. I then studied for my MA in music therapy at Roehampton University where I had clinical placements with people in a hospital with schizophrenia, as well as children and adults with learning disabilities. The best way to explain music therapy in the way that I was trained, for those who aren’t familiar, is that it’s a form of psychotherapy that uses music as a means of building a therapeutic and healing relationship between therapist and client. When people have a difficult time verbally, such as in severe dementia or schizophrenia, or children with autism, music can be used to communicate and express emotions.
I never ended up working properly as a music therapist after graduating as my own music projects have always taken priority but it was an experience that greatly influenced my writing and approach to music. Mental health is something I speak a lot about, both in my lyrics and on social media/at my gigs. I think the more we can talk about it and normalise it, we can help others who are struggling to feel less alone.
12. You've worked with Hannah Grace and Nina Nesbitt, of whom both I am a fan of, what did your work with them involve?
That’s so awesome that you are fans of both of them too! Both Hannah and Nina have such incredible & unique voices. The production I did for Hannah came about through the work I’ve done in advertising. I’ve produced the music for 3 Lloyds Bank advertisements and the second one I worked on was a cover of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’. The music supervisor asked me to pitch a few covers for the project but at the time wasn’t sure about who’d sing it. I’d heard Hannah sing at a Never Fade Sessions gig a few months previous and was completely blown away by her voice. The amount of control and expressive abilities she has vocally is truly remarkable. I knew she’d be perfect for the ‘Praise You’ cover I’d created so we asked her to vocal it. The agency absolutely loved it and the rest is history. I recorded the choir parts for that track with the London Contemporary Voices - nothing compares to hearing your parts being brought to life by a whole ensemble of voices so it was truly an amazing experience.
For Nina, I produced & arranged a few covers for her a couple of years ago that I hope will find a home one day so you guys can hear them! Another truly talented artist that was a joy to record.
13. I saw you perform at St. James's Church Piccadilly last year which you've released some videos from, is it likely we'll see the full filmed performance eventually?
I actually hadn’t planned on releasing the fully filmed performance though there still are a few videos from the gig that I still haven’t released!! That night was so special. It was the first gig I’d performed from a grand piano and that Fazioli is to die for. Plus the venue was so magical too! I’m really looking forward to post-Covid as I’ve been hoping to do a little UK/European tour for some time now :)
14. 'Nobody Loves Me Like You' is about the people who've helped you see the world in a different way, who would you like to specifically thank?
The biggest person to thank is my partner Mark :) He’s been a massive part of this project from the very beginning and at times has been my manager, videographer, photographer, mixer, engineer, & more. I’m a completely independent artist - I don’t have a huge major label team sorting out (and paying for - one more laughing/crying face!) everything for me, and in the early days it was just me and him chipping away. It’s pretty awesome to look back at everything and be able to say we built this ourselves. I’m incredibly grateful for his support every day :)
You can purchase Astræa’s new EP ‘Tonight I Run’ on vinyl and CD here.
Find Astræa @astraeamusica on instagram, facebook and twitter.
