‘It’s beautiful out there…’ - Lines Of Flight
Imagine working with somebody you’ve never met before. Perhaps that isn’t so hard to imagine after more than a year of people working from home where possible, they’re liaising with people they haven’t met all the time. But what about the intimate approach to making art? Is it possible to do that through invisible airwaves and telephone lines? During the pandemic, the duo Lines Of Flight attempted just that.
Leeds musicians Matthew Henderson and Helen Whale really hadn’t met each other when they decided to work on a project together. What began as an experiment became a full artistic commitment, starting with just a few songs, and turning into a fully fledged album of ten compositions. Recorded using just their phones and pieced together with help from producer Ed Heaton, the album, entitled ‘Signs Of Life’ will be released across 2021 - one single a month beginning with ‘Birthing Bell’, which was released in March.
Birthing Bell is a curious start to the Lines Of Flight discography and it’s absolutely full of intriguing layers. The arpeggiated synth that drives this piece goes hand-in-hand with the drums, but there is so much more melodic exploration in multiple string lines, piano, iced synthesizers and would you believe those vocals were crudely recorded into a phone too?
The production sheen Ed Heaton puts on Helen Whale’s voice is indispensable, but what a hypnotic and soothing voice Helen has. This is aided by occasional harmonising lines from Matthew Henderson, and while the exact recorded contributions are unclear, the songwriting credits are. In this case, lyrics are by Helen, with music by Matthew.
Shot and edited by Mike Connolly of Painted In Frames, the video for Birthing Bell doesn’t feature either member of the duo – nor do any of their currently released visual works. Connolly’s take on Birthing Bell features a study in light and shadow, with overlapping frames and help from a foreboding central figure.
Prior to the release of Birthing Bell, Helen uploaded an a cappella cover of Marika Hackman’s ‘Deep Green’ to their YouTube Channel, which is another showcase of Whale’s gorgeous delivery. To facilitate the release of their Lines Of Flight singles, Matthew and Helen formed MH | HW Music, which also hosts their videos on YouTube.
April’s release belonged to ‘Moth Eaten Heart’, a single with a more optimistic disposition, I feel. More upbeat in tempo than Lines Of Flight’s debut, Henderson’s music is full of atmospheric synths, conjuring a symphony of sound that Whale’s voice sings with and around in. The programmed drums create pace with a doubled hi-hat, and despite being continually layered, the music does drop out somewhat during the verses, though this is a lyric that tumbles on with more narrative than a regular pop song structure. Helen’s first verse lends itself well to Matthew’s uplifting chord progression:
‘You gave me a place to hide from the noise of a downtown life. Some way to escape the wrestling, spiralling inside my mind. An island, a seascape, that cradled us in space and time. And with those strands we began to tie them fast, to weave and dart together. Bound to last, our shared heart.’
The video for Moth Eaten Heart is produced by Amy Cutler, whose London housing estate is a featured location amongst stock footage. With a theme of flight, it’s the seemingly stop-motion shots of the pigeon that captivate me in this particular video as one shot merges with the next. The theme of escapism would continue in the next month’s offering…
Lines Of Flight’s latest single, ‘Heading Out To You’ is my favourite so far. There’s a clearer divide between the music and lyrics, which is interesting considering both are written by Matthew Henderson. The individual instruments are more discernible, as the rhythm section, lead synths and atmospheric sounds each have their own place in Ed Heaton’s mix. Helen Whale’s vocal layers carry Henderson’s melody beautifully, particularly in the song’s chorus:
‘Heading out to you, I know it’s beautiful out there. Heading out to where you are, reach out and hold me, hold me, forever.’
The drums in this track hold more weight than Lines Of Flight’s previous offerings, almost reminding me of U.S. band Pvris’ debut album ‘White Noise’. Sustained chords float beneath Whale’s voice, and as well as programmed synth parts that ping and whir, there is a keyboard line between vocal lines that has a more human touch. The addition of piano is welcome, it’s clear that by the time the duo recorded this song, they were well into their stride.
Amy Cutler’s second visual collaboration with the band is also my favourite video released by Lines Of Flight so far. Made up of layered shots in close-up, Cutler’s ability to make these items expansive and life-like are just some of the reasons why this video works. The other, and most important reason is that the images sound like what you’re hearing, which I think is the greatest achievement possible for any music video director. The twinkling images sound like the synths, the rhythm soundtracks the changing scenery and Helen’s voice becomes embodied in the landscape. There’s not a thing I would want to change about it.
Three songs down, and seven more to go with Lines Of Flight continuing to release their singles all the way up to December. Their album, ‘Signs Of Life’ will be released as a complete work in March 2022. Keep reading for our Q&A with Matthew Henderson and Helen Whale. We talk about the singles released so far, their accompanying videos, MH | HW Music and how the two created their own escapism without meeting.
1. The whole premise of this work is fascinating - how did you two first get in touch?
Matthew Henderson: As lockdown kicked in, Helen and I didn’t really know each other but were aware of our respective musical endeavours. I realised that we would both be without any creative outlet at a time when it was so important. So, I sent a speculative message about finding a way to make and share demos, Helen said she was interested and so the process of recording and sharing began; slowly at first but by mid-2020 we already had the 10 songs that became ‘Signs of Life’.
Helen Whale: Once we’d made contact initially, we started sharing music and links via WhatsApp, and it just continued that way… by the time we met up in person at the end of May, we’d written and recorded 5 tracks together without even so much as a video meeting - aside from I think, one phone call, it was all messages!
2. Was your collaboration just 'let's see how far we get' or did you have a view to completing a larger collection of songs early on?
Matthew: Simply put, yes. Initially there was no grand plan – it was just to find an outlet, a means to connect and be creative; to produce something despite all the restrictions and limitations. We didn’t let any plans get in the way of the song writing, we were very focused – that came later, once we had the songs completed.
Helen: The songs followed on from each other so naturally. We were celebrating having written 5, and then 5 more came long, which was lovely.
3. How did you come up with the name? Were there any other names in the running?
Matthew: Oh, plenty of names, all kinds of things – I don’t think we had the name sorted until about December! The name came about because of its resonance with what we were doing – of breaking through constraints, to make something new. We interpreted Deleuze and Guattari’s definition to mean resistance to constraint; to use the situation as a means to counter against it.
4. Helen, the lyrics for 'Birthing Bell' seem to reference a particular event - what inspired the words on this track?
Helen: There are three ‘tropes’ going on here I guess; one for each verse. The year 1575 is a reference to the Rathlin Island massacre, when over 600 Scots and Irish who had been seeking sanctuary on the island were slaughtered by troops led by Francis Drake. I spent a couple of years living on the island a few years ago; these days the population is only around 140 people (though growing, now). The second verse references a particularly poignant moment I remember from my time there, when one of the islanders passed away. There are no funeral homes on the island, so it was necessary for the family to make arrangements on the mainland. When his body was brought back to the island for the funeral, all the islanders with boats sailed out to escort the ferry back into the harbour as a mark of respect; it was so simple, but so moving. There are also happier traditions; one I’ll always remember is islanders gathering to welcome new babies off the ferry; obviously a newborn is something to be celebrated in any context, but for a community whose population has been so low, each new baby represents hope for the island community and its vital infrastructure. That’s the third verse.
5. I must know - who is the figure in the 'Birthing Bell' video?
Matthew: Hahaha – you’re not the first person to ask either. His name is Lewis and he is a friend of the film maker. It was their idea to portray a solitary stationary figure. He has a commanding presence, eh?
6. I like the a cappella cover of Marika Hackman's 'Deep Green' you did, what made you choose this particular track to utilise that natural reverb?
Helen: Thanks, it’s lovely that you found that on our channel! I’m a huge fan of Marika, and this was one of the first tracks of hers I ever heard. I was drawn to the dark, haunting vocals in the intro and I think it felt like a natural fit with the stairwells of the Scottish castle; it worked immediately and was great fun to put together. I had tried a couple of other tracks, including one by Joanna Newsom which was far too ambitious. Marika worked beautifully.
7. The lyrics to 'Moth Eaten Heart' are written by both of you - who came up with the title of the track?
Matthew: Oh, that’s Helen – it’s so much of her song, I added some lyrical context and flow as I developed it into a song. But the whole story is hers. It’s a great turn of phrase, isn’t it? This song marked a big step forward in our collaboration; the trust was fully cemented as the songs grew from both of us; singularly and collectively.
Helen: I think there’s a nice ambiguity / duality to it; there are connotations of wear and tear, fragility, a loosening of bonds, love falling apart at the seams etc...but perhaps there’s also a sense of comfort and familiarity: the moth-eaten old jumper or soft toy that is worn and well-loved; an old favourite. Perhaps I’ve sort of realised that as I’m typing, to be honest!
8. The collection of clips in 'Moth Eaten Heart' work well with that song. Did you give Amy Cutler much direction for that video?
Matthew: Not especially – not giving too much direction was always part of the process. And Helen knew her work and therefore we both trusted her. It was great listening to her interpretations of the words, music and the band in general. She did a fantastic job and we can’t wait to work with her on the forthcoming releases.
Helen: I’ve known Amy for a while and was so thrilled when she agreed to be a part of the project. She’s brimming with creativity and ideas that really align with our aesthetic.
9. Producer Ed Heaton's involvement is crucial to these songs. How did you decide he was the producer you wanted to work with?
Matthew: He certainly was. Again, I sent out a speculative email, based on not really knowing him, but always having respected his output. We had a Zoom, detailed the plan and he was really on board with it. It was great to have that editorial set of ears – to help us refine the songs even further….as well as his excellent production and mixing skills. We worked on 1 to 2 tracks a month, from September to March; all remotely using live-mix streaming tech and it was such a great part of the process: all three of us online giving feedback and listening as the songs developed.
10. Matthew, 'Heading Out To You' is a sole-write from you. How did you share that song with Helen? Did you already have a demo completed to give her or was it more collaborative?
Matthew: It was actually the last song we did – we thought we’d wrapped with 9 tracks and then this song just seemed to emerge. In truth, the lyrics took a while, perhaps because we were writing and recording other songs at the time, so I had to dig to get them focused and concise but the song as a whole developed pretty quickly after that– it also had a massive impact on how we wanted the whole 10 songs to sound and feel.
11. The video for 'Heading Out To You' is easily my favourite so far. What were your reactions when you first saw it?
Matthew: I think we both cried. It just captures the song so beautifully – it showed great understanding and empathy to the subject matter, the aesthetic, the imagery, the emotions. We love how it’s an interpretation of the song and also requires interpretation from the listener and viewer.
Helen: Yep, I was pretty blown away. There are lots of interesting techniques and layers to it - both literally and metaphorically. I love that she worked with 100 year-old magic lantern slides.
12. As restrictions have begun to ease, have you met in the real world?
Matthew: A few times – we have met up to help us get to know each other?!?! And also, to plan and work out the schedules etc. It’s been great but I think we can still count the number of times on one hand…maybe one and a half?!
Helen: We now have the option of doing band meetings in the pub, which is ace!
13. Tell us about MH|HW Music, when did you decide to put that together?
Matthew: It was collaborative – we wanted a way to begin the process that could also develop afterwards and grow into something more. It’s also a way to start bringing similar and interesting music together. We’ve had a few artists contact us about it and it’s great to develop these connections. It’s certainly early days but it’s moving in the right direction.
Helen: It’s exciting; we’ve found Twitter to be a fantastic way to start building connections and we’re looking forward to seeing how it all progresses.
14. Looking further ahead, can fans of this music expect to see some gigs in the future?
Matthew: It’s definitely in the pipeline. We are excited to start that process… to be in the same room rehearsing together will be pretty amazing. The aim is to release ‘Signs of Life’ on vinyl in March 2022 and to celebrate it with a multi-media event – so we need to be up to speed by then.
15. Your album will be coming out in March 2022, but will you be doing some more writing between now and then?
Matthew: Yes, we are keeping busy writing and arranging but it is also nice to have this bank of songs to promote and support in the meantime – it’s having a nice accumulative effect too. Come April 2022, though we will certainly be working on something new together.
Helen: The promotion is keeping us pretty busy, but absolutely - we are working on things and will be doing more. We’ve also had some collaboration offers, so watch this space...
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Download the works of Lines Of Flight on their Bandcamp page.
Explore the new world of MH | HW Music on their official website.
Follow Lines Of Flight on Twitter and Instagram @linesof_flight, and on Facebook @linesofflightmusic.
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