Michael Baker Talks Mental Heath and Acceptance on His New Album ‘Salt’
With all that is going on in the world currently, we know how important your mental health is. With this in mind, we sat down with Brighton based Michael Baker about his gorgeous new album ‘Salt’ and the message behind it.
You have previously described your debut record ‘Dust & Bone’ as a “heartbreak” album, how do you feel ‘Salt’ compares to ‘Dust & Bone’?
‘Dust & Bone’ was my first album and I was wanting very much to experiment with big soundscapes and layers. The relationship I had with Bristol-based producer Dan Brown allowed me to be brave with the soundscapes and subject matter. Salt’s themes are more about mental health and acceptance, and I wanted to capture something intimate, 6 musicians, moving together in one room recording live. It certainly has a different tone and mood to my first album.
‘Salt’ brings about the idea of hope and growth. Where and how did you find the inspiration for this?
I think I have always used songwriting as a release and almost like a diary. I think to hope is human and as each year passes it’s a chance to take what you have learnt and use it to better understand yourself and grow. This album was about me being 30 in the music industry and it felt like a real turning point of understanding and accepting for me. I’m so glad that you think it brings about hope and growth, you have made my day!
There is a lot of emotion in both the music and lyrics to ‘Salt’, can you explain your writing process? Is there anything in particular you feel helps to convey what you want?
I write quite cathartically and often don’t really realize what a song is about until it’s finished. This whole album for me is about mental health, the ups, downs and melancholy in between. Often that strange sense of sadness,
Even when you’re surrounded by the best people having the best time, it can feel haunting. A lot of the songs are about accepting your state of mind, realizing that you can feel sad even in the best of times. By understanding it, and being open, you stop blaming yourself or trying to fight it. Ultimately becomes a lot easier to deal with. That has been a long process for me, and it was actually looking back through the songs that allowed me to understand that transition I was going through.
Which song do you feel most connected to or is your favourite on the album? Why?
I think the track ‘Claire’ came out the best on the album in terms of, I am most pleased with that recording. ‘Hippy Dippy’ is my favourite song I think, but I’m most proud of ‘Little Hands’ as it was the first track I have managed to write and record on piano. It’s also a very personal song to me.
You were due to launch the album on the 30th of March at the Finsbury, London. What did you have planned after the release show?
Well since receiving these questions I’ve unfortunately had to cancel my tour of the album due to that dang coronavirus. That’s not to say I’m not keeping busy. I’m gonna be releasing a wonderful documentary of the whole making of the album put together by visual artist Alice Humphreys, and a live album cut from a live gig at Lotte Lindenberg in Frankfurt on our European tour and I’ve finished writing album 3 already and have some very exciting things in the pipeline in regards to recording it.
Have you got any exciting up-coming projects/shows/festivals etc. coming up that we should be adding to our calendar?
Let’s see how this virus plays out as everything I had is cancelled thus far… but keep following the project for lots of exciting releases and album three which is around the corner.
Interview by Mia Seabrook Follow Demur Magazine
