Releasing a full collection of music can be daunting for any artist, though dropping an album like this after the year we’ve all just been through feels cathartic – how are you feeling about the whole process, now you’re at the end of it?
I think yes to a lot of people, the idea of dropping any type of work during or post covid is a bit of a weird one. For me the concept of releasing my own album was something I thought I’d be delving into years down the line. I wouldn’t say my project was the sole consequence of covid, but it did play a big part. Like many I was out of a job, I had moved back home, and it gave me a chance to listen to a lot of the music/demo’s I had done over the past three years. About half of the songs on the project are a result of this study and the rest of the songs came through time and as the world kind of grew back together. Whilst I’m super proud of the album itself, I still feel a sense of imposters syndrome about it all. ‘How have I even put this together?’ etc etc. In saying all this, the album to me was about my personal growth, and has been a really good basis in the new music which I’m writing everyday.
We’ve heard some tops singles already from the album – how do you think they represent who Oly Sherman is as an artist in 2021?
I think with any of my work but particularly my singles off the album, they quite literally depict my life in those circumstances. Songs such as ‘Madness’ and ‘In The Summer’ are lyrically, pretty accurate representations of my emotional and physical state within the perspective. Whilst saying all of this, my taste and musical writing continues to grow. This album is definitely a representation of myself, but also a chance to show my growth. I’m even more excited to show what I’ve been cooking after the albums release.
And within the wider scope of the album, what is it about these recent singles that represent the energy of the whole album do you think?
I think in regard to a ‘wider scope’, these singles best represent my first few years of song writing as a whole. I was and to some respect, still am super familiar with writing those types of songs. The album is definitely a representation of that type of writing process that I felt comfortable with.
What has it meant to you that you’ve been able to have music as an outlet to concentrate on as we’ve had to grapple the pandemic?
I think its necessary to firstly say, that I was definitely a lucky one during covid. I was very, very thankful to have my family there as a support and know that a lot of other people weren’t so lucky in those respects. For me music and writing of music will always be a personal thing. I’m lucky enough that I can somewhat place that on an empty canvas and share it with the world. It’s a creative method which seems both easy and ‘nonchalant’. Rather than a distraction, I used my music as a means of perspective. It was present every day and kept my mind on what made me mentally healthy.
For people who might be coming to your music for the first time with this music, is there a particular song/s off the record that you’d say are the one/s you’re most connected with now (and why)?
Different for me, as some of the songs from the project I love in certain ways, and some songs which the band and I have performed I love in different ways. I think for someone coming to my gig for the first time, the main message from me is just to just focus on having a good time. I think especially when comparing it to covid related things, everyone coming back to gigs just want to be happy and share the joy of live music again. I want nothing more than that in my live shows.
This album is one of those records specifically made to be listened to front to back: was this an element you always had wanted to implement?
To be honest at the time, no but I think projects and music grows naturally into ways you didn’t expect them to prior. I’ve listened to the album a number of times and am pretty confident the order shares my mind state throughout.
Land of All Pretend is out now.
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