Formed around core songwriters Lauren Kinsella (vocalist) and Chris Hyson (multi-instrumentalist), Snowpoet combine the improv’ and control skills from jazz with the hushed acoustic tones of contemporary folk-inspired singer-songwriters.

Moving away from the electronic tones of their 2016 self-titled debut album, the recently released Thought You Knew is their first for trendy London jazz label Edition Records. Chris takes time out from the band’s touring schedule to answer our questions …

You've picked two covers for the album - Gillian Welch's Dear Someone and Emiliana Torrini's Snow; what attracted you to those songs?
I clearly remember the first time I heard these two pieces. Snow has such a strong vibe and really takes you in. The music and the lyrics tell a story and are ambiguous enough to allow the listener to interpret them into their own meaning. I’m a big fan of Emiliana Torrini’s music and have always wanted to cover one of her songs so it felt right to cover Snow – it’s also fits in well to the narrative of the album.  Dear Someone is such a brilliant song. It’s so wistful and longing. The simplicity of the song’s harmony and lyrics are so powerful and it really gives space for interpretation or reimagining.

And how do you think your approaches differ from the originals?
The original version of Snow is very stripped back; just vocals and guitar. In our interpretation of the tune we brought in more instrumentation. The piano and cello with the spaced out drum part keep the pace of the tune. It’s a little slower than the original and we used a short effected vocal sample to act as a breath like pulse. On top of that we added other subtle elements to colour the sound of the track. Sounds like fleeting dreamlike backing vocals, little plucks from the violin and Wurlitzer patterns gelled the piece together and added a lush contrast to the static movement from the other instruments.

For you, what are some of the key tracks on the album?
It’s Already Better Than OK is one of my personal favourites, we recorded the song in the first take unrehearsed and I think you can really hear and feel the life in the words and the music. Another Step is bare and stark and was placed last on the record. We wanted to leave the listener with just the voice and a semi-conclusive note.

You're now signed to the very excellent Edition Records, the forward-thinking jazz indie label. Do you see yourselves as part of a jazz tradition?
We all trained in jazz and in a way, yes, I would say we are part of a jazz tradition. We will sometimes build songs from an improvisation (It’s Already Better Than OK, Alive With Closed Eyes) or build a form and improvise within it (Butterflies, Waves).

Your debut album seemed to focus on Snowpoet as a duo; Thought You Knew is billed as Snowpoet, sextet …
There have always been six of us. It sometimes gets a little confused as it’s predominately myself and Lauren that write and produce the music. However, it’s the six of us that develop the music together and especially for live shows try to bring something extra to the vibe.

What are Snowpoet's plans for the rest of the year?
We have a few live videos we’re planning on putting out in the not too distant future. There are still quite a few more gigs left of this UK tour, plus some nice gigs in Europe in the latter half of the year. We’re also starting to think about album number three!

Jazzlines present Snowpoet on Thursday 19 April 2018 at The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham.

For more information/ tickets, see: thsh.co.uk

By Dave Freak