Q&A: Brewed With Mint and Sage, Aoife Nessa Frances Explores Her Own Existence In Latest Single “This Still Life”

Q&AMusic

Sep 6

☆ BY Steph Dunlop ☆

RISING FROM THE WISPY FUMES OF A DREAMWORLD — Aoife Nessa Frances’ latest track, “This Still Life,” builds an intoxicating atmosphere of seductive tranquillity. Conceived and created in the heart of nature, Frances expertly crafts the sonic equivalent of immersion in rainy woodlands.

The track offers an exciting mix of Frances’ sultry vocals layered atop a smooth melody and soft drum beats. Dipped in existentialism and surrealism, the track was born from a dream inspiring Frances to question the significance of her own life and her small existence in comparison to the immensity of our universe.

“This Still Life” offers listeners another teaser for Frances’ upcoming sophomore album, Protector. The eight-part project explores a wealth of refreshing themes: the widespread nature of love, self-discovery, and strength. Running through the core of the album is Frances’ signature flow of dulcet and serene sounds, providing the medium through which Frances dived into her own self-discovery and transformation.

The release of “This Still Life” follows Frances’ latest track, “Way to Say Goodbye,” the lead single from Protector. A journey through the ending of a relationship, “Way To Say Goodbye” explores the fear of being alone and the disastrous impact that has on our ability to let go of people we no longer align with.

Filling the final months of the year with an extensive list of tour dates, Frances is performing across Europe, the UK, and North America. Her sophomore album, Protector, releases in the midst of this, on Oct. 28.

Keep reading to immerse yourself in the gentle and tranquil world of Aoife Nessa Frances, as she dives into the creation of her latest single, “This Still Life,” as well as her upcoming album.

LUNA: Congrats on “This Still Life”! Where did you find the inspiration for this track?

FRANCES: Thank you! “This Still Life” was the first song we recorded on the album. I feel like it had that initial fiery energy that comes with beginnings. At the time I was writing, I had connected it to the Ace of Wands in the tarot deck. My friend Adrian Crowley was in the middle of getting the artwork together for his album, The Watchful Eye of the Stars, and he showed me a photo he had taken for the cover — a still life of different objects, including nails, a seahorse, ash, and shells. Later on, I dreamt I was swimming in the sea close to the dark somewhere off the coast of Mayo. I looked up at the sky and saw his album cover looking back at me. It appeared real — the seahorse and nail on the horizon with all the planets and stars made of stone and ash. In the dream, I asked Adrian about it and he told me it wasn’t a still life but actually the sky when seen at night in a special part of Mayo from a particular angle, when you walk out to the Atlantic Ocean. It was to be kept a secret because the world wasn’t ready to know about it yet. I wrote “This Still Life” the next day, and a week later began recording Protector with my band. I was spending a lot of time writing down and analyzing my dreams and had been reading Carl Jung’s memoirs. I found that I was remembering my dreams so much better because I had stopped using my phone so much.

LUNA: Can you tell us about the creative process behind “This Still Life”?

FRANCES: I had moved to the west coast of Ireland and had begun a routine of waking up every morning before sunrise, taking my guitar to a place where no one could hear me. I’d pick mint and sage from the garden and make tea and sit down in this dimly lit room and start working on songs. The sky was in view through this tiny window so I’d watch it transform as the morning grew into daytime. I came up with a lot of the songs on Protector, including “This Still Life,” during this time. I would come up with chord patterns and sing melodies over, making up lyrics as I went along, recording so I could listen back and decipher what I was saying. I would write all the lyrics down and put some structure. I used to go on long walks around the area, and something I liked to do was listen to a recent demo I had made of the song I was working on. I would go out with it in my head and let it sit there, going over it as I walked. When I came back, I would record it again immediately and write down any lyrics that came up along the way. I found my head was clearest in these states as I went about a task.

As I mentioned before, “This Still Life” was the first song that we recorded when we went to this cabin in Annascaul in County Kerry. The house was so small I ended up standing outside so that we could get enough separation between my vocals and guitar and Brendan’s drums. So we did the first take and I was looking out onto this scene of mountains and the sea in the distance and there were birds and sheep in the background. I think we ended up using the second or third take for the final version. The three of us hadn’t played together in a while so I wasn’t sure what was going to happen — if the recordings would end up being demos or something else. But it was immediately obvious that there was something special going on, so everything we did was used on the record. We were getting up early every day and swimming on Inch beach and then going back to the house to record more, making really nice food in the evenings. I think being away from everything, just the three of us spending time together in such a remote place, had a big effect on what we ended up recording.

LUNA: Which lyric from the track is your favorite, and why?

FRANCES: “I see the vastness of my birth reclefting light on” — the lyric gives a deep sense of what the song is about. The dream I had about this astonishing surrealist scene of planets in the sky allowed me to reflect on my own existence. How small I feel in relation to the vastness of space.

LUNA: You’re building up to the release of your next album Protector — which themes have you chosen to explore with this project?

FRANCES: All different kinds of love: friendship, familial love, romantic love, self-love, and universal love. Love as obsession, love as illusion. Spiritual connection to nature. Protection, self-discovery, strength, and pain.

LUNA: Which song(s) from Protector are you most excited for people to listen to?

FRANCES: “Only Child,” “Chariot,” “Soft Lines.” “Chariot” in particular is the song that feels most central to the message of Protector, which is about self-preservation, finding strength within, and growing closer to the part of myself that guides me towards a better path. It’s about being uprooted from what is familiar and experiencing a deepening connection with my family and friends.

LUNA: Would you say that your Irish background has had an impact on your artistry and creativity?

FRANCES: I’m deeply influenced by Irish culture and art and feel part of a community of musicians, artists, and writers who are doing incredible things here at the moment. I’m inspired by the landscapes and beauty in this country. It plays such a major role in the lyrics on this record. I was engulfed by nature while writing and recording Protector. I’m interested in Irish folklore and mythology and although I don’t take direct influence from it, I love Irish music having grown up around it because of my dad.

LUNA: What do you love most about your own music?
FRANCES: I love the way it makes me feel when I’m writing and performing. I use my songwriting practice as a way of processing thoughts and experiences. I feel like I’ve grown so much the more I get into songwriting. Writing and recording Protector changed me. I love that it has a sort of healing effect on me. Getting to play my music with other musicians is transformative and I am able to both lose myself and maintain a kind of presence when I’m playing with my band. I want to share my experiences with people through my songs, even though it leaves me feeling vulnerable. To be able to connect with people in that way means a lot to me.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫