Sometimes we talk about musicians as artists, and that is quite right. What has appealed to me most about Darren Hayman over the past few years, however, is that he has been operating more as an Artist; the distinction in the capital letter being that he has appeared to explicitly explore a more conceptual approach to song-writing and record making. His artefacts are very much fully considered and executed works that become more than collections of songs. I greatly admire this approach, and the way in which Darren documents and shares his myriad explorations as an Artist who just happens to make music.
His ‘Florence’ set from late 2015 is a delicious, downbeat evocation of the city in which it was made, but it is the ‘Chants For Socialists’ album from February of this year that is my choice for inclusion in this advent series. An exploration of William Morris’ text, the album was recorded with a troupe of exceptional volunteers at three of Morris’ historical homes, and is a timely and welcome artefact that shines a light on some of the political frustrations felt by what, by year’s end, appears perhaps to be a not insignificant portion of the UK populous. Darren’s own text about the record, which you can read here, is certainly worth more of your time than my meagre words, but the following quote really stood out for me and echoes what I feel about the record perfectly: "I saw these as ‘emergency’ protest songs, something to draw on in times of strife. I think we are in troubled times. I regard these as useful lyrics."
‘Chants For Socialists’ is far more than just a useful record.
Available direct from Darren at Hefnet.
May Day - Darren Hayman from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.
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