In drear nighted December,
Too happy, happy tree,
Thy branches ne’er remember
Their green felicity—
The north cannot undo them
With a sleety whistle through them
Nor frozen thawings glue them
From budding at the prime. – John Keats
Swedish artist, composer, and music producer Katharina Nuttall has released a mesmerizing new single, “Inspired by John Keats.” The song is a musical staging of several lines from In a drear nighted December, by English poet John Keats. The hypnotic spoken-word song serves as a musical spell in the form of quietly intense art-rock. Katharina Nuttall’s stunning performance, an intense hybrid of Tuxedomoon and Laurie Anderson, is an introspective journey into the psyche. Its repetitive nature suits the words of Keats well.
“Like the trees, it reflects a longing to stand deeply rooted regardless of the weather. A desire to avoid being swept away by life’s losses,” says Nuttall.
“The music is a place where I can breathe and be present, a place for reflection and stillness. The stillness may sometimes border on oblivion. With the music, I get to comment on my own, and other people’s life conditions, and I get the opportunity to deepen other people’s stories and experiences of life.”
The video, beautifully directed by Jacob Frössén and acted by Josefine Mellgren, is a perfect blend of magic realism with eerie European pagan undertones.
Watch below:
The Garden is a concept album about emotional flows and upheaval that combines songs, instrumental music, and spoken word, inspired by Charles Baudelaire, John Keats…and dirt. The album is also a collaboration with visual artist Albin Biblom. Nuttall has already released three solo albums; The Garden, which is out on the 21at of October, will mark her fourth.
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