Are you in need of a refreshing splash of musical inspiration? If so, look no further than the newest album from Open Water, inspired by the coastal town of Deal in the kingdom of Kent.
‘Above The Waterline’, released this past March 25th, is a product of Open Water’s inspiring and heartfelt journey and brings a truly unique sound to the table. It was 2017 when lead singer Joanne Doolan underwent vocal surgery to remove two cysts, a surgery with no guarantee of success. Her triumphant success in this endeavour is what shines through ‘Above the Waterline’, with each of its 11 tracks taking inspiration from the surrounding landscape.
Which song on Above the Waterline was the most exciting to write?
‘I Trust The Road’ – Jeff wrote the melody and chords in one of his very alternate guitar tunings…it has an openness that has similarities to jazz harmonies whilst retaining the Celtic style that we are known for. The atmosphere of the song enabled Joanne to paint the beautiful lyrics of a pilgrimage- inspired by her reading about the Camino de Santiago. This song closes the album and is the perfect hopeful, uplifting conclusion to the album’s journey. I was able to construct a jazz and bluegrass inspired extended guitar solo at the end of the song, which develops the usual verse/chorus/verse form of the typical folk song. Dave Whitford plays some inspired double bass lines. Altogether this song has a magic that was inspirational for all of us to record and to perform live.
Which track would you recommend for someone new to Open Water?
Waiting For The Daylight. If we were asked to sum up the sound of Open Water. I would point them towards ‘Waiting for The Daylight.’ This song showcases all of our influences and each member has a chance to shine…Jeff’s counterpoint guitar picking style, Joanne’s beautiful lyric writing and vocal delivery and my bluegrass and jazz influenced lead guitar lines. This track really is the sound of Open Water. Lyrically it tells of the Covid era…’waiting for a better day…’ but the sub context of this song is about changing one’s own perception, changing how you perceive yourself in the world…going internally, not externally.
What drives you as a band?
Open Water allows all three of us to have a creative outlet. This is something that not all musicians are lucky enough to develop. We are lucky that all of our individual influences are welcome in the band, which, together, creates some very unique-sounding music.
Tell us about your experience making Above The Waterline.
With ‘Above The Waterline’ I feel that the band have found their identity and sound. The songs came relatively easily…we were in a very creative flow for a few months when writing. The harmony vocals are all three of us on ‘Above The Waterline’ and I sing lead vocals on two songs.…whereas Joanne sung all lead and harmony vocals on our first album ‘Open Water.’ Lyrically, we have found messages and themes that are relevant, honest, unifying yet personal.
The recording of the album happened in periods in between lockdowns. At one stage we were unsure if we would be able to record at all in 2020. However, all went well but with the uncertainty of being able to perform live we were unable to book any promotional concerts. We would be unable to play the music at festivals for at least another year or two due to cancelled festivals being postponed to following years. The album was released but we have been unable to perform it widely due to these circumstances.
What inspired you to create Above The Waterline?
From March 2020, during the Covid era, we started writing material for ‘Above The Waterline’. It helped us through those tricky times. Rather than dwelling on the uncertainty of the situation, we were inspired to write hopeful, uplifting, music with often ‘spiritual’ meanings that would unite all. The music has the ability to heal and uplift. The overreaching theme of the album mirrors and questions the human condition.
Can you tell us more about your musical influences and how you created your unique sound?
Joanne Doolan’s unique vocals emanate from her Welsh musical roots. Guitars and other stringed instruments are played by Jeff Alexander and Richard Rozze. Jeff’s influences come from traditions as varied as the Renaissance lute and flamenco guitar. Richard’s influences stem from rock, blues and jazz traditions. We allow all of these influences to be absorbed into our song writing and performances…our music therefore comes out sounding original.
Do you have a track that shines out as a favourite to play live?
Waiting For The Daylight –the chorus of this is particularly catchy and we have noticed some of our regular audience members like singing along to this one! Moments such as these make performing live music easy!
What does the future hold for Open Water?
We are keen to offer more songwriting courses further afield….people are really enjoying these. We have at least another two albums worth of material in progress. So long as we continue to have something relevant to say, we will not stop creating our music. We would also love Alison Krauss and Karen Matheson to record one of our tracks! They are huge influences on our work.
