‘Night Crow’ songwriting session with Estère.
Inside Pro7ect’s Residential Songwriting Retreats with Founder Lisa Fitz.
“Speak in extremes, it’ll save you time.”
‘Night Crow’ songwriting team: Will Cox, Estère, Lisa Fitz & Ian Wallman.
Some days when you walk into a writing room it feels like all the stars have aligned.
Today’s session was one of those days, when all the puzzle pieces just lined themselves up, ready to be arranged.
Singer, songwriter, artist, producer & social anthropologist, Estère had joined us from Wellington, New Zealand for the 2018 Pro7ect Residential Songwriting Retreat.
Estère’s music is described as a brand of Electric Blue Witch-Hop, that transports listeners to a vivid sonic landscape.
As Featured Artist on the session, Estère had a clear brief and was looking for material for her new album “Archetypes”.
“I was interested in making a concept album and around that time I had been introduced to the idea of archetypes through talking with my grandmother… I like the idea of a universal concept like Archetypes being a vessel through which the humanity of the album can be discovered.”
The session was led by Headline Producer Ian Wallman & included songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Will Cox & me (Lisa Fitz – singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer). I had worked with Ian & Will previously, & we were all looking forward to collaborating with such a clear-headed, conceptually motivated, enlightened songwriter.
Ian set up the writing room in his usual manner, making us all feel comfortable & welcome. With the aid of strong coffee, we began by talking about various archetypes in our lives, & how they have influence us consciously & subconsciously. We discussed how “Jungian archetypal theory” claims that these stereotypes are universal symbols derived from the collective unconscious. The morning’s session was spent deliberating over whether these symbols are mystical or real.
The conversation flowed from the legacy of cultural traditions to Celtic mythology & the archetypes of crows & ravens in stories and songs; how they can represent bad tidings or a message from the divine, as well as their association with the warrior Goddess.
“Each song has its own secret that’s different from another song, and each has its own life. Sometimes it has to be teased out, whereas other times it might come fast.”
Will & I played a folky chord progression on guitars whilst we were discussing these historic interpretations, when Estère started singing a repetitive, topline melody that sat right inside the chords, as though it had always been there. Almost like she was remembering it somehow. I know it sounds strange, but after talking about mythology & ancestral endowment for a couple of hours it’s almost as though the song was conjured up magically.
Ian started programming tribal beats in response to the topline, but the rhythm bed really started building momentum when Estère added sounds & beats from her trusty MPC (named Lola)… & “Night Crow” was born.
“Night Crow showcases Estère at her most vulnerable state so far on this record.”
- NZMusic
You can hear ‘Night Crow on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6Q6AtnaG8HsBKW8iu0ZzcP?si=b5540a5cfce84a2b
Estère went on to perform “Night Crow” live whilst supporting Grace Jones just a few weeks after it was written at Pro7ect.
In 2020 Pro7ect Headline Producer Stew Jackson travelled to New Zealand to co-produced “Archetypes” with Estère.
‘Archetypes’ was released in January 2021, & is currently being toured throughout Australasia and Europe.
And the first single from Estère’s ‘Archetypes’ album is ‘Into the Belly of Capricorn”:
Pro7ect 2018 - Estère & Lisa Fitz in ‘Night Crow’ songwriting session. Photo by Ian Wallman.
“I think songwriting is the ultimate form of being able to make anything that happens in your life productive”
Now in our 7th year, Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats at the world famous Rockfield Studios, is the only residential songwriting retreat in the UK offering music production in the room and an opportunity to collaborate with internationally acclaimed writer/producers.
P7 Headline producers include Stew Jackson (Massive Attack), Youth (Sir Paul McCartney, The Verve, The Orb), Roni Size (Reprazent), John Fortis (Razorlight, Ellie Goulding), Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, James Bay), Andrew Levy (Brand New Heavies) and Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh, just to name a few.
So far, we’ve had 18 releases & 4 sync’s from songs written at Pro7ect retreats, as well as numerous collaborations and professional opportunities via the P7 Alumni artists community.
I look forward to sharing with you in this monthly column songwriting & music production experiences, advise, tips and insider secrets that I’ve discovered along my Pro7ect Collaboration Navigation adventure.
Take risks,
Lisa Fitz
Pro7ect Session Notes is an insider’s guide to real life songwriting, collaboration, and music production experiences from Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats Creative Director Lisa Fitzgibbon.
Links to media mentioned in this blog: https://www.pro7ect.com/session-notes
Listen to the audio mentioned in this blog: https://open.spotify.com/track/6Q6AtnaG8HsBKW8iu0ZzcP?si=b5540a5cfce84a2b
Into the Belly of Capricorn: https://youtu.be/13zIQGqy80Y
For more information and to apply for Pro7ect songwriting retreats and Masterclasses: www.pro7ect.com
Pro7ect is proudly sponsored by Prism Sound.
Images: by Ian Wallman