Liberosis: the desire to care less about things…
Amidst an already rapidly blossoming career, alt-pop artist Yorke has now released her debut EP Liberosis. The seven track collection is an exploration of “the messiness of moving from adolescence to adulthood” and leaving things behind in a transition of self.
We chat with Yorke aka Grace Hughes about her EP, coming of age and if Rose really needed the whole door in Titanic.
Marx Music: How long have you been working on the album?
Yorke: I have been working on this since halfway through 2018 and we finished it last year, so it’s really exciting that it’s finally coming out!
It’s called Liberosis, which means a desire to care less; or an ache to let things go. All the songs relate to that in a different way. I think for me, the whole process and writing of the EP has been a real coming of age experience in which I think I’ve matured and grown throughout.
MM: There’s a real story being told through each of the tracks, it’s a lovely collection. You worked with a number of people from Xavier Dunn to Mark Rankin. What was that like?
Yorke: It was amazing! There were a bunch of collaborators on the EP but I think it all feels really cohesive which is exciting. Everyone I worked with has been amazing. I love them all!
MM: Did you all have a similar creative process or was it something where you were able take all of your own key parts and mould it into something new?
Yorke: Everyone had different writing processes and as you said, moulded it into something new. I try to go into every session with an open mind and then come out having learnt something new. Whether it be production or how someone else writes that I think is cool. I really learnt a lot throughout this experience.
Of all the tracks on Liberosis, Yorke says she is especially excited by opening track Promise. Despite not having seen the movie, Promise was written from the perspective of Titanic’s Cal and plays with rounded, more boisterous sounds. The shift in sound a reflection of the soundscape from the city which inspires her name.
Yorke: It’s a lot grander and more dramatic than any of the others. It’s slightly left-of-field in terms of the other songs, but I hope people really like it. The name Yorke is derived from New York. So part of it, is what could you imagine listening to as you’re walking through the streets of New York.
Important to note; she has now since seen Titanic and also believes there was plenty of room on that door for two people.
Yorke’s music has the ability to wake one’s inner sense of adventure and intrigue while summoning a deep reminiscence. Her debut EP is where memories new and old play together to create something deeply compelling.
MM: Your music has a comforting feeling in that you invoke a real nostalgia and sense of adventure all at once. How do you capture that?
Yorke: I feel like I am just generally quite nostalgic. Something that I have had to learn throughout this process is to not dwell on the past so much. It’s been really interesting how the different emotions, whether it be adventure or nostalgia or something else, can come out through different instruments. In First Light, the guitars are so nostalgic, but the driving beat throughout is what keeps the pace and you can imagine that sense of adventure.
With the theme of letting go shaping much of the collection, the singer says the title was a natural fit.
Yorke: I had seen the title written down in a book ages ago and I thought it had a really beautiful meaning behind it. I was sort of analysing the tracks and thinking, how can I sum this up into a word? Then I remembered, LIBEROSIS! I feel like all the tracks refer to this coming of age and desire for liberation.
With her upcoming tour postponed due to the current pandemic, Yorke says she will be been dedicating her time to learning a whole new set of skills.
MM: With your upcoming tour having been postponed, how are you feeling?
Yorke: I feel like I have a lot of friends who have lost a lot more than me, in terms of touring and stuff. I keep putting my tour into perspective and comparing it to them. Obviously, I am devastated but it’s out of my control.
MM: So what are you going to do with all this time off?
Yorke: I’m teaching myself how to produce!
MM: Are you working with people virtually to nail that?
Yorke: I’m trying to do it myself. I make a point of watching what each producer does in my sessions so I feel like I’ve been trying to teach myself for a while mentally. Now I’m putting it into play. I’ll also definitely be doing some online writing sessions as well – otherwise I’d go crazy.
MM: Is producing something you’ve always wanted to learn?
Yorke: I’ve always wanted to learn so I have a better way of communicating what I hear. Sometimes I’m say, “Oh that sound, can we do that?” But no one knows what I’m trying to say because there’s probably a billion different plugins and I can’t explain it in a way that they understand it. So hopefully this will communicate it better.
Yorke’s seven track debut EP Liberosis is an explosion of life’s colours; drawing on themes of letting go and embracing change as she explores concepts of liberation and vulnerability.
Come be a part of Yorke’s sonic world and check out Liberosis below!
