GLASGOW musican C Duncan has abandoned his bedroom studio for the first time and enlisted his parents to help him with his new album due to be released in March.
The Scot who received a Mercury Prize nomination for his debut album Architect has been working with other producers, engineers and musicians for the first time on his third album.
And the 29-year-old has brought in his mother and father Janina and mark, two classical musicians to play on the album.
He admits: "This was the biggest shift in dynamic for me."
He added: “Having always worked alone, it was a daunting prospect but one I knew I had to explore.
"I get on pretty well with my parents and it is just nice getting them down here and getting involved with the record. It's something I have always wanted to do because they are both amazing musicians and it's a shame not to use them. And they really want to be on the record, so it's perfect.
"Because they are so experienced, they can pick up whatever music you give to them, which is really helpful. It's been really good fun."
Set for release via FatCat Records on March 29, C Duncan's Health is produced by Elbow’s Craig Potter and recorded in Blueprint Studios in Salford, Manchester.
Duncan says it is a deeply personal record that delves into a world he had previously felt uneasy exploring. “Writing it was a very cathartic process. It helped me through a lot of tough times and also to celebrate the good,” he said.
Out on Friday, the album’s catchy uptempo first single Impossible which incorporates 80s-style synths with a poppier production template than usual, documents the highs and lows of a long-distance relationship with an ex-boyfriend.
“At one point he was working night-shifts, so it was very hard to communicate with each other because our schedules were completely out of sync. I wanted to see him all of the time, but it was impossible to do at that point in time,” explains Duncan, who has degree in composition from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
"I go through phases of going back into classical music, but because I am writing pop music at the moment, I am surrounding myself with a lot of it."
He says that having someone else to bounce production ideas off was "really eye-opening" and that he aimed to have "a lot more fun" which has made Health "quite a varied record". With album three I wanted to take a more direct approach, adding even more layers but thematically and lyrically laid bare, " he said. "In the past I had been very controlling about how everything would sound, but Health really showed me the benefit of working with others and made the whole process much less isolating."
His father, Mark said: "He is a good artist, and he is a good craftsmen, and the songs he produces are very well crafted. They are a joy to listen to, and he just really loves doing it."
Craig Potter said: "The big room is definitely going to influence the sound, it is something Chris has not had before. He has never been in any sort of proper studio before.
"He has had a set way of doing things. I think he wanted to go almost the other way, so every track has it's own feel and own sound, and almost its own style, sometimes."
As always Duncan has contributed all the artwork surrounding the release.
Health album tracklisting – 1. Talk Talk Talk / 2. Wrong Side of the Door / 3. Impossible / 4. He Came From The Sun / 5. Holiday Home / 6. Health / 7. Somebody Else’s Home / 8. Blasé / 9. Reverie / 10. Pulses & Rain / 11. Stuck Here With You / 12. Care
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