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Many thanks
Natalie Wildgoose is our latest Off the Shelf guest, in which an artist selects ten objects from their home, or in Natalie’s case, homes, to talk about. Her new EP, Rural Hours, is due April 15th via state51 – Pre-order via Bandcamp.
We recently shared her video for River Days is a diaristic account of a midsummer day spent entirely by water. She wrote the song on the same evening it describes.
“This song is a record of a single day, written that same evening, capturing the events and feelings of an early-summer day when Matt and I spent every hour by the river. We lit fires and made black coffee in the naturally worn rockpools of the stone, in the evening we cooked fresh trout and lay in the grass beds where the deer had slept the night before. I fell asleep to the sounds of the waterfalls we had stumbled across on our wanderings, and then later, in the shower, I noticed my shoulders were burned, not badly, just a small sting. Proof I had lived a little, but that would fade in a week.”
Off the Shelf with Natalie Wildgoose
“I currently live between London and North Yorkshire, where my mum is from and where most of my family still live. For the past few years, my life has been based across the two, after spending a long period living there permanently following my grandad’s passing. The house up north has been part of my life since I was a baby, and it holds a lot of memories for me. It’s also where my songwriting happens. I mainly use a piano in the village hall just down the road, which has become an important creative space. These are some objects you might find in the house up north.”
Scavenger Diary
In the diary grows a forest of medicine and memories. I climb hazel and hawthorn trees or taste the plants in the Yorkshire spring water, where the fairies hang out. I then keep them in my waistband until I press them into books. For guidance, I use the plant medicine book my mum gave me as a teenager.
Pillow
As a child, I never had a teddy or toy to sleep with; instead, I had a cardboard box and a pillow that I took places and often slept in. I am still the same person, and I still often need that pillow for a feeling of comfort and safety. I take this pillow on tour now to help me sleep when I’m in strange and different hotel rooms every night.
Tool Kit for Sleeping in the Forest
I love to take my little car and go camping in the spring, the riverside next to my head. Nothing wakes me other than the feeling of drifting off down the current. I am often afraid of being awake at night when I’m in London (where I live at the moment), but out there, under all the stars, I get up, stand outside, and feel okay. Putting myself in nature has always made me feel more present with myself.
Francesca Woodman Book
This book has been a constant companion for the last few years. It is alive with dirt and fingerprints, torn pages and folded corners, because I revisit it like a diary. I feel connected to her mind and relate to her photography a lot.
“I wish I could change my mind as easily as I change socks.
But then I don’t change socks so easily.”
— Francesca Woodman
Akai Reel-to-Reel Tape Machine
This was my grandad’s old tape machine that I found after he passed away. It was not in good working condition, and the wiring needed attention. We fixed it up and recorded loads of Come Into The Garden using this wee old girl. I love that when you listen to the recordings after passing them through her, the songs are no longer built, but found, among realms of isolation, magic, and the unknown.
Pentax Camera
This camera was given to me by my mum on my 18th birthday. It was hers before that, and she had owned it since she was young. I was lucky enough to learn about using darkrooms as a teenager and have been taking film photographs ever since. The cover image was taken with this camera. Nothing beats the reveal when you get your films back and all the memories flood in at once. I take photos for the same reason I write songs; they can feel very intertwined at times, creating worlds to dream in.
Emily Dickinson’s Letters
I tried reading her poetry and struggled a lot. I then read her letters, and it all began to thread seamlessly together. This book inspired my EP Rural Hours in many ways. Thank you for the spiritual collaboration, Emily.
Sewing Machine
This is my sewing machine, smudged with dirt and used for over 20 years or so. I studied costume design, and I still love to make clothes, costumes, and work with fabric. A small reminder to myself, and to anyone who may need to hear this: it’s important to take time with projects, and a redirection doesn’t mean you have failed at one and chosen another, you will always be connected to both.
Big Feather and Lunaria Plant (Honesty, Silver Dollar, Moonwort)
The largest feather I’ve found so far, and a Lunaria plant that was sticking out of the snow under some trees in North Yorkshire. I collected them as remnants and memories of the walks I have been on, but also to remind me to adventure and get outside. I often wonder about the bird this feather came from. I hope she’s okay.
Pre-Order Rural Hours: https://nataliewildgoose.bandcamp.com/album/rural-hours
Upcoming live shows:
16 APR // Cambridge, Storey’s Field Centre*
17 APR // Kendal, Brewery Arts*
18 APR // Liverpool, The Tung Auditorium*
19 APR // Birmingham, Bradshaw Hall*
21 APR // Nottingham, Squire Performing Arts Centre*
22 APR // Glasgow, Cottiers Theatre*
23 APR // Leeds, Brudenell Social Club (supporting Chris Brain)
24 APR // York, Pocklington Arts Centre*
25 APR // Hebden Bridge, Trades Club*
14 MAY // The Great Escape
19 MAY // London, Stoke Newington Old Church [Headline]
22 MAY // London, MOTH Club (supporting Chris Brain)
23 MAY // Andover, Late Spring Folk Festival
24 JUL // Latitude Festival
26 JUL // Deer Shed Festival
*Supporting LYR
More: https://linktr.ee/nataliewildgoose