Eleanor Murray - The Sound of the Sacred Mountain

Before we talk about your current work, I'd like to go back to your early days as a songwriter. What was the first song you ever wrote, and why did you write it? Did you already have in mind that you'd become a songwriter?

The first song I ever wrote was an a cappella lullaby when I was about twelve years old. I still remember the melody and most of the lyrics. It's about flying through the clouds, up to the stars, and away from the world. I think I wrote it in response to the emotions of that age. I didn't have songwriting in mind back then, or even singing, for that matter. Instead, I remember being very focused on becoming a drummer. It was only when I learned to play guitar, a couple of years later, that I started considering the idea of being a songwriter.

I wouldn't want my songs to be considered "traditional folk", because I don't want my songwriting process to be limited by those songwriting structures. That said, I definitely draw on lyrical and musical ideas from those traditions and let the songs develop from there. I prefer to keep them within the traditional structure only when I feel it's necessary for the emotion of the song. I love the character of traditional folk music, but I also love exploring beyond it.

Your career nonetheless reflects a very clear growth in your songwriting and in your artistic expression in general. "Bury Me Into The Mtn" sounds like your most intimate and engaged record yet — even somewhat "restless" at times. Do you recognize yourself in this evolution? Is the title tied to a personal feeling?

I actually approached the writing of "Bury Me Into The Mtn" with the intention of removing myself from the songs. The pieces still reflect my experiences and emotions, but less literally. I wanted them to sound as if someone else had written them. Even so, this comes across as my most engaged record for that very reason, since I wrote and rewrote the pieces multiple times. And I think that restlessness is influenced by the intimacy and minimalism of the arrangements. Recording in an empty church definitely played its part too.

If your previous records could easily be played solo, with just an acoustic guitar, that seems much harder to do with this latest one — it sounds much more collective, and the arrangements are always there for a reason, not just to add extra sounds to the songs. Would you agree?

Actually, to me it seems like the opposite! My previous record, "Oh Thunder", had a lot of other musicians on it, and that heavily influenced how I brought it on tour and performed it live. I felt I could only play a few of those songs by myself, and for the rest I needed a backing band to pull them off. On "Bury Me Into The Mtn" I wrote and arranged the songs with the intention of making them self-sufficient, so I could play them with just a guitar. That way, when touring it solo, I'd have more songs to choose from.

On this record you collaborated with Phil Elvrum and his musicians. Is this a new collaboration? Did they contribute to the "unsettling" atmosphere that can sometimes be felt in "Bury Me Into The Mtn"?

It was a new and exciting collaboration to work with Phil Elvrum, Paul Benson and Allyson Foster on this record. Phil plays drums on "Great Carving", while Paul provides backing vocals. Paul and Allyson also sing on "Fourteen" and "Aurora". I play all the other instruments myself. I had a lot of fun writing and playing the other guitar parts, which I think contribute to the unsettling effect. The storm played its part in that too, in its own way.

The record was recorded entirely in a deconsecrated church, and you can hear a storm at the beginning and during some of the tracks… was that a deliberate choice, or just an opportunity that came up?

Both! In some songs, like “Louise”, the wind plays a beautiful part, since we were recording live and were excited to leave those tracks just as they were. We also decided to record the wind on its own and add it to the track afterwards, like at the beginning of “Aurora”. That storm really did influence and contribute a lot to this record.

Aantarctica definitely encourages me to explore off the beaten path, which I really appreciate. So yes, I think the more ways there are to approach a song or an album, the better!

In “Bury Me Into The Mtn” there's a track about Ursula K. Le Guin's translation of the Tao Te Ching. Is that a casual reference to Eastern religion or philosophy, or do you have a deeper connection to that text?

When I was in college at Evergreen, I spent a period of study reading and comparing different translations of the Tao Te Ching. Ursula K. Le Guin's was by far my favorite. The poetry she brought to it instilled new life into the wisdom of the text, which I really appreciated. That's where my studies come in, though I've picked up that book at different points in my life to help keep myself on track.

Can you tell us a bit about your future plans? A record deal? A European tour, perhaps?

I've started composing electronic music in a new project called Cavegreen. We've just finished our first EP and a music video, which will be out on March 30 (2015). I'm really excited to explore this direction – it's been a pleasure making dance music! You can hear it on our new website.

Can you tell us more about this project? What inspired this electronic turn and this work in particular?

The Cavegreen project was inspired by a desire to return to a simple but sincere appreciation for nature. We live in a time when everything seems so “explained” that it's easy to lose sight of the mysterious nature of existence. This project is a way of exploring and celebrating the mysteries, complexities and beauty of the world; of reminding ourselves of our personal relationship with nature and reimagining our place in the bigger scheme of things.

As for the music, it started as a collaboration where I set Gianluca's poetry to music on guitar. But then one day, Gianluca suggested I learn to make some electronic beats, and here we are!

Will these sounds influence your solo career too, and how?

I'm not sure yet. I think they might influence my solo career in the sense that my focus might be more on Cavegreen's compositions for now. Although I think it would be fun to remix some of my old songs with some beats at some point.

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