“When I was very small, two of my greatest obsessions were the piano and the stereo. I’d pound away, and then when I was tired of that, I’d go over to the volume knob on the stereo and turn it ALL THE WAY UP. Then I’d stand and scream until someone came and turned it down. Sound has always affected me in a very physical way. Many sounds have distinct physical textures.”
“The record I remember most from those years is the Charlie Brown Christmas album. It got so much play (and probably so much handling by my grimy little fingers) that we eventually had to throw it out.
In university, one of my best friends bought a turntable at a garage sale. She was also given a complimentary Al Jarreau record. At first, we liked it mostly because we thought the front cover picture was adorable (a smirking Al in a red t-shirt—swoon!) Later, we realized that it worked musically at all three speeds—and it was the only record we listened to for several months, changing up the speed depending on our mood.
I’ve never owned an extensive record collection, but have been fortunate enough to have friends share theirs with me. I love sitting down with a tasty beverage on a comfy couch as a friend puts on surprise after surprise. I’ve heard so much interesting music that way—while reading the liner notes, staring at the artwork.
I love conceiving of my own albums as a cohesive whole that all belongs together, in a distinct order, with a clear beginning and end. Like a book. Or a play. It’s this very specific container, order, method of organizing my messy creative musings. Records are the original, and perhaps ultimate, version of that for recorded music.”
—Anna Atkinson
Sky Stacked Full, the new album from Anna Atkinson arrives in stores on October 27.
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PHOTO: JEN SQUIRES
