John Metcalfe performs his new album Tree this weekend. Daily Info sat down with them do discuss John's new album and what audiences can expect from this gig.
Daily Info: What’s your latest album all about?
John Metcalfe: The album is about my love of trees. I imagined a 24 hour cycle in the life of a tree experienced by sitting at the base of the trunk, observing and listening to the ever- shifting interplay of light, colour and sound. The music is my attempt to describe the intense and mystifying effect trees have on me and my sense of our relationship with their physicality, their essence, and their importance to the future of our planet.
DI: What can audiences expect from this concert?
JM: Hopefully the music will move people! Joining me onstage is a group of 6 amazing string players who have all performed on many Hollywood blockbuster movies and for artists such as Coldplay, Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé. There will also be some stunning visuals from Jony Easterby.
DI: How did you come up with the context of the album, to follow a 24-hour cycle in the life of a tree?
JM: It started when I visited Ta?ne Mahuta in New Zealand many years ago. Ta?ne Mahuta is the largest living kauri tree in the world and is part of an ancient subtropical rainforest that once grew throughout the North Island. It is over 2000 years old. When I first saw the tree I was completely overwhelmed and imagined what it would be like to spend a day and night there, experiencing the changes in light, weather, birdsong and wildlife.
DI: Are you excited to perform alongside Jony Easterby's visuals?
JM: Absolutely! Jony has created some breathtaking work that lives beautifully with the music.
DI: Can you sum the concert up in three words?
JM: I’ll do it in two; Sonic forestbathing!
John Metcalfe plays at St Barnabas Church on Saturday 11th May and tickets can be purchased here.