#245
Pixie Saytar - It’s a Good Thing (It’s Just Us)
Tuesday 26th January, 2016
They Say: "It’s a Good Thing (It’s Just Us)” is a really playful song. I had a lot of fun writing and recording it. I tend to write pretty slow, lengthy songs (the final track on “In Hindsight” for instance, is over nine minutes long). This is the shortest and possibly the fastest song I’ve ever written. It’s about a woman in a… complicated relationship. One with a lot of games, but she likes it. She revels in it. She’s saying, “Go ahead and be your worst self. I’ll take you anyway. I know what you are and I’m not afraid of it.”
I remember sitting across from Ben McAuley (producer, percussionist, and a whole lot more) in the beginning describing what I thought this song should sound like. I’m a huge fan of everything Jon Brion ever touched and that was my main reference point when it came to production. I wanted playful sounds that people don’t expect to hear. I kept repeating that I didn’t want a “classic set up”. The same went for every song on the album. We treated them individually using a different set of sounds on each of them. It was a very fulfilling experience. With this song I knew I wanted a clarinet (played by Richard Hill) and I was dying to use this portable reed organ I have but never got a chance to use (played by Chris McCorry). Ben’s drumming, for me, is the glue holding the whole track together. He doesn’t just keep a beat. He’s a very thoughtful player. He adds to the intrigue of the song. I’m really happy with how it turned out. There’s a lot of variety on “In Hindsight” and this song showcases a childlike part of it that I’m quite partial to.”
We say: “Theatrical and quirky, this is nothing like anything else we’ll play on the show - possibly this year. A mash of rolling piano, strings and Pixie’s utterly unique and wonderful voice - makes for a short and sweet blast of vivid colour.”
Pixie Saytar’s album ‘In Hindsight’ is available for pre-order and will be launched at the MAC, Belfast on 27th February, in a double album release alongside Heliopause.
To get your new music to Across the Line send it via the BBC Introducing Uploader.
