Mulvey, Mountains, And The Importance Of Dreaming
By Treasa McDonald
The UK has a solid history of producing some of the most talented singer-songwriters and musicians in the indie music industry. When it comes to songwriting and playing anything with strings, some of the most unique and impressive musicians have hailed from across the Atlantic: Ed Sheeran, Ben Howard, David Gray, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, James Bay, and Jake Bugg, just to name a few.
Nick Mulvey arrived at the indie folk scene in 2013 with "Fever to the Form", a catchy, stringy tune that acoustic fans will appreciate. Previously a member of London based instrumental group Portico Quartet, Mulvey left in 2011 to launch a solo career and has released two albums since, First Mind in 2014 and Wake up Now in 2017.
"Meet Me There" is also from the earlier album First Mind. It's a delicate track that fully embodies the more adventurous side of human nature. The side that sighs melodramatically as you sit in an office from 9-5, and unabashedly daydreams about quitting and roadtrippin' to the Rockies with your crush. But we probably won't be doing that anytime soon. At least not without donning an N95 mask, which will make the kissing part significantly more difficult.
"Unconditional" is one of my favorite tracks from Wake up Now. It stands out instantly. The combination of classical guitar, electronic melodies and tribal rhythms is addictive. Mulvey spent time studying music in both Cuba and the UK, and his delicate intertwining of Latin American and African sounds are what mark Mulvey's extraordinary talents as both a folk artist and music composer."Mountain to Move" is another perfect example of his distinctive style. Wake Up Now was released three years ago, but Mulvey's intent behind the album is still very relevant today. Commenting on the inspiration for Wake Up Now in an interview for HappyMagTV, Nick explains:
“Every night, tuning into the global news you can feel quite disempowered because what effect do we have over enormous economic decisions, or climate change? Enormous systems. But we’re learning that where we do have agency is within our own lives, over ourselves.... Once you start making changes yourself, you notice, because all we have is this subjective experience, so if you start changing how you’re looking at the world, then the world really does start to change.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has provided many of us with a renewed appreciation for life, society, and the natural world we live in. However, on a chilly October morning I'm doing what most of us in Washington DC are doing: working from home on a laptop that is beginning to crumble emotionally due to the unexpected use it's experienced since the pandemic began in March. Who knows when the world will get control over the virus, or if another type of coronavirus will make its rounds in the near future? The uncertainty is abundant, but it shouldn't put an end to dreaming. Not all dreams may be as fantastical as quitting the day job and eloping with a lover, but they can seem equally as unattainable. For some, dreams are often about the ordinary and unimpressive; switching careers, getting out of 'this town', or learning that instrument you've been meaning to. As Mulvey reminds us in "Mountain to Move", big changes start from within. And now is as good a time as any.
"Oh, I don't want to see us lose any more time
This moment is a mountain to move
So move it inside
Wake up now, wake up now."
Mulvey live at The Tivoli, photo credit Yohan Cremers.