Feature: Dryadic Decodes “Rainbow Family”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Rainbow Family" and the story it tells?
I moved out of Brighton after living there for 13 years to a canal boat in rural Gloucestershire. I needed a lifestyle break but I don't think I was ready for the heteronormativity I encountered and was really missing having a queer community around me. I was feeling doubly isolated as the lockdown had returned and boats were restricted on their movement too so I couldn't cruise to my original destination. “Rainbow Family” was written on a long walk in the countryside with my doggo – two of my go-to sources of support when I’m down. The video is super cool, we asked loads of our actual rainbow family to record themselves singing along on their phones, and it’s a gorgeous DIY mishmash of everybody – a bit of a visual love letter to my rainbow family.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this song?
I really enjoyed recording this song - as I do all our songs, I just love being in the studio. A couple of things about this one in particular that were great is that George brings in the bow on his double bass from the broken down 3rd verse to the end. So when we play it live we always have the plucked or the bowed bass playing. But in the studio version we were able to track both which gives it that lush drone sound at the end of the song without losing any of the momentum from the plucked bass and it makes everything so warm! - that was gorgeous hearing that come together.
There are quite a few songs of mine that are really built up with layers of strings and vocals - it's something I love to do - and this is one of them. We hadn't crafted all the different fiddle and vocal counter lines before we recorded them - we had a good idea of what they were, but not all of them. It's a right buzz when a sound grows and swells so organically in front of your eyes (or ears!). Aly's last few fiddle parts were fun - we all cheered after her final one!
How does "Rainbow Family" fit into your overall artistic vision?
My songs are quite lyrical and descriptive. This song has a story teller vibe with some of my favourite lyrics of mine and they're placed in front of some really subtle instrumentation allowing them to shine - "My longing heart is battered from the tears that tear its tatters" is one of them. I like to try and do that - arrange the music to support the lyrics and vice versa. They also evoke real memories-”banjo, brass, guitar and voice (me), firepit and wine" refer to jamming with friends of mine on the cut.
I really like to use vocal and string layers to orchestrate lots of dynamics, builds and breakdowns. “Rainbow Family” definitely showcases that. It's great when the lyrics drop out and it grows and grows and it's weird cos I'm kind of bumbling along in the song singing "doo-doo-doo" to myself and there's this colossal swell of warmth and orchestration which seems to take over illustrating the story from the words - I get really immersed in music like that. Bellowhead and Florence Welch both do that who are both big influences on me.
How would you describe your band's overall stage presence and the energy you bring to your live shows?
Playing live is such a buzz - it's rare we don't get great feedback. I am mostly very relaxed on stage these days allowing me to chat with the audience as I would my mates which makes for a fun, intimate environment. You kind of need to lead the show/audience by being strong and authentic at the same time as showing your vulnerable side.
It's really important to be well rehearsed and confident (even if that is just on the outside!) because the details and dynamics of the songs are what grab people's attention and make them not want to look away. The room also feeds off your energy, so connecting with each other on stage is super important. You have a responsibility to each other up there, you can't let each other down if things aren't going to plan. The crowd wants to share your joy of music. George and Aly like to go out into the crown dancing in the audience with their instruments together, that's always loads of fun, especially 'cos George is playing his double bass like a huge guitar while running around - I couldn't believe it the first time he did it, I had no idea it was a thing and suddenly he just left the stage half way through a song with his instrument. I thought he was seriously ill or something!
I really like inviting guest musicians to join us for a couple of songs and do some really impressive harmony work at the end of the set. I'm also quite careful in the way I craft the set list. We have some epic piano ballads that we drop in the middle of a set which are a bit different. I think it's a feature of ours to really set up the show as a dynamic journey. I sometimes get a bit nervous about playing them, but usually you can't hear a pin drop after; then we grab all that emotion and tension and smash out some energy and fun again.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
There are definitely some recurring themes in my lyrics, yes! Travelling, nature, music, self-care and mental health, dogs, love, friendship, politics, patriarchy. But I'm not sure I go out with an aim to convey these messages, they come out in my lyrics because they make up who I am, what I experience and what I stand for which shapes my creative output. My political songs are political because I'm feeling angry or frustrated at the system when I write them. My love songs are queer because my love is queer and being in love makes me want to sing songs about it.
