Aldous Harding is a singer/songwriter from Lyttelton, New Zealand, a town that also produced internationally know artists Nadia Reed and Marlon Williams. With support from her musical parents, she began writing and performing as a teenager.
Harding is known for a psychedelic folk sound and a voice often referred to as “elastic” for the way she changes tones, sometimes within a single song. Her equally dynamic songwriting shifts moods, and showcases the many facets of her personality. Her new release, Train on the Island, is produced by John Parish, who's known for working with PJ Harvey. It features the Welsh multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter H Hawkline.
For the uninitiated, this album is a good listen. The acoustic-forward sound is punctuated by subtle percussion, synth work, piano, pedal steel guitar and of course Harding’s voice. It has a nice groove throughout the record.
For her fans, there's plenty to unpack. The album opener, I Ate the Most, begins with the line “I’m not afraid like you’re not gay, and you’re not old like I’m on the spectrum.” Later she hints at an eating disorder with references to weight and the line “Sometimes I eat 'til I vomit.”
On One Stop, she repeats the line “I’m gonna write what I know” and, describing a back stage encounter with an original member of Velvet Underground, sings: “I met the real John Cale. He had no words but I don’t mind. I packed the stage while he ate rice.” The significance of the encounter remains unclear, but leaves a lot of room to wonder.
Adding to the mystery is a line in Riding That Symbol - “No one knows what I’m into. I’m only riding that symbol.” Is she admitting it’s all symbolism and not actually autobiographical? Does she get a kick out of not fully revealing herself? Does she just like the way the words flow and the imagery they create? I’m still curious, but happy to be along for the ride.
You’ll have a chance to come to you own conclusions as we dig into Train on the Island over the next few weeks on Open Air – Weekdays 9am-3pm on the Rhythm and News Service of JPR.
