Metaphors In a Dissonant Light

by Mark Van Vasey

Metaphors In a Dissonant Light

My band November Bees‘ first record, “In a Dissonant Light”, is full of metaphors. How should I best describe the sound of the album? Industrial Folk Music? Are three words enough?

Listen to the album while reading the text.

Metaphors

I believe that people are free to interpret our songs as they wish. Music does have a story, what makes a story great is how it is read.

Most of these songs have come from a dark place. I find dark spots get best resolved in art or music. It’s the same with any emotion that needs to be defined or finalized.

I finished my first song in 1999. It took me about three years of messing around on my guitar and writing short stories and little hooks as a teenager. I felt at the time I had a lot to say but I never wanted to verbalize it as it really was.

And that’s when I started using metaphors. I then realized that meant I could write about anything I wanted to without ever directly mentioning what I was singing about.

In a Dissonant Light

November Bees first record, “In a Dissonant Light” is full of metaphors. I started writing this album in 2015/6 when I came out of hospital after getting jaundice from trying to drink away my depression. I’ve not had a drink since I started this collection of songs.

What I was doing with these songs was trying to give the bottle a human charistic, a one in which I could love, but also had realized that it was over. With lyrics such as

I see you’ve cut your hair,
and you’ve got a cutting stare
like you really don’t care,
your personality reminds me of the sea,
destroying the shoreline with ease,
and all the ships you’ve lost a loss
at what cost?
– The sinking of the HMS dignity

One of the ways I used to avoid going to the corner shop for a drink was to play my piano with deep concentration. And I guess desperation that I would find more in the notes than I ever did at the bottom of a bottle.

I personally am glad this album is finally finished. It has given me so much more than I knew it could. I’m pleased that people are warming to it. Especially since I never originally planned to release it.

And now, with the band as a solid three-piece, we have already started on our second release.

November Bees are…

Mark Van Vasey
Rob Conn (Bass)
Steve Dew (Drums)

bandcamp
youtube

Album
Bristol, UK
Rock, Americana, Indie, Alternative
metaphor, antifolk, november bees, industrial folk music, in a dissonant light

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