Pijn: Opening New Doors
Post-rock has been going through a real purple patch in the UK over the last decade. One of the bands that immediately spring to mind who are responsible for being at the forefront of that revolution is Manchester’s PIJN. 2018’s majestic but incredibly personal Loss release combined with their collaboration with CONJURER in CURSE THESE METAL HANDS really cemented them as one of the most innovative bands on the scene. Like the consummate professional that he is, songwriter, producer, engineer extraordinaire Joe Clayton has been meticulously combing through every inch of new album, From Low Beams Of Hope for what feels like an eternity but it is now time to see all of the bands hard work finally come to fruition.
“It’s such a relief to finally have something out there after quite a long period of time. We’ve been working on this record for so long that it got to that stage where it didn’t matter what anyone else felt like anymore we were just relieved to get it out there,” he explains. “We’ve worked on it for such a long period of time that it included the whole pandemic, lockdown and everything so I feel like we’re all very different people now than when we started making it. I’m proud we managed to persevere and get to this point. I tweaked and messed around with it but decided it wasn’t quite there yet and we needed to spend a little bit more time. We were fortunate to have that chance to do so. It’s a combination of self hatred and self discipline knowing when to stop. I can be quite a perfectionist and wouldn’t dream of talking to a client as horribly as I talk to myself!”
As well as the obstacles mentioned above, Joe has had to encounter a variety of other setbacks which threatened his main source of income, No Studio. This also had a knock on effect with the anticipated release schedule for From Low Beams Of Hope whilst he played catch up on all the other projects he was juggling. “Unfortunately the studio has flooded a few times and that disrupted quite a lot of sessions I had booked in with bands, prioritising rescheduling that time then ate into the time I had set aside for spending time on the record,” admits Joe. “Getting the balance of working all day and then finding the time to work on PIJN was slightly tricky. We had a frozen pipe that had thawed out and went right down into the basement where the studio is. It put the fear of god into me as we had all this equipment to drag out. Sadly with it happening before I kind of have a procedure in place but it’s a scary thing to experience. Particularly if you have a band in the studio and you have to try and remain calm when a fuse trips and you’re stood in pitch black!”
Whilst Joe is a driving force in his own right, he relishes the opportunity for collaboration throughout the creative process. What may be the obvious direction for one creative mind may not always be the most beneficial way forward and allowing everyone their opportunity for input has proven to be a vital part of the journey. “I normally have a rough road map of where I want the song to go but it all depends on what everyone else brings to the table and it also has to feel right for everybody, there has to be a bit of wiggle room and collaboration. I find the most creative reward discussing our work and deciding whether we’re going in the right direction. We want to entertain all ideas which gives the opportunity to open so many new doors.”
With PIJN‘s compositions being mostly instrumental it allows for the music to lead the way without boxing the arrangements into a specific narrative or theme. This is an aspect of their arrangements which Joe finds particularly exciting. “Most of our output is a reaction to something personal and processing how we feel and how we see the world. That kind of pool of inspiration gives a lot of time for reflection and instrumental music has that intangible quality that you can tap into a variety of moods whilst still being quite abstract and not just dictating what the song should be,” he explains. “We really wanted to do something differently with this record so we didn’t have like a core focus, it’s quite introspective and it’s rewarding to see how people interpret it and what it makes them feel. It’s not exactly the coolest, biggest genre that fills out arenas or anything but if people can relate to it and it can evoke emotion that’s the goal. It’s not an immediate listen by any means so we want people to have the opportunity to sit with it and let it sink in.”
From Low Beams Of Hope is the first release on the band’s independent record label Floodlit Recordings. After previously experiencing life on a major label, Joe preferred the route of having more creative freedom throughout the process and not having to worry about being held to particular deadlines/commitments. “It’s been pretty fascinating but also a very steep learning curve. It gave us a lot of options to explore but we had to make sure we were financially sensible with all of our decisions. We’ve been able to include a lot of Easter eggs in the packaging and the artwork without worrying about seeking approval. It’s been an interesting learning experience.”
From Low Beams Of Hope is out now via Floodlit Recordings.
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