We first stumbled across The Psychedelic Birthday Party last year when he shared his moving single 'Bad Blood'. This month he is back with a new single, this time sharing 'Till I Meet You Again'. His new offering is an intimate and tender track about saying goodbye to someone who you love. He recently took some time to explore the story behind the single for us.
I wrote 'Till I Meet You Again'… a couple of years ago in my bedroom. It all started with some lo-fi recordings only using a Guitar-hero microphone plugged into my computer. Though the core essence of that scrappy demo pretty much stayed the same, the arrangement has changed a lot over time. You can now hear piano, cello, ambient, drums, reverbing guitars, you name it. It has become one of those tracks that bleed and heal with you throughout the arrangement. Of course, I had a lot of help from musically talented friends. You definitely do not want to hear me play the cello.
The story behind ‘Till I Meet You Again’ is … for me, about having to say goodbye to someone you love. There's something bittersweet about it. On the one hand, you’re sad about seeing them leave, on the other hand, it unveils the depths of your relationship and how much you really care about each other.
I wrote this song with my father in mind when he was about to move to the other side of the world. It put me in a position where I needed to be transparent about how it affected me emotionally, while also be supportive of his choice. Though it broke my heart, I realised I just wanted the best for him. Which is to see him leave with a smile, knowing that his son loves him and no ocean in between would change that.
My favourite lyric is…
Grow your hair
White as snow
Love what’s left
Where you’re from
It was made… We recorded most of the track in an old monastery located in the south of The Netherlands. The home studio, owned by the recording/producing team Jeroen Verstappen and Thijs Fleurkens, was to be found on the top floor looking out over trees and a flock of bored pigeons. Before you reached their front door, you had to walk up some Hogwarts-like staircase first where I frequently had to catch my breath because of my terrible physique condition. We invited each contributing musician separately so we could really focus on getting the right takes. And so you hear Roos Creemers on cello, Niels Veron on piano, Kane van der Linden on ambient, and last but certainly not least Jeroen Verstappen on drums, keys programming, ambient and effects.
My main inspiration was… love, pain, time and healing. When I wasn’t replaying my demos over and over again, I loved (and still do) listening to Slowdive, Low, Dilly Dally, The Wytches, Big Thief, Wolf Alice and more. While writing songs I like thinking about the people I love or how cool and messy life can be. For ‘Till I Meet You’ again it was all about the passing of time and saying goodbye to my father.
It sounds best when… sharing a bottle of wine with a friend or lover on a starlit night.
Check out 'Till I Meet You Again' by The Psychedelic Birthday Party below.
Follow The Psychedelic Birthday Party:
