The Ocean's Nerve
Michael spent his younger days driving around in the car listening to Molina, whereas a lot of the Songs: Ohia catalogue was unfamiliar to Gemma. Ghost Tropic stood out as an obvious starting point for this project; both because of the sound of the album and the fact that Michael's friend Alasidair Roberts had played on the recordings. A further link being that Gemma had lived in and helped to build a recording studio later used by Roberts, with the community in Scotland through whom she met Jesse Poe, curator of Through the Static and Distance, who had brought Alasidair Roberts there to record with Will Oldham, Isobel Campbel, Alex Nielson and a few others. Something of the raw, fibrous spirit of the song touched us both and spoke to recently-relocated head-spaces.
The Ocean's Nerve from Ghost Tropic
Performed and recorded by Michael Tanner and Gemma Williams
Harp by Aine O'Dwyer
Bio
The Black Hare are Michael Tanner (Plinth, United Bible Studies) and Gemma Williams (Woodpecker Wooliams, Becky Becky). With Michael upping sticks and leaving his Dorset home after 15 years, and Gemma killing off her Woodpecker alter ego, the two friends braved each other's idiosyncrasies to move to a crooked, old Lewesian cottage at the foot of a South Downs' nature reserve. The Black Hare is the sound of the two finding common ground.
Links
Michael: iamplinth.bandcamp.com
Gemma: woodpeckerwooliams.com