Kate Daisy Grant

Kate Daisy Grant - Profile

by Zena Grieg

published: 6 / 11 / 2019

Zena Grieg previews vocalist/composer Kate Daisy Grant's new album which explores world lullabies.

Article

Throughout her illustrious career Kate Daisy Grant has been fascinated by the theme of connection. With past appearances as a vocalist/instrumentalist with jazz and soul singer Sarah Jane Morris, the Incredible String Band’s Mike Heron and God of Hellfire Arthur Brown, her music has featured in film, theatre and TV. Kate’s work is always novel and interesting and her new album ‘Lullaby’ crosses intriguing frontiers. The venture is an innovative exploration of world lullabies, through the lens of the “neuroscience” of love. Setting the scene for this, Kate branched out into training in somatic therapy, attachment theory and polyvagal theory, according to which when our ears hear a very specific frequency band of the female voice, particularly the range employed by lullabies, we can access a state of safety within our nervous systems. Researching folk lullabies from across the world, Kate was struck by the similarities of the melodies, and how they could even be sung as harmonies to each other, overlapping and weaving together. Kate says that the central question underpinning the album is, if a listener is surrounded by female voices singing lullabies all in this range – what would happen to the person’s inner experience? This is accentuated by the inclusion of lullabies from all over the planet, emphasizing unity in a world of many different voices, political views and agendas. The result is a mesmerising interweaving of a hundred lullabies with dream-like layers of piano and strings, complemented by vocal arrangements in surround sound, making the listener feel cocooned in an intriguing and captivating multi-dimensional experience. Kate will be performing 'Lullaby' live in an immersive launch with collaborator Nick Pynn and projection mapping artist Peter Eyres on November 7 at the Old Market, Hove (tickets available at: http://theoldmarket.com/shows/lullaby/). It should be a fascinating evening.