For Longboat’s founder, Britain’s appeal lies as much in its ordinary moments as in its centuries of history. That interest shapes Proud of My Postcode, a forthcoming electronic album that considers the country through the eyes of an American-born musician. Scheduled for release at the end of September, it brings together observations of Britain, London and everyday life.
The project draws partly on the contrast between the founder’s original home of Seattle and his experiences in the UK. Where Seattle is surrounded by mountains, forests and wildlife, Britain offers layers of history embedded in its cities, towns and landscapes. Those differences have provided a continuing source of songwriting material, although the album is intended as a personal reflection rather than a comprehensive portrait.
Longboat approaches songwriting as an opportunity to examine the surrounding world instead of relying on traditional love-song conventions. “It’s pretty liberating,” the founder says of that freedom. Recorded at Strongroom Studios in Shoreditch, with Will Davies engineering, Proud of My Postcode gives this observational approach an all-electronic setting.
The album arrives alongside a developing connection with London’s live music scene. Longboat’s founder has begun performing piano-only versions of songs from a repertoire of around 100 around Clerkenwell, with hopes of taking those performances further afield. Between these stripped-back appearances and the forthcoming electronic release, Britain is becoming both a subject for his writing and a place to share it.